# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/21 "2001-03-06T16:23:59Z")
Rainier actually has _three_ pronunciations. When you referred to capitalization I assumed you meant _Mt._ Rainier, pronounced “ray-NEER,” since a large volcanic mountain is more consequential accidentally than some tinpot Europeoan playboy/prince ever will be on purpose :p. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/22 "2001-03-06T23:29:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunshine \* > > 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.** **Feynn** , like I said, as far as Patrick Roy goes, he has told Denver to say “Wah”. **Maybe it’s different elsewhere or for other people.** But watch a home Av’s game and you’ll hear the announcers say “Wah”. As far as I know, they say it the way the guy whose name it is wants it pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![Renton\_lvr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Renton\_lvr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renton_lvr)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/23 "2001-03-06T23:51:18Z")
> [@](#): > > **Feynn** , like I said, as far as Patrick Roy goes, he has told Denver to say “Wah”. **Maybe it’s different elsewhere or for other people.** But watch a home Av’s game and you’ll hear the announcers say “Wah”. As far as I know, they say it the way the guy whose name it is wants it pronounced. \*\* That’s probably because it’s the easiest way to say it in english. The French “R” can be tricky to pronounce so it’s just easier to tell the media to call him “Wah”. Roy should be pronounced the same as the french word Roi (king). ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/24 "2001-03-06T23:53:50Z")
Bucket, when capitalized, sounds like “bouquet.” heh. -fh ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/25 "2001-03-07T00:13:42Z")
Okay, but are there words _other than polish/Polish_ that change pronunciation _where both words are English and neither is a true proper name_? 'Cause IMO true proper names can be pronounced however the person having the name decides. And different words commonly have different pronuciations in different languages, which fails to astonish: it may be “Gee” LaFleur but it’s not not “Gee” Fawkes. So are there other words with different pronunciations, where the difference can’t be easily accounted for as a matter of personal taste or a difference in languages? Just curious; I can’t think of any. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/26 "2017-04-25T23:04:53Z")
Arise, zombie, arise! (This is when nobody from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=824748) comes over and I look like a fool.) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/27 "2017-04-26T02:42:09Z")
OK, I’ll save you Darren. It occured to me that there’s two definitions of “capitonym” out there, so let’s make the word be self-defining. **capitonym** a word which changes meaning _but not pronunciation_ when capitalized **Capitonym** a word which changes meaning _and pronunciation_ when capitalized. So the question is, is “capitonym” a capitonym or a Capitonym? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/28 "2017-04-26T04:34:26Z")
> [@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). Patrick Roy is pronounces like Patrick Waugh, but spelled with no letters in common. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/29 "2017-04-26T05:39:51Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Patrick Roy is pronounces like Patrick Waugh, but spelled with no letters in common. No, the French “R” is more guttural than the English “W”. And the vowel sounds are “ah” vs. “aw”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/30 "2017-04-26T11:34:59Z")
> [@OxyMoron](#): > > Rainier actually has _three_ pronunciations. When you referred to capitalization I assumed you meant _Mt._ Rainier, pronounced “ray-NEER,” since a large volcanic mountain is more consequential accidentally than some tinpot Europeoan playboy/prince ever will be on purpose :p. Monday was rainy, but Tuesday was even ranier. 😃 ---
**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 26, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/31 "2017-04-26T12:23:41Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > Okay, but are there words _other than polish/Polish_ that change pronunciation _where both words are English and neither is a true proper name_? > > 'Cause IMO true proper names can be pronounced however the person having the name decides. And different words commonly have different pronuciations in different languages, which fails to astonish: it may be “Gee” LaFleur but it’s not not “Gee” Fawkes. > > So are there other words with different pronunciations, where the difference can’t be easily accounted for as a matter of personal taste or a difference in languages? > > Just curious; I can’t think of any. Well, in the interests of completeness, we did spot August/august in the other, contemporary thread. So, so far, we only have those two word pairs that fit. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/32 "2017-04-26T14:31:27Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Patrick Roy is pronounces like Patrick Waugh, but spelled with no letters in common. Nope, Patrick Roy pronounces it in french as /ʁwa/ or rrrrw-ah. The ‘r’ is rolled into the ‘w’ sound. We used to tease a friend that was a huge Canadiens fan about Guy Carbano! ---
**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 26, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/33 "2017-04-26T15:05:51Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Nope, Patrick Roy pronounces it in french as /ʁwa/ or rrrrw-ah. The ‘r’ is rolled into the ‘w’ sound. Yeah; we don’t have the French “r” in English, and " /ʁwa/ " sounds closest to “wah” English phoneme-wise. See also names like “Nguyen.” These approximations are pretty normal. What I don’t quite get is how voilà becomes “wahlah,” when “vwahlah” shouldn’t pose any pronunciation challenges to an English speaker. No, it’s not a common consonant cluster, but it doesn’t strike me as something that would require practice from an English speaker (the word “driveway,” for example, contains that cluster, although split syllabically.) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/34 "2017-04-26T15:06:21Z")
It seems to me you could make a case that Polish and polish are in fact two different words that just happen to be spelled the same. Also bass (fish) and bass (instrument) or minute (unit of time) and minute (very small) ---
**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 26, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/35 "2017-04-26T15:13:15Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > It seems to me you could make a case that Polish and polish are in fact two different words that just happen to be spelled the same Well, they are. See: homographs. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/36 "2017-04-26T15:28:51Z")
If a snake should slough its skin off, it’s pronounced “sluff”. But if you go to Slough in England, it rhymes with “cow”. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/37 "2017-04-26T16:06:16Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > If a snake should slough its skin off, it’s pronounced “sluff”. > > But if you go to Slough in England, it rhymes with “cow”. Similarly for ‘mow’. If you’re cutting the grass - it rhymes with’low’. But if you’re in a barn, in Mow Cop or at The Barley Mow, - it rhymes with ‘wow’ ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794/38 "2017-04-26T16:38:28Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > If a snake should slough its skin off, it’s pronounced “sluff”. > > But if you go to Slough in England, it rhymes with “cow”. And the wet boggy ground version is pronounced “slew,” at least in California. [Elkhorn is my favourite](http://www.elkhornslough.org/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-change-their-pronunciation-when-you-capitalize-them/56794.md?page=1)