Pronunciation Strangeness

Post by **philchenevert** » July 13th, 2022, 7:32 am

I was recording last night and had to pronounce 'brougham'. As usual i googled it and found five sites. Picking the top two they pronounced it differently which was odd. Then checking the others they ALL gave it a significantly different pronunciation! Weird. Every one said it in a unique way; no two were even slightly alike. Never had this happen before and just wanted to ask if anyone has ever had a word that seemed to be said so many authoritative and apparently 'correct' ways?

MichaelMaggs · Post by **MichaelMaggs** » July 13th, 2022, 8:08 am

It legitimately is pronounced in lots of ways. The OED lists three British plus two American (each American having two options)

Brit.
/ˈbruːəm/
/bruːm/
/ˈbrəʊəm/
U.S.
/ˈbru(ə)m/
/ˈbroʊ(ə)m/

No doubt there are more

Post by **Rapunzelina** » July 13th, 2022, 2:40 pm

This is a British question: do you say scone or scone?

skɒn - skəʊn

MichaelMaggs · Post by **MichaelMaggs** » July 13th, 2022, 2:53 pm

There's only one right way: "scone".

Post by **annise** » July 13th, 2022, 5:17 pm

lightcrystal · Post by **lightcrystal** » July 13th, 2022, 5:30 pm

Skoon

That's the version combined with bagpipes.

Post by **annise** » July 13th, 2022, 5:37 pm

In Devonshire it's scons

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » July 13th, 2022, 11:11 pm

I'm from London; "scone" rhymes with "own" for me.
Peter

lightcrystal · Post by **lightcrystal** » July 13th, 2022, 11:50 pm

Sometimes I hear British people from southern England say "forum" with the "o" as in "hot".

Makes the 456th vow to learn IPA. Probably won't because I have too many books to record at LibriVox.

The first time that I heard this pronunciation was on Scambait Central where "Mr Pricky", the main scambaiter, comes from Plymouth. I can't find anyone saying forum that way on Forvo.

Post by **annise** » July 13th, 2022, 11:52 pm

Ah well ! One man's fish is another man's poisson .......
Anne

lightcrystal · Post by **lightcrystal** » July 13th, 2022, 11:58 pm

lightcrystal wrote: ↑July 13th, 2022, 11:50 pm Sometimes I hear British people from southern England say "forum" with the "o" as in "hot".

Makes the 456th vow to learn IPA. Probably won't because I have too many books to record at LibriVox.

The first time that I heard this pronunciation was on Scambait Central where "Mr Pricky", the main scambaiter, comes from Plymouth. I can't find anyone saying forum that way on Forvo.

When my family came from Britain I was very young. They had such a strong accent that I kept hearing "Charlie Dowman". I wondered who he was. In the end I found out that they were saying "Child Endowment". Curiously I am told that Estuary London English would say Child Endowment, a payment at the time for kids, like that. But my family comes from Yorkshire and, briefly, Liverpool for employment purposes.

I am not an egotist. I do something unintentional with a computer every 6 minutes. Accidentally quoted myself.

RajVO · Post by **RajVO** » July 19th, 2022, 3:43 pm

annise wrote: ↑July 13th, 2022, 11:52 pm Ah well ! One man's fish is another man's poisson .......
Anne

Haha, well said!

Post by **philchenevert** » July 19th, 2022, 4:20 pm

RajVO wrote: ↑July 19th, 2022, 3:43 pm
annise wrote: ↑July 13th, 2022, 11:52 pm Ah well ! One man's fish is another man's poisson .......
Anne
Haha, well said!

Yes, I am going to steal it for my sig.