# Does Katty Kay sound silly to Brits? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725 "2012-03-04T14:37:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/21 "2012-03-04T19:14:12Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I thought you meant, does her _name_ sound silly, and yes it does 🙂 (I agree with other people about her accent.) I don’t know what’s wrong with either her name or her voice. She does usually seem, however, to be very uncomfortable. As though someone were forcing her to broadcast against her will. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/22 "2012-03-04T21:48:33Z")
Another Brit for whom her accent sounds normal. Her delivery is a bit unusual, what with all the forceful enunciation, but that’s just newsreaderish and I doubt very much that’s how she sounds when she’s down the local shop buying a pint of milk. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/23 "2012-03-04T21:54:15Z")
How does [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oleXUXigC_Q)sound to the rest of the world? His newsreading is highly regarded over here. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/24 "2012-03-04T22:00:23Z")
I too thought the thread title meant did you find her name silly. Yes, I do. But her accent is completely normal, slightly Americanised RP. Skip the American features, and a lot of the people I know (including me) talk in a very similar way. I don’t think any of them would describe themselves as “upper class”! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/25 "2012-03-04T22:51:47Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > How does [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oleXUXigC_Q)sound to the rest of the world? > His newsreading is highly regarded over here. I thought I heard two guys in the clip. The first one introduced the newscast and the second one is the one, I think, that you were drawing our attention to? The second guy’s accent/voice was nice, but the first guy’s was yummy and I would like to listen to an audiobook recorded by him or else just have him talk to me every day. If both voices were the same person, the first instance was more relaxed and at ease. I still want that voice to talk to me every day. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/26 "2012-03-04T23:26:05Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I thought I heard two guys in the clip. The first one introduced the newscast and the second one is the one, I think, that you were drawing our attention to? The second guy’s accent/voice was nice, but the first guy’s was yummy and I would like to listen to an audiobook recorded by him or else just have him talk to me every day. If both voices were the same person, the first instance was more relaxed and at ease. I still want that voice to talk to me every day. I meant the first guy, Trevor MacDonald, yes speaking so well and so naturally is just what he is known for. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/27 "2012-03-04T23:43:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I don’t know what’s wrong with either her name or her voice. ‘Katty’ is an unusual name (first time I’ve ever heard of it) - I think it’s probably easy to take it as a childish-sounding name, or maybe a bit horsey or something. And ‘Katty Kay’ sounds like she should be one of Superman’s girlfriends. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/28 "2012-03-04T23:47:07Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > I meant the first guy, Trevor MacDonald, yes speaking so well and so naturally is just what he is known for. I wonder if he has recorded any audio books. Or the phone book. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/29 "2012-03-05T00:23:20Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > ‘Katty’ is an unusual name (first time I’ve ever heard of it) - I think it’s probably easy to take it as a childish-sounding name, Yeah, I guess that’s possible. It’s pretty common (and not childish) in Spanish, though, because it’s more or less the way you pronounce “Kathy” (or “Kathi”). ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/30 "2012-03-05T02:33:22Z")
Katty sounds just like my friend who’s from Dover and has lived in the States more than half her life. I don’t find her accent odd at all, but I’ve been around her a long time, spent some time with her family in Dover, and more time in London, so I guess I’m more used to it than some others from the States. It makes me wonder, too, whether large city living helps people become more acclimated to varied accents and the way non-native folks pronounce things. Meaning they don’t think certain pronunciations are so strange as just the way that person says things. I had a hard time with some African accents until I was in the city for a couple years. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/31 "2012-03-05T05:18:48Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I want to buy you guys a beer next time I get over there, just to hear you talk. […](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXHcOjJpxY&t=2m22s) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/32 "2012-03-05T05:24:24Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I thought I heard two guys in the clip. The first one introduced the newscast and the second one is the one, I think, that you were drawing our attention to? The second guy’s accent/voice was nice, but the first guy’s was yummy and I would like to listen to an audiobook recorded by him or else just have him talk to me every day. If both voices were the same person, the first instance was more relaxed and at ease. I still want that voice to talk to me every day. Sir Trevor McDonald is actually Trinidadian. He taught himself to speak like that when he was a kid, from listening to the BBC World Service. You can hear just a touch of the Caribbean lilt in his voice, which is what makes his accent so gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/33 "2012-03-05T11:54:37Z")
Do you think Sir Trevor would call me and wake me every morning if I asked him to? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/34 "2012-03-05T11:56:33Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Do you think Sir Trevor would call me and wake me every morning if I asked him to? No, but [Stephen Fry](http://www.voco.uk.com/stephen-fry/) will. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/35 "2012-03-05T12:04:36Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > [Link for those of use who’ve never heard of her](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsMWpYaqs6k). > > No, she’s not super-posh, just ‘standard’ RP with a very slight twinge of American (softened ‘t’ occasionally). My accent is similar. What he said. She sounds like all the other news readers to me, except for the ones that they brought in to add a few regional dialects. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/36 "2012-03-05T14:08:41Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > No, but [Stephen Fry](http://www.voco.uk.com/stephen-fry/) will. That will absolutely do! I love that man. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/37 "2012-03-05T14:17:48Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > No, a lot of people do speak like her if they’re from the South-East of England (and some from other areas). I do, and so does Jjimm, and loads and loads of other ordinary non-posh people. I don’t get mocked in the rough area I grew up in. Yes, IF they are from that area of England, I have a brummie friend who doesn’t speak with that accent, not does the mancunian, come to that nor do the cockneys, liverpudlians, geordies … Oh and I said MIGHT get mocked. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/38 "2012-03-05T14:33:06Z")
> [@Corcaigh](#): > > Yes, IF they are from that area of England, I have a brummie friend who doesn’t speak with that accent, not does the mancunian, come to that nor do the cockneys, liverpudlians, geordies … > > Oh and I said MIGHT get mocked. > > 😛 But you said the ordinary man in the street doesn’t speak like that unless he’s from Chelsea, but that accent is actually common across a much larger area, far more than a quarter of the country (where there are other regional accents too, but RP is one of them). I’m not saying that ALL people in the UK speak like that, obviously, but you make it sound as though her accent is extremely unusual. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/39 "2012-03-05T15:08:26Z")
Mrs Tom Carver grew up in various middle eastern countries as her father was a diplomat and she later lived in Zimbabwe and I think S Africa. That would make her accent less standard somehow. How do I know this? When I was a wee lad, I had big crushes on many BBC (female) newscasters and I read as many of their bios as possible. Although she does not sound posh to me, she might to Americans. After all, I have met Americans who thought John Oliver was posh. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725/40 "2012-03-05T15:53:05Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Yeah, I guess that’s possible. It’s pretty common (and not childish) in Spanish, though, because it’s more or less the way you pronounce “Kathy” (or “Kathi”). In Spanish it may be a Caty or a Cati, tho. Both K and Y were quite unusual until very recently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-katty-kay-sound-silly-to-brits/614725.md?page=3)