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B1🍕 Food

Italian word

vongole

clams (used in pasta alle vongole)

Looks like

vongole

no English word; sometimes confused with 'wonton' (Chinese dumpling)

⚠️ The trap

No direct English false friend, but English speakers sometimes confuse 'vongole' with the Chinese 'wonton' due to sound similarity. They are completely unrelated. 'Vongole' are clams. Spaghetti alle vongole exists in two versions: 'in bianco' (white, with olive oil) and 'in rosso' (red, with tomato).

To say "no English word; sometimes confused with 'wonton' (Chinese dumpling)" in Italian:

vongola (singular) / vongole (plural)

"vongole" in English means:

clams (used in pasta alle vongole)

Example

"Spaghetti alle vongole è un classico napoletano."

"Spaghetti with clams is a Neapolitan classic."

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