# Pronounciations that grate: Is it because I'm old? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645 "2012-06-19T14:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 11
**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:** [June 27, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/201 "2012-06-27T17:58:08Z")
I think Stephen Merchant says “haitch,” but it’s definitely a regional thing. In Bombay, a lot of people pronounce the letter _H_ as “hetch.” ---
**Author:** ![arseNal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@arseNal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arseNal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/202 "2012-06-27T19:12:20Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Ha! I never even noticed that! Okay, then. I guess, given that, I can live with Farve. 😃 Except that I don’t think that “or derv” pronunciation of “hors d’oeuvres” is due to the r after the v in oeuvres. It’s because “er” is a sort of lazy way to pronounce the french “oeu” sound. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/203 "2012-06-28T06:49:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think Stephen Merchant says “haitch,” but it’s definitely a regional thing. > > In Bombay, a lot of people pronounce the letter _H_ as “hetch.” People from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra do this. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/204 "2012-06-28T11:55:29Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I don’t know what you mean by not “anywhere near correct”. It’s exactly correct in British English, which was entirely my point. (“militree”)…Right. Otherwise, the Beatles’ song “Lovely Rita” would have to be rewritten, as the lyrics wouldn’t fit the meter! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/205 "2012-07-01T01:35:14Z")
> [@Indian](#): > > > [@Acsenray](#): > > > > I think Stephen Merchant says “haitch,” but it’s definitely a regional thing. > > > > In Bombay, a lot of people pronounce the letter _H_ as “hetch.” > > People from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra do this. I always thought that was an Irishism. Or is it Hibernianism? ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/206 "2012-07-04T22:24:09Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I remember seeing an old short from the 50s, where the narrator was using something like “robutts” or “robits”. It was distracting. Similarly, that is the pronunciation used in some of the Twilight Zone episodes. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645/207 "2012-07-04T23:42:07Z")
> [@Obeseus](#): > > Similarly, that is the pronunciation used in some of the Twilight Zone episodes. I just watched the episode “I, Robot” from the original Outer Limits. More actors said “robit” than robot. It seems to have been a common pronunciation back then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronounciations-that-grate-is-it-because-im-old/625645.md?page=10)