If your accent is RP English, how do you pronounce “Glasgow”?

[Wigeon]

Settle an argument between DH and me:

YANBU: Glasgow in an RP English accent is pronounced “Glarsgow” with a long “arr” or “arh” in the middle. Like the “a” in “car” (in an RP accent).

YABU: Glasgow in an RP English accent is pronounced “Gl-ah-sgow”, with a short “ah”, like the “a” in “cat” (in an RP accent).

I used to waver on this. Particularly Newcastle and Glasgow. It’s so pretentious, though, when you hear someone else adopt a pronunciation that differs from their natural one. Like a Brit pronouncing Paris as “Paree”. So I stopped it myself and just use my own accent for everything.

No. It isn't a real r. Several previous posts on the threa discuss this. The sound is ah but gets lazily written as ar by non-rhotic accented people and causes confusion galore in every accent/pronunciation thread that has ever existed.

Ok well this HAS been interesting so far. Seems that most RP speakers say Glahsgow (like me) but a significant minority do say “Glazgow” (short a) more like people from Glasgow pronounce it. Although interesting that sone natives say Glasgay.

I think it’s a bit much to insist that everyone pronounce a place how the locals do - Newcastle is a good example from a PP, where I think I would personally sound like I was taking the piss if I said it with the short “a” when I have a long “a” in bath (ie barth), path (parth) and of course castle (carstle).

Or Liverpool, where I definitely wouldn’t say Liverpool with a Liverpool accent and would sound pretty weird if I did.

@Womencanlift too right! 😁

Although I do love to phonetically (mis)pronounce Milngavie, I don’t know why! Just gives me a wee chuckle to
myself. I wouldn’t do it in public though. 😂

The Queen says Glarsgow (long ah sound)

I'm from near there but live in the east of Scotland now. Glazgo.

Exactly the same as me

When we claim we are saying an “arr” sound, we are really saying an “aah” sound, but to us they are the same. Because we can’t say our Rs the way you can north of the border (or anywhere with rhotic accents).

a long “a” in bath (ie barth), path (parth) and of course castle (carstle).
Still with the confusing use of r.

Like me you say these words as cahstle, pahth and bahth. If you use ah instead of ar to demonstrate this it makes sense in rhotic and non-rhotic accents and stops threads being derailed by r confusion.

Glaswegian here - no r but a lot of English people pronounce it like that.

It's pronounced Glazgo

Unless you're proper central Scotland then it's Glesga pronounced Glezga

If I, with my rp accent, were to start saying Newcastle or Glasgow or Paris or Barcelona the way locals say it.. it would sound stilted and odd.

I've just tried, and despite knowing the Scottish and French/Spanish accents fairly well, it definitely sounds odd. Like I'm taking the piss

I'll stick to Glasgow as in long A in glass or giraffe or laugh

Yes yes yes, I don’t have a rolled R in Glasgow and you’re right it’s more like “ahhhh” at the dentist. But that’s also like how I’d pronounce the letter “R” - as in, “R for Romeo”. So it sort of makes sense to me that there is an R in how I pronounce Glasgow. Without any technical know how about these things.

its glaz-go.

im from Glasgow, therefore it should be pronounced how the locals say it is

I'm also a bit confused about the Eton comments... Anyone I know with an older school RP accent would say a long A too (my parents).

I've just asked DH (private education) again, long A.

And those examples are more traditional Queens English than standard RP (not pure, but in that region).

I'm calling BS on the Eton comments

🙋🏻‍♀️

I’m not Glaswegian, I’m from Nottingham - I was just trying to say RP pronunciation with the first syllable rhyming with “car” is daft - it rhymes with “as” in my accent. But I think I’m so confused now about how you pronounce it, I’m ooot.

😁

Glasgow rhymes with “cars go” in my accent. Does that clear it up?

Bucking the trend here. I have a very RP way of speaking but say Glasgow with the short ‘a’. DH , who is very North London in speech, has the ‘ar’ pronounciation!

Yea sorry. I confused myself and wrote the comment the wrong way round.

Long 'a' like in Car.

I love that you have found this clip
😍😂

I say 'ah' and 'ar' differently!

It’s definitely glaz-go.

unless you’re one of those really posh Glaswegians who pronounces it with an s. 🤣

I'm fairly RP.
I would say: 'Glaaars-go'..
I appreciate that would make most Glasweigans get an itchy hand

I'll stick to Glasgow as in long A in glass or giraffe or laugh

Ah but someone who says “Glas-goh” would also say “gl-ass” to rhyme with ass not arse, “jeer-aff” and “laff” also with the short “a”.

It would sound really pretentious if I pronounced it anything other than glaaahrs-go.

In the same way I don't say Par-ee when I'm talking about Paris.

Why would I put on an accent that isn't mine? Just a bit cringy isn't it?