How do you pronounce it where you're from?

[LadyShea]

Okay, part two. This is pronunciation of words that aren't really accent related, but may be regional.

Post some kind of pronunciation guide and where you're from.

1. Roof

2. Route

3. Root


In my California childhood I said roof and root as the oo in cook and route as rowt. I changed it when we moved to Colorado because people looked at me funny and now say all of them as more like the u sound in flute. Root and route sound the same now.

[Crumb]

1. rue - f

2 & 3 soundthe same: rue - t

[Ensign Steve]

1. Rufe. As in roofies.

2. Rute. As in, "Get your kicks on Route 66."

3. Rute. As in route.

[livius drusus]

1. rue - f

2 & 3 soundthe same: rue - t
Me too.

[LadyShea]

Do you change your pronunciation of route in the following form and usage?

router
route traffic

[Ensign Steve]

Ooh! Interesting twist. I do indeed use a Rowter to Rowt traffic. I think route (rute) is a noun, and route (rowt) is a verb. ;)

I'm having flashbacks of my maiden name!

[Crumb]

I am like JD and change my pronunciation of route as a verb.

[livius drusus]

Definitely rowter and rowt. Rooter sounds like a plummer's tool, or a pig looking for his next meal.

[BigBlue2]

Post some kind of pronunciation guide and where you're from.
Sydney, Australia.

1. Roof
A long "oo" sound as in balloon.

2. Route
Depends. "Route 66" would be pronounced "Root 66". To re-route something would be pronounced "rowt".

3. Root
Same as "roof".


In my California childhood I said roof and root as the oo in cook...
I pronounce cook with a much shorter "oo" sound than roof or root. The closest I can think of would be "book".

[Ensign Steve]

Wow, it sounds like everybody's agreed so far, even the down under people.

So where are the freaks who say it wrong?

[Crumb]

So where are the freaks who say it wrong?

The Gulag.

[Dingfod]

We in my family and between my wife and I have had many conversations on the variations of these. We decided: it depends. My family came from Kansas, where things tend to be pronounced as flat as possible. For example, for Colorado, we pronounced it CALL-o-RAD-o. Given that upbringing, these are the ways I pronounce the words you mentioned.

1. Roof, as in the Frisbee is on the roof, is pronounced with the oo like that in foot or cook. However, the material of which a roof is composed, or the act of putting on a roof, is roofing, rhymes with spoofing.

2. Route, as in planning a route, is rowt. I'm sure this is because the past tense of the verb route, is surely pronounced rowted, not rooted. And a router, a woodworking tool is pronounced rowter, not rooter. However, Route, as in Route 66 or any other numbered Route, rhymes with toot; because of the song, Route 66, I suppose.

3. Root, as in a root vegetable or the square root, rhymes with toot. But, when a pig roots in the dirt with it's snout, the word rhymes with foot.



That reminds me of a man's conversation with his dog:

Man: Dog, what is on top of the house?
Dog: Roof!
Man: Dog, what is on the outside of a tree?
Dog: Bark!
Man: Dog, how is it to be a dog?
Dog: Rough!

[Corona688]

Post some kind of pronunciation guide and where you're from. Regina, Saskatchewan.1. Roof Roo as in kangaroo, and f as in phone.2. Route
3. Root Pronounced the same way, 'roo' as in kangaroo followed by a hard T.

[Godless Wonder]

For me, route and root are never pronounced the same (except when I sing that song, and that's never.) Probably because a network router stores routes not roots.

Route rhymes with out.

Root rhymes with boot, but not with foot.

Roof rhymes with "poof!" but not with hoof.

Oh yeah, I'm in Texas.

[justaman]

Same as pretty much everyone. I tend to say 'rowt' when I say route, because in oz 'root' means sex (which is why we all giggle when you people in the US say you root for your teams :laugh: ).

Australia is wierd because while it is fuckn huge, it has virtually no discernible differences in regional accents. About the closest you got is a slightly different pronunciation of 'oo' in some words.

Coming from Queensland, I say 'school' such that it almost rhymes with 'fuel'. Most southern states pronounce 'school' closer to 'pull'.

Queenslander's also often chuck 'hey' on the end of sentences, in some pathetic search for validation. It makes us feel better about what we've just stated, hey.

[Dingfod]

Coming from Queensland, I say 'school' such that it almost rhymes with 'fuel'. Most southern states pronounce 'school' closer to 'pull'.In the Southern US, school is pronounced skew-wull, in Utah it was almost skwall, here in Oklahoma it's a mix of skew-wull and skewl.

Queenslander's also often chuck 'hey' on the end of sentences, in some pathetic search for validation. It makes us feel better about what we've just stated, hey.Kinda like the Canadians, eh?

[viscousmemories]

Rue-f, paper rowt, rowter, rowt traffic, the quickest ruet, trees have ruets.

[xavierOnassis]

eh t

[xavierOnassis]

eh t

But seriously... how do you pronounce figures? as in "it figures"?

I've had a ongoing dispute with my wife about it since who the hell knows

I say "figuhrs"

she says it should be "figeeuhrs"

[godfry n. glad]

:blink:

[viscousmemories]

figyers.

[godfry n. glad]

[quote]Queenslander's also often chuck 'hey' on the end of sentences, in some pathetic search for validation. It makes us feel better about what we've just stated, hey.Kinda like the Canadians, eh?

Sorta like a lotta Americans, huh?

[Dingfod]

eh t
I started to go there.

Here in Oklahoma it is pronounced eeyut.

[godfry n. glad]

figyers.

I know that one. And use it, too. But I also know and use "figgers", which is just slacker for "figyers".

[Dingfod]

Sorta like a lotta Americans, huh?
Um, just like a lot of ... um ... Americans. When the waiter at Mexico Lindo asks what we want to drink my daughter almost always says, "Um, water." I almost always ask her if that's anywhere near Tumwater.

Wasn't there a character on some 60s TV sitcom that said "huh?" at the end of every phrase he spoke, rather rapid fire in fact? He was annoying, huh?

[justaman]

..

[justaman]

Queenslander's also often chuck 'hey' on the end of sentences, in some pathetic search for validation. It makes us feel better about what we've just stated, hey.Kinda like the Canadians, eh?

Sorta like a lotta Americans, huh?
Sort of, but rather than making it into a question, it turns it into more of a matter of fact statement, hey.

[JoeP]

Amazing. I thought all Merkins pronounced route and router as rowt.

I speak British and it's always rue-t/rue-ter, except for the plumbers' tool which is a rowter. Americans network sales guys appear to be selling row-ders.

Also rue-f and rue-t, never a short oo as in cook or book. I think there are parts of Britain where the short oo is used in roof (and hoof).

That's all for noo.

[LadyShea]

Americans network sales guys appear to be selling row-ders

Pretty much all t's that fall in the middle of the word are somewhat of a d sound here.

[Beth]

Tampa, Florida
1.Rufe
2.Rowt
3.rute

Most people here pronounce 'route' as 'rute' as does most of my family. I adopted the Yank way just to be a smartass.

[JoeP]

Americans network sales guys appear to be selling row-ders

Pretty much all t's that fall in the middle of the word are somewhat of a d sound here.
All that have a vowel following, perhaps? I don't think y'all say nedwork. (Unless y'all have a code in the head.)

While we're talking about pronunciation that seems peculiarly American to me, how do you (all) pronounce Madagascar? I was surprised by the trailers for the movie of that name (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0351283/). In particular, which syllable is stressed and how do you pronounce the -ar?

[Roland98]

Tampa, Florida
1.Rufe
2.Rowt
3.rute

Most people here pronounce 'route' as 'rute' as does most of my family. I adopted the Yank way just to be a smartass.

Is "rowt" the Yank way? Ever since I read the OP I've had a Brooks & Dunn song in my head, but they pronounce it "rowt." I think I usually say "rufe" and "rute/rute", but I change my pronunciation at times without realizing it, depending on whose company I'm in. Like my dad says "roof" like it rhymes with "hoof" and so sometimes I say it that way when I'm around him.


Nother one--Creek. Long e to rhyme with "eek!," or "i" sound, like "crick" ?

[godfry n. glad]

I notice that east coast types tend to overuse the question, "Do you know what I mean?", which usually comes out, "Knowaddaimean?"

Is there some kind of semantic disconnect on the east coast of the U.S. that requires this regular doublecheck?

[godfry n. glad]

Tampa, Florida
1.Rufe
2.Rowt
3.rute

Most people here pronounce 'route' as 'rute' as does most of my family. I adopted the Yank way just to be a smartass.

Is "rowt" the Yank way? Ever since I read the OP I've had a Brooks & Dunn song in my head, but they pronounce it "rowt." I think I usually say "rufe" and "rute/rute", but I change my pronunciation at times without realizing it, depending on whose company I'm in. Like my dad says "roof" like it rhymes with "hoof" and so sometimes I say it that way when I'm around him.


Nother one--Creek. Long e to rhyme with "eek!," or "i" sound, like "crick" ?

Yep... I use both pronunciations depending upon circumstances and audience.

[Beth]

I have a crick in my neck but I don't have a crick in my creek.:P

Most people, unless they are deep country or back woods type or from north Florida or Georgia pronounce creek with a long "e", here. I also noticed that the Yanks often pronounce it crick.

And yeppers, "rowt" is more of a Northern pronunciation- at least from where I am. I have not even mentioned all of the drawls.

[LadyShea]

Madagascar

Not a word I often find myself using in conversation, but something like

mad-uh-GAS-car

All that have a vowel following, perhaps?

Yes, you're correct, though even then the t's aren't as hard as those I hear spoken by Brits. In network, the t is more...swallowed than spoken. Can't explain it.

[godfry n. glad]

While we're talking about pronunciation that seems peculiarly American to me, how do you (all) pronounce Madagascar? I was surprised by the trailers for the movie of that name (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0351283/). In particular, which syllable is stressed and how do you pronounce the -ar?

MAD a gas KAR, sometimes MAD a GAS ker

Mad as in angry, rhymes with add; gas rhymes with ass.

[Beth]

MAD a GAS ker for me.

[JoeP]

Thanks ... mad-a-GAS-ka is how I say it, where the 2nd and 4th syllables are the schwa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwa). But the trailer has maduhgusKAR, and I can't emphasise enough how emphasised the last syllable is. It sounds wierd. godfry, it's all yours.

By the way, in schwa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwa) I learn that South African English (and New Zealand English) have stressed schwas. The freaks! Now I know what to call the sound when I tease people about it here.

[godfry n. glad]

How about pronunciations on these two?

Tomato

Potato

I spent a month with a bunch of Aussies (and two transplanted Poms) where I was taught to say the first one in a specific manner, yet when I asked about the second, their pronunciations did not follow the same rule.

Screw it...I went back to my consistant pronunciation.

What gives?

[Godless Wonder]

UMMM, did you ever, UMMM see the UMMM skit on UMMM Mad TV with the UMMM crazy guy that controls the UMMMM supply cabinet? Need a UMMM minute to UMMMM think about it?

That guy cracks me up.

[Beth]

UMMM, did you ever, UMMM see the UMMM skit on UMMM Mad TV with the UMMM crazy guy that controls the UMMMM supply cabinet? Need a UMMM minute to UMMMM think about it?

That guy cracks me up.You sneaky snake!

[Dingfod]

Creek, just like it's spelled.

Madagascar = MAD-uh-GAS-car

Tomato = Tuh-MAY-toe

Potato = Puh-TAY-toe (often comes closer to P'TAY-toe)


Another word: idea

[Ensign Steve]

Americans network sales guys appear to be selling row-ders

Pretty much all t's that fall in the middle of the word are somewhat of a d sound here.

At least we put a consonant in there, unlike the English who just put a stop.

As in little metal bottle caps.

merkin: liddle, meddle boddle caps.
english: lih-oh, meh-oh boh-oh caps.

I learned that from Davy Jones. :D But it was confirmed by my friend Mah-in, who hated to be called Mardin.

[LiveToRide]

Here in Michigan we pronounce it: "People with too much fucking time on their hands." (That wasn't funny at all.)
Root = long o: rooooot
Same for roof.
Route is both ways, rewt or rout. Depends on how you are using it.

[Legs]

Route rhymes with out.

Root rhymes with boot, but not with foot.

Roof rhymes with "poof!" but not with hoof.

Oh yeah, I'm in Texas.


I am not in Texas, but I agree with you on all counts. Can I just say at this point, that I do not like the word Rural and when I say it it sounds like I have been drinking or perhaps just had root canal.

[JoeP]

Americans network sales guys appear to be selling row-ders

Pretty much all t's that fall in the middle of the word are somewhat of a d sound here.

At least we put a consonant in there, unlike the English who just put a stop.

As in little metal bottle caps.

merkin: liddle, meddle boddle caps.
english: lih-oh, meh-oh boh-oh caps.

I learned that from Davy Jones. :D But it was confirmed by my friend Mah-in, who hated to be called Mardin.Ah, those stops. And final Ls being swallowed. That varies a lot across Britain. I tend to pronounce ts as ts.

[Shake]

Okay, part two. This is pronunciation of words that aren't really accent related, but may be regional.

Post some kind of pronunciation guide and where you're from.

1. Roof

2. Route

3. Root


In my California childhood I said roof and root as the oo in cook and route as rowt. I changed it when we moved to Colorado because people looked at me funny and now say all of them as more like the u sound in flute. Root and route sound the same now.
I pronounce them all with the 'oo' sound.