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Pedants' corner

Pronunciation

(12 Posts)
Cabbie21 Wed 18-Oct-23 09:17:00

Surely it is the norm to alter the pronunciation of THE when the following word begins with a vowel?
I am tired of hearing local TV newsreaders saying THE offer, THE arrival, instead of THEE. It breaks the flow and sounds so stilted.
A similar problems, from the same presenters, with A. They insist on pronouncing A like the letter of the alphabet, eg A fire, A strike - again, breaking the flow of a sentence. Sometimes they even say A when the next word begins with a vowel, where normally it would be changed to AN, eg an accident, so we even hear A accident!
It really grates.

Cabbie21 Wed 18-Oct-23 09:17:46

Typo : similar problem, not problems.

Witzend Wed 18-Oct-23 09:26:40

Yes.
Another thing I’m noticing a lot more lately is ‘sh’ instead of ‘s’.
Shtrong, shtudio, etc.
Seems to be spreading like wildfire.
Why can’t people talk proper?? 😉

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 18-Oct-23 09:30:20

I agree with both of you. I’m forever grumbling at the tv/radio.

Marydoll Wed 18-Oct-23 09:35:42

Surely it all depends on where you live and nuances of local dialect?
We don't all use received pronunciation.

Received pronunciation
noun
The standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere.

By the way, I am usually a pedant, but there are worse things to stress about.

MaizieD Wed 18-Oct-23 09:46:19

They insist on pronouncing A like the letter of the alphabet,

I hate to say this, but it is a letter of the alphabet...

grumppa Wed 18-Oct-23 10:05:56

I blame shtudio on the late Sean Connery.

Blossoming Wed 18-Oct-23 10:09:12

I just thought that Grumppa 😂

grandtanteJE65 Wed 18-Oct-23 15:29:57

I believe that using a pronunced as in hay instead of as in ah all the time and not just for emphasis, is like so much else that annoys us, an Americanism. It grates on me too.

Unfortunately, there isn't really anything we can do about it, except grin and bear it.

Gwyllt Wed 18-Oct-23 17:46:49

I wonder if it’s an age thing. My dad would go mad about such things and I used to get quite frustrated with him
Like your good selves I find myself muttering about such things and my son will ask Does it matter❓

Fleurpepper Wed 18-Oct-23 19:32:55

Marydoll

Surely it all depends on where you live and nuances of local dialect?
We don't all use received pronunciation.

Received pronunciation
noun
The standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere.

By the way, I am usually a pedant, but there are worse things to stress about.

Oh yes!

'Miss, you wasn't born round here were ya. Why can't you speak proper like what we do'. Ah well.

Primrose53 Thu 19-Oct-23 09:05:04

Fleurpepper

Marydoll

Surely it all depends on where you live and nuances of local dialect?
We don't all use received pronunciation.

Received pronunciation
noun
The standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere.

By the way, I am usually a pedant, but there are worse things to stress about.

Oh yes!

'Miss, you wasn't born round here were ya. Why can't you speak proper like what we do'. Ah well.

I actually love to hear local or regional accents.

There was a very interesting programme on TV a few years ago about a High School which I think was in Bradford. The kids all had strong local accents as did most of the staff.

One of the students was a teenage Pakistani (I think) lad who had a dreadful stutter and a teacher worked tirelessly to help him. They both spoke in a local accent and the lad got on so well he did a short speech to thunderous applause.