Pronunciation clinic

[Jennasis]

I realize it is a regional thing, but it's driving me crazy! I grew up on Long Island...lived there for 26 years, and then moved to NC 3 years ago. THAT'S when the trouble began.

We went furniture shopping (DH and I) and the salesmen invited us to go and look at some of their bedroom suites (but he pronounced the word as "suit" like the clothing a business man wears). Having never heard the word used that way, we were so overcome with the giggles we almost couldn't continue on. (As far as was aware, the word is pronounced "sweet").

Let's move on. After we moved down here, we had to get our cars insured. MY father is an insurance salesman and always has been. In the north it is called in-SURE-ance. Down here, it is called IN-surance .

Has anyone else moved to another part of the country and encountered the pronunciation monster?

 

[NMAmy]

Oh, all the time. I moved to New Mexico from Michigan and I was a source of unending amusement for my co-workers and friends. I said pop, I said insurance like you do, the list went on and on. Now that we're back in Michigan, dd is going through the same thing at school since she has a New Mexico accent (although most people around here assume that would be a Spanish accent--they think New Mexico is actually Mexico.)

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

We went furniture shopping (DH and I) and the salesmen invited us to go and look at some of their bedroom suites (but he pronounced the word as "suit" like the clothing a business man wears). Having never heard the word used that way, we were so overcome with the giggles we almost couldn't continue on. (As far as was aware, the word is pronounced "sweet").

From Dictionary.com:

suite ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sweet)
n.
A staff of attendants or followers; a retinue.

A group of related things intended to be used together; a set.
(also soot) A set of matching furniture: a dining room suite.
A series of connected rooms used as a living unit.
Music.
An instrumental composition, especially of the 17th or 18th century, consisting of a succession of dances in the same or related keys.
An instrumental composition consisting of a series of varying movements or pieces.
Computer Science.
A group of software products packaged and sold together, usually having a consistent look and feel, a common installation, and shared macros.
A group of procedures that work cooperatively: The TCP/IP suite of protocols includes FTP and Telnet.

We always pronounce it suite (soot) when discussing furniture.

 

[cajunmommy]

Oh, the bedroom "suit" thing drives me bananas!

I could give you pages of them, but I'll stick with a more recent gaffe. Good friend looking to by a new vehicle. Salesman asks if he wants to see one in "merlot"....that would be pronounced phonetically- "mer" (like mermaid), "lot" (like car lot). Hmm...guess he either didn't drink wine, or the marketing group forgot to review the new car colors.

 

[BelleMcNally]

One that doesn't seem to be tied in to any particular region by drives me bonkers is pronouncing the word: Caramel, like CAR(auto) MEL(as in blanc or torme). I mean, there's an "a" in there.

Care-a-mel.

I've never heard of a "Bedroom Suit"...

 

[Jennasis]

I had to assume that there were alternate accepted pronunciations for suite. On radio and tv ads they often say "sweet" but most of the locals say "suit".

Let's not even TOUCH the whole Dog vs. dawg vs. Dowg thing! When we moved down here and people heard I was from "New YAWK" they would beg me to say things like garbage and garage and dog just to amuse them. Amazingly I am one of the few who managed to grow up with two parents from Brooklyn (both with thick Brooklyn accents) and have ZERO NY accent of my own. People can NEVER tell what part of the country I'm from.

 

[Chicago526]

DH is from south central PA, I'm from IL.

I think the secret to our success in marriage is that I can't understand a word he's saying half the time!

When I spent some time with his mom before the wedding, though, I realized where he's picked up some of his "stranger" pronunciations!

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Let's see, I'm in Montana and we have no dialect up here, we just sound like the people do on tv.

One pronunciation that drives me crazy is creek. It's creek with a long e sound, not like crik. I hate it when people say they went to "Blue Crik." DH does that just to drive me nuts.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Down here, it is called IN-surance .

I say it this way myself. I'm originally from New Mexico so maybe it's a southern/western thing.

 

[txgirl]

We've been here in Virginia for 6 years but this was our first time to live away from Texas and boy did we get an earfull about all the "weird" stuff we say. Not necessarily pronunciation but I say:

sack instead of bag (at the grocery store)
buggy instead of cart (at the grocery store)
cup towel for the hand towel I use in the kitchen

And I know I say everything funny (especially to my children) but the ones that stand out are:

hill (I say "heel" but I'm working on it)
poem (poyem)
aunt (I say ant, but my Virginian children say aunt with the "au" sound)

I'm sure I could go on and on but I know there are plenty of other Texans out there just itchin' to throw some slang around!

 

[disykat]

I say sweet (suite), inSUREance, and, I admit it, CAR-MEL.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Just thought of something to add. Here is Massachusetts(although not as much as it once was, from what I understand-I'm from New Mexico) they will drop the 'r' where it needs to be and place an 'r' where it doesn't need to be. For instance: it's a cah, and an idear.

 

[KelNottAt]

This is not a regional example...just an embarrassing example from 1988.

I had a plain white down comforter. I wanted a pretty duvet to put it in. When I got to the store, I asked where I could find the "dove-its." Looking back, I don't know how that lady kept a straight face when she answered, "our 'doo-vays' are on the 2nd floor, in linens" after I had to explain what one is.

 

[Pollito916]

Saying the "s" on the end of Illinois! It is just so wrong! And it's even worse when people who live here do it.

A lot of people on the south side (including members of my family), have trouble with h's at the beginning of a work, like "huge" they say "Uge".

And even though people in other parts of the country tell me I do, I do NOT have a Chicaaahgo accent!

 

[stinkerbelle]

In the north it is called in-SURE-ance. Down here, it is called IN-surance .

I was at an urgent care facility in Orlando, and went to get my perscription filled...the guy behind the counter says "We dont' take IN-surance"

I was like "wth? that's an ODD pronounciation!" hehehehe

and we call it a bedroom SET...not suite. heheheh

 

[Annette_VA]

I've lived in Richmond, VA all my life - I say in-sure-ance. DH is from the western part of the state and he says in-sure-ance. Drives me nuts! He also says the-ate-er

I've always said bedroom suit for a collection of bedroom furniture. A bedroom suite is the room you put the bedroom furniture in - like a hotel suite!

 

[MissBubbles]

I live in Missour-ee not Missour-ah. Drives me crazy...I heard a comedian once try to explain that you don't call it the "Mississipp-ah River" - should be the "Missour-ee River".

I was born in Southern California and moved to the Midwest when I was 10 1/2 years old. My dad told me he knew when I converted to being a Midwest Girl when I asked for a "Pop" instead of a "Soda" or "Coke".

 

[NMAmy]

I say it this way myself. I'm originally from New Mexico so maybe it's a southern/western thing.

Yep, in New Mexico, it's IN-surance. New Mexicans also say ve-Hicle, pronouncing the H.

I mocked that and they mocked the way I say mirror--I say it like mear and they say Mir-ror.

Where are you from? I lived in Farmington for 10 years and before that, I lived at the Missile Range down at White Sands when my ex was in the military.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My kids tease me all the time about how I say things. Usually I say them correctly, but sometimes will mess up and put the emphasis on the wrong syllable. One time I said ROOT beer and they still tease me about it.

My mother is from the south and has always had a hard time pronouncing a different sound for the short "i" and short "e". Both come out as a short "i" and I have a problem with that, too, If I isolate the sound I am ok, but in a word they sound the same, even though I think I'm saying it right.

I was raised in Oregon, so also have that influence and have lived all over the country. I'm basically just confused.

 

[smallblock72]

What I can't stand is when someone moves to someone elses area and expects the residents of the area "they moved into" to automatically speak as they do.

AkA all the Yankees moving south.