How do you pronounce Neuhaus?
Neuhaus is pronounced NOY-house. The first syllable rhymes with "boy," and the second sounds exactly like the English word "house." Put the stress on the first syllable: NOY-house. If you have ever paused before saying it out loud in a shop, typed it three different ways into a search bar, or just pointed at the box, you are in good company. It is a question our team hears often. So let's settle it, and have a little fun along the way.
A quick pronunciation guide
• Neu sounds like "noy" (as in "boy" or "toy"). In German, the letters "eu" make an "oy" sound, the same as in "Freud."
• haus sounds like "house." Same word, slightly different spelling.
• All together: NOY-house. Two syllables, stress on the first.
The most common slip is reading "Neu" the English way, as "new" or "noo." Close, but not quite. Think "noy," and you have it.
Neuhaus, Nuehaus, Newhaus? The spellings we see most
Plenty of people find us without spelling our name quite right, and we love that they find us anyway. Here are some of the ways Neuhaus shows up in search:
• Nuehaus (the "e" and "u" swap places)
• Newhaus (spelled the way it looks in English)
• Neuhouse (a very reasonable guess, since "haus" means house)
• Neuhause (an extra "e" sneaks in at the end)
Whichever way you spell it, it is the same Belgian chocolatier. The correct spelling is N-E-U-H-A-U-S: "neu" then "haus," no extra letters.
The story behind the name
Neuhaus is a family name, and the family story starts with a career change. Jean Neuhaus was Swiss, and he set out to become a doctor. He studied medicine in Grenoble but failed twice, mostly because he could not stand the sight of blood.
So he tried another way to help people. In 1857, he settled in Brussels and opened a pharmacy in the Galerie de la Reine (the Queen's Gallery). To make his remedies more pleasant to take, he coated them in a fine layer of chocolate. The original Neuhaus boutique is still in the Galerie de la Reine today.
In 1912, his grandson took that idea one step further and invented the Belgian praline: a chocolate shell with an indulgent filling where the medicine used to be. Three years later, in 1915, Louise Agostini, wife of Jean Neuhaus Jr., invented the ballotin, the elegant gift box designed to protect the pralines and present them beautifully. Both became icons of the Belgian chocolate tradition.
And the name itself? In German, "Neuhaus" means "new house." Fitting for a house that has never stopped inventing. Today, all Neuhaus pralines and truffles are still made entirely in Belgium, at our atelier near Brussels, and Neuhaus is a Warrant Holder of the Court of Belgium. So when you say NOY-house, you are saying the name of the family that started it all.
Which Neuhaus? The Belgian chocolatier
Neuhaus is a popular name, so it helps to be specific. Neuhaus Chocolates is the Belgian chocolatier that invented the praline in 1912. We are not connected to the other businesses that share the name, including:
• Neuhaus Mayrhofen, a hotel in Austria
• Paul Neuhaus, a German lighting brand
• Neuhaus Romantikhotels, a hotel group
If you are looking for Belgian pralines, ballotins, truffles, or chocolate gifts, you are in the right house. You can find us at neuhauschocolates.com.
