How Do You Pronounce Vase?

[RosieC]

Late to the party, but to me Vays sounds very american and I've only heard it pronounced that way on US TV shows so it also sounds odd to me.

In the UK it I've heard it mostly with a long ar sound (like are) in the middle, and that's how I say it (is that what you mean by vahz... sorry I'm not sure how I would pronounce that ). I've also heard vaz but not very often.

English is such an amalgamation of influences from other languages because the country was invaded from the continent so much in it's early history. That means there is also no consistency in spelling vs pronunciation

---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Baz in Oz

It's like the old argument about 'schedule' - is it pronounced 'schedule' or 'skedule'. Here in Oz I learned to pronounce it 'schedule' at 'schule'.

Baz

Same here in the UK, but skedule is becoming more and more common.

---------- Post added at 01:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:01 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Oh, remembered one more -

Almost universally in the USA, aluminum is "ah-LOO-mih-num". I always hear it as "al-you-MIN-i-um" when spoken by UK English speakers, and I think that there may be an extra "i" in the spelling near the end of the word on the other side of the pond.

I would say al-you-MIN-u-am' with the last 'am' more like a short version of the sound mmm with the 'a' hardly there. I don't know where that came from but I've heard it from others as well.

It sounds really odd to my ear with the long LOO (and sounds american) as it's not really pronounced that way here. I have heard the al-you-MIN-i-um and I think that is the most common in the UK. Oh and I can't spell so if it does have an extra i in UK English I wouldn't notice

I wonder if the pronunciation I use has come from a UK attempt at the US spelling

[Ray]

I'm with Subrosa on vase - it all depends on its value.

The "aluminum / aluminium" thing has always bothered me.

One thing I have noted is that, in general, Brits don't seem to care how a word is pronounced in its native language, but pronounce the word or phrase however they see fit. One of my favorite examples is Gordon Ramsey, who ALWAYS says Past-uh, and not Pah-stah, as it's pronounced in Italian.

This reminds me of my recently-deceased aunt (Ukrainian) in Canada (I'm down to only one, now), who let the French Canadians affect her pronunciation of the nutrient drink, "Ensure" ("En" rhyming with "hen"), making it "On-shoor".

[Subrosa]

My favorite example of the utter insanity of the English language is the name of the actor Sean Bean. Shawn Byawn? Seen Been? WTF!

[estación seca]

Put Vaseline on the baseline.

[Baz in Oz]

Two guys were driving across the country and began debating about the correct way to pronounce the name of the next town.

They stopped at a fast food place and one asked a girl behind the counter how to pronounce the name of the place and the girl said, "Bur-ger King".

[AnonYMouse]

Worcester pronounced wooster! Brits and New Englanders, explain that one!

[Bud]

according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary = A vase (/ˈvɑːz/, /ˈveɪs/, or /ˈveɪz/) is an open container, often used to hold cut flowers.

* the first pronunciation is preferred whereas the second and third pronunciation is common yet acceptable.

[Ray]

Having lived a few years in England as a kid, any "shire" became "sher" to me, even though it may be typically pronounced "sha" as in "Yauksha Pudding" over there.

I live on Yorkshire (Yorksher) Road, but I ALWAYS have to correct that to "York shyre" for locals.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Ray

Having lived a few years in England as a kid, any "shire" became "sher" to me, even though it may be typically pronounced "sha" as in "Yauksha Pudding" over there.

I live on Yorkshire (Yorksher) Road, but I ALWAYS have to correct that to "York shyre" for locals.

That one tends to depend on where in England you are. Here it's more 'shear'. I've only heard 'Sha' in your Yorkshire Pudding examplenand yes that's how I pronounce that one , but other parts of the country may use that more. "sher" is a common pronunciation and I do slip into that sometimes.

In some cases it depends on which county name I'm saying. Some may tend to be one way and others another way, probably based on how that one is most often said

[Fernando]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I believe NYCorchidman was referring to high German.

You are kidding, aren't you? That strange thing spoken in Hannofer?

For logical language (if there really is any) take Spanish.