Pronunciation poll

[Backwoodsbrewing]

Ok then settle an argument pronounce almonds I say it is pronounced without the L like salmon and get crap for it from a buddy off mine

 

[nukebrewer]

I'm from Massachusetts and can't pronounce anything the right way.

I've lived in New England for a cumulative four and a half years and I still don't understand where these weird (to me since I am originally from Texas) pronunciations come from. So far I've done a good job of not picking up the accent, but I slip up sometimes and say "wicked."

 

[Calichusetts]

I know that its a native American word and that the chinook/kalapuya or other people in the area would not have spoken the word suggested in this post. As a person from Mass, with our amazing pronunciation, I can also attest to the irony of our state. Massachusetts is not what the natives called it, its our interpretation of their word. Some suggest the correct Mass pronunciation is closer to Mos-wet-u-set. (moss weyt u c-et)

WOW! I finally got to use my masters degree! Haha, so worth it. I often tell my students to just take any native american word two or three letters at a time.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

Same thing with Worcester, Mass. How the hell do you get Woostah from Worcester!? I will always pronounce it as spelled even if I find myself there one day.

I'm from Massachusetts and can't pronounce anything the right way.

Yar, I know what ya mean!

Ok then settle an argument pronounce almonds I say it is pronounced without the L like salmon and get crap for it from a buddy off mine

Just the other day, a guy was talking about someone he knows who used to play with the "Ahman" Brothers band. Cracked me up that he was mispronouncing "almond" instead of Allman. Just wrong all the way around. But that's how we talk neah Wista.

The strange part is that there's a distinct geographic line of separation for a MA accent. When I drive a half hour east to where I grew up, everyone has the accent, but it's not heard in Western MA.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Please don't confuse me with facts.

 

[Fishin-Jay]

Half the country can't even pronounce Oregon correctly. We should start with that before moving on to Willamette.

Yup. I have family in Dayton, OH and in downtown Dayton is the Oregon District. But the way these fools say it makes me want to backhand them every time. Their pronunciation is the "Ory-gone" District.

 

[Calichusetts]

The strange part is that there's a distinct geographic line of separation for a MA accent. When I drive a half hour east to where I grew up, everyone has the accent, but it's not heard in Western MA.

The stereotypical mass accent is basically the north shore. Most places have a light accent at best. Its the fact we use "wicked" and "jimmies" and "bubbla" that gives away our area.

 

[ktblunden]

My friend (who lives in the Willamette Valley) heard me pronounce it will-ah-MET and corrected me, saying it's pronounced "wil-LAM-it." I told him it's actually pronounced "stop drinking my beer for free and get out of my house." He saw it my way after that.

I actually thought it was derived from French as well. The "correct" pronunciation is seeping into my speech, but it somehow just sounds more ignorant that way to me.

 

[GrogNerd]

See, the thing about that is, although English has silent letters, "al-u-min-ee-um" pronounces letters that aren't there. I don't care if they invented the language, the Brits are wrong on that one

need to inject a "well, actually"

aluminum or aluminium?

both are correct

but, consider there is potassium, magnesium, helium, barium, sodium, chromium, calcium, cadmium, lithium, titanium and 60+ others that all end in "ium" but only a few (4) that end in "um"

if you type both in the POST QUICK REPLY box, neither will show a red squiggly line indicating a misspelled word


on topic: I have been mispronouncing it, but I will defer to the locals' pronunciation of Willamette, as in dammit

 

[Melana]

I've lived in New England for a cumulative four and a half years and I still don't understand where these weird (to me since I am originally from Texas) pronunciations come from. So far I've done a good job of not picking up the accent, but I slip up sometimes and say "wicked."

That's wicked awesome.

 

[Calichusetts]

I actually thought it was derived from French as well. The "correct" pronunciation is seeping into my speech, but it somehow just sounds more ignorant that way to me.

Its the French pronunciation of the native word...its like the game telephone. It gets changed slightly along the way

Yucatan is funny one. Its actually the spanish word for the answer the mayans gave them when they asked where they were....their answer really was "I dont understand you" in mayan.

 

[nukebrewer]

That's wicked awesome.

I can only imagine you saying that like the lady in the McDonald's Newman's Own coffee ads.

 

[Melana]

I can only imagine you saying that like the lady in the McDonald's Newman's Own coffee ads.

Oh he'll no. She's wicked annoying.

 

[nukebrewer]

I agree, but until I actually hear your voice that's what's going to be in my head any time I read something you post. You brought this upon yourself.

 

[Melana]

I agree, but until I actually hear your voice that's what's going to be in my head any time I read something you post. You brought this upon yourself.

Come up and brew with me Sunday I can guarantee my voice sounds nothing like that!

 

[jbaysurfer]

It's amusing that over half the respondents to this poll are mispronouncing a place name, aka, a proper noun, and a couple of those who have mispronounced it yet been corrected are on this thread arguing why they way they say it is better.

Ego-centrism FTW.

 

[Kittyfeet]

It's wil AM et. dam et.
When in Rome (or talking about Rome) do as the Romans do.

 

[Punity]

It's wil AM et. dam et.
When in Rome (or talking about Rome) do as the Romans do.

Damet Janet

 

[Melana]

Damet Janet

Thanks for putting that song in my head!

 

[Kittyfeet]

Damet Janet

Thankfully I don't know this song, but your location hit one of my top 3 pet peeves like alu-min-ium on a filling.

 

[Melana]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NBjVBbeqf7E&desktop_uri=/watch?v=NBjVBbeqf7E

 

[Brewskii]

I know that its a native American word and that the chinook/kalapuya or other people in the area would not have spoken the word suggested in this post. As a person from Mass, with our amazing pronunciation, I can also attest to the irony of our state. Massachusetts is not what the natives called it, its our interpretation of their word. Some suggest the correct Mass pronunciation is closer to Mos-wet-u-set. (moss weyt u c-et)

WOW! I finally got to use my masters degree! Haha, so worth it. I often tell my students to just take any native american word two or three letters at a time.

"...actually it's pronounced "mealy-wal-Kay" meaning 'the good land'..."

 

[Punity]

Thanks for putting that song in my head!

Anything to help. And what's wrong with warshington that's how its spelled right? Warshing machines warshcloths I'm failing to see a problem here.

 

[Melana]

That wasn't helpful.

 

[Quixoticosis]

See, the thing about that is, although English has silent letters, "al-u-min-ee-um" pronounces letters that aren't there. I don't care if they invented the language, the Brits are wrong on that one

But in British English, the letters are there: aluminium. Us Yanks just came by and said, "What what? Too many "I"s in this word!" And then removed superfluous vowels.

 

[Punity]

That wasn't helpful.

Oh cmon now Lets do the Time Warp Melana

 

[Melana]

Oh cmon now Lets do the Time Warp Melana

Are you just a sweet transvestite?

 

[roastquake]

radiator,

Is is RAY-diator or RAD-iator? I read-ended a Pennsylvanian in a dense fog. He pointed out that my RADDY was steaming.

I always used a long A.

 

[Punity]

Are you just a sweet transvestite?

From transelvaneyaaaaa

 

[BreezyBrew]

It's not a Belgium Dubbel, Damn it!