to think that people who pronounce theatre the-Atre are just snobs

[lukewarmcupoftea]

My mother and my MIL both do this. I have no idea why. Is it a generational thing or do they do it just because they think going to the theatre (pronounced theeter by any body sensible) is so amazingly cultural and posh that you have to pronounce it the-a-ter to show that you know how amazingly cultural and posh it is, but you go all the time so are totally au fait with that?

[skihorse]

... says the girl throwing french in to her every day prose. Mange tout Rodney, mange tout!

[displayuntilbestbefore]

My father says this and he is most definitely not a snob. I think it's possibly a generational thing, certainly for him anyway.

[displayuntilbestbefore]

btw who pronounces it "theeter" as you suggest, OP?
I say it normally, theatre.

[lukewarmcupoftea]

Oh, yes, hmm, fair point skihorse

[lukewarmcupoftea]

So do I displayuntilbestbefore, I was just trying to show what I meant by the different pronunciations.

[Nowtheres4]

my mum pronounces it the-et-er as well and it does drive me mad. I have no idea why i get wound up when she says it but it does rather remind me of someone who is trying to be posh but most definatley isn't, and my mum is posh!

[displayuntilbestbefore]

I see what you mean. I say thee-uh-ter.

It's one of those words, the more you say it the more odd it sounds

[Linnet]

I say thee-a-ter,I don't know anybody who pronounces it theeter.

I agree with displayuntilbestbefore,it's one of those words that sounds odder the more you say it.

[JaneS]

My mate's auntie has an old-fashioned West Country accent, that's how she says it. But I have also heard it from people trying to be posh, so who knows?

[Katisha]

Yes I think the faux-posh pronunciation would be thee-ET-er, with the emphasis slightly on the middle syllable.

Normal people say thee-uh-ter.

[Ziggurat]

Who pronounces it thee-ter?

I pronounce it the-a-tre, and thought everyone did. I'm from NZ, therefore not posh.

[junglist1]

In North London it's feeaer

[expatinscotland]

I say it that way and I'm from Texas. That's how it's pronounced there.

Guess I'm a snob.

[skihorse]

Fuck. I say thee-et-ter. Do I win a townhouse in a leafy suburb and a 4WD?

[pantomimecow]

Thee-a-ter.Never in my life heard anyone say theeter (where do you live OP).

[slummymummy36]

I pronounce it as it is written "theAtre" except because of my Bristolian twang its very deffo got an "ER" on the end!

If it was spelt "The -uh-ter" then I pronounce the uh in the middle!

oooh - does this mean I am posh?? !! My mum will be so proud!

[wearthefoxhat]

I pronounce it theerter, but then, I'm common as pig poo

[PoppityPing]

I think the OP is talking about the difference between pronouncing it THE-uh-ter and the-AY-ter.

The second always sounds forced to me

[megapixels]

Theeter??

[megapixels]

No Poppity I think the OP is saying that theatre has two syllables instead of three.

[ShowOfHands]

I know what you're saying OP.

I think most people pronounce it thee-u-ter and this is what you mean by theeter. You sort of run the first two syllables together with equal emphasis.

My very middle class friends pronounce it thee AH tur, with a definite emphasis on the middle syllable and it sounds odd and forced.

[notagrannyyet]

Thee-et-er. How can you put an 'a' or a 'uh' in the middle?

I think it probably depends on whether you say,
Grass, bath, path as they do in the midlands and the north, or Grarss, barth, parth.

[pranma]

I have never ever heard theeter as a way to pronounce theatre.I pronounce it as thee a ter 3 syllables equal stress on first 2 less on third.I have heard thee-ay-ter.

[PoppityPing]

Oooo Megapixels, but doesn't that make it something to do with Scientology then?