Foyer, anybody? Anyone?
Okay, so I spent most of my life pronouncing it, um, like it was spelled. Foy-er. That is if I pronounced it. I mean I knew the word and I thought that’s the way it would sound if pronounced, and if I pronounced it–and I don’t remember if I did–that’s how I would have.
Then I read a mystery novel where the detective, kind of a snob, throws some shade on some people who pronounced it “foy-a [long a].” Like they were being pretentious about pronouncing it that way, and he would know.
So let’s see. Foy-er: Silly, because what you think it’s spelled like it looks? Southern culture: it is spelled like it looks. No silent letters in the south! Mid-level snob: pronounces it foy-a, laughs at the ignoramuses pronouncing it the way it looks. High level snob: raises eyebrow at mid-level ignorami snobs pronouncing it foy-a.
Now I’ve been through a similar thing with “aunt.” I’ve only known two groups of people who rhymed it with “taunt,” snotty bluebood Bostonians, and black people. My people are more likely to give the word two syllables (ay-unt). The insect is much the same but with a little less of a long A and more of a short A. But I got to eavesdrop on a person I know who said she always, always pronounced it the proper Boston-snob way, and she was lying through her teeth. She is a California native and she pronounced it “ant” until she talked to the snob.
I’m okay with never saying the word foyer again, but I’m gonna have a hard time with aunt.
When I visited family in Kentucky, I was afraid to try to pronounce any of the places. I live in a state with a Louisville and it’s “Lewis-ville.” I’ve been to a country with a Versailles and it was, yeah, never mind, I probably got it wrong there too. But hey, are we gonna say it like it’s spelled, or not? We could make up our minds here.
Just recently I ran into the word bas-relief. I know this word, I know what it is. I am not even gonna try to say it.