Words you just can't pronounce!

[Florestan]

If it's any consolation, if you end up with the 'ih' sound, you won't be alone. I always thought the 'eye' sound was seemingly too affected so I avoid it. Even if it's right...

Wait a minute! You mean "lived" should be pronounced "l-eye-v-t"? Hang me by the neck if I ever pronounced it otherwise than "l-ih-v-t". 

[Florestan]

I bet they don't say 'kwEE-kin' though...

They say something like 'k-EYE-ken'. 

[Sylph]

They're all a horror. I would say "everyone should speak English", but now I've heard a Brit try it and I realize that's no solution either...    

Anyway, I say 'kwEE-kin' in my head when I get to that word. And curse them for not being Smith's.   

But it's something like KEH-eey-ken, no?

[Gurn Blanston]

But it's something like KEH-eey-ken, no?

Probably. You write that as though it's pronounceable too!   

[Gurn Blanston]

They say something like 'k-EYE-ken'. 

I could work with that, I think. 2 syllables though, eh?

[Florestan]

I could work with that, I think. 2 syllables though, eh?

Two, yes: (1) K-EYE and (2) -ken. But it''s only an approximation. Only a native Dutch / Flemish is able to pronounce it correctly. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Two, yes: (1) K-EYE and (2) -ken. But it''s only an approximation. Only a native Dutch / Flemish is able to pronounce it correctly. 

And who would know if they didn't? I happen to believe that there IS no "correct" pronunciation....

[MishaK]

German word for estuary, Ästuar, as transcribed in Duden 6: Das Aussprachewörterbuch. It just sounds bizarre (and incorrect): [ɛsˈtu̯aːɐ̯]. The way they say it's accented makes no sense and the double a's at the end don't sound 'convincing'.

That's because nobody in their right mind would use that word when you can simply say Mündung instead. 

I was embarrassed to discover recently that I had been mispronouncing "elegiac" and "respite". Fortunately, they are words that rarely come up.

[Octo_Russ]

Anyway, I say 'kwEE-kin' in my head when I get to that word. And curse them for not being Smith's.   

You mean his name rhymes with freakin'!, that freakin' Kuijken!, why wasn't he born a Smith?, and i've been pronouncing his name as Kweege-ken in my head all this time.

Another name that i have trouble with is Khachaturian, i end up starting to pronounce it as cha-cha 

[Gurn Blanston]

You mean his name rhymes with freakin'!, that freakin' Kuijken!, why wasn't he born a Smith?, and i've been pronouncing his name as Kweege-ken in my head all this time.

Another name that i have trouble with is Khachaturian, i end up starting to pronounce it as cha-cha 

I don't know, you may be right too! Kweege-ken... hmmm. I have heard Aram's name pronounced many times (at least back when he was still alive), and they always said 'ka-cha-TU-rian'. With a hard k. Not to say that was correct, of course. How many times have you heard TV newsreaders talking about the troubles in 'MOS-cow', when you know perfectly well that there is no cow in MOS-co. 

[Florestan]

Another name that i have trouble with is Khachaturian, i end up starting to pronounce it as cha-cha 

Interestingly enough, Russian names transliterate much better in Romanian than in English --- but then again, this is a common feature among languages that feature phonetical (as opposed to etymological) ortography. Besides, it only helps that Romanian is the only important Romance language that feature a strongly pronounced "h", as in English "how". And that's how "Kh" should be pronounced.

Offtopic: MishaK, this might be of particular interest to you --- the Romanian transliteration of Korean names is much more precise than the English one.  If interested, PM me and I'll provide some striking examples:)

[MishaK]

Offtopic: MishaK, this might be of particular interest to you --- the Romanian transliteration of Korean names is much more precise than the English one.  If interested, PM me and I'll provide some striking examples:)

Yes, but non transliteration captures Korean consonants properly. E.g. there is no true k or g in Korean. It's something in between.

[Florestan]

Yes, but non transliteration captures Korean consonants properly. E.g. there is no true k or g in Korean. It's something in between.

I know. There is also no true "p" or "b", but something in between. Also, an initial "n" is oftenly / sometimes pronounced as "d", and an initial "m" is oftenly / sometimes pronounced as "b". Am I right?  0:)

[Ten thumbs]

Sometimes what others say infects one like the plague. It's easy to write disoriented but so many people add the totally superfluous extra syllable that I find myself saying disorientated, much to my annoyance. Sounds like I'm eating taties!

[Sylph]

That's because nobody in their right mind would use that word when you can simply say Mündung instead. 

I was embarrassed to discover recently that I had been mispronouncing "elegiac" and "respite". Fortunately, they are words that rarely come up.

I know! But I'd still like to hear someone say it!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I bet they don't say 'kwEE-kin' though...

Perhaps I can help... The uij in Kuijken sounds the same as the oei in French l'oeil. And the en at the end is just as muffled as in wrong 'un.
I found this! Here is a native speaker saying the words: ui, huis, vuil, ui, fluiten, tuin, gebruiken, kruis, besluiten, stuiten, uit, vuist...

http://www.learndutch.nu/language-courses/les1ui.mp3

[MishaK]

Perhaps I can help... The uij in Kuijken sounds the same as the oei in French l'oeil. And the en at the end is just as muffled as in wrong 'un.

Thanks for confirming that my hunch in pronouncing that name was correct.  One question though: how does ui differ from uij in Dutch pronunciation? What does the additional j accomplish? Also, does his name mean Chick (baby chicken/bird, Küken in German)?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks for confirming that my hunch in pronouncing that name was correct.   One question though: how does ui differ from uij in Dutch pronunciation? What does the additional j accomplish? Also, does his name mean Chick (baby chicken/bird, Küken in German)?

The j does nothing, it's just an alternative and archaic way of spelling ui.


Yes, his name is Küken!

[MishaK]

The j does nothing, it's just an alternative and archaic way of spelling ui.

Thanks for clarifying that.

[Sylph]

Perhaps I can help... The uij in Kuijken sounds the same as the oei in French l'oeil. And the en at the end is just as muffled as in wrong 'un.
I found this! Here is a native speaker saying the words: ui, huis, vuil, ui, fluiten, tuin, gebruiken, kruis, besluiten, stuiten, uit, vuist...

http://www.learndutch.nu/language-courses/les1ui.mp3

It's probably 'kœyken. Or something like that.