Page 6 | How would you pronounce Maya

acrossthebay · 2024-07-28T11:02:27+00:00

Out of interest? I like the name but hear variations in pronunciation.

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Maelil01 · 29/07/2024 13:51

BoleynMemories13 · 29/07/2024 11:48

As others have said, can't and don't are two completely different things. By saying 'can't' you make it sound like a speech impediment. You don't get whole regions of people who 'can't' produce a certain sound. It's just that their accent doesn't stress that sound, so it's not a sound they produce when speaking their natural accent.

People are capable of mimicking different accents, ie producing those soundss. It doesn't mean they should produce it all the time or are wrong not to, if it's different to their natural accent.

There's really no need for such snobbery as to suggest whole groups of people 'can't' produce a certain sound, as if those who do are somewhat superior. It's just different ways of speaking. Personally, I love the huge varieties of British accents we have. Variety is the spice of life and all that.

It's also a fact of life that certain names either sound beautiful or dreadful, depending on the accent!

Show quote history

How did you manage to turn my incomprehension about -an and -er sounding the same and rhyming into “snobbery”?
Since this began I’ve looked up lots of stuff and found some interesting things to read. Other posters have been genuinely helpful which is nice.

BoleynMemories13 · 29/07/2024 14:11

Maelil01 · 29/07/2024 13:51

How did you manage to turn my incomprehension about -an and -er sounding the same and rhyming into “snobbery”?
Since this began I’ve looked up lots of stuff and found some interesting things to read. Other posters have been genuinely helpful which is nice.

Show quote history

Tone is difficult to interpret on the internet. Stating that people with certain accents 'can't' produce certain sounds sounded quite snobby to me. Definitely presumptuous.

Apologies if you didn't intend it to be, but the moment you start questioning other people's accents you do run the risk of coming across that way I'm afraid.

PerkyMintDeer · 29/07/2024 14:22

Maelil01 · 29/07/2024 13:40

This gets more and more confusing…so you’re saying

if there’s an -er ending they don’t say the -r and say a
if there is an -a ending they add an -r 😳

As for Mia-ur-anne that’s just horrible!

But thanks for the explanation.

Show quote history

You need to look up Received Pronunciation and the "Intrusive R"

Emma and I becomes "EmmarandI" rather than Emma (glottal a) and (glottal I) I.

I don't particularly like it, but in RP it's actually technically correct.

Emma and Heather would both be "Emm-uh" and "He-thuh" in RP, we don't pronounce the r as we don't have a rhotic r.

I'd actually have a very soft glottal on Mia-Anne but I can see many RP speakers saying Meer-An as technically it's an intrusive r.

There is no difference in how I say Khaki and Car Key. Kah kee in both cases.

I have a Scottish MIL who says what sounds like Cacky for Khaki to my ear so it would be Cacky and Carrr Key.

I avoided calling DD Eleanor because we say El-uh-nuh and MIL can't help but say Ella-knowrrr and I don't like that pronunciation. I also say Pa-lah-vuh and she says Pa-LA-verrr.

It's just difference in accents, that's all. Tomayto tomahto and all that.

useitorlose · 29/07/2024 14:27

Maya is My-a (like Maya Jama)

But if Mia, then said mee-ah

JimNast · 29/07/2024 14:28

@Maelil01 , your post comes across as if you are poking fun at 'some English people who can't say the normal -er'. The emoticon seems like you are having a good laugh about it.

Her and prefer rhyme with fur, anyway, so don't get said in a way that sounds like -a.

Maelil01 · 29/07/2024 15:45