Pronunciation watch

[gurnemanz]

I was wondering if the word 'been' should be pronounced 'bin' or 'been'? Saying 'bin' seems to be the trend on BBC radio these days.

Isn't it simply a matter of being stressed or unstressed?

Where have you beeen?
I've bin working. (Unstressed vowel is reduced.)

Likewise: I must go to that concert.
I m'st go now.

[Don Petter]

Isn't it simply a matter of being stressed or unstressed?

Where have you beeen?
I've bin working. (Unstressed vowel is reduced.)

I think you might be right. That sounds very reasonable to me. (Sort of been laden or bin unladen? )

[jean]

I don't think so - see the extract I linked to above.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Isn't it simply a matter of being stressed or unstressed?

I think you're quite correct.
Another word where context makes a difference is thirteen - it can be thirTEEN or THIRteen.

[Roslynmuse]

Somebody on R3 yesterday (Katie Derham maybe) pronounced "pathos" as in "pathetic" (pathoss) rather than "paythoss". I wonder which is more common, I have heard both now.

And I heard someone on R4 this evening (the review programme) pronounce 'bathos' the same way - I had always thought it was bay-thos (but bath-ethic)?

[jean]

I think you're quite correct.
Another word where context makes a difference is thirteen - it can be thirTEEN or THIRteen.

But never thirtin.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But never thirtin.

In this part of the world, many people say "thirt-teen".

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Annoyed as I have become by the BBC's policy of choosing presenters on the basis of regional accents rather than presentational skills, I've found it interesting to compare the Yorkshire version of Look North with the NE version. In the former, if you don't have a Yorkshire accent, and speak to the other presenters in a flippant and infantile way, you are unlikely to be considered.
The NE edition is presented by people who have dignity and maturity without ever being pompous. They don't have a noticeable accent and command respect. I imagine they're as embarrassed by Steph McGovern as I am.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This morning's Breakfast presenter (Petroc Trelawney?) risked making Kirsten Flagstad turn in her grave. She hated her name being pronounced "Flagshtatt" as though it were German.

[Radio64]

This morning's Breakfast presenter (Petroc Trelawney?) risked making Kirsten Flagstad turn in her grave. She hated her name being pronounced "Flagshtatt" as though it were German.

I wonder how you pronounce it in Norwegian?

Anyone?

[gurnemanz]

I wonder how you pronounce it in Norwegian?

Anyone?

Here.

Interesting to note that the final d is not enunciated. A similar thing happens in Danish. We went to Roskilde a few years ago to discover it is pronounced "roskiller".

The initial K as sh seems to be like Swedish. We know a Swedish lady called Kerstin. It comes out as "sherstin"

[Nick Armstrong]

I was going to hazard 'Flahstarr' based solely on my excessive viewing of Scandi-Noir crime dramas

Would never have got 'Sherstin' ...

I'm always amazed what the Swedes make of "-berg" at the end of words - comes out as "-bay" more or less

[Radio64]

Here.

Interesting to note that the final d is not enunciated. A similar thing happens in Danish. We went to Roskilde a few years ago to discover it is pronounced "roskiller".

The initial K as sh seems to be like Swedish. We know a Swedish lady called Kerstin. It comes out as "sherstin"

Fascinating! cheers ... So Petroc got the first name wrong too!

[Sir Velo]

I wonder how you pronounce it in Norwegian?

Anyone?

Sherste Flock Store

[vinteuil]

Interesting to note that the final d is not enunciated. A similar thing happens in Danish. We went to Roskilde a few years ago to discover it is pronounced "roskiller".

"

... and Kierkegaard is kigegaw - [ˈkiɐ̯ɡəɡɒːˀ]