# Brits -- how do you pronounce... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643 "2006-04-14T10:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/61 "2006-04-18T15:57:26Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > “Drawring” isn’t an English thing, it’s just a mispronuniciation thing. No, it is a dialect thing. There are also several dialects/accents in the U.S. that insert an /R/ sound into similar situations. When you or two or three close personal friends “mispronounce” a word, it is mispronunciation. When a couple of million strangers in a region “mispronounce” a word, it is a dialect. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/62 "2006-04-18T16:06:29Z")
Inserting a whole extra letter sound into the poor innocent harmless little word is the work of the evil one, though. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/63 "2006-04-18T16:13:13Z")
> [@skinnysoprano](#): > > But the important question is always: do you pronounce iron as “eye-ron” or “eye-urn”? It’s almost monosyllabic, something close to ‘arn’ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/64 "2006-04-18T17:04:51Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Inserting a whole extra letter sound into the poor innocent harmless little word is the work of the evil one, though. You mean like the /R/ in colonel or the /F/ in lieutenant? ---
**Author:** ![skinnysoprano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@skinnysoprano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skinnysoprano)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/65 "2006-04-18T17:26:26Z")
Oh dear, I fear we’re one step away from “nucular”… :runs for cover: ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/66 "2006-04-18T17:29:02Z")
> [@skinnysoprano](#): > > But the important question is always: do you pronounce iron as “eye-ron” or “eye-urn”? There’s no r in my version of it. It’s sort of a cross between ion and ahn. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/67 "2006-04-19T01:12:35Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > I blame the empire-hungry Plantagenets. From [here.](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=zed) Some bright spark over t’other side of the Atlantic in 1677 musta said, “Hey! Wait a minute, there …!” that’s it!!! i’m gonna go with calling the last letter, good ole number 26, zod now. that’ll confuse everyone. zod zod top, great band… love their music. ---
**Author:** ![everyone\_loves\_monkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@everyone\_loves\_monkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everyone_loves_monkeys)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/68 "2006-04-23T00:05:38Z")
Sorry to revive this thread, but its important: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4\_aod.shtml?radio4/civilisation](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/civilisation) The 5th joke in after the title sequence I laughed out loud for quite a while ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/69 "2006-04-23T00:23:15Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > No, it is a dialect thing. There are also several dialects/accents in the U.S. that insert an /R/ sound into similar situations. Like “warsh” for “wash”? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/70 "2006-04-23T00:48:52Z")
> [@nd\_n8](#): > > does anyone still use aught (zero) anymore? (other than Americans in reference to firearms)? Americans also use this in reference to wire sizes. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/71 "2006-04-23T02:16:00Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Like “warsh” for “wash”? Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/72 "2006-04-23T11:43:49Z")
> [@Twickster](#): > > Do y’all really say “Jag-you-ar,” or do you pronouce it “Jag-whar,” like normal folks? Do you pronounce both the name of the car and the name of the animal the same way? I’ll start by stating that I, a New Zealander, say “Jag-you-ar” and “Gwahvah”. > [@Ice Wolf](#): > > We’re still largely Brit-based in our speech patterns here, but I’ve always known jag-yoo-uh to be the car and jag-wahr to be the big cat. Odd. I’ve only ever heard NZers say “jag-you-ar” when referring to the cat. You must come from one of those backward North Island towns :). > [@Mahaloth](#): > > I saw Paul Bettany on Conan and he said, “You say to-may-to, we say to-mah-to. We say po-tah-to and you say po-tay-to. You say “erb” and we say “herb” because there is a fucking “h” at the beginning.” > > What about “honor”? Ah, but the “h” at the beginning of “honour” is only an honourable “h” and full pronunciation privelages are not bestowed by the title. > [@Ludovic](#): > > It just wouldn’t be the same to have a dream about a big star who always ate at the Goo-avv-ah bar. That is one trully mangled Pink Floyd lyric :). > [@elfkin477](#): > > And about “zed” how come you don’t pronounce B as “bed” too? Same reason we don’t pronounce E as “ed”. Finally, in case it’s not apparent, “aluminium” is an entirely different case to “jaguar”, not only is it pronounced differently, but the _spelling_ is different too. It is pronounced in accordance with the spelling. I think some Americans don’t quite grasp this, they seem to see it as adding a syllable in the spoken word that doesn’t exist in the written word. YLPOHKMV (your litres per one hundred kilometers may vary.) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/73 "2006-04-23T11:52:24Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Hmm. I hadn’t noticed until you pointed it out, but I do say “drawring”. Weird. Aha, the “intrusive non-rhotic R”. I used to do it, but got it beaten out of me during speech classes at drama school, when we were taught Received Pronunciation. Having lived in a rhotic country for years, it bugs me even more now I’ve come home. Particularly that bloke who presents _Grand Designs_ on Channel 4. Because he’s always banging on about architecture, he says it _all_ the time. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/74 "2006-04-23T12:40:11Z")
> [@skinnysoprano](#): > > I have a Scottish accent and would definitely never say “drawring”, so it must be an English thing… > > But the important question is always: do you pronounce iron as “eye-ron” or “eye-urn”? The latter, but with the r barely pronounced, more sort of “eye-rn”. The SO says “eye-ron” so I think it may be a Scots thing. As for jaguar – like the rest of the Brits, jag-you-are, and guava = gwahvah. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/75 "2006-04-23T12:47:38Z")
**skinnysoprano** , my father-in-law is from Glasgow and says “draw-ring”, despite having lived in a rhotic country for 35 years. ---
**Author:** ![skinnysoprano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@skinnysoprano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skinnysoprano)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/76 "2006-04-23T13:12:27Z")
Ah, well there goes my theory, **jjimm** 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/77 "2006-04-23T14:11:43Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > **skinnysoprano** , my father-in-law is from Glasgow and says “draw-ring”, despite having lived in a rhotic country for 35 years. Well, I’m not busy, and it’s nice and sunny in Glasgow today - can I seek him out and thump him? 🙂 Or just sort of grumble a little, perhaps.l But WHY not? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/78 "2006-04-23T19:16:13Z")
So how many of you people pronounce “vacuum” as “vak-you-um” rather than vak-youm? ---
**Author:** ![everyone\_loves\_monkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@everyone\_loves\_monkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everyone_loves_monkeys)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/79 "2006-04-23T20:34:54Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > it’s nice and sunny in Glasgow today I know! It made me happy 🙂 I realise its unlikely anyone else will care about the weather, but it really did cheer me up ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/80 "2006-04-24T12:43:35Z")
I don’t believe anyone in the UK (apart from the totally musically ignorant, maybe) would refer to the band as “Zed Zed Top”. We know they’re from “zee” land. Actually, I fear that a growing number of British children are using the “zee” pronunciation, thanks to Sesame Street et al. Bring back “izzard”, I say. And also on a Z kick, my dictionary says that “zoology” ought to be pronounced “ZOH-ology”. But I’ve only ever heard it pronounced “ZOO-ology”. I guess the abbreviation “zoo” is too strong an influence. Or does anyone still use the “correct” pronunciation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643.md?page=5)