# What other "words" have disagreements on pronunciation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178 "2011-11-26T19:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/41 "2011-12-02T21:05:05Z")
Hows about **pro-NUN-ciation** versus **pro-NOUN-ciation**? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/42 "2011-12-02T21:09:53Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > …and that’s just sad. I realize not everyone is computer literate, but as someone who is, it’s hard to see it from the other side. > > Upon reflection, I think I was mistaken in my earlier post. I think I might say “char” like “charcoal”… I am not sure I’ve ever pronounced “charmap” out loud, so I did so experimentally in the car today, and “care-map” felt weirder than “char-map” to say. I’ve never come across “char” on its own, so I can’t even begin to know how I’d say it. I’m pretty sure that I’ve never said _charmap_ aloud, and I just realized that, when I read it, I always “say” _character map_ in my mind. I was thinking of a specific former coworker of mine on the _hotmail/html_ thing, by the way. We worked together 10 years back, and she nearly at retirement age then. I don’t think anybody ever had the heart to correct her on the mispronunciation, and I expect that’s often true of persons who do that. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/43 "2011-12-02T21:12:32Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Hows about **pro-NUN-ciation** versus **pro-NOUN-ciation**? Is the latter not just a joke? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/44 "2011-12-02T21:17:37Z")
I used the say “char” as in charcoal, because when you char something, you pronounce it that way. No one else around me did though, so I usually pronounce it “car”. I never thought about until this thread, but I guess I have heard “care”, which strikes me as odd, even though I do say “care-aktur”. (And I wrote my first program in the late 70s!) Dequeue is pronounced like Dairy Queen or disqualification: DQ. Everywhere. Anything else is an abomination. SQL goes either way. MS picked “sequel” so antiMS snots like me say EssQL. And, I think Americans and Europeans tend to disagree on abbreviations. We say vi like “vee eye” they tend to say “vie”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/45 "2011-12-02T21:22:47Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Is the latter not just a joke? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it seriously. Sounds similar to some people saying “southern,” with the “ou” pronounced the same as the “ou” in sound. It happens. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/46 "2011-12-02T21:23:47Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Hows about **pro-NUN-ciation** versus **pro-NOUN-ciation**? Oh no question there. Pro-NUN-ciation. Anything else is an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/47 "2011-12-02T21:25:57Z")
I have one. Gif. The file type. Is the G pronounced like in giraffe? or like in garage? I pronounce it like giraffe. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/48 "2011-12-02T21:28:52Z")
> [@nobody](#): > > no question there. Pro-NUN-ciation. Anything else is an abomination before God and man, and any who say such a thing is just begging for a smiting. Fixed that for you. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/49 "2011-12-02T21:30:53Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I have one. Gif. The file type. Is the G pronounced like in giraffe? or like in garage? I pronounce it like giraffe. I say GIF (Garage) and JIF (Giraffe). ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/50 "2011-12-02T21:33:30Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I say GIF (Garage) and JIF (Giraffe). GIF is pronounced “gift”. You and OpalCat should be smited. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/51 "2011-12-02T21:35:31Z")
Obviously the “t” is silent, when I said “gift”, like in “often”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/52 "2011-12-02T21:38:20Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I say GIF (Garage) and JIF (Giraffe). > [@SlowMindThinking](#): > > GIF is pronounced “gift”. You and OpalCat should be smited. Isn’t that what I said? ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/53 "2011-12-02T22:48:22Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > American programmer here. I pronounce it as “car” (with a rhotic accent). Phew, at least some US’ians do. I work in a US multinational site in Ireland, and I’ve been worrying that I’ve been embarrassing myself all along in every conference call with my crazy pronunciation of char. ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/54 "2011-12-02T22:53:02Z")
> [@SlowMindThinking](#): > > And, I think Americans and Europeans tend to disagree on abbreviations. We say vi like “vee eye” they tend to say “vie”. I say ee - macks (No I don’t, Vim all the way ;)) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/55 "2011-12-02T22:54:42Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > Phew, at least some US’ians do. I work in a US multinational site in Ireland, and I’ve been worrying that I’ve been embarrassing myself all along in every conference call with my crazy pronunciation of char. At least your name’s not Barry, you’d be Berry. ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/56 "2011-12-02T23:00:10Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > At least your name’s not Barry, you’d be Berry. My name’s Eimear. Trust me, Barry would be easier:p ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/57 "2011-12-02T23:33:13Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > At least your name’s not Barry, you’d be Berry. Of course it would, and trying to pronounce your name with my poor grasp of Irish vowel sounds, and thinking the G is as in “good” and not an Irish “Gh” wold have me sounding vaguely like an Australian saying, “And good dee”. I think you’re better off with me calling you Berry. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/58 "2011-12-02T23:35:46Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > My name’s Eimear. Trust me, Barry would be easier:p I pity poor Aoifes everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/59 "2011-12-03T00:49:16Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > At least your name’s not Barry, you’d be Berry. There is (IMHO) a very subtle pronunciation difference in Barry and Berry. Same with marry and merry. I’m Canadian, but I think the difference exists in North America as a whole. It’s very subtle though. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178/60 "2011-12-03T03:26:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > There is (IMHO) a very subtle pronunciation difference in Barry and Berry. > > Same with marry and merry. > > I’m Canadian, but I think the difference exists in North America as a whole. It’s very subtle though. Do marry, merry, Marie, and Mary all sound different to you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-disagreements-on-pronunciation/604178.md?page=4)