pronunciation corrections

[EnnieJuan]

Is it unreasonable to use the right pronunciation back to someone who uses the wrong one? Aldi is pronounced with an A (Al-Dee). Audi is pronounced with an Ow (Ow-Dee). Omega watches have a stress on the O, not the Me. I never know whether to say the word correctly or just go along with the wrong one to humour the person. When it's someone's name it's simpler as they introduce themselves with their chosen pronunciation, like Renée (pronounced Ree-nee for old ladies up North).

I have actually know someone called Ree-nee, but never saw it written down. If reading the OP aloud I would have pronounced Renée as Ruh-nay.

Have just googled, and apparently the correct pronunciation is ren-nay.

So we are both wrong, but I'm closer.

Oh, wait, we are agreeing that ree-nee is wrong?

I haven't slept for phonic worry

I thought it was acceptable to pronounce some brands wrong though like Nike, Ikea, Porsche. I'm a trainer addict but would never ever say Nike the American way.

Thing is, these are all non-English words. What's more, their spelled according to the spelling rules of their original language, which don't necessarily match the spelling rules of English. And some use sounds we don't even have in English. So it's pointless 'correcting' people. Just say it the way you think it should be said, and copy someone else's pronunciation if you prefer it.

In my 20s I worked in an office with some rather pretentious people. They were nice but potty. For some reason, they thought I was very provincial (I'm a Londoner ) and inexperienced (I'd just returned from 18m living abroad in two different countries ), so felt that they ought to educate me. At lunch they would introduce me to all sorts of international foods (some of which were genuinely new to me). I had to smile when they constantly corrected my pronunciation of certain food names - names of foods from my parents' country and that were in my mother tongue. The language that they regularly heard me speak on the phone to my parents. I'd say the food name properly - they'd gently, but firmly, 'correct' me. OK, then.

I suspect the two-syllabled and correct pronunciation of Nike is rather more Greek than American

I'm quite aware where the word Nike comes from & how it should be pronounced, that wasn't my point. So how many people do you hear in the UK or Europe pronouncing it like they do in America Maid?

To me it's similar to calling the vacuum cleaner a hoover, a toastie machine a Breville etc.

Incorrect pronunciation of Moët & Chandon really makes my teeth itch. Every time someone says ‘mo-ay’ I want to punch them in the face.

Someone was asking how else people pronounced Aldi. Well round here they prefer to pronounce is 'oldie'. Which just sounds bizarre. Perhaps the politest way is to talk indirectly about the shop. When asked "Do you know if Oldie or Liddle

Just found out how easy it is to hit 'post' when typing. If asked 'Oldie or Lidl' I will learn to reply with 'former/latter' or 'the one that's near the big roundabout'

shark Mo-ay annoys me too.

By all means correct words that are wrong but don't start correcting regional accents. That's just fucking annoying!

I have no idea how to pronounce Aldi properly, but we don't have one round here so I don't have to worry about it

The one word that really gets me is 'research'. In the UK it really should be pronounce ri-SEARCH, but the American pronunciation REE-search is in such common use that I have accepted I'm fighting a loosing battle there!

Agree with PPs who said neither humour nor correct, and just say it the way you think it should said. And certainly never correct someone whose pronunciation is due to a regional accent difference!

A friend corrected me when I pronounced the actress Irene Handl's first name as "Eye-reen," which is the only pronunciation I have ever heard used, except for the Forsyte Saga - but then, I live in a land of Philistines, Australia, where this has probably been the pronunciation since at least WWII - I honestly don't know if the continental pronunciation of the name was ever used here. (Although there could be a lot of Reenies around aged 80-90.)

She immediately said "Oh, yes, dear old I-ree-nee Handl." My reaction was, "You are a pretentious twat" which I didn't say, but did query the the pronunciation, she justified it by the fact that Irene Handl was born at the time that the pronunciation would have been "I-ree-nee." I thought "No, you are definitely a pretentious twat."

She's done the same thing a few times, and, whilst I like her, have realised she can be more than a bit affected, and also likes to indulge in some oneupmanship.

a toastie machine a Breville etc.
Noooo, the proper name for a toastie machine is a jaffle maker.

ooh like the sound of a jaffle! 😂

I might be misunderstanding, but I don't think the OP is talking about deliberately correcting someone's pronunciation. She's asking if she should copy the other person's wrong pronunciation of the word if she needs to say it during the conversation, rather than using her own correct pronunciation and thereby inadvertently highlighting the other person's mistake.

This is a perfectly reasonable and non-condescending question, imo. My friend says All di and I say Al di. She doesn't seem to hold it against me!

Me and DP have huge rows about pronunciation.

I say in-ven-tory whereas he says in-ven-try

I say ad-ver-TISE-ment whereas he says ad-VER-tis-ment.

I'm right, obviously.

You might be right if you're an American. I've never heard an English person say adverTISEment. Not sure about elsewhere in the UK though.

Getsorted21 This was the original type:
www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/campfire-double-jaffle-iron-pre-seasoned?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImv_8lo331gIViQgqCh380QWvEAQYBCABEgIv9_D_BwE

It was originally designed to be used over an open fire or directly on a hotplate. Breville just took the challenge out of it.

Sometimes, the correct pronunciation can make people seem a bit pedantic or pretentious imo and it's a fine line. I'm also intrigued why an approximately correct pronunciation is used for some foreign names (Audi, Renault) but not others (Porsche, Citroen).

Anyone would be roundly mocked for pronouncing Ducati as the Italians pronounce it, but pronouncing it as though it starts with a J makes me wince. (It's ok to call it a Jook, though, especially if you have one.)

The mispronunciation of lingerie makes me wince, too, but that may just be me.

I haven't slept for phonic worry. -one of the funniest things I've read for ages

I do know a lady called Reenee though. Spelled and pronounced like that. Would love to see you correct her on her own name
I just think correcting people like that just makes you look like a pretentious twat who thinks it's your job to educate the poor little lambs who, in reality, don't give a shit.

I always prefer to use the correct pronunciation, but sometimes things are so commonly mispronounced it's more trouble than it's worth. A while back I was trying to describe to a colleague where a venue was and told her it was near Holborn tube (correctly pronouncing it 'Hoe-burn'). After a couple of minutes of blank looks I twigged and said 'You know, one up from Tottenham Court Road' and she said 'Oh, OL-BAWN!'

That said, I do always pronounce Marylebone as 'Mary-lee-bone' for comic effect

Stupid made up brand names deserve all they get. The golf manufacturer Titleist for instance. Over half of people shown a branded gold ball will say TIT Lyste. They must be pissed off.