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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pronouncing theatre...

153 replies

Werehalfwaythere · 11/12/2023 18:48

Ok ok, I realise this has probably been debated many times before but -

AIBU to massively cringe when I hear people say "thee-et-er" instead of "theer-ta"?

Live in the south east and it just seems ridiculous that people who otherwise speak in a normal south eastern accent say it like that. To me, it sounds like a hyacinth bucket moment! My boss was telling me about her upcoming trip and I couldn't focus at all beyond the cringe!

OP posts:
QueenBean22 · 11/12/2023 21:04

Haha. So unreasonable. Why are you making fun of people with different accents to your mouth full of plums?

GreenAppleCrumble · 11/12/2023 21:09

Annoys me when people say ‘cinemarrrrrr’ as if there’s an ‘r’ on the end.

I pronounce the final vowel as a kind of ‘uh’ so it’s sin-a-muh to me. But I guess that’s because I’m common.

Spudinafuckit · 11/12/2023 21:14

You’ve touched a nerve. I’m north Midlands and went to university in London with luvvies.

They would make me performance pronounce words like fucking Eliza Doolittle - theatre being one for fun. They thought it was great japes. Me less so.

They insisted it was Thee Et a. (Stress on the Et)

I’m glad I am old now and can say thee-uh-ta (stress on the thee) is just fine

queenmeadhbh · 11/12/2023 21:15

i click on every single pronunciation thread to see the chaos caused by those with non-rhotic accents (usually SE English people) failing to comprehend that their use of “R” when attempting phonetic spelling is completely batshit crazy to everyone except those who speak like they do. And the ensuing “oh the r is silent!” No the R isn’t there - remember the “Barth” thread?? Grin

janfebmarchapril · 11/12/2023 21:23

I had a boss who would do this- we worked in a hospital and everytime she said it I'd wince. It's awful

SerafinasGoose · 11/12/2023 21:25

Thanks to @Inextremis for the clip of the absolutely lovely Rik!

Zanatdy · 11/12/2023 21:28

Never heard it pronounced anything else than thee-uh-tuh

Stellium · 11/12/2023 21:28

And the ensuing “oh the r is silent!” No the R isn’t there

True, but thee without a silent R and thee with a non-rhotic silent R sound different. One rhymes with me and the other has a different sound.

Original poster
Werehalfwaythere · 11/12/2023 21:36

queenmeadhbh · 11/12/2023 21:15

i click on every single pronunciation thread to see the chaos caused by those with non-rhotic accents (usually SE English people) failing to comprehend that their use of “R” when attempting phonetic spelling is completely batshit crazy to everyone except those who speak like they do. And the ensuing “oh the r is silent!” No the R isn’t there - remember the “Barth” thread?? Grin

Haha yes that's true! Have a little one learning to read at the moment and having to explain to her that, yes, it says bath, but we say "barth". Why mummy? Ummmm...

OP posts:
ColleenDonaghy · 11/12/2023 21:41

Werehalfwaythere · 11/12/2023 21:36

Haha yes that's true! Have a little one learning to read at the moment and having to explain to her that, yes, it says bath, but we say "barth". Why mummy? Ummmm...

Show quote history

But to many of us, what you say sounds nothing like "barth" because that implies an R that's sounded. "Bahth" is clearer.

BlueShed · 11/12/2023 21:45

Gah. This is my impossible word. I used to live overseas and had teachers of various nationalities. However all of my secondary & tertiary education was in England. My accent is a very neutral non-placeable English. But I simply cannot say theatre with two syllables. Just can't. Nope. No chance. It's a thee ETT er.

queenmeadhbh · 11/12/2023 21:45

Stellium · 11/12/2023 21:28

And the ensuing “oh the r is silent!” No the R isn’t there

True, but thee without a silent R and thee with a non-rhotic silent R sound different. One rhymes with me and the other has a different sound.

The point is you are talking about two different vowel sounds: neither have anything to do with R. You’re talking about a silent R (that doesn’t exist), because of the way your accent modifies a vowel if there is an R there.

eg Bath (short A like cat) is the way I would say it. SE England accents say it with a long “ah” sound (ɑː in phonetics). There is no silent R in bɑːθ - it’s just because it’s the same vowel as the way they say car, far etc that they start talking about silent Rs that don’t exist.

Ramalangadingdong · 11/12/2023 21:49

greencheetah · 11/12/2023 19:00

The way you pronounce it isn’t correct though is it? I don’t think I have ever heard it pronounced Theer-ta. There isn’t an R before the second T.

I would pronounce it thee-ya-tah. The R is silent usually isn’t it? Also SE.

Thee-ya-ta? Sounds turrubly common. Darling, it is thee-ah-tuh with a rising flourish on the second syllabub.

queenmeadhbh · 11/12/2023 21:50

Werehalfwaythere · 11/12/2023 21:36

Haha yes that's true! Have a little one learning to read at the moment and having to explain to her that, yes, it says bath, but we say "barth". Why mummy? Ummmm...

Show quote history

you don’t say “Barth” for a start! You have the chance to do good! Stop the sickness! There is no silent R in Bath! You pronounce it with the same long vowel you do car, far etc (words with an r that you don’t pronounce) but this doesn’t mean you put an R in it - you just change the vowel.

(sorry, this is such a soap box of mine - English people talking nonsensically about Rs that don’t exist just because they don’t pronounce Rs that do exist! 😂)

TheDogsMother · 11/12/2023 21:50

SE here and I say thee-uh-ter. Not thee-ett-er or theetur.

TheDogsMother · 11/12/2023 21:52

Oh and definitely Barth, larf. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one 🤣

LinguisticallyCunning · 11/12/2023 21:53

Tony Robinson calls it the thee et er.

I call it theer'uh

ShouldIWouldYou · 11/12/2023 21:55

Thear to rhyme with fear. -Ter

KThnxBye · 11/12/2023 21:56

No hard t sound at all as far as I’m concerned.

Thee-ah-uh

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 11/12/2023 22:00

Me and people I’ve known who’ve been to Rada and Lamda pronounce it sort of the first way but with no/middle class accent. I used to go to lots of plays so one of us would’ve definitely corrected the other if we did say it wrong.

Torganer · 11/12/2023 22:00

Do you pronounce musical/drama ‘theatre’, in the same way you pronounce operating/medical ‘theatre’?

Whygobald · 11/12/2023 22:05

I'm Irish and it's TEEyutur. Older relatives say teeATEur.
I suspect that some of you say FEEatur.
I have no idea how thee-ett-er actually sounds. It doesn't match up with any pronunciation I've heard

abominablesnowman · 11/12/2023 22:08

using IPA, I believe you're referring to the standard pronunciation being /θɪə.tə/ with just two syllables, as opposed to the very old fashioned /θiˈɛt.ə/, with a clear 'et' sound in the middle. I think in American English you may get an /eɪ/ ('ay') sound instead.
The only person I know who pronounces it this second way is an 80 year old woman who worked in the theatre back in the 60s, so I doubt that's a great sample

queenmeadhbh · 11/12/2023 22:13

abominablesnowman · 11/12/2023 22:08

using IPA, I believe you're referring to the standard pronunciation being /θɪə.tə/ with just two syllables, as opposed to the very old fashioned /θiˈɛt.ə/, with a clear 'et' sound in the middle. I think in American English you may get an /eɪ/ ('ay') sound instead.
The only person I know who pronounces it this second way is an 80 year old woman who worked in the theatre back in the 60s, so I doubt that's a great sample

The only comprehensible post on the matter so far!!