# How do you pronounce the phrase "interesting restaurant"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 6, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218 "2010-10-06T04:55:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/41 "2010-10-06T20:07:32Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> INtresting RESTǝront. The schwa is barely there, but there.
Me too. Raised in southern Ohio.
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/42 "2010-10-06T20:14:28Z")
> [@E.Thorp](#):
>
> > [@jsgoddess](#):
> >
> > INtresting RESTǝront. The schwa is barely there, but there.
>
> Me too. Raised in southern Ohio.
I forgot to say that I’m from southern Ohio, too.
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/43 "2010-10-06T20:58:49Z")
I say it closest to the fourth choice but I say “RES - _ter_-ont” instead of rest - uh-raunt. That is when I’m not saying it " INNNNNN terestin’ " , Bugs Bunny style.
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### Author:  [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/44 "2010-10-06T22:14:39Z")
The second way. Grew up in Chicago, moved to Wisconsin, Indiana, and now back in Illinois. I think my way of speaking has changed (mutated) as I’ve moved around.
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### Author:  [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/45 "2010-10-06T22:19:58Z")
> [@BetsQ](#):
>
> I chose the first option, but now that I think about it, I’m not sure how many syllables I pronounce in “interesting.” I definitely _read_ it as four syllables, though. “Restaurant,” without question, has two syllables.
>
> > [@Manwich](#):
> >
> > I think about this sort of question almost every day because I teach ESL. With words like \*library, restaurant, interesting, everything \*and _different_ I usually teach the “correct” extended pronunciation but I will use the reduced forms whenever I can so students get the opportunity to hear them.
>
> OK, I’ve stared at this for a few minutes and can’t even figure out what the reduced form of “library” would be. Help me out? It’s not “lie-berry,” is it?
In my dialect (idiolect?) the reduced form is “lie-bri”. I think the Japanese English teachers even say it that way and they are sticklers for speaking with the correct number of syllables.
Here are the three pronunciations listed at [dictionary.reference.com](http://dictionary.reference.com):
/ˈlaɪˌbrɛri, -brəri, -bri/
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/46 "2010-10-07T01:14:08Z")
While I sometimes say in-truh-stingI really can’t think of saying the phrase “interesting restaurant” unless I’m accenting the first word. And, if I’m accenting, I’m going to use the longer form.
That doesn’t apply to restaurant, however. I just don’t hear the three syllable version as an acceptable version. I do always separate the first and last syllable, though. Rest-ront, not res-tront. I assume it’s to acknowledge the elided syllable.
I also entertain the idea that I like in-ter-rest-ting rest-ront better because of its rhythm. You can easily pronounce it as three trochees. Any other combination seems to produce two or more different feet.
ETA: Born and raised in northern Arkansas. And I’m 25.
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### Author:  [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/47 "2010-10-07T03:45:36Z")
Wow, I never realized how interesting the pronunciation of interesting was.
In this case, I said the first option, “in-ter-es-ting res-tront”. However, I say “in-ter-est-ting” and “in-tres-ting” pretty much interchangably. Restaurant is always “res-tront” unless I’m being purposely facetious.
Born and raised in south Florida, and I have a very neutral accent (formally, a Midwestern/broadcasting neutral accent (but my voice is not strong enough for broadcasting)).
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### Author:  [@rayxi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayxi)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/48 "2010-10-07T03:59:00Z")
Hey, my choice isn’t there:
Inta-les-ting Les-ta-lant
Any guesses as to where I’m from? 😉
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/49 "2010-10-07T04:09:31Z")
> [@rayxi](#):
>
> Hey, my choice isn’t there:
>
> Inta-les-ting Les-ta-lant
>
> Any guesses as to where I’m from? 😉
Someplace that serves flied lice?
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/50 "2010-10-07T05:50:10Z")
I chose 5. I say “in-ter-es-ting res-ter-ont”, with “er” not “ah” in ‘restaurant’. Southern Ontario.
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### Author:  [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/51 "2010-10-07T08:07:40Z")
I’m from the antipodes and I choose option 3 for normal speech.
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### Author:  [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/52 "2010-10-07T20:17:00Z")
“In-trist-ing rest-uh-ront” - I grew up in SE Michigan.
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### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/53 "2010-10-07T22:17:45Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> The second, every syllable delineated. That’s the antipodean way.
It is? I’m Australian and I chose #3.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/54 "2010-10-07T22:23:42Z")
I voted “in-tres-ting res-tah-ront”, but I think “in-tres-ting res-tront” is just as likely for me. I think it would depend on the context, and whether there was a reason to emphasize restaurant instead of interesting. Based on that, I might end up using any of the choices based on context. Lived in NE corridor almost all my life.
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### Author:  [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/55 "2010-10-07T23:56:48Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#):
>
> Wow, I never realized how interesting the pronunciation of interesting was.
Well, I used to think my pronunciation of each syllable of “interesting” was stuffy, but given the results, I’m beginning to think that on this issue at least, I’m not so odd.
The idea for asking about “restaurant” came to me as I was playing Modern Warfare 2. There’s a level where you are told, in effect, to kill some enemies over at “the res-tah-ront.” The squad leader is black, and I realized that many of the black people I know pronounce it this way, while almost none of the Caucasian or Hispanic people I know pronounce it that way; it’s usually “rest-ront” for them. Of course, that’s just anecdotal and probably not indicative of anything, but I thought it might be a regional thing, so I asked about that.
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### Author:  [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/56 "2010-10-08T00:20:18Z")
in-ter-es-ting res-ta-ront
This is how you pronouce it in Strayn mate.
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### Author:  [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/57 "2010-10-08T17:31:01Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#):
>
> Seems I pronounce it differently than all posters so far: IN-tə-resting REST-ə-ront.
Like **Onomatopoeia**. Francophone.
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### Author:  [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-the-phrase-interesting-restaurant/556218/58 "2010-10-08T20:11:56Z")
Option 1. Anglophone Montrealer.
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