# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/121 "2004-07-22T10:10:19Z")
I had trouble today trying to get to Lutwyche. Never been there before, never heard anyone say it, so no-one had any idea what I was talking about when I said I wanted to go to “lut-wike” … I had to spell it, which didn’t help the foreign bus driver none. Eventually someone was like, "ohhh… “lut-witch” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/122 "2004-07-22T18:10:18Z")
> [@jastu](#): > > This must from an American dictionary as the second pronunciation is not listed in either of mine. I have often wondered why Americans say Artic and Anartica, I thought it was just lazy speech. It seems many words we assume people are mispronouncing are actually correct in their part of the world. “Correct” might be dependent on the dictionary publisher. It is my understanding that some dictionaries are “descriptive” and will include pronunciations that are in common use, while other dictionaries are more “prescriptive” and include only pronunciations that are considered to be correct in Standard English. The same thing occurs to a lesser extent with the definitions, the “descriptive” dictionaries including definitions that would be considered mis-uses by the “prescriptive” versions. This I believe to be true of American dictionaries; I am not acquainted with British, Australian, or other versions. The main point here is that just because it’s in a dictionary doesn’t necessarily mean it’s considered “correct”. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/123 "2004-07-22T18:57:16Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > And while we’re at it, when the hell did it become o-MAAHJ? While my American, online dictionary only lists ‘A-mij’ as correct, it seems to me that ‘o-MAHJ’ has become almost a different word, not just an alternate pronunciation: where I’m from, you pay ‘A-mij’ to someone, but when something you have done is a tribute to someone else it is called an ‘o-MAHJ.’ “Smith payed ‘A-mij’ to his mentor with that entire movie.” but “Smith’s movie was an ‘o-MAHJ’ to his mentor.” In either case, the word ‘tribute’ could replace ‘homage’ with no problem. Does anyone else recognize this distinction? ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/124 "2004-07-22T23:48:23Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > While my American, online dictionary only lists ‘A-mij’ as correct, it seems to me that ‘o-MAHJ’ has become almost a different word, not just an alternate pronunciation: where I’m from, you pay ‘A-mij’ to someone, but when something you have done is a tribute to someone else it is called an ‘o-MAHJ.’ > > “Smith payed ‘A-mij’ to his mentor with that entire movie.” > > but > > “Smith’s movie was an ‘o-MAHJ’ to his mentor.” > > In either case, the word ‘tribute’ could replace ‘homage’ with no problem. > > Does anyone else recognize this distinction? Ah no, It took me some time to work out what on earth a-mij and o-mahj were **Misnomer**. Again in this part of the word homage is pronounced homij. My dictionaries also confirm this but for interest I checked [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) and again homij or omij are the two pronunciations listed. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/125 "2004-07-23T05:00:34Z")
> [@Mercury](#): > > Ricotta. Manicotti. Pronounced rick-ot-uh. Mahn-ih-cot-ee. > > Despite my having taken Italian for three years, a friend of mine from Brooklyn informed me that I was horribly wrong, and it was “rigot” and “manigot.” > > Seeing as how I didn’t learn Italian from Jimmy the Knife, I stick to the correct pronounciation. And I suppose you order Fill-it Migg-nons in restaurants, too? Or perhaps you feel like Mexican food and ask for tack-oes? Ricotta and manicotti are not English words. Thus, English pronunciations are by definition wrong. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/126 "2004-07-23T05:32:16Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > And I suppose you order Fill-it Migg-nons in restaurants, too? Or perhaps you feel like Mexican food and ask for tack-oes? > > Ricotta and manicotti are not English words. Thus, English pronunciations are by definition wrong. True, but most foreign foods have Anglicized pronunciations. How many people do you know that roll the “r” in “burrito,” or say the “l” in “kielbasa” as a “w” (as it is in Polish,) or, as I had mentioned, say “broosketta” for “bruschetta.” The way an American says “pierogi” may make a Pole cringe, but it’s the correct pronunciation in English. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/127 "2004-07-23T05:48:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > True, but most foreign foods have Anglicized pronunciations. How many people do you know that roll the “r” in “burrito,” or say the “l” in “kielbasa” as a “w” (as it is in Polish,) or, as I had mentioned, say “broosketta” for “bruschetta.” The way an American says “pierogi” may make a Pole cringe, but it’s the correct pronunciation in English. Jai-ros, anyone? I say “pyeh-ROH-gi” (well, that’s pretty close to what it sounds like when I say it, anyway.) I think I disagree. If it’s a “foreign” food, you ought to learn to pronounce it correctly - not how you think it should be Anglicized. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/128 "2004-07-23T07:05:09Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Jai-ros, anyone? > > I say “pyeh-ROH-gi” (well, that’s pretty close to what it sounds like when I say it, anyway.) > > I think I disagree. If it’s a “foreign” food, you ought to learn to pronounce it correctly - not how you think it should be Anglicized. Why not? We anglicize place names. We borrow words from other languages and make them our own. Why not with food? I mean, hey, I know “gyros” is pronounced roughly as “yee-ros” (per the Kronos gyros posters all around this city), but if I say that, almost nobody knows what the hell I’m on about. “Yee-ros” and I get funny looks. “Ghee-ros” or “jie-rohs” _shudder_, and I’m communicating. Thing is, to me (and I am multilingual), when speaking English I will rarely resort to the foreign pronunciation because it sounds jarring and sticks out like a sore thumb when juxtaposed against the rhythms of the English language. Most English pronunciations are reasonable approximations of the foreign pronunciations. Others are way off, but have become the accepted standard. But I can’t really think of any foreign foods that are pronounced exactly as in their original language. ---
**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 23, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/129 "2004-07-23T19:38:38Z")
Oh, oh, I have a story! I was in Ohio a while back and I stopped in to Subway to get some food. I got to the cash register and the woman asked me if I wanted the _mildew_. Lets see who will figure it out first… ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/130 "2004-07-23T20:00:30Z")
> [@Padmaraga](#): > > Get yourself a dictionary, dear. Look it up. Here’s what mine says for the pronuncian of arctic: (ärk’tik, är’tik). That means both pronunciations are correct. > > I will not pronounce the first “c”; it sounds stilted to me. It isn’t stilted, it’s just correct. Your (and my) dictionary has just given up and accepted mispronunciations because they are common. I guess that’s how language changes. I, on the other hand, pronounce everthing kreckly becuz I am perfik. 😃 I will never understand why so many politicians, many of whom aspire to the office, slur “PrezYouneyeStay” when they mean “President of the United States.” It seems to me if they can’t say it they shouldn’t ever be it. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/131 "2004-07-23T22:52:28Z")
> [@Trigonal Planar](#): > > I was in Ohio a while back and I stopped in to Subway to get some food. I got to the cash register and the woman asked me if I wanted the _mildew_. I have no freaking idea, and it’s driving me crazy what she said. Please tell. ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/132 "2004-07-24T02:33:17Z")
> [@DesertGeezer](#): > > It isn’t stilted, it’s just correct. Your (and my) dictionary has just given up and accepted mispronunciations because they are common. I guess that’s how language changes. Well, I didn’t say it _is_ stilted, I said it _sounds_ stilted _to me_. That means that, where I come from, only people whose manner of speaking is considered eccentric pronounce it that way, but that I accept that it may be the standard pronunciation in _other regions_. Same with pronouncing the “t” in “often”, for me. As to the dictionaries “giving up” and accepting “mispronunciations” because they are common, mine makes the points that > [@](#): > > Resolved: The prevailing usage of its speakers should be the chief determinant of acceptability in language. and > [@](#): > > All pronunciations given (in this dictionary) are acceptable in all circumstances. When more than one is given, the first is assumed to be the most common, but the difference in frequency may be insignificant…When a single pronunciation is offered in this Dictionary, the reader will supply those features of his own regional speech that are called forth by his reading of the key. Apart from regional variations in pronunciation, there are variations among social groups. **The pronunciations recorded in this Dictionary are exclusively those of educated speech.** (emphasis mine) That seems to me to contradict your theory. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/133 "2004-07-24T02:41:02Z")
Since this thread is so full of folks who are near expert at speech, could someone tell me what the heck “SA” or “Essay” is? It’s that word that young hispanic folks use in movies when being slightly threatening toward white folks. You know, “so tell me “SA” whatchoo doin down here in our turf”? What the heck is it, and what does it MEAN??? ---
**Author:** ![stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stately_plump_buck_mulligan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/134 "2004-07-24T03:01:57Z")
Esé. Sorta like a Spanish version of “dude,” “bro,” “homeboy,” “man,” etc., used amongst male Hispanics as a sign of brotherhood or closeness. “Sup esé?” It’s generally not seen as kosher for a non-Hispanic to use the term towards a Hispanic. A young hispanic could very well use it to seem threatening against “white folks,” especially in movies. I suppose a movie-Hispanic calling a movie-white “esé” would be a gentle way of insinuating, “Hey! You’re white, not Hispanic, and in case you haven’t noticed, that makes you the minority around here, and a beatdown may very well occur if you don’t convince me and my comrades otherwise.” ---
**Author:** ![stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stately_plump_buck_mulligan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/135 "2004-07-24T03:21:48Z")
… and your post reminds me of a joke I always found cute. "What do you call a baby Mexican? A paragraph, cause he’s not big enough to be an esé." [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/136 "2004-07-24T03:33:49Z")
> [@stately plump buck mulligan](#): > > Esé. Sorta like a Spanish version of “dude,” “bro,” “homeboy,” “man,” etc., used amongst male Hispanics as a sign of brotherhood or closeness. > > “Sup esé?” > It’s generally not seen as kosher for a non-Hispanic to use the term towards a Hispanic. A young hispanic could very well use it to seem threatening against “white folks,” especially in movies. I suppose a movie-Hispanic calling a movie-white “esé” would be a gentle way of insinuating, “Hey! You’re white, not Hispanic, and in case you haven’t noticed, that makes you the minority around here, and a beatdown may very well occur if you don’t convince me and my comrades otherwise.” Thank you! This has driven me bonkers everytime I see it used in some movie. I kinda figured it was some form of “dude or bro” or something, and that it was mean to be sarcastic, but was hoping to know the “real” word, and its origin. ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/137 "2004-07-24T06:25:20Z")
> [@Trigonal Planar](#): > > Oh, oh, I have a story! > > I was in Ohio a while back and I stopped in to Subway to get some food. I got to the cash register and the woman asked me if I wanted the _mildew_. > > Lets see who will figure it out first… Mountain Dew? Meal deal? all I could think of. ---
**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 24, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/138 "2004-07-24T15:41:56Z")
Ding ding ding! **jastu** is the weeeeeiinnner! Indeed, mildew = meal deal. We had to hold back our laughter as we left the place. ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/139 "2004-07-24T22:19:38Z")
Woo hoo!! so what did I win? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430/140 "2004-07-26T13:12:58Z")
You win the “mildew.” 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-guide-to-pronouncing-easy-words-for-those-who-cant/255430.md?page=8)