Oxford BBC guide to Pronounciation 1

[jrbarnett]

Next week, the BBC are publishing the Oxford BBC guide to pronounciation, which includes details of how to pronounce many difficult words.

For many years this information has been restricted to BBC announcers but they are finally making it public.

In the near future, it should be available from all good book stores.

Example link:

http://www.amazon.ca/Oxford-BBC-Guide-Pronunciation-essential/dp/0192807102

John

 

[columb]

Hmm....

Does it resolve the controversy about where the stress is in controversy?

You say tomato, I say tomato

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Columb Healy

 

[drlex]

Aww, I was expecting to see a book about pronouns. Being the BBC guide to pronunciation, no doubt this book includes the instruction:

step 1. Insert plum into mouth

soi la, soi carré

 

[columb]

drlex

I don't think you're being entirely fair, after all they did employ John Cole. For those who have never heard his broad Belfast accent it's a shame that Wikipedia doesn't have attached WAV files.

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Columb Healy

 

[strongm]

>Being the BBC guide to pronunciation, no doubt this book includes the instruction:

CODE
step 1. Insert plum into mouth


Goodness! This hasn't been the case for years at the BBC. Indeed, if you don't have some sort of regional accent it is almost impossible to get an on-screen/on-audio job with the BBC nowadays ...

 

[sha76]

columb, I think you're going to be disappointed. The extract I read in the paper this morning said it was acceptable to stress either the first or second syllable. In fact there seem to be several words with alternate pronounciations.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Dollie]

If this will tell me how to pronounce worcestershire, I'm happy.

(This was actually an issue in my homestead the other night!)

 

[columb]

It should be something along the lines of 'wooster shire' with the stress on the first sylable. Most of the 'chester' variants (i.e. Glouchester) have degenerated into 'ster'

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Columb Healy

 

[sha76]

More like wuster-shear.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[columb]

It depends where you come from. We're back to accents again. My wife and I both like visiting the local wildfowl reserve. She goes to see the dooks, I go to see the dux!

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Columb Healy

 

[sha76]

Ah yes, but growing up in Worcestershire I'd class any other pronunciation as wrong!

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Can anyone explain how

St. John

became

Sinjin

In 'plummy' English names?







To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[columb]

Ok, I'll concede that. However, does that mean, by extension, that the 'correct' pronunciation of Glasgow is 'Glasgae'?

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Columb Healy

 

[Dollie]

Honey! Get me the wooster... er, werstershi... uh, the brown stuff in the Heinz bottle!

 

[sha76]

Ah, the correct English pronunciation or the correct Scottish pronunciation?

Place names are such a minefield though. I was born in Leighton (lay-ton), had a friend in Leigh Sinton (lie sinton) & the nearest place with that spelling to where I am now is Leigh (Lee). I think it's all just a big conspiracy to ensure that everywhere can laugh at the tourists.



"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[columb]

Place names are such a minefield though.

I would say, that with a few notable exceptions, most of the pronunciation problems are proper names.

The big difference, of course, is the level of offence caused. It really doesn't matter how you pronounce tomato as long as it is understandable by the listener, but Hyacinth Bucket would be most offended if her name is pronounced like the water carrier. This counts double for the BBC, which, whilst independant of the UK government, is seen by many as the voice of Britain. If a BBC news reader mispronounces a foreign statesperson's name serious offence could be caused.

There's a lovely story by John Snow who struggled for weeks to pronounce the name of a central African statesman. Just as he finally got it right there was a coup and the statesman was deposed.

Ceci n'est pas une signature
Columb Healy

 

[drlex]

Columb
Surely that argument about 'proper names' applies equally to place names; the residents would surely get upset at a mispronunciation of their locale?

What I want to know is why the BBC only partially switched pronunciation of places - as Peking became "Bay-zhing", why didn't Paris become "Par-ee"?

soi la, soi carré

 

[Sympology]

wuss-ter-shur

Lived there for 25 years and now just moved back... Yippee. No more scummy West Midlands...

No if the stupid, dumb, usless postoffice / RoyalSnail could actually get the address of out village right. It's ruddy Worcs not Birmingham, wrong county let alone anything else....

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[sha76]

Yep, that one's better than my attempt.

Funny, that's exactly the reaction I had when I finally escaped the place!

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[kjv1611]

Hey, does the Oxford BBC guide to Pronounciation tell how to pronounce "Aint" or "ya'll"?

I'm a U.S.A. southern guy from South Carolina if that gives you any clues as to the background.

So, whaddya'll think? Not the locale, but the question!