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Does anyone else get confused over the pronunciations on this site? I am forever saying names to myself and looking up the pro. key, and it doesn't seem quite right. Is this because I am British or am I just saying it wrong?
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John/Jon/Jahn/Jawn
I think that's the whole issue here, that you and I think most in the US pronounce most or all of them the same, whereas I pronounce John and Jon with a very short vowel, and 'Jahn' with a long O, ironically as though I was saying John in an american accent. I would pronounce Jawn the same way I pronounce Lawn, which is again different from Jahn and John! oh dear!
I think that's the whole issue here, that you and I think most in the US pronounce most or all of them the same, whereas I pronounce John and Jon with a very short vowel, and 'Jahn' with a long O, ironically as though I was saying John in an american accent. I would pronounce Jawn the same way I pronounce Lawn, which is again different from Jahn and John! oh dear!
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The key used here is a bit different from what you normally might think, but if you look at it it makes sense and it's consistent.
The things I was confused with when I first came here were "ie" being a long I sound, and e being a long A sound-- as in Sarah, SER-ə.
The things I was confused with when I first came here were "ie" being a long I sound, and e being a long A sound-- as in Sarah, SER-ə.
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I'm an American and I find the pronunciations confusing. I usually check the comments section for others' phonetic glossings.
This message was edited 8/16/2010, 3:06 PM
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A lot of the pronunciations listed are confusing to Brits. John is pronounced JAHN, according to the pronunciation key on here, which would be news to most of the Johns I know. But hey, it's an American site, fair enough. :)
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Here's a soundclip of someone saying John in British English - it's a reasonable demo of the short O sound:
http://www.forvo.com/word/john#en
http://www.forvo.com/word/john#en
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lol
I really don't hear any difference in the vowel sound. Oh well, at least we've established that John there and here isn't the same. :)
I really don't hear any difference in the vowel sound. Oh well, at least we've established that John there and here isn't the same. :)
This message was edited 8/17/2010, 4:33 AM
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The British prn to me sounded a bit like JAHN crossed with JUHN.
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Ha
It doesn't makes sense to me! I guess I'd have to hear it. I did read recently that somewhere in the UK John is pronounced with a long O, so I thought maybe that was it.
John and Jon are the same here. I actually would think the opposite of how you describe it-- in the UK a longer, open sound is used. If I try to think of John said with an English accent, it sounds like JAWN. But in my accent, John is more horizontal-- like JAHN.
It doesn't makes sense to me! I guess I'd have to hear it. I did read recently that somewhere in the UK John is pronounced with a long O, so I thought maybe that was it.
John and Jon are the same here. I actually would think the opposite of how you describe it-- in the UK a longer, open sound is used. If I try to think of John said with an English accent, it sounds like JAWN. But in my accent, John is more horizontal-- like JAHN.
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lol. This is totally impossible, seeing as even the way we say 'on' is different. I give up!
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Two countries separated by a common language, right? ;-)
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Everyone interprets words and names in different ways, and there's not necessarily a "proper" or "correct" way to pronounce a name. Names define people as individuals, and a little variety is wonderful here and there. And to answer your question, you are not the only one (I mess up names from time to time) and no, it is not because you are British.
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