# "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:** 9
**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, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/161 "2015-10-15T14:44:40Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Speaking of presidents, the C in John Quincy Adams’ middle name was traditionally pronounced as a ‘z’, not an ‘s’. The natives still pronounce Quincy, Massachusetts that way: ZWIN–zee. ---
**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, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/162 "2015-10-15T15:38:55Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > 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.” I’ve always pronounced it ‘SOW-in’ (‘sow’ like a pig). Which reminds me… My mother’s husband was from Finland. I learned ‘sauna’ is pronounced ‘SOW-nuh’. (Again, ‘sow’ like a pig.) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/163 "2015-10-15T15:51:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve always pronounced it ‘SOW-in’ (‘sow’ like a pig). Which reminds me… > > My mother’s husband was from Finland. I learned ‘sauna’ is pronounced ‘SOW-nuh’. (Again, ‘sow’ like a pig.) Thank you! It drives me nuts to hear “sana.” ---
**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, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/164 "2015-10-15T15:55:53Z")
Who says “sana”? The common (apparently incorrect) pronunciation is saw-na. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/165 "2015-10-15T16:03:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Who says “sana”? The common (apparently incorrect) pronunciation is saw-na. That is the correct pronunciation. I’m not sure where the idea comes from that words borrowed from another language have to retain the other language’s pronunciation. It was borrowed from Finnish but we do not speak Finnish. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/166 "2015-10-15T16:10:15Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That is the correct pronunciation. I’m not sure where the idea comes from that words borrowed from another language have to retain the other language’s pronunciation. It was borrowed from Finnish but we do not speak Finnish. Even when we borrow a word for English, we don’t always pronounce it as the English do! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/167 "2015-10-15T16:23:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s the one I was going to mention. > > A similar thing happened with [Hector Boyardee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Boyardee). Born Ettore Boiardi, he ‘sold his products under the brand name “Chef Boy-Ar-Dee” so that his American customers could pronounce his name properly.’ Louis Székely could never get anyone to pronounce his name right so he started spelling in phonetically. No one mispronounces Louis CK. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > And every single person who said “fortay” was wrong. Apparently they all gave up on doing it right. Do yourself a favor, don’t look at a dictionary. > [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > I’ve noticed BBC shows where they call the city in Missouri “Saint Loowie,” as they’d also call it’s French namesake. That’s a pretty common [nickname](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqezXDgObWE) for the city. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > 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? I’ve only ever heard it pronounced that way by Brits and Americans who hear Brits say it that way and think they’ve been saying it wrong. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Even when we borrow a word for English, we don’t always pronounce it as the English do! 😃 We speak American here dammit! ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/168 "2015-10-15T16:45:18Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That’s a pretty common [nickname](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqezXDgObWE) for the city. Not around here it’s not. (“Here” being St. Louis.) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/169 "2015-10-15T16:56:25Z")
Here’s a fun set of maps that show how differently words are pronounced in different regions of the USA. Caramel and mayonnaise are both there, and there are four ways to pronounce ‘crayon’. > **[22 Maps That Show How Americans Speak English Totally Differently From One...](https://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1)** > > Everyone knows Americans don't agree on pronunciations. That's great, because regional accents are a major part of what makes American English so interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/170 "2015-10-15T17:18:39Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Here’s a fun set of maps that show how differently words are pronounced in different regions of the USA. Caramel and mayonnaise are both there, and there are four ways to pronounce ‘crayon’. > > [22 Maps Show Deepest Linguistic Conflicts in America - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1) Great link! Here’s another one that’s over a decade old: [Harvard Dialect Survey, which concluded in 2003](http://www4.uwm.edu/FLL/linguistics/dialect/maps.html) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/171 "2015-10-15T17:41:56Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That is the correct pronunciation. I’m not sure where the idea comes from that words borrowed from another language have to retain the other language’s pronunciation. It was borrowed from Finnish but we do not speak Finnish. True, but when you have two Finnish parents… ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/172 "2015-10-15T17:59:44Z")
John Dillinger’s preferred pronunciation of his name rhymed with “stinger”. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/173 "2015-10-15T18:34:56Z")
Pretty much all available evidence suggests that Henry David Thoreau pronounced his last name like the word “thorough,” with the stress on the first syllable. These days, nearly everyone pronounces it as “thu-RO,” with the stress on the second syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/174 "2015-10-15T19:37:17Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Not around here it’s not. > > (“Here” being St. Louis.) You click on the link? 1944 was a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/175 "2015-10-15T22:45:33Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You click on the link? 1944 was a long time ago. Oh, I know the song (and the movie), but you said “that’s a pretty common nickname” which implies present tense. Also, if you notice even in the movie (set in 1904) the only time they say “St. Louie” is in the title song. The characters all call it “St. Lewis”. I’m just saying that right now, no St. Louisan calls it “St. Louie” and will roll there eyes at you if you do. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/176 "2015-10-15T23:09:56Z")
In the UK, most people pronounce **Nike** to rhyme with Mike. Apparently it is supposed to be pronounced Ni-key. Personally I’ve always pronounced it Neekay, as in the _Nike of Samothrace_, but that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/177 "2015-10-15T23:48:18Z")
At least according to the accent tag videos I see on YouTube, most non-Americans pronounce the home of Dixieland jazz as “New Or-LEEnz”. It’s “New OR-linz” to most Americans, and - well, not being a Louisianan, I won’t even attempt to reproduce how the residents pronounce it. Suffice it to say, it’s nothing like “New Or-LEEnz”. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > 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.” Yeah, but come on - how many Anglophones are going to recognize “mh” as a Gaelic _vowel_, fer Chrissakes? ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/178 "2015-10-16T07:41:41Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > John Dillinger’s preferred pronunciation of his name rhymed with “stinger”. No wonder Alain Delon got all pettish with Dick Cavett [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoACkHPFRTo) (warning: fairly long clip, not worth watching just to see what I’m talking about). Dick is clever, but he got carried away with himself sometimes, IMO. Live and learn. William Safire-like, Van Gogh eventually took to signing his paintings “Vincent” so as not to be mispronounced. ---
**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 17, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/179 "2015-10-17T17:23:42Z")
NYC’s SoHo region got its name for being South of HOW-ston Street. So how come it’s not pronounced SOW-HOW? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246/180 "2015-10-17T17:27:04Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > NYC’s SoHo region got its name for being South of HOW-ston Street. So how come it’s not pronounced SOW-HOW? Perhaps in imitation of the London Soho? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronounciations-that-people-have-given-up-on/734246.md?page=10)