# BBC/RP pronunciation of "Wednesday" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038 "2007-12-06T16:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/41 "2007-12-07T12:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] _Chez nous_ we say ‘Pinochez’. Is that wrong? [/QUOTE] Here we have it from the horse’s mouth, the BBC Pronunciation Unit: > [@](#): > > Perhaps the most common Chilean pronunciations of Pinochet are peen-otch-AY and peen-otch-ETT. > > The decision to recommend the anglicised pronunciation was made on the basis that the name has appeared in the news over many years. PIN-uh-shay (sometimes also PEE-nuh-shay or PEE-noh-shay) appears to be the most usual pronunciation of this name in Britain. > **[BBC - Magazine Monitor: How to say: Pinochet](https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2006/12/how_to_say_pinochet.shtml)** > > A weekly guide to the words and names in the news from Martha Figueroa-Clark of the BBC Pronunciation Unit. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/42 "2007-12-07T14:46:05Z")
Sometimes, I think the BBC has special World Service broadcasts for the US, where they deliberately offer strange word pronunciations just to screw with us Yanks. I could easily imagine hearing something like this if I listened long enough: “Check out [bbc.com](http://bbc.com) for the latest photo-gar-effs of the earthquake aftermath.” “French railway en-gyn-eers are on strike for a fifth day …” “London Council have announced that they will pursue free citywide wee-fee service …” ---
**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:** [December 7, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/43 "2007-12-07T14:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] That one had never occured to me. I don’t think the typical British pronunciation is the Manuel-esque option, but rather an interpretation of it as thought it were French, the ‘-chet’ ending in particular lending itself to this. [/QUOTE] I don’t think American broadcasters are entirely in agreement regarding whether the last syllable rhymes with “pay” or “bet.” There seems to be a similar problem with Alberto Fujimori. Some news reporters pronounce the “j” as in Japanese, some as in Spanish. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/44 "2007-12-07T14:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=Dominic Mulligan] Saturday = Sat’day up here. [/quote] It can also be two syllables in America, but it comes out “Sair-day.” > [@](#): > > How else would you pronounce figure? “Figger” is the only way I could think of saying it (unless you say “fig u r” or some other variant). Fig-yer ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/45 "2007-12-07T14:56:19Z")
> [@](#): > > How else would you pronounce figure? “Figger” is the only way I could think of saying it (unless you say “fig u r” or some other variant). “Figger” sounds odd to American ears. Everyone I know pronounces the word “fig-your”. Even when people say it quickly, or slur the pronunciation, you always hear that “y” come through. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/46 "2007-12-07T15:00:15Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] “London Council have announced that they will pursue free citywide wee-fee service …” [/QUOTE] I’d rather they pursued fee-free wee. You have to spend considerably more than a penny these days 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/47 "2007-12-07T15:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] “Figger” sounds odd to American ears. Everyone I know pronounces the word “fig-your”. Even when people say it quickly, or slur the pronunciation, you always hear that “y” come through. [/QUOTE] And “fig-your” sounds odd to these British ears. As do “skedule”, “REE-search” and (from my chemistry background) “METH-ul” and “ETH-ul” instead of “MEETH-ile” and “EETH-ile”. Go figger. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/48 "2007-12-08T06:11:42Z")
“Figger” sounds so funny to me because it’s associated so strongly with ignorant people and uneducated speech in general. It’s shocking enough to be funny when someone who otherwise speaks U English drops a decidedly Non-U “figger” into their speech. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/49 "2007-12-08T13:09:51Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] “Figger” sounds odd to American ears. Everyone I know pronounces the word “fig-your”. Even when people say it quickly, or slur the pronunciation, you always hear that “y” come through. [/QUOTE] Just checked with my American wife and there is indeed a “y” in there. I’d never noticed; it is not as obvious as writing “fig-yer” implies, but it is definitely there. She had noticed that I (a Brit) say “figger”. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/50 "2007-12-08T13:16:06Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] She had noticed that I (a Brit) say “figger”. [/QUOTE] Maybe she’d just always assumed you were uneducated. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/51 "2007-12-08T13:19:41Z")
Figger in Australia as well, anything else would sound uneducated. Usually (but not always) skedule, Pin-o-shay and wensday, and the city I live in is Melbin anyone calling it Mel-born is automatically tagged as a tourist. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/52 "2007-12-08T15:38:50Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] The Anglo-Saxon form of the name preserved the initial /w/ in Woden whereas Odin is the Scandinavian form. Compare Danish _ord_ for word and _orm_ for worm. Ormsby in England, a remnant of 9th-century Viking colonization (the Danelaw), is literally ‘Worm’s Village’ in Old Norse. [/QUOTE] Just to chuck spanners in the works, the Swedish for _word_ is also ord but in Swedish, orm is _snake_. As Sweden and Denmark share many words and have similar spellings I wonder if this is not the case here and the village of Ormsby would be perhaps Snake Village. Damned if I can recall the Swedish for worm. It might also have a bearing that half of Sweden was Danish, long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/53 "2007-12-08T17:01:19Z")
I am a very weird hybrid when it comes to pronunciation. I was born in Scotland, but grew up in Canada. I say Wed-nz-day - definite pronunciation of the “D.” I say Feb-roo-ary - just as I say Li-brary. I originally said “strenth,” but I got teased a lot as a kid and changed to “strenGth.” Also, I originally said uz, for us, but adapted to the North American pronunciation. Oh, I also pronounce loch, as it is intended with the “ch” not sounding like “ck” but … I can’t even type how it sounds, maybe like the German “ich.” I think you know the sound. I do the same for names like McLaughlin. I was speaking to someone recently from the New England area who kept referring to these things called “drawrings.” No idea what he was on about. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/54 "2007-12-08T18:28:49Z")
When I referred to “the poor, old, nearly-forgotten unemployed god Wodin,” I didn’t mean he was obscure among the Norse gods. I meant you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who actively worships (or even blames) any of the Norse gods. Assuming these gods existed at all, they must be lonely and bored. Helluva note, for a god to be lonely. At least Wodin, Thor, and Fria get mentioned once a week. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/55 "2007-12-08T20:58:21Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] At least Wodin, Thor, and Fria get mentioned once a week. [/QUOTE] Don’t forget Tiu/Tyr. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038/56 "2007-12-09T00:45:52Z")
[QUOTE=Myglaren] Just to chuck spanners in the works, the Swedish for _word_ is also ord but in Swedish, orm is _snake_. As Sweden and Denmark share many words and have similar spellings I wonder if this is not the case here and the village of Ormsby would be perhaps Snake Village. Damned if I can recall the Swedish for worm. [/QUOTE] In Old English _wyrm_ meant ‘serpent’ as well as ‘dragon’ and I suppose the same was true of Danish. See for example _Farmer Giles of Ham_ by J.R.R. Tolkien, a story about a medieval dragon referred to as a “worm.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-rp-pronunciation-of-wednesday/429038.md?page=2)