Aibu about how to pronounce loch

[Lime19]

Me and dh are having a disagreement about how to pronounce "loch" as in Loch Ness!

He goes all Scottish on that word and it sounds weird. It's like the ch sound in "Bach". He is a quarter Scottish but born and raised in Surrey!

I say it like "lock" because I'm English just like he is! I wouldn't say Paris or chorizo with a foreign accent.

This is light hearted but I'm right aren't I?

Is it "lock" or "loch with the ch bach sound"?

[MikeUniformMike]

Only once did I say Jed-berg

[RebootYourEngine]

Im from up loch ness way and i say lock but a gentle k. I love scottish places coz they confuse the hell out of people. Milngavie is easy.

Findochty is another one that confuses people.

[OnlyRose]

How does he pronounce Sauchiehall Street, OP?!

[TizzyDongue]

I'm not entirely sure 'like Bach' helps.

Bach can, and is, pronounced differently!!

Is Loch and Lough pronounced the same? Not too surprised that northern Ireland say it similar but I'm fairly sure Lough in the Repulic of Ireland (except northern counties posibky) say it very similar to 'lock.

[Mummmy2017]

Rock and Loch... as in Lock... Friend is Scottish..

[TizzyDongue]

Actually I've been saying lock and Lough to myself.

Lock has a slightly harder and short k. So there's a subtle difference.

[PuppyPickler]

When I say Loch Ness is sounds like lockness. I think the lock is only noticeable if you do a big pause between loch and ness.

And I live in Scotland and have never been corrected.

[MissEliza]

No Mummy2017 there's no way a Scottish person told you loch is pronounced 'lock'.

[EggysMom]

If you say loch as 'lock' then why don't you say Bach as back? Because you know better? Well, know better about loch too!!!

[tabulahrasa]

"Being v pedantic, but its known as Lonlithgow Loch not Loch Linlithgow. I live a few miles from it."

Beat me to it, lol

"And I live in Scotland and have never been corrected."

Well most people don't correct it to be fair, mostly because it's rude and it leads to loads of repetitions of the word loch with the person who said lock to start with still not getting it right.

[PuppyPickler]

Sounds fair enough. I don't correct Scots when they mispronounce my name.

[SenecaFalls]

Culzean as in Culzean Castle, anyone?

And the surname MacFadzean? Y'all will be happy to know that the Scottish pronunciation of this name has survived in the US. But requires a lot of explanation.

[TizzyDongue]

People do say Bach like back I'm pretty sure. Hence why I said saying 'like Bach' is pretty pointless

[Smidge001]

I'm really confused with all these comparisons to Bach. How do you pronounce that? We're talking about the composer, right? I'm a southerner, and say his same as Bark. Rhyming with Lark clerk mark. But I don't roll my Rs so perhaps I should write it down as Bah-k?

[Ameliablue]

You're wrong.

[Ameliablue]

There isn't anything wrong with pronouncing it lock if you can't pronounce it properly but you can't tell someone else they are wrong.

[AyeAmarok]

I love a good Scottish pronunciation thread.

[beardymcbeardy]

im Scottish and I say Lock. Everyone else I know says loch. Its that sound people make when they are clearing their throat to gobby on the street. I live in a town with a loch so I am deffo pronouncing it wrong and everyone else is right tho!

[Willow2017]

Another Scot who gets proper annoyed when people say Lock, if it was supposed to be lock it would be spelled like Lock!

Locks are on canals, totally different!

[MinesaBottle]

I think people mean the Welsh bach which is pronounced with a hard ch, like a kind of crunchy sound at the back of your mouth. I can't explain very well because the sound doesn't exist in English! If you know any German it's a bit like the ch sound in that only a bit harder.

Kiwis pronounce bach 'batch' just to complicate things!

[PseudoThief]

I pronounce loch the same way I pronounce Lough. Helpful 😇

[tabulahrasa]

"I think people mean the Welsh bach"

I thought they meant the composer...

[mirime]

Lime19 If you ever come to Wales and decide to visit Castell Coch it could be interesting if you need to ask for directions...

[Tapandgo]

It's Loch as in och. If it was 'lock' it would be something on a canal or a door!

Very annoying that some people don't make an effort to get it right.

[TizzyDongue]

Bit silly though isn't it, if it's the welsh Bach:

"Oi you silly English people for not saying loch in a Scottish accent!! It should be said like Bach is said in a Welsh accent!!"

I too say loch like lough PseudoThief. Probably means we're right.