Accents vs. Mispronunciation

Julila · Post by **Julila** » January 6th, 2010, 5:33 am

This seems like the best place to post this question: is there a way to add a sort of permanent tag that constructive criticism is always welcome apart from just adding it to my signature? I always feel so extremely embarrassed when I discover I mispronounced a word after cataloguing...

Steampunk · Post by **Steampunk** » January 6th, 2010, 1:06 pm

Julila wrote:This seems like the best place to post this question: is there a way to add a sort of permanent tag that constructive criticism is always welcome apart from just adding it to my signature? I always feel so extremely embarrassed when I discover I mispronounced a word after cataloguing...

There is a way to ask for constructive criticism. Simply add CC to your subject line and post to the Listeners & Editors Wanted Forum forum. Or, if you're posting to a project you can request CC when you submit your recording. Or, if it's a solo project, you can request CC prooflistening.

Jim

Kaffen · Post by **Kaffen** » January 9th, 2010, 9:27 am

ExEmGe wrote:
knotyouraveragejo wrote:IPA = International Phonetic Alphabet
Sorry - Quite wrong.

IPA = India Pale Ale

You're both wrong!

IPA = isopropyl alcohol

Julila · Post by **Julila** » January 9th, 2010, 9:31 am

@ Steampunk: thanks! I'll make sure to do that.

judyhendrick · Post by **judyhendrick** » February 8th, 2010, 7:48 pm

It's rather tedious to spend the time to download a classic and then hear the reader mispronounce obvious words. Absolutely could not force myself to listen further than the title when the reader pronounced Don Juan as "Don Jew-an." For Pete's SAKE!!

mb · Post by mb » February 8th, 2010, 8:06 pm

It might be interesting to note that, per Wikipedia:

"A recurring joke throughout the poem is that most of the Spanish words and names are rhymed in a way which indicates that they are being pronounced incorrectly".

for more, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_%28Byron%29#Pronunciation.

I'm sure much 'tedious' volunteer time and effort went into creating this 'obviously incorrect' free recording for your listening pleasure.

Post by **chocoholic** » February 8th, 2010, 8:09 pm

Yes, it's supposed to be pronounced Jew-an in Byron's poem.

Another quote from the Wikipedia entry for Don Juan:

Wikipedia wrote:In Castilian Spanish, Don Juan is pronounced [doɴˈχwan]. The usual American-English pronunciation is /ˌdɒnˈwɑːn/, with two syllables and a silent "J". However, in Byron's epic poem it humorously rhymes with ruin and true one, suggesting that it was intended to have the trisyllabic spelling pronunciation /ˌdɒnˈdʒuːən/.

beeber · Post by **beeber** » February 8th, 2010, 8:14 pm

Right. This is an example of how tricky it can all get, because in fact "Don JEW-an" was indeed for a long time the standard English pronunciation, regardless of what the Spanish pronunciation would be. (Despite that Wikipedia claim that it's deliberately "incorrect.") So, for example, in Byron's "Don Juan" a reader must pronounce it "JEW-an" because that's the way Byron and his readers said it, and if you don't say it that way, all sorts of rhymes (and the rhythm of the verse) won't work correctly.

A similar tricky spot occurs in Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Prospero is the Duke of Milan, which is today pronounced "mi-LAN" in English. In Shakespeare's time, however, it was "MIL-an" and if you don't say it that way, the rhythm of Shakespeare's verse gets thrown off.

smijen · Post by **smijen** » February 8th, 2010, 8:33 pm

mb wrote:I'm sure much 'tedious' volunteer time and effort went into creating this 'obviously incorrect' free recording for your listening pleasure.

Well said!
This is a great example of why we don't "correct" pronunciation.
(Though I think the regional differences rationale is encountered much more commonly.)

amphioxus · Post by **amphioxus** » June 8th, 2012, 1:08 pm

Sure, there are some pronunciations that can be passed off as regional differences. Such as, when an otherwise excellent reader kept saying, exscaped. Perhaps even imPOtent, with a long O and the accent on the second sylLABle. Harder to take were, 'wreck havoc' for 'wreak havoc', and 'least' for 'lest.'

The all-time worst was a woman with a delightful voice, who kept pronouncing 'Monsieur' with an artistically creative

French accent: Probably fifteen times in one recording she said, "MonZhure." Where's that from? Neptune? Gawrd.

Now, I don't mind a few regional differences extremely mooch.

I mean, as long as the region isn't too far outside this solar system. But:

Surely there must be some way to render some assistance to hard working volunteers who don't really wish to be laughed at for the next three-hundred years?

edited by admin to remove reader identification

Post by **philchenevert** » June 8th, 2012, 1:15 pm

amphioxus wrote:Sure, there are some pronunciations that can be passed off as regional differences. Such as, when an otherwise excellent reader kept saying, exscaped. Perhaps even imPOtent, with a long O and the accent on the second sylLABle. Harder to take were, 'wreck havoc' for 'wreak havoc', and 'least' for 'lest.'
The all-time worst was a woman with a delightful voice, who kept pronouncing 'Monsieur' with an artistically creative French accent: Probably fifteen times in one recording she said, "MonZhure." Where's that from? Neptune? Gawrd.
Now, I don't mind a few regional differences extremely mooch. I mean, as long as the region isn't too far outside this solar system. But:
Surely there must be some way to render some assistance to hard working volunteers who don't really wish to be laughed at for the next three-hundred years?

Amphioxus ... I eagerly; nay, VERY eagerly await your recordings. I will give them a close listen.

Post by **chocoholic** » June 8th, 2012, 1:53 pm

Just thought I'd point out (for the sake of commenters who do not wish to be laughed at for the next three hundred years) that "wreck" is actually the correct way to pronounce "wreak." You can also say "reek"; either is fine.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak

earthcalling · Post by **earthcalling** » June 9th, 2012, 12:41 am

Laurie Anne - No, it's the other way round. Look at the list of rhymes further down the page.

Post by **Rapunzelina** » June 9th, 2012, 1:02 am

Both pronunciations for wreak are fine according to this dictionary.

Well, I'm not a native English speaker, but I have contributed recordings in English and I'm sure to have mispronounced some words.
I don't focus on being "laughed at" for my mistakes or my foreign accent, but on being appreciated for what I have offered.
Nevertheless, if my mistakes amuse people, that's fine because I love making people laugh

JohanLiebert · Post by **JohanLiebert** » June 9th, 2012, 1:24 am

Rapunzelina wrote:Both pronunciations for wreak are fine according to this dictionary.

Well, I'm not a native English speaker, but I have contributed recordings in English and I'm sure to have mispronounced some words.
I don't focus on being "laughed at" for my mistakes or my foreign accent, but on being appreciated for what I have offered.
Nevertheless, if my mistakes amuse people, that's fine because I love making people laugh

That's me as well. I always mispronounce french words (but always try my best not to) and some english words.

And I do pronounce monsieur as "MonZhure" more than often, until I became part of the Seats of the Mighty

I think that's how LibriVox helps people that are struggling with pronunciation.