# Another pronunciation poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152 "2011-05-16T23:05:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/1 "2011-05-16T23:05:05Z")
How do you pronounce the name of the city where a film festival is currently underway? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/2 "2011-05-16T23:12:04Z")
Closer to “Cahn”, but with the mouth making a sort of wider smile, and the tongue hits the roof of the mouth for the “n” further forward than in English, and pulls away while the word is still being pronounced (unlike in English, where the tongue just kind of sits there, stuck to the roof of the mouth, even after the final “n” is done sounding). ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/3 "2011-05-16T23:18:04Z")
Luckily, I’ve never had to bust my ignorance by speaking it. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/4 "2011-05-16T23:19:54Z")
KHAAAAAAAAN! (Someone had to do it.) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/5 "2011-05-16T23:29:12Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > KHAAAAAAAAN! > > (Someone had to do it.) I almost said that in the poll. Guess I shoulda. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/6 "2011-05-18T12:04:16Z")
I’ve only heard it referred to on TV, and forever I thought it was the canned film festival. Actually seeing it written out, I would definitely go with can. It’s obviously French, and standard French uses /a/, which, in French, sounds a lot like our /æ/. If you want to get specific, I say it with the same vowel as in cat, not as in can. Unfortunately, I can find no IPA guide that distinguishes between the two, and they are very different. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/7 "2011-05-18T12:17:26Z")
\ ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/8 "2011-05-18T12:49:42Z")
It’s can like van. Or it was back in my French class days. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/9 "2011-05-18T13:15:45Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > KHAAAAAAAAN! > > (Someone had to do it.) Crap. I wanted it to be me. {whine} {sulk} {mope} ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/10 "2011-05-18T14:13:09Z")
The Canniss Pretentio-Fest. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/11 "2011-05-18T17:46:09Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’ve only heard it referred to on TV, and forever I thought it was the canned film festival. > > Actually seeing it written out, I would definitely go with can. It’s obviously French\ What with it being in France and all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/12 "2011-05-18T17:49:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’ve only heard it referred to on TV, and forever I thought it was the canned film festival. > > Actually seeing it written out, I would definitely go with can. It’s obviously French, and standard French uses /a/, which, in French, sounds a lot like our /æ/. If you want to get specific, I say it with the same vowel as in cat, not as in can. Unfortunately, I can find no IPA guide that distinguishes between the two, and they are very different. Cannes is pronounced “can”, as you say. But I’m interested that you differentiate in the a sound in can and the a sound in cat - to me, these are exactly the same sound. I’ve never heard anyone making a distinction between them - how do you say them both? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/13 "2011-05-18T21:26:02Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > Cannes is pronounced “can”, as you say. But I’m interested that you differentiate in the a sound in can and the a sound in cat - to me, these are exactly the same sound. I’ve never heard anyone making a distinction between them - how do you say them both? Not to speak for **BigT** , but while “cat” and “can” can have the same vowel sounds in some dialects, most standard American dialects have some sort of nasal, triphthongy … thing … in “can” instead of [æ]. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/14 "2011-05-18T21:26:44Z")
I should think that the people who put a glide in “can” also put it in “cat.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Tone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Lucas\_Tone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Tone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/15 "2011-05-18T21:46:33Z")
‘Something else’, I guess. I just pronounce it in French, which isn’t quite like ‘Can’ or ‘Cahn’, both of which I find have too low a sound to the A. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/16 "2011-05-18T22:00:02Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I should think that the people who put a glide in “can” also put it in “cat.” It’s the anticipation of the “n” that makes the difference. When I consciously say [kæn], it sounds slightly affected to my ear (my accent is sort of a mish-mash of Midwest and light New England). There is a definite different between the vowels (“can” is more closed) and definitely no glide in “cat”. I think my “can” is closer to [keən] than anything, but it’s probably impossible to really write. Really, trying to nail down precise vowel sounds, especially in English, is mostly futile. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/17 "2011-05-18T22:08:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I should think that the people who put a glide in “can” also put it in “cat.” Nope. At least, around here, the glide is reserved for /æ/ preceding a nasal. In fact, the only place I’ve heard it used in “cat” is on South Park (by Mr. Garrison). I always assumed it was a comical overuse, since I never hear it otherwise. (Granted, I’m not usually listening for it.) > [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Not to speak for **BigT** , but while “cat” and “can” can have the same vowel sounds in some dialects, most standard American dialects have some sort of nasal, triphthongy … thing … in “can” instead of [æ]. Yes, that is true, but I’m referring to the pure vowel. It’s kinda a more open version of [e], but without shifting to mid front like [ɛ] or [æ]. I think that, for once, IPA is insufficient, so here are three audio files with me saying the English words pin, pen, pan, and pat: [ul] [li][“Properly” enunciating](http://www.box.net/shared/imt8ecvtjh)[/li][li][Everyday speech](http://www.box.net/shared/u5z64saug2)[/li][li][Sung to avoid the diphthong](http://www.box.net/shared/5yvk2hgihp)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/18 "2011-05-18T22:26:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I think that, for once, IPA is insufficient I think we should adopt the term “nasal, triphthongy … thing” and come up with an IPA symbol to represent it. Who’s with me? ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/19 "2011-05-19T00:51:42Z")
Now that that’s solved, how does one differentiate its pronunciation from that of the Normandy town, Caen? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152/20 "2011-05-19T01:35:32Z")
I was going to say, “Toronto”, but it’s not September yet. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-pronunciation-poll/582152.md?page=2)