Pronounce this word

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

"sauna"

It's "sow" (as in female pig) + "nuh" (as in nuh-uh), NOT "saw" (as in to cut wood) + "nuh."

Can I get a Finn to back me up?

― Df'nM (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know dude, I've always said saw-nuh.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

the second loudspeaker icon here is the Finnish pronunciation, but both are OK in English.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

It's a very quixotic (kee-HOE-tick) quest you're on.

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, who can explain the arguments one gets in sometimes?

― Df'nM (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

Sound - nd + nuh is right, so says me, my finnish roommate, and the science of mathematics.

― Mattattack (matt attack), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 22:58 (nineteen years ago)

It's not a Finnish word anymore, so going back to Finnish pronunciation doesn't really mean anything.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:53 (nineteen years ago)

If you say it Finnish style, you have to also say it with a convincing Finnish accent.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 2 November 2005 23:54 (nineteen years ago)

Pronounce this word: NIGERIAN

Neye-JEER-ee-an == of or related to Nigeria

Nee-ZHAIR-ee-an == of or related to Niger

(This occurred to me while listening to NPR.)

― elmo (allocryptic), Thursday, 3 November 2005 00:27 (nineteen years ago)

i was under the impression that it's "Nigeran" for the latter.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 November 2005 00:30 (nineteen years ago)

and if it isn't, it ought to be

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 November 2005 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

Possibly! I do not know for sure. If so, then Julian Marshall of BBC World Service has got some explaining to do.

― elmo (allocryptic), Thursday, 3 November 2005 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

It's Nigerien (with an e)

― Cressida Breem (neruokruokruokne?), Thursday, 3 November 2005 04:58 (nineteen years ago)

would you believe i heard someone on television pronounce quixotic "kwicks-AW-tick"?

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, that's not unbelievable as there are some truly idiotic pronounciations out there. I once had a history teacher who pronounced "Versailles" exactly like it is written -- Ver-saa-els (with a broad Australian accent). Terrible!

― salexander / sofia (salexander), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:33 (nineteen years ago)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dickhead

― stupid fucks, Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:36 (nineteen years ago)

There was a funny story in the NYT some months back about pronunciation battles in Texas. There are a bunch of towns with Spanish names that have for years had American pronunciations -- the example the article gave was San Jacinto, which the English speakers call "San Juh-SIN-toe." But now that Spanish speakers are becoming sizable minorities and in some cases majorities in these towns, they naturally are pronouncing them in the original Spanish ("Ha-SEEN-toe"), which is freaking out the English speakers, who are trying in some places to pass city ordinances establishing the bastardized English pronunciation as the "official" pronunciation.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:39 (nineteen years ago)

That is so arrogant, hope they lose. Ha-seen-toe sounds better anyway. Actually, won't something similar happen when non-Western English-speakers outnumber Western English speakers? We will just have to accept bastardisations of English then -- and that is the comeuppance for imperialism people.

― salexander / sofia (salexander), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:45 (nineteen years ago)

would you believe i heard someone on television pronounce quixotic "kwicks-AW-tick"?

I'm not sure what levels of irony are going on here, but that of course is the "correct" pronunciation.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:48 (nineteen years ago)

Isn't it kwiks-ot-ick?

― salexander / sofia (salexander), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:54 (nineteen years ago)

In my accent, those two are the same.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:56 (nineteen years ago)

Oh of course, if it's an American accent. That's why I thought it sounded strange before.

― salexander / sofia (salexander), Thursday, 3 November 2005 05:59 (nineteen years ago)

I mean you're pronouncing it like "rot", right? Not like "rote"?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 3 November 2005 06:21 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, with an Australian accent. So it sounds like the equivalent of the American pronounciation but with an Australian voice (I think).

― salexander / sofia (salexander), Thursday, 3 November 2005 06:50 (nineteen years ago)

I pronounced it thusly: ’saw–nuh’. I don’t believe in right & wrong pronunciations, though I correct people’s pronunciation of my name to bring it in line with how I pronounce it. Also whenever people say ’eether’ or ’neether’ I automatically yell ’eye–ther!’ or ’nigh–ther!’

― Kodanshi, Thursday, 3 November 2005 12:48 (nineteen years ago)

That pun about "the hills are alive with the sauna music" only works one way.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 3 November 2005 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

sauna in this context is an english word, as mentioned above. not much point in spending too much time worrying about the finnish pronunciation

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 3 November 2005 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

Yes but "the only boy who could ever reach me was a sauna preacher man" requires the other pronunciation (but is not enough to justify it, not at all).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 3 November 2005 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

Sound - nd + nuh is right, so says me, my finnish roommate, and the science of mathematics.

This is indeed the correct pronounciation, in case you were wondering.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 3 November 2005 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

I've never said the word aloud, but all my life I've been mentally mispronouncing "gimcrack."

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:32 (nineteen years ago)

In Sydney there's a town called 'San Souci', which is of course French for 'no worries'. Here, though, it's pronounced 'Sand Suzy'. My granfather, stationed in France in WWII, used to pronounce Ypres, 'Wipers', and this was apparently the norm for Brit troops, or so he said.

― ratty, Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)

Where the hell do they say "narrator": na-RAH-tor????? In addition to pronouncing "against": uh-GAYNST, this one Olympics commentator kept doing it. We were all like "Um ... well, Canadian by default, I guess?"

― literalisp (literalisp), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

that's true about Ypres, ratty.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

i hate it when aristocratic types on tv don't pronounce the final "t" in "restaurant". what the fuck is up with that?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:31 (nineteen years ago)

I actually had to ask my Production Coordinator how he wanted me to pronounce "bologna" in a ten-second billboard spot for a local meats company.

I mean, I've always pronounced it "bah-low-knee", but I didn't want to come across as a total hick. We decided that pronouncing it "bah-low-nuh" would come across as too froo-froo on the air.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:41 (nineteen years ago)

Webster's gives "bah-low-knee" as the standard pronunciation, even when spelled as "bologna" ("-nyah" and "-nah" are given as variants).

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:45 (nineteen years ago)

I had no idea baloney = bologna till this moment!

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:47 (nineteen years ago)

So, hang on. If you were visiting Bologna, would you call it Baloney?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

My Spanish professor says Don Kwik-sot.

― Cathy (Cathy), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

I wonder if anyone says quixotic "kee-oh-tic".

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:07 (nineteen years ago)

MV did, post three, five months ago

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:10 (nineteen years ago)

I say "Don Kee-oh-tee" but "Kwiks-o-tic". I think that's right, right? But if so, how did the pronounciation difference come about? The latter is derived from the former, no? (I'm fearing being shown up as stupid, now.)

― emil.y (emil.y), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:13 (nineteen years ago)

people read "quixotic" who didn't know that the word came from the man and that the man came from la mancha (olé!)

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:15 (nineteen years ago)

But then why is it standard? Just through use? Didn't anybody correct the first people to make the mistake? WHY OH WHY OH WHY?

― emil.y (emil.y), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:17 (nineteen years ago)

i say "key-ho-tee" and "key-ho-tic"

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:18 (nineteen years ago)

RJG says kee-ho-tic, I think.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

anyway it such a WASTE OF THE BEST LETTER what are the spaniards thinking of?

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

I have read Don Quixote but I don't really know what quixotic means, so I've never said it.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

spanish pronunciation of spanish only started with telly

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

they tend to spell it Don Quijote over here, I think.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:21 (nineteen years ago)

j is rubbish in all languages

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

Mark S, dude... how dare you incur the wraith of the voiceless velar fricative.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:30 (nineteen years ago)

i voiceless labial-velar plosive in its general direction

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:36 (nineteen years ago)

Viv Stanshall to thread!

In a related note to the above Quixote discussion, I believe that when the Spaniards came to the New World, they used the 'x' as an all-purpose placeholder letter when they couldn't think of any other way to transcribe what the natives were saying.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:39 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe that's not quite right- looks like the pronunciation of the letter 'x' actually changed over time.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:43 (nineteen years ago)

corny indies fuXoRz

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:46 (nineteen years ago)

fuJ0res

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:48 (nineteen years ago)

This QuijXote stuff is breaking my brain. I leave it to Pierre Menard to explain.

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:48 (nineteen years ago)

MV did, post three, five months ago

Bah. I used to be a more careful reader.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 00:51 (nineteen years ago)

Kwik-SOT-ic wins:

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C007/0157.html
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=quixotic

Etc., etc. (pronounced et cetera, as opposed to the eck ceterae I've been hearing).

― Okeigh, Wednesday, 1 March 2006 01:20 (nineteen years ago)

On the foreign names thing, in my early days living in Leicester (for US readers: pronounced LYE-SESS-ter; for everyone else, LESS-ter) I was for some reason seeking Belvoir Street without luck, and started asking for it in my best (i.e. a rubbish) French accent. It turns out that everyone there pronounces it Beaver Street. (N.B. it is a perfectly respectable city centre street, before you start with your suggestions about why I was heading there.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

yep, Belvoir = beaver
Caiius = keys
Beaulieu = Byoo-lee

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

Featherstonehaugh = fanshaw
Cholmondeley = chumley
Milngavie = Mulguy
etc etc

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

Beaulieu = "bowl-you"

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

six months pass...

Pronounce this please: "Chione". Its Greek (originally "Khione").

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 21 September 2006 12:01 (eighteen years ago)

is pronouncing the 'x' in quixotic really accepted? is there a US/UK difference?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 12:09 (eighteen years ago)

that is the accepted US pronunciation.

― any cop (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 21 September 2006 12:20 (eighteen years ago)

seriously? i don't think i've ever heard it pronounced that way?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:07 (eighteen years ago)

We are poncey Ivy people, gabb.

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:09 (eighteen years ago)

'Keehotic', then, gabnebb?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:09 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i thought the controversy would be kee-ha-tick (which I assume I would say, but I don't usually say (or hear) the word) vs. kee-hoe-tick

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:11 (eighteen years ago)

i suppose if yr gonna say kee-ha-tick, tho, why not go all teh way. i think i've made that argument for antoher word.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:12 (eighteen years ago)

i think it depends whether you say "meck see ko" or "me hee ko".

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:13 (eighteen years ago)

I say it like Jody says it and I say the guy's name "Don Key-hoe-tay," which is I believe is the current compromise. In days of old they used to call the guy "Don Quick-sote," I think.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:14 (eighteen years ago)

In much of Spain the 'x' would be a 'sh' sound, no?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:14 (eighteen years ago)

I know it's francisized as 'Don Quichotte' in French.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:16 (eighteen years ago)

And Steve, round these here parts, it's 'mess sih ko'.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

hey

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:19 (eighteen years ago)

I seem to recall there was something about the Spaniards overloading the letter 'X' when they came to the New World when transcribing certain Aztec words, but I can't remember what it was.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:22 (eighteen years ago)

I say the guy's name "Don Key-hoe-tay," which is I believe is the current compromise.

I wonder if Man of La Mancha had anything to do with this, or did people drop the "quick-sote" long before?

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:25 (eighteen years ago)

About 20-ish miles west of here there is a town called "Versailles" that is pronounced vuhr-SALES. America is so awesome.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:29 (eighteen years ago)

I googled the New Spain X stuff and got back this same thread, where I posted the exact same thing in February.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:31 (eighteen years ago)

Bah, I used to be a more careful reader.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:32 (eighteen years ago)

My husband used to call Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis "Nicolay" Ave because he felt the French pronunciation was what was meant. It took me years to break him of that habit.

I think some people say "mauve" strangely. "Maoooooooove."

― Sara R-C (Sara R-C), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:33 (eighteen years ago)

You should see me drunk in New Orleans. I have no idea how to pronounce anything.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:35 (eighteen years ago)

I seem to recall some funny street name pronunciations in Detroit. I almost posted something about Texas Spanish placenames but gypsy mothra beat me to it.

Ha jaymc, I'll bet you are right about Man of La Mancha.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:43 (eighteen years ago)

"Kerberos" (greek)

― • Galaga 88' • (ex machina), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:49 (eighteen years ago)

Quick-soat was the standard British willful mispronunciation, right? One of the Brit-educated lit professors I had said "Don Quick-soat" quite forcefully, along with "Don Jew-an" for Don Juan.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 21 September 2006 17:52 (eighteen years ago)

That reminds me of my beloved high school English teacher who insisted that Oedipus was correctly pronounced "Ee-di-pus." Then one day she brought in a young Greek actor friend who came and read from the Greek text, acting it out with eyes bulging and rattling the school windowpanes encased in their safety grills, and at the end she asked him: "so the correct pronunciation is 'Ee-di-pus' isn't it?" "No, it's 'Ed-i-pus.'

Forgive me if I've already posted this upthread.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 18:02 (eighteen years ago)

In old Spanish the X was pronouced "sh", as in Poruguese, Catalan or Basque today. In French (don Quichotte) and Italien (don Chisciote), they modified the spelling to keep the original pronounciation. In English it's the opposite: they kept the original spelling but pronouced it in English: "Don Quick-sote". In the 18th century, a reform in Spain changed the X to today's J (jota), which might explain the change to "Don Key-ho-tay".

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:14 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks Seb.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

"Don Quick-sote"

people seriously say this?! *expires*

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:21 (eighteen years ago)

This wikipedia article about Mexico reiterates what Seb just explained.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

(roffle donkey-choate roffle etc)

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:42 (eighteen years ago)

We have every right to anglicise it, but the Don Key Shotay pronunciation is inviting to me if for no other reason than it's archaic and that could be said for the character too.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:45 (eighteen years ago)

Ver-sales, yes. Also, Kay-ro (Cairo), Buh-GOH-tah (Bogota)...at least Memphis, Rome, and Athens, TN didn't suffer too much.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:57 (eighteen years ago)

What does that have to do with body image, Laurel?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 19:58 (eighteen years ago)

"Don Jew-an" is the correct pronunciation tho, as intended by Byron, b/c it's a parody.

― mango selassie (teenagequiet), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:03 (eighteen years ago)

there's a MADrid, iowa. And a Peoria, IA pronounced "peery."

― geoff (gcannon), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:08 (eighteen years ago)

god California is full of these horrible mispronounced Spanish names - Los Feliz, Los Banos, etc.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:10 (eighteen years ago)

Okeanos
Kirke

I had a classics prof who pronounced the name "o DISH us." Must be a hyper-incorrect old-academic thing, like, if we're not going to pronounce it in attic greek then we'll just anglisize the shit out of it like it's 1839

― geoff (gcannon), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:12 (eighteen years ago)

It's an ancient tradition picked up from the old country (Beaulieu pron. bewlee for example)

― Mädchen (Madchen), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

While we're talking about pronunciation, my mexican american brother-in-law moved here a week ago and is highly amused that within that weel he has heard several australians call jalepenos jal-a-peen-os, tortillas tort-tillas and amusingly call him, Jose Juan: Jose (to rhyme with close) and Juan Joo-ann.

I'm embarassed for my country.

― I'm down for runnin' up on them crackers in the city hall... (papa november), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:52 (eighteen years ago)

dont forget ques-a-dilla

now will someone please tell me how to pronounce CHIONE??

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:57 (eighteen years ago)

Oooh, I heard ques-a-dilla at a Grand Rapids Denny's, once. And Megan/Minka has a good story about FA-JIT-A, too. In Manhattan, no less!

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 21 September 2006 20:58 (eighteen years ago)

Key Oh Nay, I think, katharine.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 September 2006 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

thanks! thats what i was hoping but it just didnt sound greek to me.

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 21 September 2006 21:08 (eighteen years ago)

KIE oh nee?

― geoff (gcannon), Thursday, 21 September 2006 21:17 (eighteen years ago)

i'd say 'khie-oh-nay', the kh pronounced either as a k or like, well, like the x in donkey-ho-tay (or the ch in german 'ich').

I think with Greek you've got 2 conflicting major pronunciation sets, cos up until quite recently classical greek was taught with an approximation at modern greek pronunciation, which would make it 'kee oh nee' (cos in modern greek both upsilon and epsilon are pronounced like iota, 'i'), and I think modern greek has chi pronounced like a kappa, i.e. not aspirated; the revised pronunciation has epsilon a long e, hence khee-oh-nay.

― ampersand, hearts, semicolon (cis), Thursday, 21 September 2006 22:31 (eighteen years ago)

heard several australians call jalepenos jal-a-peen-os, tortillas tort-tillas and amusingly call him, Jose Juan: Jose (to rhyme with close) and Juan Joo-ann.
I'm embarassed for my country.

-- I'm down for runnin' up on them crackers in the city hall... (kat...), September 22nd, 2006 7:52 AM. (later)

I think you should point out that this is in Queensland...

― S- (sgh), Friday, 22 September 2006 01:56 (eighteen years ago)

Good point. Although if you're trying to tell me there aren't any bogans out round Glen Waverley way who'd pronouce it similiarly, I'm afraid I won't believe you :)

― I'm down for runnin' up on them crackers in the city hall... (papa november), Friday, 22 September 2006 02:58 (eighteen years ago)

Beaufort, South Carolina is pronounced "byoo-furd," and Beaufort, North Carolina is pronounced "bow-fort." Why?

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Saturday, 23 September 2006 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

why, to tell them apart of course!

There's a Concord in North Carolina, pronounced "con-CORD". Apparently this is not the case with the one in Massachusetts.

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Saturday, 23 September 2006 17:10 (eighteen years ago)

Then there's the matter of Appalachian, pronounced "ap-a-LAITCH-an" up north and "ap-a-LATCH-an" down south.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Saturday, 23 September 2006 17:14 (eighteen years ago)

Actually, is there a cite that says that Byron's "Don Jew-an" pronunciation is parodic, rather than just how English people said the name at the time? I've always wondered but never bothered to hunt down something that would make an argument one way or the other.

Also, has anyone really said "quixotic" in any way other than "quick-sot-ic"? http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/quixotic doesn't even offer any alternate ways to say it.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 23 September 2006 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

1) Years ago, Norwegian tv showed some English program[me] about an opera singer or something. At one point, the translated subtitles said something like "Han sang også rollen som xx i Massenets Eselskuddet" -- a literal translation of "He also sang the part of xx in Massenet's Donkey Shot"...

2) The pronunciation of classical Greek has been 1 x vexed issue for quite some time. The "rule" of using modern Greek pronunciation was mocked at least a century ago by some German scholar, who noted that some sheep in a comedy by Aristophanes said "βη βη", and commented that "niemals hat ein Schaf vi vi geblökt" -- ie "Never has a sheep said vi vi", which is how it would be in modern Greek, as opposed to bä bä. Onomatopoeia = excellent guide to extinct pronunciation!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:01 (eighteen years ago)

(in English it should rather be vee vee though)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:02 (eighteen years ago)

BER-lin NH

― gbx (skowly), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:04 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah but you needn't even go as far as German place names to point out the difference in pronunciation between US and "original" names -- Berkeley...

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:06 (eighteen years ago)

Hi Ole, since you are here, I might as well tell you I just saw the guy on TCM pronounce the title of the Dreyer movie Ordet as if it were an English word: "Or-det." In the past few years I've learned how to pronounce it more or less properly but usually I play it safe and just call it "The Word," if it comes up at all.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:09 (eighteen years ago)

Properly in Norwegian or Danish though? I'm sitting here repeating it in Norwegian, Danish and English, and thinking the English is actually closer to the original Danish than the (my) Norwegian is!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:23 (eighteen years ago)

(aka I've noticed you posting abt scando things before, in which country are you / have you learnt these things?)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:28 (eighteen years ago)

In my own, which is why I'm usually misinformed. But really, I thought the 'd' was silent, the 't' was like a soft "theta" and the "r" was one of those back-of-the-throat-swallowing-itself the Danes are supposed to be famous for, so it sounds like "OHRR-eh" or "OHRR-e(th)" or "OAW-uh"- like Elmer Fudd crossed with Paul Robeson or maybe Darth Vader- and not like "or-DETTE."

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:49 (eighteen years ago)

Not like a girl group, the Ordettes.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Sunday, 24 September 2006 01:51 (eighteen years ago)

Ah I see. The "OAW-uh" is pretty spot on I think, only more back of throat as you write (asciiish character set painfully inadequate for describing Danish hah). I'm in no way an authority on Danish pronunciation of specific words, though.

and not like "or-DETTE."

True. The final syllable should be very weak. I was thinking of "OR-det", which I believe could pass as very emphatic Danish. The Norwegian pronunciation, btw, would be like "OO-reh", with rolled r and a more rounded oo than in English.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 02:03 (eighteen years ago)

Why do is Don Quijote called Don Quixote in English?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 24 September 2006 10:37 (eighteen years ago)

Because the English didn't bother to follow suit when the Spanish changed orthography. Don Quixote is the original (part-)title:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Cervantes_Don_Quixote_1605.gif

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Sunday, 24 September 2006 10:50 (eighteen years ago)

In other words, we're rockists.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Monday, 25 September 2006 10:43 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

"W"

Do you say double you?
Or do you say dubba you?

Or, sheesh, do you say dubbyah?

― Z S, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 05:12 (seventeen years ago)

probably dubba you

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 22 July 2008 05:59 (seventeen years ago)

dub bayou

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 22 July 2008 05:59 (seventeen years ago)

Also, has anyone really said "quixotic" in any way other than "quick-sot-ic"?

gabbneb! all the time!

the french way IS nice - "don kee SHUT"

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:33 (seventeen years ago)

Glacéau

― Just got offed, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:37 (seventeen years ago)

Snore Patrol

― The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:38 (seventeen years ago)

"Don Quicksote, as the English have always pronounced it" (Melvyn Bragg)

― ledge, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:40 (seventeen years ago)

double you, and kweehotic

― darraghmac, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:50 (seventeen years ago)

sore NAH!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:52 (seventeen years ago)

double you.

also, nik kershaw to thread, who taught me how to say don quixote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZgSpB_zP28

― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:52 (seventeen years ago)

er, 1.37 before it kicks in - and man, what a video!

― CharlieNo4, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:54 (seventeen years ago)

don quixote had that weird cartoon, with that awesome theme tune. so that's where i learned it.

― darraghmac, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:55 (seventeen years ago)

"Don Quixote has always been a highly international piece of
literature. The Italians have always pronounced it 'don-key-show-tay';
the French have always pronounced it as 'don-key-sho-ta'; and the
English have always traditionally pronounced it as 'don–quix-ot'.

The adoption of the Spanish pronunciation in the English language has
only appeared with the wide inclusion of the book onto the undergraduate curriculum in many American Universities over the last 20 to 30 years. The vast majority of English academics still refer to the book in the old English pronunciation 'don-quix-ot' out of habit and in recognition of the book's status as an international classic."

emphasis added to indicate bullshit

― ledge, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:55 (seventeen years ago)

and yet, on "Os Mutantes" the band pronounce it as per 'don–quix-ot'.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 12:59 (seventeen years ago)

But they're not Spanish

― Tom D., Tuesday, 22 July 2008 13:00 (seventeen years ago)

the French have always pronounced it as 'don-key-sho-ta'

bzzt

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 13:24 (seventeen years ago)

didn't say they were!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 13:25 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

How the fuck do you say the name of this product?

http://www.itoen.com/tea/index.cfm?sp=category&ID=1

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:46 (sixteen years ago)

TEHS-tee

― Black Seinfeld (HI DERE), Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:55 (sixteen years ago)

eeto en.

― ian, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:56 (sixteen years ago)

Drink for your self®.

― goole, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:57 (sixteen years ago)

Versailles, Missouri to thread

― "alpha dog" (Tape Store), Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:59 (sixteen years ago)

EE-TOH EN TEEZ TEE.

I'm not sure what the issue is, though.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 19:59 (sixteen years ago)

It's a bit like how you say "Easy E"

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:00 (sixteen years ago)

If you removed the Y and put Ts before both parts

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:00 (sixteen years ago)

The only thing I'm confused by is what exactly "teas' tea" is supposed to mean. I'm guessing it's supposed to be analogous to a term like "actors' actor" or "writers' writer," except I'm failing to understand how some teas can appreciate other teas.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:03 (sixteen years ago)

when i was younger, i pronounced façade like blockade.

― ian, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:04 (sixteen years ago)

when you sleep at night, the teas have a party.

― ian, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:04 (sixteen years ago)

It's pretty simple, J -- first they make tea, then water tea plants with it, then they make tea from those tea plants

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:11 (sixteen years ago)

Kind of like how you make a man's man

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:12 (sixteen years ago)

― Black Seinfeld (HI DERE), Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:12 (sixteen years ago)

"Teas' Tea" is Ito En's approximation of 「おーいお茶」 which is the best selling green tea in the world but hard to pronounce.

― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･)　　　°~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:14 (sixteen years ago)

Also instead of steeping the tea in water, they steep it in tea

(seriously, though, that Teas' Tea is really good and nothing but good crisp tea, in comparison with all the horrid sweetened fake-lemony crap out there, and I'm really glad they have a Pure Black tea now. also I have wondered if it's supposed to be some kind of pun on "tasty," but I doubt it -- I think it's just Teas' Tea because there is nothing going on in there but straight-up delicious tea)

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:14 (sixteen years ago)

lipton pureleaf kicks this shit's ass

― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:50 (sixteen years ago)

ˈthis ˈwərd

not that hard, guys

― k3vin k3ll3r (Kevin Keller), Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:58 (sixteen years ago)

I know not this "pureleaf" you speak of, but I'll bet it doesn't come in an awesome squared bottle.

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:05 (sixteen years ago)

skiing, pronounced "sheeing"

― the sir weeze, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:07 (sixteen years ago)

I totally thought it was "kee-hoe-tick".

And I "uh-GAYNTS" and "uh-GENST" interchangeably, perhaps the former a little more often. I'm not sure what the "narrator" pronunciation upthread was. I say it something like "nair-AY-tuhr".

― Sundar, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:14 (sixteen years ago)

I say it like it's someone who rates bottles of Nair (NAIR-Rater), but people go at that one about a billion ways. (For some reason I'm charmed and fascinated by the one that goes "NAYritter.")

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:35 (sixteen years ago)

(Possibly I like that one because it follows directly from the pronunciation of "narrative.")

― nabisco, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:36 (sixteen years ago)

skiing, pronounced "sheeing"

You're full of skit!

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:46 (sixteen years ago)

(Ned to thread in 5, 4, 3...)

― Casuistry, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 21:46 (sixteen years ago)

Wait, I think I say it like nabisco.

― Sundar, Thursday, 20 November 2008 02:08 (sixteen years ago)

eight months pass...

boulez

― kid cruti (roxymuzak), Monday, 3 August 2009 03:56 (sixteen years ago)

the composer/conductor?

― velko, Monday, 3 August 2009 04:06 (sixteen years ago)

yes

― kid cruti (roxymuzak), Monday, 3 August 2009 04:06 (sixteen years ago)

be very exact

― kid cruti (roxymuzak), Monday, 3 August 2009 04:07 (sixteen years ago)

from: daniel norris (suzy) (dnor✧✧✧@hayw✧✧✧.csuhayw✧✧✧.e✧✧)
i got in an argument with a musical snob friend of mine (oh, i'm a snob too, but not like this), who insisted that the name was pronounced "bou-lay". of course, this guy also pronounces shubert as "sue-bear", which i find incredibly irritating.

from: biffyshrew (biffysh✧✧✧@a✧✧.c✧✧)
it's pronounced boo-lez. zappa even asked him. you're making the mistake of applying rules of standard french pronunciation to somebody's proper name, which doesn't necessarily follow said rules. i assure you that boulez pronounces his own name "boo-lez." if you think that's bad french, then argue with him, not me.

― velko, Monday, 3 August 2009 04:07 (sixteen years ago)

how is the z pronounced. just z as in zoo or is it like "zj"

― kid cruti (roxymuzak), Monday, 3 August 2009 04:11 (sixteen years ago)

I've heard as "z" in zoo. Milton Parker would probably have the definitive answer here.

― free jazz and mumia (sarahel), Monday, 3 August 2009 04:14 (sixteen years ago)

hmmm, never heard the "j" thing at the end tbh

― velko, Monday, 3 August 2009 04:14 (sixteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

solanaceae is a funny little word.

― proud teabagger from rim country (arby's), Saturday, 24 July 2010 12:54 (fifteen years ago)

Mind blown by the Boulez thing, have been mentally pronouncing it "Boolay" all this time, but there is even a French guy on Forvo pronouncing the z:
http://www.forvo.com/word/pierre_boulez#fr
(and just when I decided I'd been pronouncing other French -ez surnames wrong too, the same guy pronounces "Wauquiez" - as in Laurent, I assume - with no z: http://www.forvo.com/word/wauquiez#fr )

― piskie sour (a passing spacecadet), Saturday, 24 July 2010 16:39 (fifteen years ago)

I have been practising saying "Michael Rother" in a German way after years of mentally pronouncing it as if it were an English name, not quite sure if I was being unusually dense in doing the latter or if I will sound intensely poserish if I do the former in conversation

(like I know anyone who wants a conversation about Michael Rother or Pierre Boulez anyway)

― piskie sour (a passing spacecadet), Saturday, 24 July 2010 16:42 (fifteen years ago)

Somebody please pronounce Papua New Guinea for me.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 24 July 2010 18:15 (fifteen years ago)

Pah-Pah New Ghinnee? That's how I've always pronounced it.

― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 24 July 2010 18:43 (fifteen years ago)

I thought it was pap-oooh-aaah ...

― i am giving you the caesar salad of compliments (Nijoli), Saturday, 24 July 2010 18:53 (fifteen years ago)

Pah-Pah New Ghinnee? That's how I've always pronounced it.

― Johnny Fever, Saturday, July 24, 2010 6:43 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

thats how i always pronounced it, too. but i got laughed at a couple months ago for that pronunciation when i was extolling the virtues of the future sound of london song.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 24 July 2010 20:16 (fifteen years ago)

Papwah, no?

― ailsa, Saturday, 24 July 2010 20:20 (fifteen years ago)

The Weatherall mix of the FSOL song samples someone pronouncing the title but I can't remember how. Pap-wa, I think.

― Haunted Clocks For Sale (Dorianlynskey), Saturday, 24 July 2010 20:34 (fifteen years ago)

I think some people say "mauve" strangely. "Maoooooooove."
― Sara R-C

I've been wondering this. Is it "mowve" or "mawve"? I say "mowve" myself.

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:29 (fifteen years ago)

I say "mowve" if "mow" sounds like "mow the lawn"

― flashing drill + penis fan (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:31 (fifteen years ago)

so i guess i say "mohve"

― flashing drill + penis fan (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:31 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah, that's what I meant.

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:33 (fifteen years ago)

Your phonetic spelling is better, though.

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:34 (fifteen years ago)

Also, I give "Papua" three syllables, with a really short second syllable. "Pop-u-ah".

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:35 (fifteen years ago)

These guys give it a short a, though: http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Papua%20New%20Guinea

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:37 (fifteen years ago)

Also, Webster's prefers "mohve". Still not sure of the difference in color between mauve and lavender. Mauve might be a shade darker, but then again, lavender might be a plant whose flowers are mauve-colored. Something for another thread. maybe.

― kenan, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:43 (fifteen years ago)

I think of mauve as a fair bit darker than lavender but I've been looking at lavender flowers this summer that are more or less blue imo

― flashing drill + penis fan (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:45 (fifteen years ago)

Lavender is pretty close to a standard purple. Mauve is like dark pink.

― kkvgz, Sunday, 25 July 2010 16:59 (fifteen years ago)

Mind blown by the Boulez thing

Well, the 'z' is sounded in Berlioz too after all

― tom d: he did what he had to do now he is dead (Tom D.), Monday, 26 July 2010 10:06 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah, but not in "voulez", which you'd expect to be pronounced the same as "Boulez".

― Tuomas, Monday, 26 July 2010 12:15 (fifteen years ago)

Of course, but not that surprising that a proper name might be pronounced differently - as in the case of Berlioz? Also, it might not be a French name, I don't know.

― tom d: he did what he had to do now he is dead (Tom D.), Monday, 26 July 2010 12:21 (fifteen years ago)

It did cross my mind that the -ez pronunciation I knew might be for verbs only, or at least never surnames, but since that other guy's surname has a silent z, I guess the only rule is that there isn't a rule (for proper names, at least)

― piskie sour (a passing spacecadet), Monday, 26 July 2010 12:33 (fifteen years ago)

french rule is definitely not to pronounce the z in -ez, i'm guessing that it's sounded in those cases b/c both boulez and berlioz are names with a non-french origin (spanish perhaps?) - boulez being more surprising because it "looks" french.

(cf french tennis player tatiana golovin - the-in is pronounced as it looks, i believe, not with the usual french nasal inflection, because she's ethnically russian and it's a russian name, not a french one.)

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Monday, 26 July 2010 12:41 (fifteen years ago)

This reminds me of a debate over Pinochet's surname, which Britishers generally pronounce as if it were French - wikipedia says that neither side in the debate I was eavesdropping on was correct, as the "ch" is pronounced in the usual Spanish way and not the French way, but the man himself used a silent "t"

― piskie sour (a passing spacecadet), Monday, 26 July 2010 12:51 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

pronounce the last two words in "le mystere des voix bulgares."

― les yper-fem (get bent), Saturday, 12 January 2013 20:44 (twelve years ago)

vwah bool-gar

― conrad, Saturday, 12 January 2013 20:49 (twelve years ago)

that's what i thought.

― les yper-fem (get bent), Saturday, 12 January 2013 20:50 (twelve years ago)

"Yoinks! Burglaries!"

― Shields & Yarnell Present: The Perils of Puberty (Old Lunch), Saturday, 12 January 2013 21:25 (twelve years ago)

irl lol

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Saturday, 12 January 2013 22:07 (twelve years ago)

woah is it bool not byl? This page says byl, but I'm ready to be schooled here.

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 19 January 2013 16:19 (twelve years ago)

the french "u" is like the english "e" (as in "key") with pursed lips

― hypnotiQ tanqueray (clouds), Saturday, 19 January 2013 16:39 (twelve years ago)

yah obv! ie what I (Norwegian) would call "y" or "ü" or any place on the continuum, if any, between them. But conrad said "bool", and English "oo" is also not totally inconceivable as exceptions in French pronunciation of "u", especially in the case of a foreign demonym.

― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:04 (twelve years ago)

xp ?

http://fr.thefreedictionary.com/bulgare

― things that are jokes pretty much (Nilmar Honorato da Silva), Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:28 (twelve years ago)

the french "u" is like the english "e" (as in "key") with pursed lips

Uh, what?

― Designated Striver (Tom D.), Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:31 (twelve years ago)

eight years pass...

“Sentient”
Web says “senshent” but I’ve always heard “sen ti ent”

― calstars, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 00:41 (four years ago)

Web version is more proper but either one gets you there among english speaking Americans.

― sharpening the contraindications (Aimless), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 00:53 (four years ago)

I've never heard anyone say 'senshent'. Forvo agrees that it's a hard t, on both sides of the Atlantic:

https://forvo.com/word/sentient/#en

― pomenitul, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 01:04 (four years ago)

Sen ti uhnt

― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 01:06 (four years ago)

Forvo? More to the point, how do old Etonians pronounce it when conversing among themselves at their club?

― sharpening the contraindications (Aimless), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 01:07 (four years ago)

sen-ti-uhnt or sen-chent

― sarahell, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 08:40 (four years ago)

Sentyent

― flagpost fucking (darraghmac), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 08:47 (four years ago)

Streisand = sentyenyl

― Filibuster Poindexter (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 12:55 (four years ago)

yentl. Motherfucker

― Filibuster Poindexter (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 12:56 (four years ago)

What's the consensus on 'prescient'? I hear Americans saying 'preshent' in movies, is that a countrywide thing?

― Maresn3st, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:34 (four years ago)

https://miro.medium.com/max/1200/0*yt7Mwvdb8e08xxhk.jpg

― You Can't Have the Woogie Without a Little Boogie (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:37 (four years ago)

That's what Sean Connery used to get on his birthday. Surely to goodness no.

― Authoritarian Steaks (Tom D.), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:39 (four years ago)

(xp)

― Authoritarian Steaks (Tom D.), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 14:39 (four years ago)

Think I first heard Shane Carruth say it in 'Primer', have definitely heard it in a couple of American TV shows since.

― Maresn3st, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 15:03 (four years ago)

Pressy-ent imo

― flagpost fucking (darraghmac), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 15:14 (four years ago)

I would agree although I can't say for sure that 'prescient' isn't one of the many, many words which I've encountered more in text than in speech and therefore probably don't actually know how to correctly pronounce but casually toss into verbal communication anyway to the jeers and titters of anyone more learned who's within earshot.

I think I said 'unwieldly' for an embarrassingly long time.

― You Can't Have the Woogie Without a Little Boogie (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 15:20 (four years ago)

Otherwieldly

― flagpost fucking (darraghmac), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 15:21 (four years ago)

happy to help

https://voca.ro/1dGZCUAbI0FZ

― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 16:27 (four years ago)

Prescient is one of those words that I would never use in a conversation. Fine in writing though

― calstars, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:21 (four years ago)

Billy Corgan uses it

― Filibuster Poindexter (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:32 (four years ago)

That's what Sean Connery used to get on his birthday. Surely to goodness no.

lol I was going to say "that's what Sean Connery says when his name is said during roll call"

― 80's hair metal , and good praise music ! (DJP), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:52 (four years ago)

one month passes...

Pedant

― AP Chemirocha (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 22:17 (four years ago)

PEDant
cf peDANtic

― calstars, Wednesday, 16 June 2021 23:05 (four years ago)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dickhead

― stupid fucks, Wednesday, November 2, 2005 11:36 PM (fifteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 23:10 (four years ago)

karate

― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Thursday, 17 June 2021 13:29 (four years ago)

kuh-rot-tay

― treeship., Thursday, 17 June 2021 13:31 (four years ago)

kuh-ray-zee

― Jerome Percival Jesus (Old Lunch), Thursday, 17 June 2021 13:32 (four years ago)

I just accept at this point that every American English pronunciation of a Japanese word or name is completely wrong. Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGzdjnvoXek

― Jerome Percival Jesus (Old Lunch), Thursday, 17 June 2021 13:35 (four years ago)

Swathe

― 29 facepalms, Thursday, 17 June 2021 13:46 (four years ago)

four years pass...

I'm watching a documentary where several people (US-based) have pronounced the name of Australia's capital city as "can-BARE-uh". I have never heard this before!

― Kim Kimberly, Monday, 14 July 2025 04:26 (three weeks ago)

tbf no one can honestly predict how the australians pronounce/stress anything. (apart from shortening, i guess? and dingos) which is among the reasons that they rule

just wait until they hear about the fascist american attorney general's name

― mookieproof, Monday, 14 July 2025 05:07 (three weeks ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.