# Is the US pronunciation of "solder" unique to the US ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997 "2014-09-09T19:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [May 11, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/122 "2020-05-11T18:46:16Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > You’re referring to city names. Whole different set of rules. I’m talking about “things”. > > But i think I’ve found a pattern in that in the UK they mostly pronounce the French loan words closer to the actual French, and that its Spanish/Italian words they absorb and use pronunciations based on English norms. > > Some examples: > chaise longue, escargot, chateau, bouillabaisse - correct > Taco, pasta, jaguar, puma - ungodly wrong > > ‘chaise longue’ and ‘bouillabaisse’ are one we Americans butcher. The American pronunciation of masseuse - massoose comes as a bit of a shock. ---
**Author:** ![Quondam\_Mechanic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quondam_mechanic/32/3404_2.png) [@Quondam\_Mechanic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quondam_Mechanic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/123 "2020-05-11T18:56:53Z")
By the way, my understanding is that when somebody first introduced inexpensive electrically-extracted Al (the element) in the US they brand-named the product “aluminum.” So the reason we don’t pronounce it “aluminium” here is rather the same as the reason the British pronounce vacuum cleaner as “hoover.” ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/124 "2020-05-11T19:13:33Z")
I remember asking for a phone number from a gal from India once who replied something like “845-not 7 not 2” and we then spun around in a “who’s on first” type bit for some time. Me asking for a repetition (her repeating without change), then me inquiring “not 7?” (her confirming), then me asking “how can I write not 7”, she repeating “It’s easy; naught, 7…”, me being further confused saying “but I’m not writing 7”, her replying “why not?” It literally took us 5-7 mins trying to figure out if the other was goofing or crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/125 "2020-05-11T20:21:51Z")
> [@Quondam\_Mechanic](#): > > By the way, my understanding is that when somebody first introduced inexpensive electrically-extracted Al (the element) in the US they brand-named the product “aluminum.” So the reason we don’t pronounce it “aluminium” here is rather the same as the reason the British pronounce vacuum cleaner as “hoover.” The British scientist Sir Humphrey Davy first isolated aluminum/aluminium in 1808. He first proposed calling it “alumium,” but later changed it to “aluminum.” In 1812, another scientist named Thomas Young proposed that it should be called “aluminium,” which he said had a more classical sound (whatever that means). Most of the English-speaking world went with Young’s suggestion. However, Noah Webster used the “-um” spelling in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Outside of scientific circles, the “-um” spelling had become more common in the U.S. by the 1860s. In 1866, Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult invented an electrolysis process for extracting the metal. They used the “-ium” spelling in their patents, but used the “-um” spelling in at least some of their advertising. By that time, the “-um” spelling was in widespread use in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/126 "2020-05-12T18:34:04Z")
Orcenio, that’s brilliant, genuinely made me laugh out loud. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/127 "2020-05-13T01:04:22Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The British scientist Sir Humphrey Davy first isolated aluminum/aluminium in 1808. He first proposed calling it “alumium,” but later changed it to “aluminum.” In 1812, another scientist named Thomas Young proposed that it should be called “aluminium,” which he said had a more classical sound (whatever that means). Most of the English-speaking world went with Young’s suggestion. However, Noah Webster used the “-um” spelling in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Outside of scientific circles, the “-um” spelling had become more common in the U.S. by the 1860s. > > In 1866, Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult invented an electrolysis process for extracting the metal. They used the “-ium” spelling in their patents, but used the “-um” spelling in at least some of their advertising. By that time, the “-um” spelling was in widespread use in the U.S. To add to the silliness, Platinum had been isolated before that, though proof that it was an element may have been at worst contemporary, but everyone seems to agree that it ends with -inum. (At least, I’ve never heard anyone argue that it should be named Platinium…) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/128 "2020-05-13T09:39:42Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > chaise longue, escargot, chateau, bouillabaisse - correct > Taco, pasta, jaguar, puma - ungodly wrong No, there is no such thing as “correct” and “wrong” when talking about such things. Nor is there anything approaching a universal rule for how to handle it. We may choose to use a foreign language spelling and pronunciation, or we may change it completely. Our language, our rules. The same goes for every other language on earth. When speaking to a sentient person it is good manners to pronounce their name how they say it. For everything else it is a free-for-all. Many places can’t even be bothered to spell the name of our country the way we do, nor should they be expected to. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/129 "2020-05-13T09:58:52Z")
ETA - duplicate ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997/130 "2020-05-13T10:49:49Z")
Even the name thing can pose a few problems when communicating cross-accents. For instance, “Bob” in an American accent sounds a lot like “Barb” in an Australian one. I find that if I copy too literally an unfamiliar name in an unfamiliar accent, it starts to feel a little too much like mimicry [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-pronunciation-of-solder-unique-to-the-us/697997.md?page=6)