Pronunciation difficulties
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 80
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?
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?
#2
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.
my rrrr's.
#6
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 -
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 -
#7
BE user by choice
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
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!
#8
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!
#9
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
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!
After 10 years in Canada - and blending my accent - some people still struggle to understand me at times.
#10
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,063
Re: Pronunciation difficulties
Also Scottish, and looking forward to hamming-up the Scottish accent when we get over there
A worm will be a "wurrom" and a "squirl" will be a "Squirral"
A worm will be a "wurrom" and a "squirl" will be a "Squirral"
#11
Re: Pronunciation difficulties
Words I have to say really loud for them to understand me are.
****
******
**** **
**** ** *** **** ****** ****
****
******
**** **
**** ** *** **** ****** ****
#12
Re: Pronunciation difficulties
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".
#14
Re: Pronunciation difficulties
A common one is the way people say Edinburgh - usually they say Edinborrow.
#15
Re: Pronunciation difficulties
I was talking to a French fella yesterday about his boat. He pronounced it bateau. Silly ****er