Pronunciation difficulties
 

Just had a conversation with someone who was trying desperately (and failing) to pronounce the Worcestershire in Worcestershire sauce, bless her. It made me giggle, especially when I told her to try using 'wuster-sure' or even just 'wuster' and those in the know would undertand what she was talking about. Cue the glazed-over look... :)

Any other words you get a kick out of listening to people on this side of the world struggle with? Or any words you get told you aren't pronouncing properly?

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I haven't been told that I am not pronouncing it properly, but I have to repeat myself, several times, when I say "thirty". "Earls" is another one where I am misunderstood. I think it is because I am Scottish and rrrrolll
my rrrr's.:)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

How often does that come up in conversation?

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Not too often, but it is the name of a restaurant chain in Western Canada, so comes up when planning to go out for a bite to eat.:) I suppose I could just suggest Tim Hortons instead and the locals would understand me.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Ah right :lol:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

water - nearly every time
Canadians just dont understand me - conversation a couple of weeks ago went like this:
receptionist - would you like a refreshment? We have coffee, tea and water
Me - Please can I have a glass of water
Receptionist - what?
me - :confused:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

My husband drives me mad when he says mirror, it comes out as mirrow - and chalk is chock - I have lots of big mirrows in my house and we are packing and marking the backs of furniture with chock...and now he tells me that it's going to be me that sounds like the funny foreigner!

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I will never be able to say me-er the way North Americans do. For that, I am grateful;)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Yes, lots of people I know say those words like that too - and "hawk" is 'hock' and "dawn" is 'don'.

After 10 years in Canada - and blending my accent - some people still struggle to understand me at times.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Also Scottish, and looking forward to hamming-up the Scottish accent when we get over there :D

A worm will be a "wurrom" and a "squirl" will be a "Squirral" ;)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Words I have to say really loud for them to understand me are.

****
******
**** **
**** ** *** **** ****** ****

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Place names constantly, e.g. Scarborough.

Coeur D'Alene is the one that gets me, you think Americans are hard on English, they're even worse on French. E.g. coupé. A coop is somewhere you keep your chickens.

Americans say "Core Dah Lane", Canadians say: "Curr Duh Lean".

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Or "garage", the American way of saying it is as though you own a Bentley.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

A common one is the way people say Edinburgh - usually they say Edinborrow.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I was talking to a French fella yesterday about his boat. He pronounced it bateau. Silly ****er:thumbdown:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

My son is called Oliver and Canadians just dont understand his name unless I say Oliverrrrrrrrrr:ohmy:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Gulp. My Canadian Worcestershire is 'Wor-sure-sure'. I'd better brush up!

Americans say FOYERRRR, where we say FOY-Yay, for a home entrance.
They say Trash to our garbage.
Their Aunt (ant) is an Onnt
and their blouses are blowses (rhyming with louses)
Our gah-radge (garage) is their gay-radge
Canadian "Do you want a bag?" is U.S. "Wold ya like a sac for thay-at?"
Canadians - washrooms U.S. - Restrooms

Our shopping carts are your trolleys (?) and U.S. Buggies.

Your car bonnet is our car hood.
Your car boots are our car trunks.

Don't ever order 'chips' in the States, as in 'Fish and Chips', or you may receive potato chips, or your British crisps. Fries are the word in the U.S.

Don't ask for the restaurant bill in the States..you need to ask for the check.

Your flats are our apartments.
Your puddings are not like our puddings.

Great thread.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Love gay-radge - might start using that :eek:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

gay-radge?! Is that true? Cos if it is, that is going to be the word of the week at my house, I love it! So many possibilities with that one.

For the longest time, I thought the presenter of the breakfast show on CBC radio here was called Andy Berry; turns out his name is Andy Barrie.

Have to agree with the mirror one too, my Canadian husband says it like 'meeerr' and he says engine like 'injun'. And the bugger has the cheek to take the mickey out of the way I say Tuesday (choosday) and tuna (choona).

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Knor (nor) is k-nor over here when it is a silent K but herbs is erbs with a silent H. dumb f*****s!

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

My husband's name caused difficulties to his Canadian colleagues for quite some time, until they gave up trying to figure out how on earth Graeme was pronounced, and just went back to calling him 'Gram'. :lol:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I'm dead serious about gay-radge. Lol. I suppose I may have said the American garage is pronounced with a long "A", but this sounded more interesting. Haha.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Still, you have made my day:rofl:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I know 2 Grahams and a Graeme.

I hope Gray-em has been ok all of these years. :ohmy:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

My dog is called Bobby. When people ask, and I say it, I get a blank look more often than not. When I say "Like short for Robert", some people remain blank, some people say "Oh, Baaawwwbby".

I now feel I have two choices, either ignore the question completely or tell them a name that is easier.

Suggestions welcome. :)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

My husband is called Paul, Canadians usually pause and say "pool?" so I repeat is and they say "ah Pawl"
Our dog is called Duke or Doookie, our English friends think I am referring to Duckie on Facebook

:rofl:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

They're likely hearing "Boe-bie".

I'd tell them the dog's name is simply 'Hardware'.

When they ask you why you named your dog Hardware?

Tell them when you swat him on the butt, he makes a bolt for the door.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I've finally got HID to call a sack barrow a sack barrow rather than a dolly.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Similar here. Mine is called Wally but most people hear "Wooly". Now i tell people his name is Steve.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I am glad we named our dog Jacob - no problems there.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Our's is Hemi, we planned ahead ;)

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

I'm not sure I can pull off that sentence with a straight face.

I'm thinking of going with Hank. That seems safe, but then you just never know. I thought Robert was reasonable.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

How do you pronounce it? Hee Mee? Hemmy? 'Emmy? Heh My?

It's all very confusing

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

You planned on the locals being confused?

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

How about Dave? They can pronounce their DDDDDDDDDDD's for sure :rofl:

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Dave seems fine until I hear it in my own voice. De-ave. Then the alarms bells start ringing. I'd have to say "Like short for David". That's no better than "Like short for Robert".

This isn't even the only problem, I'm fairly sure people around here think the other dog is called Chaaaahlie. Not that you can blame them, people expect to hear an R in there somewhere, but I have enough to worry about with Bobby/Hank.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Don't try Geordie. This also provokes a stare of incomprehension but after two or three repeats they think he's called Jodi. He's getting a complex.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

Tell them it's called "Shit". That's quite obvious when said, and should avoid follow up questions due to either shock or if there are kids around.

If they do ask about it, just tell them you call him after his favourite food.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

You're right, I don't think I say Shit in an overtly foreign way. That would be a winner if only the dog wasn't so nice.

I think I'll just pretend to be deaf.

Re: Pronunciation difficulties
 

For a whippet, surely Devo would be less controversial? Especially if the dog's in shape.