# 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:** 7
**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 27, 2021, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/121 "2021-08-27T06:21:11Z")
I’m an American speaker, and I don’t agree with @pulykamell or the others. The difference isn’t slight at all in Sandy’s delivery of the word “condom.” In the first syllable, she elongates the o. In the second syllable, she elongates the m, and says it quieter. Plus it’s slightly higher pitched. I agree it’s not the same as the American pronunciation, but those factors I mention are all the factors that are used to indicate a stressed syllable in English. At most I could argue that the second syllable still have secondary stress, but not primary stress. I don’t think this is as simple as Americans hear one thing and Brits hear another, as I hear the same thing @SciFiSam does. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/122 "2021-08-27T15:12:20Z")
Mine is synthetic. If I’m speaking normally and “synthetic” is part of the comment it will be pronounced correctly. If I’m thinking of the word synthetic and then have to say it out loud I always stumble. Same is true for synthesis. I just can’t get it right if I think about it first. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/123 "2021-08-27T16:13:26Z")
If I just happen to say “hyperbole” as part of talking, I’m fine. If I _read_ “hyperbole” out loud, I’m 50% likely to say “hyper-bowl”. Fortunately, this doesn’t come up often. ---
**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 27, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/124 "2021-08-27T16:34:19Z")
**anthropomorphising** A word that you wouldn’t think would come up often and you’d be correct; except when I’m guiding art tours. There’s an artist in the collection and an important aspect of his approach is to no anth . . anth…to not do that. I know how it should sound but my mouth can’t do it on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/125 "2021-08-27T17:17:37Z")
When describing your own pronunciation, it would be helpful to say where you grew up saying it. I was convinced, for example, that pronouncing creek as crick was peculiar to Philadelphia, but I gather it is much wider than that. I grew up in West Philly, six blocks from Cobb’s Crick. On the other hand, when I moved to Canada, I had to get used to the locals saying been the same as bean. I had a friend from Georgia (partly Atlanta, partly Savannah) named Wells who had to spell his name because as he said it came out as Wales. Brooklyn: “Three toids in a terlet”. But I have a 13 yo grandson who has lived and gone to public school in Brooklyn since he was 1 and he has no Btooklyn accent I can detect. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/126 "2021-08-27T18:40:56Z")
This isn’t exactly on topic: I have only ever pronounced it _ex-pair-eh-ment_, but nearly all the cast of Big Bang Theory say _ex-peer-eh-ment_, which always kind of bugged me, until this thread reminded me to look into the matter. It turns out my pronunciation is standard in US and UK English and the other way is a variation accepted by Merriam-Webster. The reason for that may have to do with the pronunciation of experience (or not?) ---
**Author:** ![PozhanPop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pozhanpop/32/8022_2.png) [@PozhanPop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PozhanPop)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/127 "2021-08-27T20:43:18Z")
Repeatation, Dilatation and Preventative bug me to no end. Also the greengrocer’s apostrophe. CD’s, DVD’s, TV’s etc. My manager pronounces and writes strictly as strickly. I have a lot of trouble with multisyllable words. Often forget where the stress is : ) ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/128 "2021-08-28T02:06:44Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > This isn’t exactly on topic: I have only ever pronounced it _ex-pair-eh-ment_ , but nearly all the cast of Big Bang Theory say _ex-peer-eh-ment_ , which always kind of bugged me, until this thread reminded me to look into the matter. Another example of the need for better phonetic representation, this one because of the Mary-marry-merry merger. _ex-pair-eh-ment_ sounds as ridiculous to me as _ex-peer-eh-ment_. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2021, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/129 "2021-08-28T06:42:08Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Another example of the need for better phonetic representation, this one because of the Mary-marry-merry merger. _ex-pair-eh-ment_ sounds as ridiculous to me as _ex-peer-eh-ment_ . I don’t understand your responses to my posts. You got some kind of problem with me? ---
**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 28, 2021, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/130 "2021-08-28T10:11:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Brooklyn: “Three toids in a terlet”. But I have a 13 yo grandson who has lived and gone to public school in Brooklyn since he was 1 and he has no Btooklyn accent I can detect. Yes, when I lived in NYC, I knew many people born and raised there who had no detectable New York accents. When I moved there, I had to learn how to pronounce Mary, marry and merry. Then, when I moved back to Ohio, I had to re-learn to pronounce them the same. ---
**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 29, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/131 "2021-08-29T01:44:05Z")
And has anyone mentioned the word “data”? It used to be “DAY-ta”, but now the only people not saying “DAH-ta” are scientists. [And what does Brent Spiner think of this?] ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/132 "2021-08-29T02:09:59Z")
I have noticed that. It grates. It’s even worse when they use data as if it’s singular. Fox News people are really bad about it. ---
**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 29, 2021, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/133 "2021-08-29T02:20:18Z")
I heard The Missus say ‘jag-wire’ today. (She also complained about David Attenborough’s pronunciation of ‘pyoo-mah’.) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/134 "2021-08-29T03:43:41Z")
I made my my own pronunciations as a child and despite the best efforts of my mother and siblings I persisted for years. These were clear mistakes and not just regionalism. I added a “t” to the end of “across” and made up “minght,” which I occasionally still say. My word for the yellow citrus fruit had a short i sound, among others. I’ve pretty much expelled those mistakes but I occasionally get confused. Because I couldn’t even speak English right as a child, my sister says that if I could learn Japanese anyone can, ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/135 "2021-08-29T07:44:38Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I have noticed that. It grates. It’s even worse when they use data as if it’s singular. > > Fox News people are really bad about it. I have the same preference and complaint (sources other than Fox News, because I don’t watch it). However, according to the [Cambridge](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/data) and [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data) dictionaries, both uses are now acceptable and the singular is more common. ---
**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 29, 2021, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/136 "2021-08-29T11:27:46Z")
The person saying condom the most in that video is not _really_ a Brit, and her accent is not really a “natural” one. She’s spoken about it before. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vkqvpWFOfLE/maxresdefault.jpg "Sandi Toksvig’s British Accent Is Fake | Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled | Dave") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkqvpWFOfLE) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/137 "2021-08-29T15:24:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And has anyone mentioned the word “data”? It used to be “DAY-ta”, but now the only people not saying “DAH-ta” are scientists. When you phonetically spell it “DAH-ta” I think you mean “Dah” to rhyme with “ah” or “hah!” (or as in the songs by [Trio](https://youtu.be/lNYcviXK4rg?t=52) or [The Police](https://youtu.be/7v2GDbEmjGE?t=66)). I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “data” like that. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve heard the two different pronunciations “day-ta” and “dat-a” (rhyming with the first two syllables of “category” or “satellite”); and I myself probably pronounce the word both ways (as with the word “route”). I don’t know whether one pronunciation is more correct or preferred than another, or whether it depends on where you are or what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/138 "2021-08-29T20:08:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > (She also complained about David Attenborough’s pronunciation of ‘pyoo-mah’.) Heh, that’s how Tommy Smothers pronounced puma in an old Smothers Brothers bit (the pyoomas in the cravices). Also, I hear the Brit pronunciation of condom as close to equal stresses, too. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/139 "2021-08-29T20:17:06Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > I added a “t” to the end of “across” My best friend says “acrost” too. It is also not a regionalism here. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375/140 "2021-08-29T23:50:03Z")
Not my pronunciation, but one that drives me nuts from almost every foreign student: sub SEE kwent instead of SUB suh kwent [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-pronunciation/949375.md?page=8)