# UK pronunciation: urinals **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924 "2020-04-03T01:37:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/1 "2020-04-03T01:37:31Z")
I’m watching an episode of Secrets of the Royal Kitchens on my local OTA PBS channel (WTTW, Chicago) now and there was a bit where what I think **urinals** were mentioned. It was in the context of a stinky royal kitchen at the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign. Anyway, the I was long and stressed, said something like your’EYE’nals. Is this typical? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/2 "2020-04-03T01:58:33Z")
The Brits I’ve known have said it that way. yer EYE nals. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/3 "2020-04-03T02:02:15Z")
Actually, I should probably say more like “you-RYE-nuhl.” If you look at the [Wiktionary pronunciation of it](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/urinal), that is the pronunciation given for RP English. > [@](#): > > (Received Pronunciation) enPR: yo͞o-rīʹnəl, IPA(key): /juːˈɹaɪnəl/ ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/4 "2020-04-03T02:22:21Z")
In case there are any Brits reading this who can’t figure out what the question is… We Yanks pronounce it YOO-ri-nal ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/5 "2020-04-03T02:44:43Z")
Australians say both, but I think ‘You’re in Al’s bathroom’ is more common that ‘Ewe Rhine all’. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/6 "2020-04-03T04:04:46Z")
In BrE: You can stress either the first syllable or the second; both are common. As for pronunciation, the first syllable is always “eur-”, as in “Europe”; never “you-” as in “youth”. The second syllable, if stressed, has the same vowel-sound as “price”. But, if unstressed, it has the same vowel-sound as “kit”. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/7 "2020-04-03T04:59:17Z")
Thanks, all. I’ve been over the pond a few times but apparently never encountered the word urinal. Urinal, funny word no matter how it’s said. > [@Keeve](#): > > In case there are any Brits reading this who can’t figure out what the question is… We Yanks pronounce it YOO-ri-nal I should have included my local accent which is how your have it. You’re’i-nal. A case could be made for either two or three syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/8 "2020-04-03T05:11:37Z")
I’m British: have only ever heard it pronounced over here, as “yer-EYE-nal”. I remember hearing from an uncle, an apocryphal tale from long ago; about an ill-educated and rather pompous local councillor who didn’t (in British terms) know how to pronounce the word, and was speechifying about how proud he was of his town’s newly installed “YOO-ri-nals”; and was looking forward to complementing them, by putting in some “arsenals” – meaning in his confusion, full public toilets catering for “greater bodily needs” as well as “lesser” ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/9 "2020-04-03T05:47:19Z")
Would that be pronounced ar-SEE-nal ? 😃 ---
**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:** [April 3, 2020, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/10 "2020-04-03T09:35:18Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > As for pronunciation, the first syllable is always “eur-”, as in “Europe”; never “you-” as in “youth”… UK person here, those are identical for me. As for the word in question. I say it both ways, not sure why or when. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/11 "2020-04-03T09:43:13Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > In case there are any Brits reading this who can’t figure out what the question is… We Yanks pronounce it YOO-ri-nal Thank you! I was head scratching that one. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/12 "2020-04-03T09:44:27Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > UK person here, those are identical for me Not for me - yeur and yoo sound distinctly different. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/13 "2020-04-03T10:06:34Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I should have included my local accent which is how your have it. You’re’i-nal. A case could be made for either two or three syllables. I pronounce it more like YOO-ri-nal except a case could also be made for two syllables depending on how fast the second is pronounced. If extremely elided it’s almost pronounced like two different words “YER nil”, yet there is always a little pause between the two so it’s not quite “YERnil”, sort of like how people in three syllable towns like Louisville sort of say something in between “LOOville” and “LOOuhville”. (Heh. “Loo”.) ---
**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:** [April 3, 2020, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/14 "2020-04-03T10:27:26Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Not for me - yeur and yoo sound distinctly different. Yes and those particular spellings would be pronounced differently for me as well but I pronounce “Europe” as you-rupp. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/15 "2020-04-03T16:51:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, I should probably say more like “you-RYE-nuhl.” > > If you look at the [Wiktionary pronunciation of it](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/urinal), that is the pronunciation given for RP English. I’m British, and I think this is pretty damn close. Easy on that “h”, and you’re there. j ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/16 "2020-04-03T17:19:58Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’m British, and I think this is pretty damn close. Easy on that “h”, and you’re there. > > j Yeah, that “h” isn’t supposed to be pronounced there, but rather trying to represent a schwa sound with the “uh” without using IPA (though I do give the IPA from Wiktionary’s transcription.) ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/17 "2020-04-03T20:53:31Z")
Does this pronunciation guide apply to the planet YourANus as well? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/18 "2020-04-04T14:57:09Z")
Isn’t it the Dubya-sea? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/19 "2020-04-06T03:16:28Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Yes and those particular spellings would be pronounced differently for me as well but I pronounce “Europe” as you-rupp. Obviously there are wide regional differences within Great Britain and they are all equally valid, yadda, yadda, yadda, but in [what the Oxford English Dictionary regards as] standard British English “youth” has the same vowel sound as “goose”, while “Europe” has the same vowel sound as “cure”. And, according to the same authority, the first syllable in “urinal” goes with “Europe”, “cure” rather than with “youth”, “goose”. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2020, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924/20 "2020-04-06T06:22:30Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Obviously there are wide regional differences within Great Britain and they are all equally valid, yadda, yadda, yadda, but in [what the Oxford English Dictionary regards as] standard British English “youth” has the same vowel sound as “goose”, while “Europe” has the same vowel sound as “cure”. And, according to the same authority, the first syllable in “urinal” goes with “Europe”, “cure” rather than with “youth”, “goose”. Sure, but dictionaries are not a good place to find out how the british people you meet should actually speak. They are descriptive, not proscriptive. At some point the definitions, spellings and pronunciations in dictionaries can change according to the real-life usage. I don’t accept that there is such a thing as a “standard” British English accent that is commonplace in real life. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-pronunciation-urinals/850924.md?page=2)