Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
#31
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
I've had people try and justify that by saying, "No no no - those are 2 different words - once is adjective (the colour), the other is the verb (as in - "abandon" )..... Respectfully pointing them to a dictionary where the pronunciation is spelt out exactly the same for the 2 definitions doesnt seem to help.
#32
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
I've had people try and justify that by saying, "No no no - those are 2 different words - once is adjective (the colour), the other is the verb (as in - "abandon" )..... Respectfully pointing them to a dictionary where the pronunciation is spelt out exactly the same for the 2 definitions doesnt seem to help.
#33
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,188
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Get someone from Bristol to say..
"Specifically, what is the best TV aerial for this area?"
Comes out as
"Pacifically, what is the best TV aeriel for this aeriel"
"Specifically, what is the best TV aerial for this area?"
Comes out as
"Pacifically, what is the best TV aeriel for this aeriel"
Last edited by iamthecreaturefromuranus; Mar 13th 2012 at 6:35 am.
#34
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Rockingham, WA
Posts: 44
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
when i had my first job in Oz as a secretary in a solicitors office, they called memo's ''meemo's''. It took me ages to work out what they were on about.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
#35
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
when i had my first job in Oz as a secretary in a solicitors office, they called memo's ''meemo's''. It took me ages to work out what they were on about.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
#36
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
All down to giving some differentiation between the terms so you know what's being talked about.
Anyone who says prO-ject or darta, however, gets smacked over the head with a cricket bat.
#40
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
I reckon I am the only person on here who can actually pronounce début as it is meant to be pronounced with the right [y] sound Cos I haven't yet met an English native speaker who can do the [y] sound correctly
#41
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Rockingham, WA
Posts: 44
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
It wouldnt be too bad if they didnt go to great pains to emphasise the 2 different words, i think thats what makes it sound bad (to my ears anyway), as i quite frequently drop h's and add an e.g ''he's an 'appy boy'' but if i was reading the news and trying to sound proper i would say ''he's a happy boy''.
Sorry cant believe ive written a whole post about this, im not a grammar nazi its just one of those little things that really irks me!!
#44
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
You mean the [y] as in high front rounded vowel...some of us can do it. Have German or French to thank for it though. German especially. If you're a lazy English speaker and decide to substitute [u] for [y], you get entirely different words in some cases, and some quizzical looks from the person you're speaking with.
#45
Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Paaaaah-sta
Daaah-ta
Pro-ject
and over here (NZ) they say 'Woman' for 'women' - that really annoys me
Daaah-ta
Pro-ject
and over here (NZ) they say 'Woman' for 'women' - that really annoys me