# Words that change their pronunciation when you capitalize them **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2001, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794 "2001-03-05T04:53:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/1 "2001-03-05T04:53:04Z")
How many of these can you think of? Let’s see, there’s rainier, tangier, messier, portage (obscure), noisy (also obscure), …? ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/2 "2001-03-05T05:03:11Z")
polish my ass Polish my ass ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/3 "2001-03-05T09:52:40Z")
Reading, the town reading, the activity ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/4 "2001-03-05T12:41:38Z")
Any name that doubles as a plain ol’ everyday noun. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/5 "2001-03-05T13:38:30Z")
How is that pronounced any differently to the regular noun? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/6 "2001-03-05T14:59:23Z")
Herb. (For us Americans, anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/7 "2001-03-05T17:44:59Z")
Lima (city and legume) Nice (city and adjective) ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/8 "2001-03-05T19:59:18Z")
The only one I could think of was the name Roy is pronounced different if it is a first name (Roy Rogers) or a last name (Patrick Roy). ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/9 "2001-03-05T21:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xizor \* > \*\*The only one I could think of was the name Roy is pronounced different if it is a first name (Roy Rogers) or a last name (Patrick Roy). \*\* Really? How is the last name pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/10 "2001-03-05T21:51:48Z")
Pronounced Rue-Ah. Here is another I just thought of: guy Guy (but only if your are a French Canadien Hockey Player) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/11 "2001-03-05T22:31:51Z")
matt\_mcl I grew up In Portage Wisconsin, which was named for the portage between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers. Both are pronounced the same. What were you refering to when you wrote portage. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/12 "2001-03-05T22:51:12Z")
polish (the verb) and Polish (the adjective). worms (the little squiggly critters that live in dirt) and Worms (the place, as in the Diet of Worms.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/13 "2001-03-05T22:57:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xizor \* > \*\*Pronounced Rue-Ah. > \*\* Being a Denverite and Colorado Avalance fan, I happen to know that the Roy in **Patrick Roy** is pronounced **Wah**. Don’t know about any other Roys out there, since I’ve never heard it as a last name other than on Patrick. Just my nickel’s worth. 🙂 Oh, and for he OP…couldn’t think of any besides Herb. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/14 "2001-03-05T22:58:17Z")
Whoops. Someone already posted “polish” and “Polish.” Sorry. It’s been a long day. That’s my only excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/15 "2001-03-05T23:13:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scribble \* > \*\*It’s been a long day. That’s my only excuse. \*\* You’re gonna have to do better than that. From now on you will treat me like a god. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/16 "2001-03-05T23:17:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phobia \* > \*\*matt\_mcl > > I grew up In Portage Wisconsin, which was named for the portage between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers. Both are pronounced the same. What were you refering to when you wrote portage. \*\* portage = portázh. Portage Avenue in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba = pórtidj. (Like I said, obscure.) Summary so far: rainier = ráyniur. Rainier (prince of Monaco): rehnyé. tangier = tángiur. Tangier (city in Morocco): tandjéer. messier = mésiur. Messier (Mark) = mésyay. portage, Portage (as above). noisy = nóyzee. Noisy (suburb of Paris) = nwahzí. polish = páhlish. Polish = pólish. guy = gie. Guy (Lafleur) = gee. worms = wurmz. Worms (Diet of) = vehmz. herb = urb. Herb = hurb. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/17 "2001-03-06T02:15:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > **How is that pronounced any differently to the regular noun?** Uh, what was the question again? ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/18 "2001-03-06T06:13:11Z")
Being a Canadian and a lifelong fan of Les Glorieux, The Habs, or as some call them The Canadiens I have to point out to Sunshine that the pronounciation of Roy is **Rue Ah** as posted by xizor. Not Wah. Guy as in LaFleur is pronounced “Gee”. _walks of muttering_ [sub]“sacrement, tabernacle!”![/sub] Those are pronounced sacremant and tabernack if you’re wondering. So ends our lesson in how to curse in French. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/19 "2001-03-06T06:21:33Z")
Actual Québécois curse: “Hostie de vierge de saint-sacrement de calice de crisse de tabernac!” Literal translation: “Communion wafer of a virgin of the Holy Sacrament of a chalice of Christ of a tabernacle!” Idiomatic translation: “That bloody goddamned motherfucking sonovabitch bastard piece of _shit!_” ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/20 "2001-03-06T06:29:15Z")
Good to see you too Matt. How’s my favourite socialist these days? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794.md?page=2)