How do you pronounce "bagel" ?

[CobraChicken]

Is my husband the only weirdo who says bye-gul instead of bay-gul, or is this a normal regional pronunciation?

Bye-gul is the traditional Yiddish pronunciation. If he grew up in or near a Jewish community then that would be why.

I'm with your husband! It's bye-gal here too.

Ooops! Yeah, his mum was Jewish.

Well, that makes for a short thread... 😆

your husband is right 😂 that’s how my whole family say it beigel - the decent ones from brick lane are the best.
if im stuck buying the crappy Tesco ones, they can be bagels 😂

Yes my mum is Jewish and says bye gul

Bay - Gaul

OMG, every day is a school day on MN. I've been saying it bay-gul all my life. I wonder if I should try to get it right now or just keep going . I guess since I usually only have access to the crappy Tesco ones I should stick with the crappy pronunciation

Bay- gul

but uk based and non Jewish.

We are having bagels for breakfast. I'm going to start calling them bye-guls to see the reaction 😂

Bay-gul. But it’s interesting to hear the link to Judaism with a different pronunciation.

Uk based isn’t really the factor. If someone lives in an area of say north London where there is a strong Jewish community then they might also say bye gul because that is the way others around them are pronouncing if.

I am Jewish but from the north of England where my friends and family all said bay-gul. Now I live in London and most I know who are London born say bye-gul. Was your husband's mum from the south?

Jewish background here and I grew up with my parents calling them bye-guls. I’ve started saying bay-guls though as an adult as everyone I know says it that way.

Alrhough in my head there is a divide - while the (inferior!) mass produced bagels from eg Tesco are bay-guls the proper Brick Lane ones will forever be bye-guls to me.

Yes. NW London.

Grew up saying beigel but now say bagel which annoys me. Kids say bagel. I might try and revive beigel.

I’m Jewish but grew up in the US. I say bay-gul and I don’t know any Jewish people who say it any differently. I think it may be an accent thing more than anything, a hold over from Yiddish combined with local accents.