How do you say patent?

[Paranteser]

I need to give a speech and getting in doubt! Is it pay-tint or pat-int (short a as in pat or ay like in pay). Help!

Pa- tent for a product patent.

Pay-tent for shiny shoes.

Oh thank goodness, I was starting to go mad over this!

Why would the shoes be different pronunciation?? It's the same word. Patent leather is a specially treated leather that had a patent for it.

I had to double check I was on pedants' corner, so much misinformation

This.

A perfect explanation @SillyMillie90 😀

@Reallybadidea , I've never mispronounced it.

@RobinHeartella , why the ??? You are on Pedants' corner.

This is one of them.

The only reason why the two uses of the same word might have different pronunciations is that one has had more American influence than the other.

In British English it's pay-tent (for any use).

But just like the word "sue", which used to be pronounced "syoo" we've picked up the American pronunciation for words in the legal sphere and now pronounce it "soo". So "patent office" now has the American pronunciation.

Patent leather and patent Office are the exact same word with the same meaning. It is not logical to insist on them being pronounced differently

It’s bizarre to me how some posters ignore the answers of those who work in, or with, the patent industry.

Exactly. It's convention within that branch of the legal profession. Carry on pronouncing it the "correct" way if you like but you'll look as daft as if you continued to address a surgeon as "Dr" after having it explained.

@RobinHeartella , if you work with patents, it's 'patnts', regardless of what you say. If you say it as 'paytnts', you might be corrected.

@Reallybadidea , I've seen threads with a few posters commenting on the word sewage being pronounced as (legal) sue-idge, and don't understand why anyone bothers to argue.

@maltravers , maybe they aren't used to being corrected.

One of the whole points of being a pedant is about being correct based on the origin of words as opposed to modern, often American-influenced usage.

See for example "aluminum".

If you insist the American usage is better, which there's a decent argument for, then you should accept "patent leather" being pronounced "pattent" as well. It is exactly the same word with the same origin.

This!!

Sorry @How2parentNot(though it is pedants corner so forgive me)…
That’s just confusing. Aye spells the word “aye” which is said like the letter I- Scottish/Irish/Northern English for yes. I agree I’d say patent with an ay sound though the same as pray or may.

@Pedant5cornerI’m fascinated now. How else could anyone pronounce sewage??

I say something like pay tunt

Are you referring to the word patient? This is about patent like patent leather, patently obvious, patented goods etc.
Never mind you’ve edited your post and now mine looks silly 😆

From the horse’s mouth (the IPO):

m.youtube.com/watch?v=4sCMwbNuWqA&list=PLij_WrWeezY8nn409Xi8GAFOkjXz8liTI&index=3&pp=iAQB0gcJCb4JAYcqIYzv

Aluminum is definitively wrong, because IUPAC have decreed the standard spelling is Aluminium. Trade-off is that if you’re a chemical pedant it’s got to be sulfur.

Yes I misread! Sorry!
For patent I thought I said
Pay tunt
But now I think about it I say
Pa (with a short a) tunt
Pay tunt is for leather!
I am getting more confused the more I think about it!

Don't worry I know what you meant.
It was my stupid mistake not yours!

Otherwise that's like saying "it's pronounced tomahto except for tomayto sauce".

A tomato is a tomato. Either pronounce it tomahto or tomayto, up to you, but it is not consistent to pronounce it differently in different sentences.

Either say paytent or pattent but not different pronunciation for general patents vs a specific leather patent!

Then I stand corrected, thank you. Bloody English & its exceptions! 😂

@pinkdragonfruitlatte , soo-idge, apparently.

@RobinHeartella , I'm hardly likely to take advice on pedantry from you.
Aluminum and aluminium are different words; aluminum is correct in American English.

It is not logical to insist on them being pronounced differently
Missing full stop.

It's not logical to argue about something when you are the only one who thinks you are right.

Not if you’re a chemist it isn’t, regardless of nationality.