Pronunciation Peeves!

['andersom']

Americans who drop the H in "herb" sound ridiculous. "But it's a French word" isn't an excuse. The way the French pronounce it sounds nothing like "'erb".

Yes indeed! Heard it recently on tv. Drives me nuts.

Now I wonder how the French say it. 

      "Le herb."   

L' herbe.

[Gopher Gary]

Americans who drop the H in "herb" sound ridiculous. "But it's a French word" isn't an excuse. The way the French pronounce it sounds nothing like "'erb".

Yes indeed! Heard it recently on tv. Drives me nuts.

Now I wonder how the French say it. 

      "Le herb."   

    

[Gopher Gary]

Americans who drop the H in "herb" sound ridiculous. "But it's a French word" isn't an excuse. The way the French pronounce it sounds nothing like "'erb".

Yes indeed! Heard it recently on tv. Drives me nuts.

Now I wonder how the French say it. 

      "Le herb."   

L' herbe.

Are you joking too?    I thought they don't say the h either, do the really say lerb? 

['andersom']

Americans who drop the H in "herb" sound ridiculous. "But it's a French word" isn't an excuse. The way the French pronounce it sounds nothing like "'erb".

Yes indeed! Heard it recently on tv. Drives me nuts.

Now I wonder how the French say it. 

      "Le herb."   

L' herbe.

Are you joking too?    I thought they don't say the h either, do the really say lerb? 

Their 'e' in the word sounds very different too. It's not just about what they do with the 'h'.

[awiddershinlife]

I'd drive you all nuts because I like dialects and I find differences interesting.

Language is complex and much of it is evolved to include/exclude.

I grew up speaking with an Appalachian twang until my east coast children finally ridiculed it out of me

For decades I used the word vo-lump-tuous. Then someone died laughing at me, so I mended my evil ways

At least no one here can hear me, so no harm done

[renaeden]

^Nice to see you!

And vo-lump-tuous. That's funny.

["couldbecousin"]

I'd drive you all nuts because I like dialects and I find differences interesting.

Language is complex and much of it is evolved to include/exclude.

I grew up speaking with an Appalachian twang until my east coast children finally ridiculed it out of me

For decades I used the word vo-lump-tuous. Then someone died laughing at me, so I mended my evil ways

At least no one here can hear me, so no harm done

  I love accents and dialects.  I'd have liked your Appalachian twang. 

["couldbecousin"]

^Nice to see you!

And vo-lump-tuous. That's funny.

  "Volumptuous" does sound better.  Closer to capturing the visual effects.  'Cause it makes one think of
   the word "plump."  Also, the "m" sound makes a pleasing hum that makes the word more fun to say. 

[Queen Victoria]

Peculiar and common New Orleans pronunciations:

Tchoupitoulas = Chop-a-two-lus

Burgundy = Bur-gun-day

Beignet - Ben-yay

Lake Pontchartrain - Lake Punch-in-train

Krewe - Crew (as in Mardi Gras krewe)

["couldbecousin"]

  Massachusetts folk are notorious for dropping r's at the end of words, but some of us add r's as well. 

   Thus, "Tina and Rita and Erica are in the car" ---> "Teener and Reeter and Ericker are in the caaaaaahhhh."

   I myself do not do any of that stuff.  My unpopularity with my peer group kept me from picking up the accent. 

[renaeden]

Hey, Australians say cah instead of carrr.

Also, Americans say hurry in a funny way. Like hooorry.

['andersom']

Shouldn't  beignet be pronounced like ben-yay? 

["couldbecousin"]

Hey, Australians say cah instead of carrr.

Also, Americans say hurry in a funny way. Like hooorry.

  Not this American.

[Queen Victoria]

Shouldn't  beignet be pronounced like ben-yay? 

I was sitting at the Morning Call (outdoor coffee and beignet cafe) one day when some tourists asked for an order of "bee-ig-nets".  I almost choked on my beignet.

['andersom']

Shouldn't  beignet be pronounced like ben-yay? 

I was sitting at the Morning Call (outdoor coffee and beignet cafe) one day when some tourists asked for an order of "bee-ig-nets".  I almost choked on my beignet.