# How do you pronounce 'garrote' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778 "2010-10-01T21:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/1 "2010-10-01T21:56:35Z")
> **[Garrote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrote)** > > A garrote or garrote vil (a Spanish word; alternative spellings include garotte and similar variants) is a weapon, usually a handheld ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line, used to strangle a person. > A garrote can be made out of many different materials, including ropes, cloth, cable ties, fishing lines, nylon, guitar strings, telephone cord or piano wire. A stick may be used to tighten the garrote; the Spanish word refers to the stick itself. In Spanish, the term may also refer t... Killing someone by strangling with piano wire or other rope-like object. I swear that I’ve heard it pronounced gair-oh-tay. Probably in a movie. [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) claims that it’s pronounced gah-rote or some such, and doesn’t provide an alternate pronunciation. Wiktionary says the same. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/2 "2010-10-01T21:58:03Z")
gah-rote. I’ve heard the other pronunciation, and it just doesn’t sound right to me. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/3 "2010-10-01T22:02:52Z")
I pronounce it “Hgggggkk\*” ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/4 "2010-10-01T22:06:44Z")
Guh rot ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/5 "2010-10-01T22:06:57Z")
GA-rot. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/6 "2010-10-01T22:07:02Z")
I don’t pronounce it like [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), I pronounce it like [m-w.com](http://m-w.com) 🙂 guh-rot rhymes with ‘a lot’. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/7 "2010-10-01T22:17:06Z")
Like Carrot, but emphasise the ‘ot’ a bit more. Ga-ROT ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/8 "2010-10-01T22:39:41Z")
Gahr-RUT to rhyme with hair-RUT ETA: and according to the nice man at Merriam-Webster, I am wrong. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/9 "2010-10-01T22:43:14Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Like Carrot, but emphasise the ‘ot’ a bit more. > > Ga-ROT Sort of like this, but with each syllable having an “r” to it. Gar-ROT (“gar” as in Gary, ftr, not Garth). I’m not surprised that the dictionary says one of the Rs is an “h” sound - you know us New Englanders, we only put in r noises when they don’t belong there 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/10 "2010-10-01T22:43:50Z")
Yes, “ga-ROT”. Isn’t it spelt with two T’s? That would invalidate the ‘-ote’ pronunciations. Hmm. I just checked my dictionary, and it says that both ‘garrotte’ and ‘garrote’ are valid spellings. As well as ‘garotte’. When we steal words from French, we have _got_ to keep better notes. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/11 "2010-10-02T01:14:30Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > When we steal words from French, we have _got_ to keep better notes. Yeah but that just leaves a paper trail that just will lead them to us when they’re words start getting mispronounced by tourists. And I’ve only heard ever heard and pronounced it myself as “guh-rote” Guh rhyming with duh and rote rhyming with moat. In other news, mono means one and rail means rail. And that concludes our extensive three week course. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/12 "2010-10-02T01:50:17Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > In other news, mono means one… So how’d I get mononucleosis, hrm? :dubious: (I’m in the gar-ROT crowd. No h required. Will WHeaton, your Cool WHip is ready! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/13 "2010-10-02T02:05:49Z")
guh ROT ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/14 "2010-10-02T02:06:27Z")
I pronounce it like Mrs. Garrett, but with the accent on the end. So, like **elfkin477**. As for needing to know it’s borrowed from French: perhaps the spelling garrotte would be more obvious? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/15 "2010-10-02T02:08:35Z")
It doesn’t matter how you prounounce it, so long as you can do it correctly. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/16 "2010-10-02T02:11:19Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > When we steal words from French, we have _got_ to keep better notes. Yes, notes that say “We stole this word from Spanish.” 😃 (At least, according to my dictionary.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/17 "2010-10-02T03:22:07Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > > [@Sunspace](#): > > > > When we steal words from French, we have _got_ to keep better notes. > > Yes, notes that say “We stole this word from Spanish.” 😃 > > (At least, according to my dictionary.) My dictionary says, “From Spanish via French”. You think one mugger’s gonna check up on where another mugger got the loot the first mugger just stole? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/18 "2010-10-02T04:54:32Z")
Care-rote ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/19 "2010-10-02T15:51:25Z")
Add me to the “ger-OTT” rhyming with “hot” ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778/20 "2010-10-02T16:12:12Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I pronounce it “Hgggggkk\*” Same. It took a while for me to learn to correctly pronounce the asterisk. I saw the thread title and became, momentarily, nervous that I had been pronouncing it wrong all this time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-garrote/555778.md?page=2)