How to pronounce viola - AIBU?

[Teabagtits]

I guess it's a variation on scone vs scone.

My daughter started viola lessons recently and it's caused somewhat of a debate in our house. I was always led to believe it was pronounced veye-ola like violin (veye-olin) but my OH pronounces it Vee-ola and says I'm wrong. I've never heard of the violin pronounced vee-olin so why would viola be pronounced like this?

It makes my blood boil (I know this bit is unreasonable as it's related to my dislike of his fake plums-in-mouth mother and her poshifying words in an attempt to sounds brighter than everyone else)

He also calls breakfast brake-fast instead of brek-fast which is totally unreasonably like nails on a blackboard to me.

It's pronounced V-eye-ola, isn't it? AIBU?

oops I put mine the wrong way round sorry!

What MotherInferior said, and with similar credentials, except I was a cellist. Still sitting next to the viola players, though.

VeeOla- instrument
VYola - name.

My Yorkshire grandparent said 'brakefast'. It was an accent.

Don't be so chippy, OP!
Accents are just accents and not about sounding better or worse than anyone else.

Veye-ola here ... never heard vee

Vye-ola for the flowers and the name.
Vee-ola for the instrument.

Vee-ola never heard the other pronunciation-it sounds far more posh your way to my ear.

Vee-ola for the instrument and the plant.
Veye-ola for the Shakespeare character.

I played the viola when I was at primary school. My music teacher was a professional viola player and she pronounced it vee-o-la.

I stand corrected on viola but I will never give in on breakfast!

As for his mothers poshisms, I'll have to think of some as my mind has gone blank... although a previous poster gave very similar examples above. She talks as if she has plums in her mouth. Just a pet hate (as is brake-fast) and we all have those

To all those who've got it right....

Take a bow!

Do you mean a bough or a beau?

Boux?

Vee ola.

But fucking no one says brake fast do they?

Former violinist here with English degree. Yep, instrument is veeOHla, name is VYEola

Well, this thread is ovAH!

I always say it as Vee-ola for the instrument but Vye-ola for the name (as in Twelfth Night) but I don't really know what I'm basing that on

I'd say you're basing it on a knowledge of correct pronunciation! (And I say that as a former teacher and a former musician)

DaviesMum

motherinferior
Former violinist here with English degree. Yep, instrument is veeOHla, name is VYEola

Well, this thread is ovAH!

I was amused that motherinferior provided us with her credentials. And then it slowly dawned on me, at a very big stretch, I could claim the same. Only I've always said viola with a long vowel sound for the 'i' (maybe the orchestra that didn't benefit from my tortured cat impressions was viola-free).

Well, somebody needs to tell the Cambridge dictionary, since they also suggest a long 'i' sound for the instrument, as per the link previously given.