# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**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 26, 2006, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/101 "2006-04-26T07:03:45Z")
What about it? Ze-bra (short “e” like “Ed”) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/102 "2006-04-26T14:29:09Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Has there not been a Baseball Classic event recently, won by Japan? > Did the professional US players take part? I…I honestly don’t know about it. If there was such a thing it certainly didn’t get much press here. I wish I were kidding this time, but I seriously heard nothing of this. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/103 "2006-04-26T15:11:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Posted by **Zebra** > What about my name? Silly, it’s pronounced **Izzard-bra** , of course! > [@](#): > > Posted by **Anne Neville** > > > [@](#): > > > > Quote: > > Originally Posted by Revenant Threshold > > Speaking of Nicaragua, is there much call for rolling r’s in any American accent? > > A lot of us can’t even make that sound without a lot of practice. I’ve tried since I started taking French in seventh grade (age 12), and I still can’t do it consistently well. I never did manage it at all. My 8th grade Spanish teacher eventually despaired and had me fake “rr” by using “gr”. > [@](#): > > Posted by **Inigo Montoya** > > > [@](#): > > > > Quote: > > Originally Posted by glee > > Has there not been a Baseball Classic event recently, won by Japan? > > Did the professional US players take part? > > I…I honestly don’t know about it. If there was such a thing it certainly didn’t get much press here. I wish I were kidding this time, but I seriously heard nothing of this. [We played, it just didn’t get a lot of notice from anyone in the US other than some hard-core baseball fans.](http://ww2.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060321&content_id=1358067&vkey=wbc_news&fext=.jsp&sid=wbc) ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/104 "2006-04-26T16:19:26Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > What about it? > > Ze-bra (short “e” like “Ed”) I say it your way, but I’m pretty sure you will also her “Zeebra” in Britain. Perhaps that’s why our zebras tend to be so very cross. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/105 "2006-04-26T16:52:39Z")
I have always said “zebra” with a short e - the same as the country Kenya, although older Brits will call it Keeeen-ya for no obvious reason. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/106 "2006-04-26T17:58:36Z")
ze-bra (accenting the first syllable) zeb-ra (rhymes with Debroah) I one heard a UK type person say it the second way and it kind of weirded me out. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/107 "2006-04-26T18:13:28Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > ze-bra (accenting the first syllable) > > zeb-ra (rhymes with Debroah) > I one heard a UK type person say it the second way and it kind of weirded me out. The second version is how I’d say it too. Maybe its because in British English the ‘z’ is a short sound whereas in American English its a long sound – “zed” versus “zee”? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643/108 "2006-04-27T10:01:42Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > I…I honestly don’t know about it. If there was such a thing it certainly didn’t get much press here. I wish I were kidding this time, but I seriously heard nothing of this. Not to worry - you’ve naturally been busy searching for a man with six fingers… 😃 ‘Baseball fans around the globe have long been clamoring for an authentic world champion, and now they have one. Japan put the crowning touch on the 17-day tournament, climaxing on Monday night at PETCO Park in a 10-6 win over Cuba.’ > **[World Baseball Classic](https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic)** > > The official site of the World Baseball Classic. Here’s the US roster - how good are these guys? Roger Clemens Chad Cordero Brian Fuentes Todd Jones Al Leiter Brad Lidge Gary Majewski Joe Nathan Jake Peavy Scot Shields Huston Street Mike Timlin Dan Wheeler Dontrelle Willis Michael Barrett Brian Schneider Jason Varitek Derek Jeter Chipper Jones Derrek Lee Alex Rodriguez Mark Teixeira Chase Utley Michael Young Johnny Damon Jeff Francoeur Ken Griffey Jr. Matt Holliday Vernon Wells Randy Winn [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-how-do-you-pronounce/352643.md?page=5)