# How do you pronounce particular? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436 "2011-03-29T22:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/1 "2011-03-29T22:07:29Z")
I’m from Kansas City, and pronounce it par-tick-u-lar. I’m a big fan of President Obama, but the way he pronounces the word grates on me, almost as much as GW Bush’s pronunciation of nuclear. He says par-tick-lar. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/2 "2011-03-30T04:21:04Z")
I say it like you do, **gaffa**. And Obama says a lot of things in ways that would never occur to me to. I figure it’s simply regional variance at play. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/3 "2011-03-30T04:25:21Z")
Pra-TICK-lee-uh. No, not really. I say it the same as the OP. But then I’m not American so my input probably doesn’t apply. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/4 "2011-03-30T04:43:46Z")
“Par-tick-u-lar,” like the OP. Grew up in West Texas, but I think my cohorts all said “par-tick-lar.” I think my pronunciations were influenced a lot by my southern-California father. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/5 "2011-03-30T04:44:30Z")
Per-TICK-yuh-ler. The -yuh vowel sound is really a schwa, but I don’t know how to type that. Raised in NJ, live in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![alounacara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6de8d8/32.png) [@alounacara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alounacara)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/6 "2011-03-30T04:57:07Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > “Par-tick-u-lar,” like the OP. Grew up in West Texas, Thats the way i say it and yes i am from Texas ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/7 "2011-03-30T06:58:15Z")
Par-tick-u-lar. Sometimes I say it per-tick-u-lar. I have a friend who, whilst drunk and stoned, once said it “Par-ticka-lur” which we tease her about incessantly. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/8 "2011-03-30T11:56:40Z")
I think _most_ people say it as does the OP; however in defence of Mr. Obama, it is a time-honoured affectation of politicians to affect a home-spun folksy pronunciation that brings them in line with the common man, of at least certain chosen words. At least in America, I don’t know about other countries. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/9 "2011-03-30T13:41:31Z")
Puh-tick-u-ler. The first “r” is silent. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/10 "2011-03-30T14:01:19Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > I think _most_ people say it as does the OP; however in defence of Mr. Obama, it is a time-honoured affectation of politicians to affect a home-spun folksy pronunciation that brings them in line with the common man, of at least certain chosen words. At least in America, I don’t know about other countries. IMHO Obama’s occasional slight drawl is “black-urban southern heritage” in nature. It’s not his background, but probably adopted from his Chicago years. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/11 "2011-03-30T14:09:47Z")
Par-tick-u-ler. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/12 "2011-03-30T15:33:14Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Puh-tick-u-ler. The first “r” is silent. This is the one I hear most often. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/13 "2011-03-30T16:33:54Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Puh-tick-u-ler. The first “r” is silent. seconded. Virginian. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/14 "2011-03-30T16:52:01Z")
SE Michigan my whole life: Par-tic-u-lur. ---
**Author:** ![Lorski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Lorski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorski)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/15 "2011-03-30T17:10:13Z")
> [@alounacara](#): > > Thats the way i say it and yes i am from Texas Same here. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/16 "2011-03-30T18:55:56Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > Per-TICK-yuh-ler. The -yuh vowel sound is really a schwa, but I don’t know how to type that. > Raised in NJ, live in NYC. I expected the gist of the question to be PER vs. PAR. Without any special attention to diction I say it the way **GilaB** does. Speaking to an audience I make an effort to say PAR, but that only happens once ever 3 to 5 years. Prior to this thread I had no awareness of President Obama pronouncing it some other way. From now on though, I’m sure I’ll notice it over and over. Thanks. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/17 "2011-03-30T19:41:12Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Puh-tick-u-ler. The first “r” is silent. I do this when I say the word quickly. When I am emphasizing it, every syllable is well-enunciated. par-TICK-you-lurr. ---
**Author:** ![35\_U.S.C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/a4c791/32.png) [@35\_U.S.C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35_U.S.C)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/18 "2011-03-30T20:37:20Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > Per-TICK-yuh-ler. The -yuh vowel sound is really a schwa, but I don’t know how to type that. > Raised in NJ, live in NYC. I have always said it this way, both while living in Connecticut and Michigan. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/19 "2011-03-30T21:03:50Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I say it like you do, **gaffa**. And Obama says a lot of things in ways that would never occur to me to. I figure it’s simply regional variance at play. It’s 'cause he’s from Kenya. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436/20 "2011-03-30T21:48:14Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > IMHO Obama’s occasional slight drawl is “black-urban southern heritage” in nature. It’s not his background, but probably adopted from his Chicago years. Obama’s speech has always sounded very Chicago-ey to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-particular/576436.md?page=2)