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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu about how to pronounce loch

205 replies

Lime19 · 12/06/2017 20:06

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"?

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 12/06/2017 21:11

Only once did I say Jed-berg

RebootYourEngine · 12/06/2017 21:11

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 · 12/06/2017 21:11

How does he pronounce Sauchiehall Street, OP?!

TizzyDongue · 12/06/2017 21:11

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 · 12/06/2017 21:12

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

TizzyDongue · 12/06/2017 21:16

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 · 12/06/2017 21:21

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 · 12/06/2017 21:25

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

EggysMom · 12/06/2017 21:37

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 · 12/06/2017 21:50

"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 · 12/06/2017 21:52

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

SenecaFalls · 12/06/2017 22:44

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 · 12/06/2017 22:46

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

Smidge001 · 12/06/2017 22:59

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 · 12/06/2017 23:01

You're wrong.

Ameliablue · 12/06/2017 23:04

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 · 12/06/2017 23:06

I love a good Scottish pronunciation thread.

beardymcbeardy · 12/06/2017 23:21

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 · 12/06/2017 23:25

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

Locks are on canals, totally different!

MinesaBottle · 12/06/2017 23:45

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 · 12/06/2017 23:56

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

tabulahrasa · 12/06/2017 23:59

"I think people mean the Welsh bach"

I thought they meant the composer...

mirime · 13/06/2017 00:01

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

Tapandgo · 13/06/2017 00:02

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 · 13/06/2017 00:04

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.