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Original poster

How do you pronounce forehead?

161 replies

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 14/03/2025 11:37

Fore-head or forrid?

I’ve always said fore-head but I’m currently listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks and Stephen Fry says forrid and it’s really annoying.

Which is correct? Or is it one of those regional things? (I’m in Lincolnshire)

OP posts:
ISTHISALINE · 14/03/2025 23:04

I immediately thought of the HP audiobooks when I saw this title. I say fore-head and found Fry’s pronunciation jarring the first time I heard it!

Diningtableornot · 14/03/2025 23:05

Forrid, as in
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good she was very very good
And when she was bad she was horrid.

Gowlett · 14/03/2025 23:07

Forrid. Everyone says it that way, where I live.

Ashshandmaid · 14/03/2025 23:12

I'm from Newcastle and lived in London. I've never heard anyone say forrid.

TodoIncluido · 14/03/2025 23:14

4heid

greengreyblue · 14/03/2025 23:14

Diningtableornot · 14/03/2025 23:05

Forrid, as in
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good she was very very good
And when she was bad she was horrid.

Already mentioned upthread. I’m somewhere between forrid and forred.

Waterlilysunset · 14/03/2025 23:17

Fore head. Southerner

User1786 · 14/03/2025 23:19

Forehead, Forrid sounds and looks horrible. South London with Irish parents

whatswrongwivme · 14/03/2025 23:43

fo-rred

Mach3 · 14/03/2025 23:48

It's fo'red.

It's a contaction of fore head.

So

Fore head.

Fo'red.

Not forrid or forehead.

Fo'red.

Pemba · 15/03/2025 00:20

Well I'm early sixties and grew up saying 'fore-head' so did my parents and everyone around me. East Midlands. So I dispute that it's American influenced, it's perhaps regional?

Later on I become aware that some people, on TV etc, said 'forrid', but I just thought it was either very posh or old fashioned.

And the same with paprika, I didn't even know you could pronounce it in a way other than 'pap-REEK-a'. Nothing to do with America I think.

Mach3 · 15/03/2025 00:26

Pemba · 15/03/2025 00:20

Well I'm early sixties and grew up saying 'fore-head' so did my parents and everyone around me. East Midlands. So I dispute that it's American influenced, it's perhaps regional?

Later on I become aware that some people, on TV etc, said 'forrid', but I just thought it was either very posh or old fashioned.

And the same with paprika, I didn't even know you could pronounce it in a way other than 'pap-REEK-a'. Nothing to do with America I think.

Pronunciation is a hoary house.

Cumin

Paprika

Coomin

PAPrika

Eh!

JandamiHash · 15/03/2025 02:16

This is why I struggle with audio books. Can’t stand some of the pronunciations.
see also:
Rum instead of room. “She went into the bed-rum”

Tong instead of tung for tongue 🤮

MajorCarolDanvers · 15/03/2025 02:24

Four head
que-min
pap-ri-ca

scottish and I roll my rs too

Pandimoanymum · 15/03/2025 02:44

South Wales. Fore-head but I think I say Forr'ed sometimes quite randomly, so I'm now a bit confused! Never Forrid though.

Mach3 · 15/03/2025 02:44

JandamiHash · 15/03/2025 02:16

This is why I struggle with audio books. Can’t stand some of the pronunciations.
see also:
Rum instead of room. “She went into the bed-rum”

Tong instead of tung for tongue 🤮

Bed roum.

Tongs are things used to pick things up with.

One has a tung in one's mouth.

SquashedSquid · 15/03/2025 03:02

Itsyouitsyouitsallforyou · 14/03/2025 12:06

Forrid is the original pronunciation but it seems to be slowly disappearing. I always use it because I think of the poem.

Once there was a little girl,
Who had a curl in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

This!

NattyTurtle59 · 15/03/2025 03:42

Forrid and I'm in New Zealand!! I could well be in the minority though, but that's how my parents said it.

TomPinch · 15/03/2025 04:40

NattyTurtle59 · 15/03/2025 03:42

Forrid and I'm in New Zealand!! I could well be in the minority though, but that's how my parents said it.

Were they from NZ too?

CatBank · 15/03/2025 05:16

diamondpony80 · 14/03/2025 12:57

For head in Ireland

didn't know that

Notaflippinclue · 15/03/2025 05:21

Forred

NattyTurtle59 · 15/03/2025 05:58

TomPinch · 15/03/2025 04:40

Were they from NZ too?

Show quote history

Yes, and so were all my grandparents.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/03/2025 06:37

This is one of those threads where I have to say it out loud because I’ve confused myself about how I talk!

I say forrid. I’m from the West Midlands

Diningtableornot · 15/03/2025 10:52

greengreyblue · 14/03/2025 23:14

Already mentioned upthread. I’m somewhere between forrid and forred.

Show quote history

Sorry @greengreyblue but I'm not going to carefully read a whole thread about how to pronounce 'forehead'! If the thread is about a sensitive emotional issue it's different of course.