How do you pronounce superlative?

[SarkyWench]

I think that ds1 has been taught this incorrectly.

1. super-LAY-tiv (to rhyme with "super native")
   or
   
2. soo-PER-li-tiv

[AViewfromtheFridge]

Clearly 2. But...I'm an English teacher and have made the odd slip up in pronunciation when using words which I've only ever seen written down.

I must confess that there are at least 96 children, and probably more, who I have sent out into the world pronouncing protagonist protaJonist, oxymoron oxy-MORon (stupid) and apropos a-PRO-pros.

I know now how to pronounce these words.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Oh we do that as well, picture skew.

Not classy at all here.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

So how do you pronounce protagonist?

[3b1g]

Or archipelago?

[BOFingSanta]

Pro Tag onist.

[BOFingSanta]

Arki Pell Ago

[3b1g]

That's what I went for (DS2's reading book). Wasn't sure where to put the stress though: third or fourth syllable.

[steppemum]

dd did a play with lots of flower fairies, one was called Dahlia. Teacher insisted on pronouncing it DAR - LEE - A

I tried to tell dd that this flower is pronounced DAY - LEE - A, but she wasn't having it.

Have since discovered there is some current character in something with htis name pronounced the teachers way!

[AViewfromtheFridge]

Protagonist is like a hard 'guh' sound rather than a soft 'juh' one.

(Although I still think it sounds better my way.)

[Notquite]

Oxymoron

[SarkyWench]

Somebody farted on my pedantry thread

[Xenia]

As I think the second poster had it. The more interesting issue is does anyone still pronounce the su bit as I sometimes do - we must preserve that English traditional. I cannot write it. I mean either the vey common - soo or what I always think sounds much better sue.

Actually it is the same issue with I will soo you (take you to court - American pronunciation) or sue

[SarkyWench]

I think that ambulance should be spelled the welsh way...

Ambiwlans

I like "tacsi" too

[insancerre]

I remember at sixth form reading something out loud, probable shakespeare, in class and coming across Antipodes for the first time.
I pronounced it annti- podes instead of an-tip-uh-deez
But I think I got away with it as nobody else knew how to pronounce it either

[ScrambledSmegs]

I pronounced Arkansas "Ar-kansas" in a school lesson once. I did not get away with it

At least I'll never forget how to pronounce it correctly now.

[FlyOverTheMistletoe]

Yoze mite- not talk like that, sadly I know some one who always does

[apachepony]

Jaysus. Is it really embarrassing to admit I just learnt there now how Arkansas is pronounced today? Obviously heard that word in films etc but never connected it to the spelling. Obviously we never learnt the states in school

[apachepony]

In my defence, my pronunciation of Yosemite is spot on...

[EvilTwins]

I used to teach a particular short story for GCSE English (twas in the AQA anthology) which had "beribboned parcels" in it. Was always at my colleague who insisted the parcels were Berry Boned.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Super LAY tive sounds like it ought to have something to do with excess milk production, thought that would be Super LAIT ive.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Aghh, 'though'