pronounciation of common words

Although i too am pernickity about pronunciation I always try to remember that each generation makes its own rules . My grandmother spoke in quite a different way. Shakespeare our greatest magician with words would have pronounced and spelled words completely differently from the way we do today. So onwards through the centuries.! Our wonderful language can stand development and often the richer for it. Imagine what Shakespeare would have done with the amazing new computer and texting speak. Much of it so vital and descriptive. Breaking down the class barriers of U and non U which once haunted us.

When I was young I never heard h pronounced hatch. Why now ? I hate it .

I think the haitch thing may have evolved over the 'phone. Just to distinguish it from 'a' maybe ? Not needed in face to face spelling though

I am amazed, that nobody has mentioned controversy which is my pet hate when pronounced contraversy. My other half and I both shout at the radio or TV. Just to be very pedantic, I think it should be lazy speech rather than a lazy way of talking.

I don't like H being pronounced as Haitch - but so many people do say it that way.

But why should we be picky about the pronunciation of Ibiza? We are British and we say Eye-bee-tha, rather than adopting the Spanish (or local) pronunciation. People don't generally pronounce Paris 'Paree', although we all know that is the French pronunciation. Nor do we say Firenze or Roma or Lisboa or München.

Is it only me who has noticed that the letter 'T' seems to have disappeared from the English language. There are so many people (even presenters) who speak words and leave the letter T out of it. It drives me mad. Perhaps I should say i drives me mad !!!

Latte or larrte?

Latte for me. Double shot please

'a' as in apple not 'a' as in article

I meet many foreign students in my work and have realised I am not consistent in my pronunciation. I say Alicia (not Aleesha) instead of the Spanish Alithia but I keep Hosey rather than Josey as I detest the way English footballers say Josey (Jose) Merinho (not sure about the spelling of that)

Hidge Yes that annoys me too.

Escalate. Not esculate!

I do think that TV presenters and anchors should speak without distinctive regional accents. The same for quiz & game show presenters.

Etheltbags...........In Spanish, there are very few diphthongs and you pronounce every syllable, with the stress coming on the last but one, unless there is a stress accent. So it phonetically said as....Ben-al-mad-EH-na! My pet hate, although I do have many, is Hatch!

DH says he thinks Haitch comes from spelling things out over short wave radios and bad phone lines in the 'old days'. It was to stop confusion with eight. I do remember my father always saying nynna for nine when giving our phone number. What was an affectation has become more the norm.

That makes sense NfkDumpling

When we moved to the West Midlands from the south I corrected my young granddaughter when she wrote MOM instead of MUM but it turns out 'Mom' is commonly used in these parts. Is this traditional in this area or is it an Americanisation? Anyone know?

@Indinana - The English pronunciation of Ibiza would be 'Eye-beezer'... which sounds faintly comical...

I had a couple of holidays in Corfu, at Agios St??fanos - pronounced by the Brits as 'San Stefano'... ?

Spanishsue: but there is a stress sign on the 'a' of Benalmadena, isn't there? (Though for some reason this site won't accept the one I typed there!)

My Ma was a telephonist in 1940s when they were taught to say,"fife" not "five", for clarity.
When I worked in Telephone Manager's Office Edinburgh, I as a Southerner had much difficulty with their pronunciation of alphabet letters,"etch" for "H" and "jai" for "J"

In Irish and American books, the past tense seems to have disappeared, it fit instead of it fitted.
Also bring instead of take- I'll bring the juice to the table rather than I'll take the juice to the table.
Today I heard a lady talking about Sokudu instead of Sodoku. I too shout at the TV, what can't presenters speak correct English!!!

Why not what....sigh!

I grates on me when people, particulary radio and tv presenters pronnounce hospital as hospitle

Greenfinch Jose Mourinho is Portugese, not Spanish, and my Brazilian (therefore native Portugese-speaking) niece. Pounces the name Jo-say not " "hosay"
However I am amused at ( what is it?) "Benal Madena" being included in " commonly used words"
Spoken English all my life, but I had never heard of it!

Flippin ipad
" pronounces" of course!!