Pronunciation of werewolf

[PotteringPondering]

When I was growing up everybody pronounced it WEER-WOLF.

Now everybody seems to pronounce it WHERE-WOLF. I'm assuming it's an American thing. But even films with British accents seem to say 'WHERE-WOLF, no doubt for the American market.

I find this odd, particularly given the pronunciation of mere, here, sphere, sincere, adhere, revere etc.

I guess there's also premiere and derriere, but they both come from French words where a grave accent helps the 'air' sound (première, derrière).

The best evidence for the defence is there and where. But I suspect shenanigans going on with the h in both cases, which creates the AIR sound.

If I see an American werewolf round here I'm going to give it a sincere kick in the derrière.

I'd say haaf for half rather than haff/haf.
Hard to describe the vowel sound really as people pronounce it differently depending on where they're from.
No l sound though for me at least.

its likely to just be like the bath/bath vowel difference.

And someone deciding that the short a pronunciation of half is a sigh of stupidity.

I'd pronounce half with the sound like a dentist saying "say ah" - not quite "ar" but longer than the a in cat (someone is now going to say they pronounce cat with an ay sound, aren't they...)

The L isn't quite silent, he changes the sound of the a, like it does in all/fall/etc (although I'd pronounce those close to an "or" sound)

To add, my grass/ glass/ bath pronunciation is definitely a short a.

Yes, I know the "l" is silent. That's what confused me about the poster's contention about stupidity in reference to some Americans pronouncing "wolf" as "woof" and then mentioning "half." The "l" is generally silent in both British and American pronunciations. If they were referring to the different "a" sounds, then the remark is really odd, considering that the shorter "a" is nearly universal in American English and is used in some accents of British English as well.

@PotteringPondering - I didn't grow up in the UK so can't contribute to pronunciation suggestions. However, I would caution against comparisons ("I find this odd, particularly given the pronunciation of mere, here, sphere, sincere, adhere, revere etc.") As a cautionary tale, I present to you, Yo Sushi, yoga, and Yogi Bear, in which the pronunciation of the first two letters is always "yo", compared to yoghurt, which is unaccounatbly pronounced "yog - ert" (as opposed to "yo-gurt", which would follow the conventions above) by English people (in the South East, at least). Just, why?

I was amazed to read on another thread that some mumsnetters pronounce the word quarter as 'korter' rather than 'kworter' (which we say here in NI)!

My grandma used to pronounce Yoghurt as Yo Gurt. When it started taking off in the 60s - in the days when it tasted bitter, pre becoming sugar packed. She also said an 'orse and an 'otel. Which have in recent times have fallen from favour.

Other idiosyncrasies too which have latterly been dropped by the BBC. I will remember them in a bit, one or two always resonate.

This is exactly how I pronounce it (Yo Gurt). But I'm very conscious thta not many other people do!

*that

Why on earth would it be “where”?
It’s always been “were” where I live.

Where and were are pronounced exactly the same where I live.

They aren't where I live @SoupDragon.

It's whair (with the h softly sounded) and were, more wehr with the w clearly articulated.

I'd say Wehrwolf not whairwolf.

Still trying to remember words broadcasters now say differently to a generation ago.

As a cautionary tale, I present to you, Yo Sushi, yoga, and Yogi Bear, in which the pronunciation of the first two letters is always "yo", compared to yoghurt, which is unaccounatbly pronounced "yog - ert" (as opposed to "yo-gurt", which would follow the conventions above) by English people (in the South East, at least). Just, why?

So you're using Yo Sushi (where Yo is a separate word) and Yogi Bear (a fictional character with a made-up name) and yoga (derived from a Sanskrit word) as examples on which to base your criticism of English pronunciation rules? Not that 'yoghurt' is really an English word either!

Interesting!
Does that apply to all wh words or just where/were?

Is it a N - S thing?

So you're using Yo Sushi (where Yo is a separate word) and Yogi Bear (a fictional character with a made-up name) and yoga (derived from a Sanskrit word) as examples on which to base your criticism of English pronunciation rules? Not that 'yoghurt' is really an English word either!

Yogg-urt??

I've never heard that pronunciation in Ireland or the US, and I've never seen it spelled with an H either.

@RosesAndHellebores , I don't say where and wear the same, either. Where has an h in it, and I sort of say W+H at the same time.

I say were as wur
where as W(h)air

Yogg-urt would be the dominant pronunciation in the UK.

I stick with my yo-gurting though.

I think the yogurt and yoghurt spellings are equally used. But I'll conduct an experiment when I pop into the supermarket this evening.

I say yoghurt as yoggut noy yo-gurt

Not familiar with standard UK pronunciation of yog(h)urt?

Clue to the reason why might just be found in your username... 😊

Yoghurt is yoggut in my south London accent. It definitely has an H.

I've only ever said weer wolf, so I'm with you OP.

Hilarious

"I've never heard that pronunciation in Ireland or the US" doesn't mean I'm not familiar with "standard" UK pronunciation of the word.

Also, I'm Irish.

FWIW, the YO-gurt pronunciation is closer to the original Turkish.

Also, both YO-gurt and YOGG-urt are acceptable in British English, though the yogurt spelling is preferred in packaging.
https://www.rachelsorganic.co.uk/range/

I grew up in the same area as you math and grew up saying yogg-urt although now mostly say yo-gurt. One parent south side middle class, the other north side working class (although not a dub accent), both say yogg-urt.

Probably going off track here, but when I was young nougat was always pronounced as nugget, now it seems to be noo-gar.