Didn’t he watch MASH growing up, like the rest of us his age? Radar pronounced it right.
Yes, Czechs say “Prahg” when they’re speaking English. Every European I’ve ever heard does so as well.
You know, I have seen a press release in English on a Turkish news site talking about the “Republic of Türkiye”, and I wondered how many English speakers know how to pronounce it correctly. I have never heard a Turk say Türkiye when they were speaking English, that I can recall.
As far as I know, the name was changed fairly recently. I have no idea how to pronounce it, so I just keep on saying “Turkey.”
Come to Canada. I’m originally from Taronna, or Taronno, depending on how I feel that day (Toronto). Visit the city, and discover Strawn Avenue (Strachan), Bobby Point Road (Baby Point), and the communities of Scarb or if feeling gracious, Scarbro (Scarborough), and Etobico (Etobicoke). Not to mention The Lakeshore (Lakeshore Boulevard) and The Danforth (Danforth Avenue, not to be confused with Danforth Road, which it becomes, for some inexplicable reason). And the thoroughfare where they couldn’t decide what to call it: a road or an avenue? They compromised: Avenue Road.
Plus, there’s the capital city of Saskatchewan: Re-JAI-na (Regina), which for some reason, rhymes with a woman’s lady parts. In Alberta, CAL-gree (Calgary). In Ontario, o-RILL-yuh (Orillia). In Newfoundland, Porto-Bass (Port-aux-Basques). Also in Newfoundland, there is Kiddy-Viddy (Quidi-Vidi). And don’t confuse Sydney, Nova Scotia with Sidney, British Columbia, and don’t confuse either with Sydney, Australia.
Don’t get me started on Stouffville, Ontario, where I lived for some years.
Here in WA we have a city called Des Moines.
It is NOT pronounced the same way as the Des Moines in Iowa. Doing this will label you an outsider worthy of the same kind of mockery as those who say they went to “Pike’s Place” during their visit to Seattle.
It wasn’t until I had lived here for several years before I felt confident enough to attempt saying “Puyallup”, “Enumclaw”, “Steilacoom”, or “Sequim” out loud.
The fading away of truly local radio/indie TV helps set up the conditions for these to happen — fewer local professional voices available, less business for local ad/talent agencies.