# A Guide to Pronouncing Easy Words for Those Who Can't **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430 "2004-07-16T15:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/1 "2004-07-16T15:37:41Z")
I never post pit threads but I guess there is a first time for everything. And hey - why not start off with a bang - as I’m sure this is likely to piss many people off. It seems some people have trouble pronouncing certain words. Specifically these words are rural, brewery, ask and nuclear. As a public favour I shall describe in simple terms how to pronounce these simple words. RURAL: “Rooo” - that’s easy, right? “Rul” - that’s easy, too. rooo-rul rooo-rul See folks, its fun! BREWERY: “Brew”. Now try “err” and finally “eeee”. Those are nice and easy. brew-err-eeee I fail to see the difficulty. ASK: Its not ax. There’s an s. I know we can all say “ass”, so now just add a “k”. ASSsssss – K ASSsssss – k Got it? NUCLEAR: Lets break it down. “Noooo” - I know you can do that much. Now say “clear”. noooo-clear Hell, we can break it down even more: nooo-cleeee-errr Did you read this post and try along yourself? Its fun and easy! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/2 "2004-07-16T15:54:52Z")
> [@Trigonal Planar](#): > > NUCLEAR: > > Lets break it down. “Noooo” - I know you can do that much. Now say “clear”. > > noooo-clear > > Hell, we can break it down even more: nooo-cleeee-errr > > Did you read this post and try along yourself? Its fun and easy! [Peter Griffin] No silly its NUKE - U- LAR. The ‘S’ is silent. [/PG] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/3 "2004-07-16T15:59:02Z")
Specific - Spe -sif -ik (or Spu- sif -ik, but not Pa- sif -ik - that is an ocean). ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/4 "2004-07-16T15:59:08Z")
Drawer. Several pronuciations are correct, though I prefer “dror.” New Englanders seem to have a really rough time with this, pronouncing it “draw”, and even spelling it that way. My ex-girlfriend used to have a horrible time pronouncing the name of the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. List, darlin’, his name is not Sergio Zawa. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/5 "2004-07-16T16:30:59Z")
Okey-doke, Mr. Pronunciation Person, what’s the ruling on this one: Aunt. Is it “Ant” like the insect or “Awnt”, like, well, like a bunch of people around me seem to think it is? And when you’ve got a minute, you might want to swing by my mother’s place and help replace all her “tawls” with “towels”. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/6 "2004-07-16T16:35:58Z")
I was taught “Ant” is American, and “Awnt” is British. But then, I’m Dutch, so don’t look at me as an arbiter in all things English. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/7 "2004-07-16T16:40:05Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > I was taught “Ant” is American, and “Awnt” is British. But then, I’m Dutch, so don’t look at me as an arbiter in all things English. 🙂 I’ve known a couple of New Englanders (Connecticut, in particular) that pronounce it “Awnt”. I believe it depends on the region. I (from New York State) pronounce it “Ant”. My mother pronounces “Onion” as “Ung-yun”. I don’t know where she got it, b ut we tease her about it. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/8 "2004-07-16T16:40:29Z")
[Howland Owl] Nuclear physics ain’t so noo, and it ain’t so clear! [/Howland Owl] My wife (raised in suburban Boston) insists that there is no “l” in the world “almond”. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/9 "2004-07-16T16:41:32Z")
In certain parts of the South, “aunt” and “ain’t” are homonyms. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/10 "2004-07-16T16:58:14Z")
Where is common for people to mispronounce “brewery” and “rural,” and how are these words commonly mispronounced? I’m having trouble imagining howpeople might go wrong on these ones. If someone was lazy about enunciation, and “brewery” came out as “brew-ree,” I doubt it would bother me terribly. Is there a more egregious mispronunciation going on? I’m totally stumped as to how “rural” _can_ be mispronounced. What the hell? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/11 "2004-07-16T17:04:38Z")
> [@Bullwinkle](#): > > Oh, I hate my uncle but I love my antlers! Settles it for me. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > And when you’ve got a minute, you might want to swing by my mother’s place and help replace all her “tawls” with “towels”. Sure, my sister can do that wal (rhymes with pal) she’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/12 "2004-07-16T17:13:31Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > My wife (raised in suburban Boston) insists that there is no “l” in the world “almond”. Hmmm… [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) says: (ä-mnd, äl-, ôl-, mnd) (damn syllable markers don’t show up) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/13 "2004-07-16T17:18:56Z")
> [@Trigonal Planar](#): > > RURAL > > BREWERY: Ok, your other words I’m fine with, but I have a problem pronouncing these. Not intentionally - I think it’s a function of my southern accent. The thing is, I _know_ my pronounciation is odd, but I still mess them up each time I say them. So I avoid saying them whenever possible. And when I have to say them, I generally stumble a bit in my effort to go against my natural tendencies. Then I sound like a real idiot, being unable to even get through them. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/14 "2004-07-16T17:21:40Z")
FYI, we Brits don’t say “awnt” or “ant”, we say “ahnt”. I have a feeling there are certain vowel sounds that just don’t exist in certain parts of the US, hence certain people’s amazement that it is possibe to pronounce “Mary”, “marry”, “merry”, “Murray” and “moray” all differently. Likewise, most of us pronounce “almond” as “AH-muhnd”. Similarly, “water” does not have a “d” in the middle. Mmm’kay? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/15 "2004-07-16T17:22:21Z")
I’ve got another one: **Jewelry** is pronounced _jew-el-ry_, not _jew-ler-y_. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/16 "2004-07-16T17:23:53Z")
FWIW, I don’t have a problem with “brewery”, but “brewer” sounds odd to me. I pronounce it right (I think!) but it always leaves me feeling that my teeth have got wedged behind my bottom lip somehow :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/17 "2004-07-16T17:28:03Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I have a feeling there are certain vowel sounds that just don’t exist in certain parts of the US, hence certain people’s amazement that it is possibe to pronounce “Mary”, “marry”, “merry”, “Murray” and “moray” all differently. Mary, marry, merry are the same to me, but I use different pronunciations for Murray and moray. Again, I’m from NY if that makes any difference. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/18 "2004-07-16T17:31:05Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Where is common for people to mispronounce “brewery” and “rural,” and how are these words commonly mispronounced? I’m having trouble imagining howpeople might go wrong on these ones. I’m not sure it’s geographic, but locally/regionally in california, Brewery would be mainly pronounced Brur-ee. THe middle syllable gets mashed. > [@](#): > > I’m totally stumped as to how “rural” _can_ be mispronounced. What the hell? Likewise for this, ‘rural’ would be pronounced rur’l, with the second syllable being very short. At least, in MY daily usage, that’s how I either regionally pronounce, or mispronounce the words. I puzzle over this: > [@](#): > > Similarly, “water” does not have a “d” in the middle. Mmm’kay? Where on earth would water be pronounced wad-ter? or is that wahdder? Sam ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/19 "2004-07-16T17:32:24Z")
and P.S.- Water in Boston would probably be pronounced something like wah-duh. ---
**Author:** ![Coelacanth\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Coelacanth\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coelacanth_Soup)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/20 "2004-07-16T17:58:27Z")
Several women I work with often go the local Souper Salad for lunch to get a “baked buh-tata”. Please, as Sam Gamgee would say its PO-TA-TO. Also, where I’m from, when some people go shopping they say, “I’m going to Targets, or Wal-marts, or K-marts.” The store is named Wal-mart, singular, not possesive or plural. And when going to a concert or the opera or some such situation it always seems that someone will mention that they are seated on the fifth “roll” instead of row. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430.md?page=2)