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"?

[tabulahrasa]

"Listen to how it's pronounced."

Listen to the first one.

[derxa]

I've just checked online and it is definitely a "ck" sound at the end of loch. Not a ch sound.
English people don't have the voiceless velar fricative [x] in their phonemic system. But that does not mean that loch = lock is correct.

[JuicyStrawberry]

I have and it sounds like ck to me just less clear than the second one. Listen to the second one- a very clear ck.

If the first one isn't a ck then there are obviously two correct ways of pronouncing it. ck being one of them

[derxa]

Having had 6 years training in linguistics and phonetics and having worked as a SALT, this thread makes go a bit
It's the difference between a French person saying 'Paree' for Paris with a uvular r and a British person saying Paris with an alveolar r and a an s at the end.
One is French and one is not. Whether you think they are 'correct' or not is another question.

[tabulahrasa]

"If the first one isn't a ck then there are obviously two correct ways of pronouncing it. ck being one of them"

It's not and there aren't.

It's like saying that Rioja is pronounced correctly as reeocka just because English people can't say the j properly.

[Llamacorn]

It's loch with a ch
Not like cock with a ck

Especially here in Scotland. Likewise the whales/wales thing 😁

[JuicyStrawberry]

Ok so why is Loch Ness being shown online as ck then. If it is wrong then surely the second one shouldn't be listed? Maybe you should email them and let them know they are wrong.

[derxa]

Like a lot on MN it's not worth worrying about but this one is raising my blood pressure.

[JuicyStrawberry]

Mine too!

[tabulahrasa]

"Ok so why is Loch Ness being shown online as ck then."

Because it's a load of people from different countries pronouncing it, there's an American after that.

[MyVisionsComeFromSoup]

I see your Finechty and raise you Portessie (most definitely a trick question)

[youhavetobekidding]

Only Lake in Scotland is the Lake of Monteith. Loch Ness, definitely not pronounced Lock

Schiehallion, anyone ?

[BreconBeBuggered]

It's easy to find incorrect online pronunciations if you take the first one you find. I was wondering about this Irish placename the other day . 100% convinced this wasn't the right answer.

[NotTheDuchessOfCambridge]

I'm Welsh, we can pronounce anything! Don't get me started on how people pronounce Llanelli 😂

[treaclesoda]

I would pronounce Laois as 'leesh', or something along those lines anyway. I'm from N Ireland but I never learnt Irish at school though.

[Firesuit]

Most English people can't pronounce loch because the "ch" sound doesn't exist in English. It does exist in Dutch and German though, so they shouldn't have any trouble.

If you think loch is difficult, try "Gogh" as in "Vincent van Gogh". There is more than one pronunciation even in the Netherlands, but apparently the best one has the initial "G" and the ending "gh" similar to the "ch" in loch. Try saying "Vincent van Gogh in the loch" without drowning your audience in phlegm.

[SenecaFalls]

seneca
You can say Milngavie properly?!? I AM IMPRESSED

Thank you. However, I should admit that being from the Southern US, it might sound as though there is an extra syllable or two.

The last time we went to Scotland, the immigration officer at Glasgow airport asked where all we were going. I did show off a bit on my pronunciation, if truth be told. But he did not seem all that impressed.

[GreatFuckability]

Having had 6 years training in linguistics and phonetics and having worked as a SALT, this thread makes go a bit confused
It's the difference between a French person saying 'Paree' for Paris with a uvular r and a British person saying Paris with an alveolar r and a an s at the end


Quite derxa!

juicy you do realise that just cos something says it online doesn't mean it's right, yes??
the 'ch' in loch is NOT a ck.

[Andylion]

jellypeenos! Some candy maker should capitalize on that name!

[SenecaFalls]

jellypenos I studied Spanish for four years in school and I live in Florida; it's hard to express the degree of consternation this causes me.

One thing we Floridians are allowed is to get all pretentious and excruciatingly correct on our Spanish pronunciations. Latin American, of course, not Castilian.

[OlennasWimple]

Place names and people's names are a bit different to other words, though, surely?

Cholmondeley anyone? What about Farquahar? Woolverdisworthy? Bicester? Towcester? Caius College and Magdalene College? Marylebone Station?

Seneca and others with UK / US connections - you might enjoy video about Americans pronouncing UK place names

[hackmum]

I would pronounce it the same way "ch" is pronounced in Welsh or German. Impossible to reproduce in writing, though! English people do seem to find it very hard, but not as hard as they find the welsh "ll". We have a lot of fun with Rhosllanerchrugog.

[derxa]

I have Lleyn sheep. I'm always worried about my pronunciation when I talk to the Welsh breeders.

[neveradullmoment99]

It's loch. Not lock. I am scottish.