# Your Pronunciation **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375 "2021-08-23T15:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/81 "2021-08-24T20:35:04Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > SureBet for for me. But I think I use to do the SureBert when I still had my NY accent. Why the extra R sound? Are you a Newyawker? I’ve seen this attempt at phonetic spelling on this very board before. It bemuses me and it’s the kind of thing that makes me reluctantly admit the need for something like the IPA, even though it’s quite unwieldy to use. Because it makes no sense to me to represent the first syllable of that word as “sure.” If you want to know how we pronounce “sure” where I’m from (southeastern Pennsylvania,) click the speaker icon on [this page](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/shore). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/82 "2021-08-24T21:32:33Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > It is just a New York thing to add Rs where there aren’t any and to drop Rs from words. > > Many pronounced Oil like Earl > Many have an Idear instead of an Idea. > Etc. Ah. It’s also a thing in the South, when dealing with rhotic accents. We’ll “worsh are win-ders” instead of washing our windows. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/83 "2021-08-24T22:46:48Z")
Reversing the “r” Was common for old Brooklynites who would put “earl in the cah,” for “oil in the car.” New York Giant [Wilhelm Hoyt](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoyt_Wilhelm) once took a beaner and went down, to exclamations of “Hurt is hoit!” Other lost New Yorkisms was “toity-toid street” and a coincidental similarity in how many “woids” were pronounced the same in Brooklyn and New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/84 "2021-08-25T00:38:37Z")
I had to wawk all the way to toidy-toid street to find a place to use the terlet. Even though I grew up in East Tennessee I said terlit even before I spent 5 years in Brooklyn. Ms. P says jagwire. She grew up in the Bawmer/DC area. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/85 "2021-08-25T00:46:37Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > My wife says ‘SEE-ment’ and ‘IN-sure-ance’. One of her favourite movies is Marnie (1964). Sean Connery’s character comments that Marnie is from the South, because only people from the South say ‘IN-sure-ance’; everyone else says ‘in-SURE-ance’. (She did grow up in a rural part of SoCal, and lived a lot in the South.) My father was the only person I ever heard saying “THANKS-giving”. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/86 "2021-08-25T15:04:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > In another former British colony, I’ve also noticed that Canadians say ‘Mazz-da’ instead of ‘Mahz-da’. Given where Mazda comes from, or at least [the associations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda) the company wants, I’d say Canadians are more correct. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > How did Toyota intend it to be pronounced? Their ads here use the “high-lux” pronunciation, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/87 "2021-08-25T17:23:06Z")
Nevada. Can’t not pronounce it as a Spanish word, which it is… 🤷‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/88 "2021-08-26T07:01:31Z")
Similar to _JAG-yoo-are_, Brits pronounce peninsula as _pen-IN-syoo-luh_, with the stupid y sound in there, so what do they know. And _or-eh-GAWN-oh_, despite the accent falling on the second syllable in other languages. Actually, their dictionaries indicate those pronunciations. Still sounds stupid. Oh, sorry: _styupid_. Many insist on pronouncing the Spanish name Paco as _PACK-oh_. I suspect I sometimes say _bolth_ but haven’t actually caught myself doing it. I’ve heard _UM-brell-uh_ and similar (accent moved to first syllable) and sometimes use that pronunciation because it’s fun. I hear most of those deep-South TV mechanics pronounce oil as _ohl_ (“bowl” without the b). ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/89 "2021-08-26T12:49:44Z")
> [@Apodder](#): > > Nevada. Can’t not pronounce it as a Spanish word, which it is… 🤷‍♀️ I grew up hearing and pronouncing it that way, presumably due to the Spanish origin of so many place names in So. Cal. The anglicized way just sounded wrong(not that one heard it very often). Somewhere along the last 30 years I switched to the “correct” way. Good job, too, as I have since found family members who live there and they will _chop_ you if you pronounce it NeVAHda. 🙂 You would really be annoyed if you visited San Pedro, CA (pronounced PEEDRO). ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/90 "2021-08-26T13:26:36Z")
How about “creek”? I only pronounce it correctly when talking about a named creek like - Mission Creek. If I say - I’m taking the dogs to the creek, I will always say “crick”. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/91 "2021-08-26T13:32:14Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I’m taking the dogs to the creek, I will always say “crick”. My friend’s brewery is called [Conny Creek.](https://www.breweriesinpa.com/meet-the-brewer-lee-layton-of-conny-creek-brewing-company/) If you pronounce it “Creek”, he’ll correct you. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/92 "2021-08-26T17:17:31Z")
Britain is renowned for taking foreign words and twisting their pronunciations so that they sound like they were originally English words. Hence abominations like tack-o for taco; Jag-you-er for jaguar, pass-ta for pasta etc. When Americans absorb a foreign word they attempt to hold onto the native pronunciation as closely as the English phonemes will allow them to. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/93 "2021-08-26T17:19:28Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > You would really be annoyed if you visited San Pedro, CA (pronounced PEEDRO). As I started reading your post, I thought ‘I should tell them about San Pedro.’ But you beat me to it at the end! ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/94 "2021-08-26T17:30:56Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > I hear most of those deep-South TV mechanics pronounce oil as _ohl_ (“bowl” without the b). Again, this is confusing. Those deep-South TV mechanics pronounce oil [like this](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/awl). Whereas bowl is pronounced [like this](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bowl). Different vowel sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/95 "2021-08-26T18:02:39Z")
British pronunciation of condom always seemed to carry a heavy implication. Not “KONdm, but stressed deliberately on both syllables “KOHN…DOHM.” ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/96 "2021-08-26T18:06:50Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Those deep-South TV mechanics pronounce oil [like this](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/awl) Not the ones I’ve heard (Fast N’ Loud, etc.) Clearly pronounced with an o sound. Like the Ole in Grand Ole Opry, holding the o a little longer. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/97 "2021-08-26T20:39:37Z")
I’m with English adopting new foreign words and changing them to fit local pronunciation and grammar because that’s what a lot of English _is_. Besides, other languages do exactly the same when they borrow English words. > [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > British pronunciation of condom always seemed to carry a heavy implication. Not “KONdm, but stressed deliberately on both syllables “KOHN…DOHM.” That’s… not true. > [@pulykamell](#): > > The word that is a tongue twister for me is “rural.” I hate saying that word. It is for me too, but it’s for a specific, and very local, reason. I grew up with an Estuary English accent, which is mostly derived from Cockney. One of the ways people occasionally take the mick out of it is to say an r as a w. And, way back in the day, Dickens wrote Cockneys as saying an r as a v. It was only when I saw a diagram of how a “r” is formed that it dawned on me that I’d been doing it wrong - or non-standard - all my life. I made a “r” by putting my front teeth against my lower lip rather than by using my tongue against the roof of my mouth. That’s pretty easy to transform into either a w or a v, depending on both how the speaker says it, and how the listener perceives it (like the yanni/laurel thing). “Rural” is exceptionally difficult to say in my native accent. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/98 "2021-08-26T21:05:51Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > How about “creek”? I only pronounce it correctly when talking about a named creek like - Mission Creek. If I say - I’m taking the dogs to the creek, I will always say “crick”. I was a young adult before I figured out that these cricks southerners in movies and TV shows talked about were actually creeks… we only have a handful up here and I’ve never seen one in person so the visual references didn’t help much. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/99 "2021-08-26T21:20:31Z")
[Condom varieties](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NLu4PUSvDvs) ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/100 "2021-08-26T22:00:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > (my dad had a Toyota Hilux), and it’s still called that in other countries. My wife pronounces it ‘hee-lux’, and I pronounce it ‘high-lux’ (as in ‘High Luxury’). What is the actual pronunciation? How did Toyota intend it to be pronounced? It’s pronounced “high-lux” in Japanese (ハイラックス hairakkusu). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375.md?page=6)