Ozzie in Oregon
Separated by a common languagePronunciationLast updated: October 23, 2009 (PST) |
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Separated by a common languagePronunciationLast updated: October 23, 2009 (PST) |
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This well-known song holds true with most of the other words, too. My American friends say "EE-ther" while I say "EYE-ther". But I'm not ready to call the whole thing off just yet!
The signature accent of Americans (with the exception of Boston) is the sounding out of the "r" in every word, even when it is followed by a consonant or is at the end of the word. This is called a "rhotic" accent. So you get "CARR-d" for "card" and "mot-RR" for motor. I feel weird saying "Starrt your carr". Like a pirate! "Ha-harrr, me hearrties!!"
Another typical difference is due to the different way vowels are pronounced over here. It will vary a bit depending on which state people are from (e.g. Boston and New York may have a more British sound to their "o's"), but you are going to find that the "o" sounds more like "ar", e.g "pot" is pronounced like "putt" but sounds slightly nasal - PAHT. And the "aw" sound in "talk" is pronounced as "ar" as well, making the word sound like "tuck" but with a longer vowel - TAHK. Be careful when talking about "pawn shops" as Americans will be thinking you're into porn!!
As well, the "ar" sound that we often use in "castle" and "France" becomes a short "a" sound as in "cat". Someone telling me that their "ant" died last week would have me thinking that it is no big deal, but they really meant that their "aunt" died! I have to listen very carefully to work out if someone said "can" or "can't" as the only difference is the final "t", which is usually not sounded. And who can forget the Cadbury ads with Professor Julius Sumner Miller putting "a GLAS and a HAFF of full cream dairy milk into every 200 gram BLAHK".
The "u" sound is different over here. For example, "tune" is spoken as "TEWN" in Oz, but here it sounds like "TOON". "Newspaper" and "tuna" are more examples. Conversely, some Americans will say "KEW-pon" instead of "KOO-pon" for "coupon".
The middle "t" sound in words such as "bottle", "party" and "water" is voiced, making a "d" sound. Admittedly, Aussies do this too with some words ("better" and "forty", for example).
I feel awkward whenever I try to say the words the American way, so I usually don't unless people are having trouble understanding me. One of my worst experiences was when I first ever came over here in 2003, and was on my flight from LA to Mazatlán. The flight attendant at first could not understand my request for a GLAH-s of WAR-ta, but after repeating myself, I heard her say, "Oh, a GLAS of WA-drr!"
Names are another minefield. For instance, I have to pronounce my neighbor's daughter's name "Tara" as "Terra" to get it to sound like how her mum, er, mom calls her. I am lucky that my name Sheryll sounds the same when Americans pronounce it. But when someone is called "Sherry", they are often really "Shari". And try to pick the difference between "Don" and "Dawn" when an American says it!
Here is a list of some of the different pronunciations I have come across. A few vary, depending on the speaker and the region.
| Word | Oz pronunciation | How it's said over here |
| address (postal) | a-'DRESS | 'AD-dress |
| adult | 'A-dult | a-'DULT |
| advertisement (advertizement) | ad-'VER-tiss-muhnt | 'AD-ver-tize-ment |
| aluminium (aluminum) | al-YEW-'MIN-ium | a-'LEW'-MIN-um |
| ballet | 'BAL-lay | bal-'LAY (French pronunciation) |
| buffet | 'BUF-fay | BUH-'FAY (French pronunciation) |
| controversy | con-'TROV-uh-see | 'CON-tro-VER-see |
| defense (sport) | duh-'FENCE | 'DEE-fence |
| detail | 'DEE-tail | de-'TAIL |
| fillet (often spelled filet over here) | 'FIL-let | fi-'LAY (French pronunciation) |
| insurance | in-'SHUR-ance | 'IN-shur-ance (some accents, more east coast?) |
| laboratory | lab-'O-ra-tree | 'LAB-or-a-TOR-y |
| macramé | ma-'CRAR-may | 'MA-cra-may |
| oregano | or-e-'GAR-no | o-'RE-guhno |
| pecan | 'PEE-CAN | PI-'CAHN |
| permit | 'PER-mit | per-'MIT |
| pretence (pretense) | pruh-'TENCE | 'PREE-tence |
| Renaissance | Re-'NAI-sohnce | 'RE-nuhsohnce |
| Product Maker | Oz pronunciation | American pronunciation |
| Nissan | 'NIS-suhn | 'KNEE-sahn (more like the Japanese pronounciation) |
| Mazda | 'MAZ-da | 'MUZ-da (ditto) |
| Fiat | 'FI-uht | 'FI-aht |
| Renault | 'Re-NOH (the French pronunciation) | 'Re-NAULT (pronounced the way it's spelled) |
| Sony | 'SONN-y | 'SEW-nee |
| Nikon | 'NI-kon | 'NYE-kon |
Again, note that pronunciation varies by region, and even native Oregonians will pronounce the same word differently. For example, many here say "APE-ricot" while my husband says "AP-ricot".
| Word | Oz pronunciation | American pronunciation |
| 11223334 | double 1 double 2 triple 3 4 | 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 |
| Sheryll | s h e r y double l | s h e r y l l |
| albino | al-'BEE-noh | al-'BYE-noh |
| alimony | 'A-li-muh-nee | 'A-li-MOW-nee |
| almond | 'AR-mond | 'AL-mond |
| apricot | 'APE-ricot | 'AP-ricot |
| asphalt | 'ASH-FALT | 'AS-FAWLT |
| awful | AW-ful | OFF-al |
| basil | 'BA-zil | 'BAY-zil |
| buoy | 'BOY | 'BOO-EE |
| caramel | 'CA-ra-mel | 'CAR-mel (west coast?) |
| ceremony | 'SE-re-muh-nee | 'SE-re-MOW-nee |
| charade | cha-'RARD | cha-'RAID |
| clerk | CLARK | CLERK |
| compost | 'COM-post (rhymes with lost) | 'CAHM-poast (rhymes with toast) |
| decal | 'DE-kuhl | 'DEE-CAL |
| derby (horse race) | 'DAR-bee | 'DER-bee |
| dew, due | JEW | DOO |
| dynasty | 'DI-nas-tee | 'DYE-nas-tee |
| era | 'EE-ra | 'E-ra |
| fertile, futile | 'fer-TILE, 'few-TILE | 'fer-TUHL, 'few-TUHL |
| forehead | 'FORR-ED (sounds like "forest") | 'FOUR-HEAD |
| gala | 'GAH-lah | 'GAY-lah |
| herb | HERB (a herb) | ERRB (an herb) |
| hostile | 'hos-TILE | 'hahs-TUHL |
| hover | 'HO-vuh | 'HAH-vrr |
| khaki | 'CAR-'KEY | 'CACK-Y |
| legislative | 'LE-jiss-luh-tiv | 'LE-jis-LAY-tiv |
| leisure | 'LE-zure | 'LEE-zure |
| lever | 'LEE-vuh | 'LE-vrr |
| library | 'LIE-bruhr-ee | 'LIE-BRAIR-ee |
| lieutenant | LEF-'tenant | LOO-'tenant |
| margarine | 'margar-'EEN | 'margar-IN (almost swallow the "IN") |
| marry, carry, etc | MA-rry, CA_rry, etc | ME-rry, KE-rry, etc |
| matrimony | 'MA-tri-muh-nee | 'MA-tri-MOW-nee |
| mayor | 'ME-uh | 'MAY-rr (some accents, more east coast?) |
| measure, treasure | 'ME-zure, 'TRE-zure | 'MAY-zure, 'TRAY-zure (some accents, more east coast?) |
| medicine | 'med-suhn (especially the discipline) | 'med-UGH-suhn |
| military | 'MI-li-tuhr-ee | 'MI-li-TAIR-ee |
| mirror, horror, terror | 'mir-UH, 'hor-UH, 'ter-UH | MEERR, HORR, TERR |
| mobile | 'mo-BILE | 'mo-BUHL |
| nauseous | 'nor-SEE-us | 'nah-SHUS |
| often | 'off-EN (more common? ) | 'off-TEN (more common?) |
| produce (fruit & veg) | 'PROD-YOOSS | 'PRO-DOOSS ("pro" rhymes with "go") |
| repartee | rep-ah-'TEE | rep-ah-'TAY |
| roof | ROOF (vowel sounds like "rude" | ROOF (vowel sounds like "book" |
| route | ROOT | ROUT |
| schedule | 'SHEDJ-ule | 'SKEDJ-ule |
| shone, scone | SHON,SKON | SHOAN, SKOAN |
| semi (large truck) | 'SE-MI | 'SEE-MY |
| simultaneous | 'SI-multaneous | 'SYE-multaneous |
| squirrel | SQUIRREL | SQUIRRL |
| sterile | 'ster-ILE | 'ster-UHL |
| strawberry, raspberry, blackberry | 'straw-BRY, 'ras(p)-BRY, 'black-BRY | 'straw-BERRY, 'RAZ-BERRY, 'black-BERRY |
| strychnine | 'strick-NUHN | 'strick-NINE |
| vase | VARZ | VAIZ |
| versatile | 'versa-TILE | 'versa-TUHL |
| via | 'VIE-ah | 'VEE-ah |
| zed, zebra | ZED, 'ZE-bra | ZEE, 'ZEE-bra |
| Aaron | 'A-RUHN | 'E-REN |
| Craig | CRAIG | CREG |
| Graham crackers | GRAY-am crackers | GRAAM crackers |
| Saint (as in "Mount St Helens", "St Louis", etc) | SNT | SAINT |
Aarrgh!! And yep, my husband uses all of these!
| American version | Correct spelling/usage |
| nucular | nuclear |
| Artic/Antartic | Arctic/Antarctic |
| acrosst | across |
| heighth | height |
| double-u (w) | dubya |
