# "Correct" pronounciations that people have given up on **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246 "2015-10-11T07:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/141 "2015-10-13T12:35:49Z")
> [@Abner\_Ravenwood](#): > > … My dad and his brotjer… See? And I always thought it was pronounced “bruh-ther” 😃 Mangetout. Forget the pronounciation, it can’t even be decided whether it’s one word or two. ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/142 "2015-10-13T15:27:10Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I can’t tell you why, but “lis” or “lys” is indeed pronounced [lis]. There are a handful of French words (“fils” is another one) that fit this pattern. As far as I know, the reason is “because”. I think the French did it just to mess with us 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/143 "2015-10-13T17:14:40Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > People write and spell _chaise longue_ “incorrectly” based on etymology. The ‘u’ moves two spaces over and becomes _chaise lounge_. Google shows approximately the same number of hits, but all mass-market retailers spell it “wrong”. I tried to teach my friends this for years and eventually gave up. Now it’s just a running joke between us. We all had a good laugh when [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDnxFR86iuY) commercial started airing. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/144 "2015-10-14T00:07:12Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I mean as in barbie girl, as in “she’s such a bimbo”… and apparently we agree on how to pronounce it. Now, if Bimbo is trying to get a different pronunciation north of the river than everywhere else, that’s a different problem. I’m not sure. 🙂 For me, translating a sound into English is not a strong point. The American English version rhymes with rim. The corporation is trying to get people to pronounce it correctly, but that’s just not going to happen with that word. Austin has a street Guadalupe which they pronounce: gwa-da-loop. It’s a hard one for me me because I feel silly not pronouncing it “right”. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/145 "2015-10-14T01:55:57Z")
Some time ago I heard some narrator on TV expound on the pronunciation of Nestlé. A turn-of-the-20th-century London movie showed a horse-drawn omnibus with a Nestlé ad on it. He said that at that time in England, everyone pronounced it as nessle. I wondered then (and now) whether that was true. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/146 "2015-10-14T02:05:00Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Some time ago I heard some narrator on TV expound on the pronunciation of Nestlé. A turn-of-the-20th-century London movie showed a horse-drawn omnibus with a Nestlé ad on it. > > He said that at that time in England, everyone pronounced it as nessle. > > I wondered then (and now) whether that was true. Our [resident expert](https://youtu.be/FZ_ZdwP05AQ?t=27) expounds: ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/147 "2015-10-14T03:27:10Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Except that in French a double consonant doesn’t indicate a nasal sound, but a flat preceding vowel, and in this case, it’d be closer to the “o” in the English “on”, but hardly voiced, given the stress on the final syllable. The French would say it more like My-on-ezz, but I don’t see anything wrong in anglicising the vowels a bit for use in English-speaking countries. Damn, you are right about the French pronunciation. I guess I am too far removed from French class to remember the rules properly. The English phonetic guide from Webster’s does have the middle syllable as more of an “uh” though: may·on·naise | [\ˈmā-ə-ˌnāz, ˌmā-ə-ˈ]([http://media.merriam-webster.com/soundc11/m/mayonn01.wav](http://media.merriam-webster.com/soundc11/m/mayonn01.wav)) ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/148 "2015-10-14T16:00:28Z")
The database mySQL was originally named after the Swedish programmer’s daughter My. Her name is pronounced somewhere between the English words Me and Mew. That being said, everyone pronounces it like the English word My now. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/149 "2015-10-15T08:26:02Z")
> [@j666](#): > > When did people start using “defense” as a verb? What’s wrong with “defend”? You can “defend against” a pass, but if you merely “defend” it, you’re either doing what you can to see it reaches its intended target unmolested, or you are trying to justify the decision to throw it. Since, in sports, offense and defense are generally considered together, it is natural, for the sake of clarity, to stress the syllable that distinguishes them from each other. William Safire, who was born Safir and pronounced his name as in Morley’s Safer, wrote that since his name was so frequently mispronounced, he changed the spelling so as not to feel compelled to constantly correct. New Berlin, Whatever State It Is In, is often listed with places like Cairo, Illinois and Peru, Indiana among American cities we pronounce differently from their European namesakes but every German I have ever met has pronounced Germany’s capital BER-lin. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/150 "2015-10-15T08:35:24Z")
Having missed the edit window, let me acknowledge that the famous Peru is neither a city nor in Europe. But I am in time this time to add that the famous Cairo isn’t in Europe, either. Who knew there were so many other continents out there? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/151 "2015-10-15T09:13:23Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > There’s a street in Midtown Atlanta, a fairly important artery, that is a shibboleth for Atlanta residence. It’s named after the 16th century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, but calling it “_Pon-say de Lay-on_ Avenue” marks you as a tourist. It’s “_Ponce duh LEE-on_”, or even just “_Ponce_”. > [@furryman](#): > > Lived in St. Augustine FL for years and I did not know that.☹ > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > If you lived in St. Augustine, why would you necessarily know the name of a street in Atlanta? Or did you mean that you didn’t know who Ponce de Leon was? > _Mayonnaise_ is another one where, at least in the U.S., an “incorrect” pronunciation - “man-ayze” - is driving out the proper “may-on-ayze”. Likewise “chok-lit” is more common than “chok-o-lat”. It’s pronounced, “Peachtree”.😃 runs and hides:p ---
**Author:** ![Skinnybones\_Lampshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skinnybones_lampshade/32/2872_2.png) [@Skinnybones\_Lampshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skinnybones_Lampshade)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/152 "2015-10-15T13:18:29Z")
On behalf of many generations of English Montrealers: In English, the first syllable of our city’s name is pronounced \*\*Mun \*\* (rhymes with **gun** ), _not_ **Mon** (rhymes with **gone** ). Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Love, English Mun-tree-ALL ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/153 "2015-10-15T13:26:06Z")
I (Dutch) keep trying to get people to not pronounce Van Gogh as Van Gof. Yes, I do understand that the correct Dutch “g” sound is difficult for many, but I wish it would be anglicized to Van Gogue, which is much closer. The F makes no sense at all. But often when I say it the right way, people don’t understand who I am on about - so yes, I probably have given up and said Van Gofff just to make myself understood. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/154 "2015-10-15T13:26:33Z")
> [@j666](#): > > When did people start using “defense” as a verb? What’s wrong with “defend”? I really, really hate this one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/155 "2015-10-15T13:53:29Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > I (Dutch) keep trying to get people to not pronounce Van Gogh as Van Gof. Yes, I do understand that the correct Dutch “g” sound is difficult for many, but I wish it would be anglicized to Van Gogue, which is much closer. The F makes no sense at all. But often when I say it the right way, people don’t understand who I am on about - so yes, I probably have given up and said Van Gofff just to make myself understood. Gene Rayburn, on _Match Game_, used to pronounce it ‘van _Gokhhhh_’, dragging it out for the comedy and (I assume) to illustrate it’s not ‘van Go’. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/156 "2015-10-15T13:56:10Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > I (Dutch) keep trying to get people to not pronounce Van Gogh as Van Gof. Yes, I do understand that the correct Dutch “g” sound is difficult for many, but I wish it would be anglicized to Van Gogue, which is much closer. Huh. I always made fun of my wife for pronouncing it “Van Go” like most Americans do, and it turns out I was totally wrong too. I thought all Gs were softened in Dutch, as in Gullit. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/157 "2015-10-15T14:03:58Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Huh. I always made fun of my wife for pronouncing it “Van Go” like most Americans do, and it turns out I was totally wrong too. I thought all Gs were softened in Dutch, as in Gullit. I prefer “Van Go” to “Van Gof” - I just don’t see where the F sounds comes from. But you’re actually right, the “g” is the same as in Gullit. But everyone gets that wrong too, there they make that an “h”. The “Gogue” I posited is not an accurate transcription of the Dutch sound - just a more logical way to anglicize it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/158 "2015-10-15T14:23:32Z")
The F comes from standard British pronunciation, I expect, as in draught (draft) or rough (ruff). Maybe someone heard _Gogggghhhh_ and heard a bit of an F in there thought it meant the Dutch pronunciation was the same, and it stuck? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/159 "2015-10-15T14:36:11Z")
If I hear Samhain pronounced “Sam-hain” one more time, I’m going to barf. Even genius Spencer Reid did this on an episode of Criminal minds. It’s “so-ween.” ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/160 "2015-10-15T14:39:57Z")
Lots of words and names that traditionally had a silent L now usually have the L pronounced, including almond, alms, Polk. Speaking of presidents, the C in John Quincy Adams’ middle name was traditionally pronounced as a ‘z’, not an ‘s’. I believe _vagaries_ was traditionally pronounced va-GARE-eez, not VAY-guh-reez. Gala was GAY-la, not GAH-lah. Linux is pronounced by its creator something like LEE-nooks, but I usually hear it pronounced LIN-icks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246.md?page=9)