ROY-boss, or ROY-bose?
Neither, but Roy-boss is the closest. its hard to give an approximation using typical english sounds.
Its kinda like roy-baws. Think of the vowel sound in the english word “law”, but say it as if you got interupted just before you finished it, so it is a shorter sound. Though I think this only works with an english accent, rather than an american one.
The tea companies I deal with pronounce it ROO-e-bos. The second syllable is barely there (a schwa), and the third syllable is somewhere between boss and b’ss.
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:3, topic:567762”]
The tea companies I deal with pronounce it ROO-e-bos. The second syllable is barely there (a schwa), and the third syllable is somewhere between boss and b’ss.
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This is not how it is pronounced in Afrikaans. There are only two syllables. “Rooi” means “red” and “bos” means “bush”.
Off topic: I find the best way to drink it is with a bit of sugar and lemon juice:)
Sorry, Saffer, I have never discussed rooibos with a South African. I only know how the American tea dealers say it. Of course, the vowel sound in “roy” is basically a dipthong anyway, so we might be talking about the same pronunciation and describing it differently.
(And to continue the off-topic discussion, I find straight rooibos okay to drink, but I prefer the earl grey, Jamaican spice, or blueberry flavored versions from Rishi.)
ROY-boss is as close as you can get with English sounds, but I think you two are actually talking about the same pronunciation - it is a diphthong, and mushing ROO-e into one syllable approximates it quite well.
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:5, topic:567762”]
…basically a dipthong anyway…
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I’ve learnt a new word, thanks Gary 