© Copyright L.
Craig Schoonmaker1998, 1999
All Rights Reserved
For a discussion of the concept behind this wordlist and the principles by which approved pronunciations have been chosen, click here. If in your browser the table below seems to have only three columns, shift right to see the fourth, very important column labeled "But NOT", which lists unacceptable pronunciations. Be patient as this page loads. There are 1,700+ words and over 120 usage notes, alphabetically arranged in table format, in a file of over 488,000 bytes. Once the entire file is loaded, navigating between sections should be fast.
Tho most of the phonetic spellings will be clear to readers of American English, there is one vowel and one consonant that may cause problems: (1) O before any consonant (short-O) is pronounced like the O in "on" or A in "father"; thus OR is as in "forest" (in Fanetik, "fórast"), never as in "nor" (which, phonetically, is spelled "naur"); and (2) Q is silent, used only to "cue" readers to the fact that a vowel at the end of a word is short (e.g., "Poq" for "Pa", a colloquial reference to "father") or, in advanced use in the general spelling reform of which this page is only one part, to cue the difference between homophones that otherwise would show no written difference (e.g., "mask" (concealment for the face) vs. "maskq" ("masque": a masquerade ball or allegorical entertainment); or "bi" (meaning "via") vs. "bie" ("buy", meaning "to purchase") vs. "bieq" ("bye", meaning "goodbye" or 'a pass to a higher level in a contest like a tennis match'). For the table that sets out all the rules of the phonetic system in which the pronunciations are spelled, click here.
The various notes about proper usage that are scattered thru the table, tho keyed to specific words, discuss principles of wider application, and are written in a conversational style. To skip directly to those notes, search for * (asterisk) if the Find feature in your browser's Edit menu works. (It has been my experience that Netscape allows one to Find in a webpage even if MS Internet Explorer does not.)
If you have comments or questions, please contact Fanetiks@aol.com.
[Revised 7/20/99] Go to B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ End
| Word | Pronounced | Or | But NOT |
| a | a | when stressed: ae | |
| abdomen | áab.da.man | aab.dóe.man | |
| aberrant | áa.ber.ant | a.bér.ant | |
| abhor/rent | aab.háur/.ant | a.báur/.ant, ab.hór/.ant, aab.hór/.ant | |
| absent | adj, prep: áab.sant | v: aab.sént | |
| absolute/ly | àab.sa.lúet/.lee | àab.sa.lyúet/.liq | |
| absorb | ab.záurb | aab.sáurb | |
| abstract | n, adj: áab.straakt | v: aab.stráakt | |
| absurd | ab.sérd | ab.zérd | |
| accent | n: áak.sent | v: aak.sént | |
| access | n: áak.ses | v: aak.sés | |
| accessory | aak.sés.a.rèe | a.sés.a.rèe (illiterate) | |
| accident | áak.si.dènt | áak.si.dant | |
| acclimate | áak.li.maet | a.klíe.mat | |
| acclimate* | The first and second pronunciations of "acclimate" have reversed places in the last few decades. In 1967, Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary showed a.clíe.mat first and áak.li.màet second. By the Ninth edition of that work in 1985, the two pronunciations had changed places. | ||
| accolade | áa.ka.laed | áa.ka.lod | |
| accouterment/s | a.kúe.ter.mant/s | ||
| accoutrement/s | a.kúe.troo.mant/s | a.kúe.ter.mant/s | |
| accoutrement/s* | If the spelling "accoutrement" is used, a.kúe.troo.mant is the better choice, though a.kúe.ter.mant is also permissible. If the spelling "accouterment" is used, however, only a.kúe.ter.mant would apply. | ||
| accuracy | áak.ya.ra.sèe | áak.a.ra.sèe | |
| accurate | áak.yoo.rat | áa.ka.rat | |
| across | a.kráus | a.kráust (illiterate) | |
| actor | áak.ter | áak.taur | |
| actually | áak.chue.wa.lee | áak.sha.lee, áak.cha.lee | |
| actually* | In formal speech all four syllables of "actually" are articulated. In casual speech, the word is more commonly pronounced as though written "actially". | ||
| acuity | a.kyúe.wi.tee | a.kúe.wi.tee | |
| acumen | áak.yoo.man | a.kyúe.man, áak.yue.man | |
| adagio | a.dój.o | a.dój.ee.yò | |
| address | place (n): áa.dres direct to a place (v): a.drés |
speech (n & v): a.drés | |
| Aden | Áe.dan | Ód.an, Áa.dan | |
| adept | adj: a.dépt | n: áa.dept | |
| administrative | aad.mìn.i.stráe.tiv | aad.mín.i.stra.tìv | |
| adult | n: áad.ult | adj: a.dúlt | |
| adulthood | a.dúlt.hood | áa.dult.hood | |
| advance/d | aad.váans/t | aad.vóns/t | |
| advantage | aad.váan.taj | aad.vón.taj | |
| adverse | alone: aad.vérs | before noun: áad.vers | |
| advert | n: áad.vert | v: aad.vért | |
| advertisement | aad.ver.tíez.mant | aad.vér.tiz.mant | |
| advertiser | áad.ver.tìez.er | ||
| advocate | n: áad.va.kat | v: áad.va.kàet | |
| aegis | ée.jis | áe.jis | |
| aerie | áe.ya.ree | ái.ree, ée.ya.rèe, áaq.a.rèe, íe.ya.ree, etc. | |
| aesthete | és.ttheet | ées.ttheet | |
| aesthetic | es.tthét.ik | ees.tthét.ik | |
| affect | n: áaf.ekt | v: a.fékt | |
| affiant
|
a.fíe.yant | áaf.ee.yant | |
| affiant* | Though many readers will see the unusual, legal word "affiant" (which refers to a person who makes an affidavit) as áa.fee.yant, it is actually parallel in pronunciation to "defiant". | ||
| affluent | áa.flue.want | a.flúe.want | |
| aficionado | a.fìsh.ee.ya.nód.oe | ||
| aforementioned | a.fáur.men.chand | áaf.er.mèn.shand | |
| after | áaf.ter | óf.ta | |
| aftermath | áaf.ter.màatth | óf.ta.mòtth | |
| afternoon | n: aaf.ter.núen | adj: áaf.ter.nùen | òf.ta.núen, óf.ta.nùen |
| again/st | a.gén/st | a.gáen/st | |
| aged | n, adj (elderly): áe.jad | v, adj: aejd | |
| aggrandizement | àa.graan.díez.mant | a.gráan.diz.mant | |
| aircraft | áir.kraaft | ái.kroft | |
| albino | aal.bíe.no | aal.bée.no | |
| Allah | A.lóq | Ó.la, Áa.la | |
| alleged | a.léjd | a.léj.ad | |
| allegedly | a.léj.ad.lee | ||
| allied | a.líed | WW II: Áal.ied | |
| alloy | n: áa.loi | v: a.lói | |
| ally | n: áal.ie | v: a.líe | |
| almanac | ául.ma.naak | áal.ma.naak | |
| almond | óm.and | ól.mand, áal.mand, áa.mand, ául.mand | |
| almond* | Modern readers of English are hostile to silent letters — as well they should be — so what linguists call "spelling pronunciations" proliferate in new readers of English and in willful people who see no reason a given letter "should" be silent. They see an L in a word like "almond" or "palm", and they pronounce it, even though that's not easy to do. They also back-form their pronunciation for "palm" from the way they hear the personal surname "Palmer" pronounced on television (as in the case of the professional golfer Arnold Palmer or former baseball player and present-day TV spokesman for a loan company Jim Palmer), which includes a sounded-L (Pól.mer). Once they have put a sounded-L before the M in "palm", they then use that pattern as the model for pronouncing the seemingly parallel word "almond". But the noun "palm" is not a back-formation from the surname "Palmer". If anything, the surname derives from the noun, and some "Palmers" do not pronounce the L. I too am hostile to silent letters, so am tempted to sound the L in words like "palm" and "almond". But I find doing so difficult and clumsy. It might be useful to employ both pronunciations in the case of "palm": without the L, for "part of the hand" and with the L, for the tree (or the other way around). A phonetic spelling system for English would enable authorities to mandate such a distinction, but without phonetic spelling few readers will be clear on when to use which pronunciation. At present, then, I recommend treating the L as silent in both senses of the word "palm" (pom always, not ever polm), as well as in the word "almond" (óm.and). | ||
| altruist | áal.true.wist | ául.true.wist | |
| altruistic | àal.true.wís.tik | ául.true.wís.tik | |
| alumnae | a.lúm.nee | ||
| alumnae* | In Latin, "alumnae" is pronounced a.lúem.nie and "alumni" as a.lúem.nee. Some antique mispronunciations of borrowed Latin words have been corrected — for instance, "armada" (the English version of medieval Latin "armata") was once said or.máe.da but is now said in the Romance fashion, or.mód.a). Many Latin words admitted to English long ago also have been fully anglicized, for instance, "mater" and "pater" (máe.ter and páe.ter) and seem unlikely to revert to a Latin pronunciation. Similarly, a.lúm.nie for "alumni" is so entrenched that only Latinists speaking to other Latinists will be understood to mean the masculine if they say a.lúm.nee and the feminine if they say a.lúm.nie. Even then, unless the context is clear, they may have to clarify which they mean with some explanatory remark. Is it worth the trouble? Or should we just accept that "alumni" and "alumnae", absent a phonetic spelling system for English, must be said in wholly anglicized fashion? We could, of course, obviate the problem by eliminating these irregular plurals and making the words "alumnas" and "alumnuses". Why not? Remembering irregular plurals is at least as troublesome as knowing when to give a word borrowed from another language a fully anglicized pronunciation as against when to give it the pronunciation it has in its original language, or when to use a pronunciation that is neither wholly anglicized nor wholly foreign. | ||
| alumni | a.lúm.nie | ||
| alumni* | See note to "alumnae". | ||
| Alzheimer's | Ólts.hie.merz | Áalz.hie.merz | |
| am | aam | aim | |
| amateur | áam.a.cher | áam.a.ter, àa.ma.tér, áam.a.chùer | |
| amateurish | àa.ma.chúer.ish | áa.ma.chùer.ish, àa.ma.túer.ish | |
| Amazon | Áa.ma.zòn | Áa.ma.zan | |
| ambience | òm.bee.yóns | áam.bee.yans | |
| ambient | áam.bee.yant | ||
| ameba (see "amoeba") | |||
| amen | o.mén | ae.mén | |
| amenable | a.mée.na.bool | a.mén.a.bool | |
| America | Amáirika | A.mér.i.ka, A.máa.ri.ka | |
| amnesia | aam.née.zha | aam.née.zee.ya | |
| amoeba/ameba | a.mée.ba | ||
| amoebae/amebae | a.mée.bee | ||
| amoebae* | This un-Latin pronunciation of the -AE ending can be avoided by using the plural "amoebas"/"amebas", which is in any case more common nowadays, at least in lay language. | ||
| amok | a.mók | ||
| amphitheater | áam.fi.tthèe.ya.ter | áam.pi.tthèe.ter | |
| amuck | a.múck | ||
| amulet | áam.yoo.lat | áam.yoo.lèt | |
| an | aan | unstressed: an | |
| an* | "An" is the pair for "a". It inserts an N-glide so that we don't have to stop the air flow abruptly to show where the article "a" stops and the vowel that starts the following word begins ("a' accident"), nor risk losing the "a" to merger into the following word. (Such a jarring halt between words is achieved by means of a glottal stop, that is, an interruption to the flow of air produced by closing the glottis, the valve that shuts off the lungs from the esophagus when we swallow, not by moving the tongue or any other speech organ.) "An" is NEVER used before a sounded consonant. The affectations "an historic" and "an Hispanic" are absurd. Only people who are very insecure about what is "correct" say such irrational things. Since we don't say "an history", we should assuredly not say "an historic". "An Hispanic" is equally absurd, because though H may be silent in Spanish, "Hispanic" is an English word, and the H is sounded in that English word. (See also the note at the listing for "historic".) | ||
| anchovy | áan.chòe.vee | àan.chóe.vee, áan.cha.vèe | |
| Andean | Aan.dée.yan | Áan.dee.yan | |
| Andes | Áan.deez | ||
| anesthetist/anaesthetist | a.nés.ttha.tìst | aa.nées.ttha.tìst | |
| angina | aan.jíe.na | áan.ji.na | |
| annex | n: áan.eks | v: a.néks | |
| answer | áan.ser | ón.sa | |
| antarctic | aant.órk.tik | aant.ór.tik | |
| anti- | áan.tee- | occasionally: áan.tie- | áan.tiq- |
| antihistamine | àan.tee.hís.ta.min | àan.tee.hís.ta.mèen | áan.ti.hís.ta.min |
| antitrust | aan.tee.trúst | aan.tie.trúst | |
| anxious | áangk.shas | ||
| anybody | én.ee.bùd.ee | én.ee.bòd.ee, én.ee.bàu.dee, én.i.bàu.diq | |
| anything | én.ee.tthing | én.i.tthing | |
| apartheid | a.pór.taet | a.pór.tied, a.pór.tthied | |
| aphrodisi ac | àa.froe.dée.zee.yaak | àa.fra.dée.zee.yàak | àa.fra.dée.zhee.yàak, àa.froe.dée.zhee.yàak |
| aphrodisiac* | Shortening the O in "aphrodisiac" to a schwa seems to me both unnecessary and undesirable. An O that is long in sound quality (oe) but short in spoken duration (as in "domain") is easy enough to say. Why change the quality of the sound just because the syllable in which it occurs isn't stressed? On the other hand, pronouncing the O as such might suggest that the first part of this word is "afro", and thus somehow related to Africa or black Americans, which would be a needlessly confusing association if anyone would make it. But since the word is well known and has no such association, there remains no good reason to schwa the O. Still, that is what most people seem to do, so I allow both pronunciations. | ||
| Appalachia/n | Àa.pa.láe.cha/n | Àa.pa.láa.chee.ya/n, Àa.pa.láa.sha/n | |
| Appalachia/n* | The short, unstressed, neutral vowel sound called "schwa" (the most common vowel in English) varies widely in actual pronunciation, depending in part upon whether it is closed (followed in the same syllable by a consonant) or open (falling at the end of the word). In "Appalachia", "Asia", "America" and the like, the open schwa at the end of the word approaches a full short-U in sound quality. "Appalachian", "Asian", and "American", however, contain a closed schwa: the added N shortens the schwa in both duration and sound quality, so that it approaches a very brief short-I. I say schwa "approaches" one or another of the full vowels, because it doesn't quite equal any full vowel. In "churches" or "business", one is tempted to treat the schwa as if it were a full short-I: chér.chiz, biz.niz, temp.tid. But that wouldn't be quite right. | ||
| apparatus | àa.pa.ráa.tas | àa.pa.ráe.tas | |
| appellee | àa.pa.lée | ||
| applicable | áap.li.ka.bool | a.plík.a.bool | |
| appointee | a.póin.tee | ||
| appreciate | a.prée.shee.yaet | a.prísh.ee.yaet, a.prée.see.yaet | |
| appreciative | a.prée.sha.tiv | a.prèe.shee.yáe.tiv | |
| apricot | áap.ri.kot | áe.pri.kot | |
| April | Áe.prool | Áe.pril | |
| aqua | áak.wa | ók.wa | |
| aqua/marine | àak.wa.ma.réen | òkwa.ma.réen | |
| aquatic | a.kwáat.ik | a.kwót.ik | |
| aqueduct | áa.kwa.dukt | ók.wa.dukt | |
| aquiline | áa.kwi.lìen | áa.kwi.lèen | |
| arbitrage | ór.bi.trozh | ór.bi.traj | |
| archetype | ór.ki.tiep | ||
| archipelago | òr.ki.pél.a.goe | òr.chi.pél.a.goe | |
| archivist | ór.ka.vist | ór.kie.vist | |
| arctic | órk.tik | ór.tik | |
| Argentine (person) | Ór.jan.tien | Ór.jan.teen | |
| Argentine (relating to Argentina as a country) | Ór.jan.teen | ||
| aristocrat | a.rís.ta.kràat | áar.is.ta.kràat | |
| arithmetic | n: a.rítth.ma.tik | adj: àar.itth.mét.ik | |
| armada | or.mód.a | or.máe.da | |
| artisan | ór.ti.zan | ór.ti.zàan | |
| asbestos | aaz.bés.tas | aaz.bés.toes | |
| Asia/n | Áe.zha/n | Áe.sha/n | |
| ask | aask | aaks (illiterate), osk | |
| aspirin | áas.prin | áa.sper.in | |
| ass | aas | os | |
| assay | n: áa.sae | v: aa.sáe | |
| assignee | àa.si.née | ||
| assignor | a.síe.ner | àa.si.náur | |
| associate | n: a.sóe.see.yat, a.sóe.shee.yat | v: a.sóe.see.yàet, a.sóe.shee.yàet | |
| assuage | a.swáej | a.swáezh, a.swózh | |
| asterisk | áas.ta.risk | áas.ta.rik (illiterate) | |
| asthma | áaz.ma | áas.ma, áazth.ma | |
| ate | aet | et | |
| athlete | áatth.leet | áa.ttha.leet (illiterate) | |
| atoll | áatol | ||
| atoll* | So chaotic has English pronunciation become that dictionaries list six pronunciations for this five-letter word: áa.tol, áa.toel, áa.taul; áe.tol, áe.toel, áe.taul. It is to end that kind of mad chaos that this work was created. | ||
| attitude | áa.ti.tued | áa.ti.tyued | |
| augur | áur.ger | óg.yer | |
| august | n: Áu.gast | adj: au.gúst | |
| auk | auk | ouk | |
| aunt | ont | aant, aint | |
| aurora | a.ráu.ra | ||
| Aussie | Áu.see | Óz.ee | |
| authoritative | au.tthò.ri.táe.tiv | a.tthó.ri.ta.tìv | |
| authority | au.tthó.ri.tee | a.ttháu.ri.tee | |
| auto | áu.toe | ót.oe | |
| auxiliary | aug.zíl.ya.ree | aug.zíl.a.ree (illiterate) | |
| available | a.vái.la.bool | a.váe.la.bool | |
| avalanche | áa.va.làanch | áa.va.lònsh | |
| avenue | áav.an.yue | áav.a.nue | |
| average | áav.raj | áa.ver.aj | |
| aviation | àe.vee.yáe.shan | àa.vee.yáe.shan | |
| awesome | áu.sam | ó.sam | |
| awful | áu.fool | óf.al | |
| awkward | áuk.werd | ók.werd | |
| awry | a.ríe | áu.ree | |
B [Return to top.] |
|||
| baboon | baa.búen | ba.búen | |
| bade (see Note at "forbade") | baed | baad | |
| badminton | báad.min.tan | báad.mit.an | |
| baleen | ba.léen | ||
| balk | bauk | baulk | |
| balk* | This is one case in which I strongly prefer the spelling-pronunciation, which sounds the L in "balk". I baulk at bauk, but in the interest of creating a single standard, consent to drop the L and treat it as a pair to "walk", "talk", "chalk", or "stalk". | ||
| ballet | baa.láe | báal.ae | |
| balletic | ba.lét.ik | ||
| balm/y | bólm/ee | bóm/ee | |
| balm/y* | Though some authorities prefer that the L in "balm" be silent, that would make "balm" a needless homonym for "bomb". A "bomb" destroys. A "balm" heals. To pronounce the two opposed words the same would be odd indeed. | ||
| balsamic | baul.sáa.mik | bául.sa.mik | |
| banal | ba.nól | báe.nal, ba.náal | |
| banal* | The other two common pronunciations for "banal" parallel "canal" and "anal". "Banal" is an unusual and pretentious word. An unusual and pretentious pronunciation suits it. | ||
| banana | ba.náa.na | ba.nón.a | |
| baptize | báap.tiez | baap.tíez | |
| baptize* | Though it is more common in English for a verb to be stressed on the last syllable than the first, there is no noun with which "baptize" can be confused, so it doesn't matter that the more common pronunciation of this verb stresses the first syllable. | ||
| barbaric | bor.bái.rik | bor.báa.rik | |
| barbiturate | bor.bí.cha.rit | bor.bích.ue.wit | |
| baroque | ba.róek | ba.rók | |
| barrage | ba.rózh | báa.rozh | |
| basalt | ba.sáult | báe.sault, baa.sáult | |
| bases | pl. of "base": báe.saz
pl. of "basis": báe.seez |
||
| basically | báe.sik.lee | báe.sik.a.lee | |
| basically* | If, as here, the base adjective to which -LY is added to form a -CALLY ending does not itself include -CAL (the word here is "basic", not "basical"), it is perfectly reasonable to drop the sound that the -CAL ending would ordinarily be given. Other such words are "dramatically", "drastically", "scientifically" (dramáatiklee, dráastiklee, sìeyentífiklee), since the adjective they derive from does not end in -CAL ("dramatical", "drastical", "scientifical"). By contrast, where the adjective does include -CAL, it is better to pronounce the adverb to include that syllable: médikalee, fízikalee, fìlasófikalee for "medically", "physically", "philosophically". | ||
| basil | personal name: Báa.zool | herb: báe.zool | |
| Basque | Baask | Bosk | |
| Basque* | This word surprisingly does not take the "Continental" value of A (as in "father"; in this work, short-O), even though it is the name of a European people. In that the Basque language is apparently not related to any of its neighbors, nor, as far as is known, to any other language on Earth, it is fitting that its name is pronounced in an unexpected manner. | ||
| bath | baatth | botth | |
| bathe | baeth | botth | |
| bathos | báe.tthoes | ||
| bathos* | This literary word is parallel in spelling to another literary word of Greek origin: "pathos", which has six different pronunciations (páe.tthos, páe.tthaus, páe.tthoes; páa.tthos, páa.tthaus, páa.tthoes). Curiously, lexicographers allow only one pronunciation for "bathos": báe.tthos. That is intellectually insupportable. Students of foreign languages will be inclined to give continental-European values to foreign-looking words like these, which would yield the pronunciations bó.tthoes and pó.tthoes. Neither is recognized by lexicographers (and pó.tthoes is the name of a popular houseplant, the "pothos". Since the next closest pronunciation, páe.tthoes, is a recognized pronunciation for the pair to "bathos", I opt for páe.tthoes and báe.tthoes. | ||
| baths | baathz | baatths | |
| batik | ba.téek | báa.tik | |
| baton | ba.tón | báat.an, báa.ton | |
| baton* | This is French for "stick". In the 20th century, until about the 1980s, it was used popularly only for the stick with which a conductor leads an orchestra. In the euphemistically-inclined 1980s and 1990s, the traditional term "nightstick" for a police officer's club was gradually displaced by "baton", an inappropriately gentler term. This use does, however, find sanction in the history of the word. When it entered English, in the un-gentle 16th century, the first meaning of "baton" was cudgel or truncheon. The pronunciation báa.tan holds only for the name of the capital city of Louisiana, Baton Rouge ("red stick" in French, the original colonial language of Louisiana). | ||
| battery | báa.ter.ee | báa.tree | |
| bayonet | n: báe.ya.net, bae.ya.nét | v: bae.ya.nét, báe.ya.net | báe.ya.nat |
| be- | The prefix "be-" (as in words like "believe" and "behind" can easily be pronounced as though it were the full word "be" (bee), but abbreviating it to biq does little harm to comprehensibility. (Remember, in this pronunciation scheme, Q is silent, the only letter that is silent). It is not "wrong" to say either beeléev or biléev. Just be certain not to say baléev or, worse still, buléev. | ||
| beatific | bèe.ya.tíf.ik | báe.ya.tíf.ik | |
| beatitude | bee.yáa.ti.tùed | ||
| beautiful | byúe.ti.fool | byúe.tee.fool (illiterate) | |
| beautifully | byúe.ti.flee | byúe.ti.foo.lee | |
| because | bee.káuz | bi.káuz | bee.káus |
| been | bin | been, ben | |
| behave | bee.háev | bu.háev | |
| behavior | bee.háev.yer | bu.háev.yer | |
| behind | bee.híend | bu.híend (illiterate) | |
| Beijing | Bae.jíng | Bae.zhíng | |
| Beijing* | Native speakers of English tend to group all the languages of the Earth into two categories: (1) English and (2) foreign. Historically, the most important "foreign" language to speakers of English has been French, with which English fought a death struggle in Britain for 400 years following the Conquest of England by Norman invaders who imposed French as the language of government and the upper classes. Though English ultimately drove French from England and has practically obliterated French as an international language of consequence, to native speakers of English, "foreign language" still somehow equates with "French". Thus all words and place names of non-English origin tend to be pronounced as though they were French: "Beijing" is said Bae.zhíng (even though Bae.jíng is clearly more "Chinese-y"), because in French, J is pronounced ZH. (See note at "maharajah".) The Spanish surname "Chavez" is mispronounced Sha.véz (see note at "Chavez Ravine") because in French CH is pronounced SH and stress is placed on the last syllable. The problem is that not all foreign languages are French. Though it is of course easier to learn the sound system of one language and apply it to all others, it is a foolish way to approach a planet on which some 6,000 languages are spoken, each with its own sound system. | ||
| belief | bi.léef | bee.léef | bu.léef |
| believe | bi.léev | bee.léev | bu.léev |
| beloved | bee.lúv.ad | bi.lúvd | |
| below | bi.lóe | bee.lóe | |
| beneficiary | bèn.a.físh.a.ree | bèn.a.físh.ee.yèr.ee | |
| Bengal/s | adj, football team: Béng.gal/z | place: Ben.gául | |
| berserk | ber.zérk | ber.sérk | |
| besiege | bee.séej | bee.séezh | |
| bestiality | bès.tee.yáa.li.tee | bèe.stee.yáa.li.tee | |
| beta | báe.ta | bée.ta | |
| beverage | bév.raj | bév.er.aj | |
| bewilder/ed | bee.wíl.der/d | bi.wíl.der/d | ba.wíl.der/d, bu.wíl.der/d |
| beyond | bee.yónd | bee.ónd | |
| biathlon | bie.yáatth.lon | bie.yáa.ttha.lon | |
| bilingual | bie.líng.gwal | bie.líng.gyu.wool | |
| Birmingham | Alabama: Bér.ming.hàam | England: Bér.ming.am | |
| blessed | blest | religion: blés.ad | |
| body | bód.ee | báu.diq | |
| Boer | Buer | Baur | |
| Boise | Bói.see | Bói.zee | |
| Boise* | The spelling "Boise" is a perfect Fanetik rendering of this city's name, but it is commonly mispronounced Bóizee. | ||
| bona fides | bóe.na fíe.deez | ||
| bona fide | bóe.na fied | bón.a fied | bóe.na fíe.dee |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Bóz.nee.ya-Hèr.tsa.goe.vée.na | Bós.nee.ya-Her.tsa.góe.vi.na | |
| Boston | Báu.stan | Bós.tan | |
| bough | bou | ||
| bought | baut | bot | |
| bouquet | flowers: boe.káe | aroma: bue.káe | |
| bow | knot; and arrow: boe | gesture of respect: bou | |
| braggadocio | bràa.ga.dóe.see.yoe, bràa.ga.dóe.shee.yoe | puristic Italian pronunciation: bràa.ga.dóe.choe | |
| branch | braanch | bronch | |
| brass | braas | bros | |
| bravura | bra.vyúe.ra | bro.vúer.a | |
| breath | bretth | ||
| breathe | breeth | ||
| broach | broech | ||
| broadcast | bráud.kaast | bráud.kost | |
| brochure | broe.shúer | bróe.sher | |
| brooch | bruech | broech | |
| brusk / brusque | brusk | bruesk | |
| bubo | búe.boe | byúe.boe | |
| bubonic | byue.bón.ik | bue.bón.ik | |
| Buddha | Búe.da | Bóod.a | |
| Buddha* | The puristic pronunciation Bóoda is one that people who learn the word from reading will not themselves think to say. Búeda is far more common, even among highly-educated native speakers of English. | ||
| Buddhism | Búe.diz.am | Bóod.iz.am (see note at "Buddha") | |
| buffet | n (food): ba.fáe | n, v (strike): búf.at | bue.fáe, búe.fae |
| buoy | n: búe.wee | v: boi | |
| buttock/s | bút.ak/s | bú.tok/s | |
| Byzantine | Bíz.an.teen | Bíe.zan.teen, Bi.záan.teen, Bi.záan.tien, Bie.záan.teen, Bie.záan.tien | |
C [Return to top.] |
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| cabal | ka.ból | ka.báal | |
| cabana | ka.báa.na | ka.báan.ya | |
| cabana* | In its original Spanish, this word is spelled with a tilde over the N and pronounced ka.bón.ya. If it were to come into English today, we would probably pronounce it either as in Spanish or with the A's anglicized: ka.báan.ya. But the word in fact came into English in 1890 and has been fully naturalized as ka.báa.na. Today, the Spanish pronunciation sounds affected. | ||
| cacti | káak.ti | ||
| cadre | káad.ree | kód.rae, káad.rae | |
| caesarean | si.zái.ree.yan | see.sái.ree.yan | |
| cafe | kaa.fáe | ka.fáe, káa.fae | |
| caffeine | n: kaa.féen | adj: káa.feen | ka.féen |
| caffeine* | In phrases, such as "caffeine-free", "caffeine" is used as an adjective, and the syllabic stress shifts forward to the first syllable: káaf.een. This is a common pattern where nouns are used as part of a phrase: báalae dàanser, kláureen tàest. | ||
| California | Kaa.li.fáurn.ya | Kaa.li.fáur.nee.ya | |
| caliph | káelif | káal.if, ka.léef | |
| caliphate | káal.i.faet | káe.li.faet | |
| call | kaul | kol | |
| calm | kom (See note at "almond".) | kolm | |
| camera | káam.ra | káam.er.a | |
| camouflage | káa.ma.flòzh | kóm.a.flòzh, káam.a.flòj | |
| campaign | kaam.páen | ||
| can't | kaant | kont | |
| can't* | This is one of the few cases in which British usage is superior to American. Brits can readily distinguish between the positive and negative forms of the word "can", even when the negative precedes a word that starts in T ("I kont tauk nou"), whereas Americans cannot: "I kaant tauk nou" may sound pretty much the same as "I kaan tauk nou", though in unstressed use, "can" is generally pronounced "kan" (with a schwa) rather than "kaan" (with the full vocalic short-A). This indistinctness in American usage sometimes forces a request for clarification: "Did you say you can talk now or can't?" Compare "do" with "don't", "will" with "won't", and you will see that ideally all speakers of English should adopt the kaan/kont distinction. Adopting this useful contrast would also help salve British pride over the progressive loss of control over `their own language' to upstart Yanks and other "colonials". But I won't be the first American arbiter of correct speech to adopt this distinction in my own speech, because I do not wish to be thought British-affected. When the Modern Language Association or some other authoritative body puts its imprimatur on making the kaan/kont distinction and large numbers of newscasters start using it, I will too. | ||
| canal | ka.náal | ||
| canalize | káan.a.liez | ||
| candidate | káan.di.daet | káan.di.dit | |
| candor | káan.der | káan.daur | |
| canine | káe.nien | káa.nien | |
| cannot | káa.not | ka.nót | |
| caprice | ka.prées | ||
| capricious | ka.prísh.as | ka.prée.shas | |
| caramel | káa.ra.mel | kór.mal, káa.ra.mal | |
| carcinogen | kór.sin.a.jan | kòr.sín.a.jan | |
| Caribbean | Ka.ríb.ee.yan | Kàa.ri.bée.yan | |
| Casablanca | Kò.sa.blóng.ka | Kàa.sa.bláang.ka | |
| cashew | káa.shue | ka.shúe, kaa.shúe | |
| cast/e | kaast | kost | |
| castle | káas.ool | kós.ool | |
| casualty | káa.zhal.tee | káa.zhoo.wal.tèe | káazh.wal.tèe, káaz.yue.wal.tèe |
| catatonia | kàa.ta.tóe.nee.ya | kàa.ta.tón.ee.ya | |
| category | káa.ta.gàu.ree | káa.ta.ga.rèe | |
| catercorner | káat.a.kàur.ner | ||
| catercorner* | This American term has many different spellings — cater-corner(ed), catty-corner(ed), kitty-corner(ed) — and pronunciations. The "cater" part comes from Latin quattuor (`four') via French quatre, and has nothing to do with cats or kitties, so should be pronounced káata, not kítee. | ||
| Catholic | Káatth.lik | Káa.ttha.lik | |
| caulk | kauk | kaulk | |
| caveat emptor | kóv.ae.yot émptaur | káa.vee.yot émp.ter | |
| caveat emptor* | This Latin phrase (which means "let the buyer beware") can be anglicized (the second pronunciation above) or said in the Latin fashion (first), depending upon one's inclination and audience. It's a bit highfalutin in any case, and may not be understood by some listeners no matter how it's said. I therefore prefer the Latin pronunciation. If you're not going to be understood by your entire potential audience, you might at least come across as educated to those you do reach. | ||
| caveat | káa.vee.yot | kóv.ee.yòt | |
| cayenne | kie.yén | kae.yén | |
| cayenne* | This word looks French but really derives from a Brazilian Indian language, Tupi, so does not take the pronunciation kae.yén that it would have if it were French. Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, which adjoins Brazil, so the confusion is understandable. But the name of the pepper derives from Tupi kyinha. How that is pronounced in the original Tupi is not indicated in my references, but it looks as though kie.yén is closer than kae.yén. Then again, perhaps the French took the name of their town from the same word, so we should assume that kae.yén was a reasonably accurate rendering of what the French heard when they wrote it down as "Cayenne". One problem remains: "cayenne" is ambiguous in French too, and could represent an attempt by an early explorer to write kie.yén! | ||
| celebratory | sél.a.bra.tàu.ree | sèl.a.bráe.ta.ree | |
| celestial | sa.lés.chal | sa.lés.tee.yal | |
| cellulite | sél.yoo.líet | sél.yue.lèet | |
| Celtic/s | Kél.tik | basketball team: Sél.tiks | |
| cemetery | sém.a.tèr.ee | sém.i.tree | |
| censure | sén.sher | sén.see.ya | |
| centurion | sen.chúer.ee.yan | sen.túer.ee.yan, sen.tyúer.ee.yan | |
| cerebral palsy | sér.a.bral pául.zee | ||
| cerebral | ser.ée.bral | ||
| ceremony | sér.a.mòe.ne | sér.a.mun.iq | |
| certificate | n: ser.tíf.i.kat | v: ser.tíf.i.kàet | |
| cesarean (see "caesarean") | |||
| chaise longue/s | shaez laung/z | ||
| chalcedony | kàal.séd.a.nee | káal.sa.dòe.nee | |
| chamois | sháam.ee | ||
| champagne | shaam.páen | ||
| chance | chaans | chons, chains | |
| chancellor | cháan.sa.ler | chón.sa.la, cháan.sa.laur | |
| chaps | chaaps | shaaps | |
| chaps* | "Shaaps" is another Frenchified mispronunciation of a word actually derived from Spanish: chaparreras. See discussions of Francization at "Beijing", "Chavez Ravine", and "maharajah". | ||
| charade | sha.ráed | sha.ród | |
| chassis | singular: cháa.se, sháa.se | plural: cháa.seez, sháa.seez | cháa.sis |
| chassis* | The spelling of this word has produced a change in its most often heard pronunciation away from the original, French-CH (pronounced SH in English) to the English-CH (as in "church"). The SH pronunciation now sounds old-fashioned, even affected. When a French-CH is pronounced in the English fashion, you know the word has been fully "naturalized" (that is, it is no longer seen as foreign). | ||
| chastise | cháas.tiez | chaas.tíez | |
| chauffeur | n: shoe.fér | v: shóe.fer | |
| chauffeur* | "Chauffeur" came into English around 1899 as a noun, and took its French stress pattern, on the last syllable, with it. That pronunciation became familiar and popularly accepted, just as "garage", another word borrowed from French around the same time, became accepted with an un-English stress on the last syllable. After a couple of decades, people started to use "chauffeur" as a verb as well as a noun, and used the typical English device of reversing the syllabic stress to distinguish a verb from a noun. However, since the familiar noun was stressed on the last syllable, to create the verb they shifted the stress to the first syllable — the reverse of the typical pattern. | ||
| Chavez Ravine | Chóv.es Ra.véen | Sha.véz Ra.véen | |
| Chavez Ravine* | The "CH sound" in English is the same as the "CH sound" in Spanish: church, chico (though Spanish has only that one pronunciation for CH, whereas English also allows a K sound as in "chemistry", an SH sound as in "champagne", and even a KH sound (a harsh guttural) as in "Chanukah"). In the particular instance of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, correct Spanish, in addition to pronouncing the CH in "Chavez" the same way English generally pronounces CH, also puts the spoken stress on the first syllable of the word, as is customary in English as well: Chávez (pronounced Chóv.es). Indeed, the Spanish has an ACCENT on the first syllable, which should clearly indicate to even the most linguistically innocent speaker of English that it is that syllable that is stressed. How, then, if English would pronounce this word Chóv.ez, if it were originally English, and Spanish pronounces it Chóv.es, did most people in the United States come to think it should be pronounced Sha.véz? Well, that common (mis)pronunciation is a bizarre Frenchification that doesn't even follow the rules of French. If "Chavez" were French, the Z would be silent: Sho.váe. Native speakers of English seem to feel that all foreign languages are French (see notes at "Beijing" and "maharajah"), so should be pronounced that way, but they don't know French very well. They know that a final-T in French is often silent (see "valet"), but they don't know that the Z in an -EZ ending is typically also silent in French (see "oyez"). | ||
| Chevy | car: Shév.ee | Maryland city and comic actor Chevy Chase: Chév.ee | |
| chicle | chík.ool | chík.lee, chée.klae | |
| chiffon | shi.fón | shí.fon | |
| Chile | Chíl.ee | Chée.lae | |
| Chilean | Chíl.ee.yan | Chi.láe.yan | |
| Chilean* | Semi-educated people often try to give Spanish pronunciations to words of Spanish origin, even when they have long been established as English words in their own right. (See "junta".) Alas, many such people do not really know Spanish. The Spanish word for a person from Chile is "chileno" (chee.láe.no), which is so different from the English "Chilean" that it is pointless to spanicize the English, since it will not approximate its Spanish equivalent. It is not disrespectful of Spanish to pronounce English words in the English fashion. "Chilean" is English, not Spanish, so should be pronounced in an authentic English fashion, not a pseudo-Spanish fashion. | ||
| chimera | kie.mée.ra | ||
| chimpanzee | chim.paan.zée | chim.páan.zee | |
| Chinese | n: Chie.néez | adj: Chíe.neez, Chie.níeez | Chie.nées |
| Chinook | Shi.nóok | Chi.nóok | |
| chiropodist | shi.róp.a.dist (preferred) | ki.róp.a.dist (infrequent) | |
| chivalric | shi.váal.rik | chív.al.rik | |
| chocolate | cháuk.lat | cháu.ka.lat | chók.lit, chók.a.lit |
| Christian | Krís.chan | Krís.tee.yan | |
| Christianity | Krìs.tee.yáan.i.te | ||
| chromosome | króe.ma.sòem | króe.ma.zòem | |
| Churchill | Chér.chool | Chérch.hil | |
| Churchill* | This is a collapsed version of "church hill" but the H-sound in "hill" is silent in the collapsed term. Contrast "threshold". | ||
| circuit | sér.kit | ||
| circuitous | ser.kyúe.wi.tas | ||
| cirri | séer.ie | ||
| cirrus | séer.as | ||
| civilization | sì.vi.li.záe.shan | sì.vi.lie.záe.shan | |
| clamber | kláam.ber | kláa.mer | |
| clandestine | klaan.dés.tin | kláan.di.stìen | |
| clapboard | kláa.berd | kláap.baurd | |
| class | klaas | klos | |
| clerk | klerk | klork | |
| clientele | klìe.yan.tél | klèe.yonn.tél | |
| clique | kleek | klik | |
| cloth | klautth | klotth | |
| clothes | kloethz | kloez | |
| codify | kód.i.fie | kóe.di.fie | |
| coercion | koe.wér.shan | koe.wér.zhan | |
| coffee | káu.fee | kóf.ee | |
| coffers | kóf.erz | káu.ferz | |
| coherent | koe.héer.ant | koe.hér.ant | |
| collage | ka.lózh | ||
| collate | kóe.laet | kól.aet | |
| Colorado | Kol.a.ród.o | Kol.a.ráad.o | |
| comatose | kóm.a.toes | kóe.ma.toes | |
| combat | n: kóm.baat | v: kam.báat | |
| combatant | kam.báa.tant | kóm.ba.tant | |
| combine | v: kam.bíen | n: kóm.bien | |
| comfortable | kumf.ter.bool | kúm.fer.ta.bòol | kúmf.ta.bool |
| comfortably | kúm.fer.ta.blèe | kúmf.ter.blèe | |
| command | ka.máand | ka.mónd | |
| commensurate | ka.mén.shoo.rat | ka.mén.zhoo.rat, ka.mén.sa.rat | |
| commingle | ka.míng.gal | koe.míng.gal | |
| communal | ka.myúe.nal | kóm.yoo.nal | |
| commune | n: kóm.yuen | v: ka.myúen | |
| compact | n: kóm.paakt | v, adj: kam.páakt | |
| complex | n: kóm.pleks | adj: kam.pléks | adj: kóm.pleks, kom.pléks |
| component | kam.póe.nant | kóm.poe.nant | |
| composite | kam.póz.it | kóm.pa.zit | |
| compound | n: kóm.pound | v: kam.póund | |
| comptroller | kan.tróe.ler | kómp.troe.ler, komp.tróe.ler | |
| comrade | kóm.raad | kóm.raed | |
| concerted | kan.sért.ad | kón.sert.ad | |
| conch | konch | kongk | |
| conciliatory | kan.síl.ee.ya.tàu.ree | kan.síl.a.tàu.ree | |
| concrete | n: kón.kreet | adj, v: kan.kréet | kóng.kreet, kong.kréet |
| concretize | kón.kri.tìez | ||
| condor | kón.daur | kón.der | |
| conduct | n: kón.dukt | v: kan.dúkt | |
| conduit | kón.due.wit | kón.dwit, kón.dyue.wit, kón.dit | |
| conference | kón.frans | kón.fer.ans | |
| conflict | n: kón.flikt | v: kan.flíkt | |
| conifer | kón.i.fer | kóe.ni.fer | |
| connectivity | kòn.ek.tív.i.tee | ||
| connoisseur | kon.a.sér | kon.a.súer | |
| conquest | kón.kwest | kóng.kwest | |
| conquistador | koen.kée.sta.daur | kan.kwís.ta.daur | |
| conscience | kón.chans | kón.shans | |
| conscious | kón.chas | kón.shas | |
| conscript | n, adj: kón.skript | v: kan.skrípt | |
| consequence | kón.sa.kwans | ||
| consequences | kón.sa.kwèns.az | ||
| consort | n: kón.saurt | v: kan.sáurt | |
| consortium | kan.sáur.sham | kan.sáur.tee.yam | |
| Constantine | Kón.stan.tèen | Kón.stan.tìen | |
| consummate | v: kón.soo.maet | adj: kan.súm.at, kón.soo.mat | |
| content | n: kón.tent | v: kan.tént | |
| contest | n: cón.test | v: kan.tést | |
| contract | n: kón.traakt | v (shrink, become infected): kan.tráakt
v (commit to): kan.tráakt, kón.traakt |
|
| contractor | builder: kón.traak.ter | muscle: kan.tráak.ter | |
| contrary | opposite: kón.trer.ee | willful: kan.trái.ree | |
| contrast | n: kón.traast | v: kan.tráast | |
| controversial | kòn.tra.vér.shal | kòn.tra.vér.see.yal, kòn.tra.vér.shee.yal | |
| controversy | kón.tra.vèr.see | kan.tróv.er.see | |
| convert | n: kón.vert | v: kan.vért | |
| copper | kóp.er | káu.pa | |
| coral | kó.ral | káu.ral | |
| cordial | káur.jal | káur.dee.yal | |
| cordillera | kàur.dee.yái.ra | kaur.díl.a.ra, kàur.dil.yái.ra | |
| corespondent | kòe.ree.spón.dant | kòr.a.spón.dant, kàur.a.spón.dant | |
| cornucopia | kàur.na.kóe.pee.ya | kàur.nyue.kóe.pee.ya | |
| corollary | kór.a.lèr.ee | káu.ra.lèr.ee, ka.ról.er.ee | |
| coroner | kó.ra.ner | káu.ra.ner | |
| correspondent | kòr.a.spón.dant | kàu.ra.spón.dant | |
| corridor | kó.ri.der | káu.ri.daur | |
| cosmos | kóz.moes | kóz.mos | |
| cost | kaust | kost | |
| Costa Rica | Kóe.sta Rée.ka | Kós.ta Rée.ka | |
| costume | kós.chuem | kós.tuem | |
| cough | kauf | kof | |
| council/counsel | kóun.sal | kón.sal | |
| coup de grâce | kùe doo grós | kùe da gróq | |
| coup de grâce* | (a) The odd but popular mispronunciation kùe da gróq (where Q is silent and merely signals that the O is short) finds no sanction in either English or French, but presumably arises from the mistaken notion that S (sounds) at the end of a word in French are always silent. Actually, final-S is pronounced in some French words (e.g., the apple brandy calvados); but in any case grâce doesn't end in S. (b) This three-word phrase has a characteristic stress pattern, as though it were one word of three syllables. The primary stress falls on the third word-syllable. A secondary stress falls on the first word-syllable. This is a common pattern in English phrases. Compare "New York State" or "New York City" with the two-word phrase "New York". "New York" is pronounced as though one word, stressed on the second syllable. But add the word "State" or "City" and "New York" becomes an adjective modifying the noun "State" or "City", so the syllabic stress within the two-word phrase "New York" shifts from "York" to "New" in the three-word phrase, in order that the complete phrase will have a stressed-unstressed-stressed rhythm and so that a speaker can clarify whether he is talking about the State or the City by stressing that information in moving the stress to the syllable that matters most. Many other phrases have their own characteristic stress patterns: an MTV cable VJ took the appellation "dówntòun Jùlie Brówn", and you just wouldn't say that phrase any other way. | ||
| coupe | kue.páe | kuep | |
| coupe* | This French word came into English around 1834 for a type of carriage. It was later applied to a closed automobile with two doors, and in the latter usage was shortened over several decades to one syllable, kuep rather than kuepáe. This needless saving of one syllable may have made the word minimally shorter and easier to say, but it also created a needless new homophone for the Middle English word "coop" (house for chickens), which had already been given a new homograph by the shortening of "cooperative" (apartment complex), first to "co-op" and then to "coop"! Though it would be better for clarity's sake if the older pronunciation kuepáe could be restored to 'preferred' status, anyone using that pronunciation for the automobile risks being thought affected. If being thought affected is not important to you and you agree that kuepáe is a more sensible pronunciation for the spelling "coupe", by all means say it. Just be prepared to shift to kuep if kuepáe isn't understood. | ||
| coupon | kúe.pon | kyúe.pon | |
| courier | kér.ee.yer | kúe.ree.yer | |
| cour | |||