DonMuncy Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 Last night a friend asked me why I pronounced aviation with a short "a" sound (like we use for Avgas) rather than the long "a" like the sound in eight. I had never thought about it, but admitted I pronounced it that way. I looked on several places on Google and each one said the correct sound was the long a. Have I just been wrong all these years and never knew it; do others use the short sound; or what? It pains me to use improper English, especially if I don't know I am doing it. Quote
MooneyMitch Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 I've heard it pronounced both ways. Mostly I've heard it [and do myself] pronounced with long a. Quote
Parker_Woodruff Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 Don, I don't know the answer to your question. But don't feel bad because it was only this past year that I learned an Anchovy is a fish, not a vegetable. 3 3 Quote
takair Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 Is it regional? Where do you originate from and do other locals say it the same way? For what it’s worth, I use the long a and had never heard it the other way. Quote
Hank Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 Don, I've always used the long A for aviation, just like in "plane." And Parker, anchovies aren't fish or vegetable, they are a salty, crystalline mineral. Or at least that's how they are in pizza, which turned me into an EBA fan (Everything But Anchovies). But packed in a tin with mustard sauce, they are surprisingly tasty little fish! But I think it's a generic term, not a particular small fishy. Quote
kommers Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 Try to say "aviatsiya". People will immediately realize that you are fluent in Russian and they will have tremendous respect for you 1 Quote
DonMuncy Posted January 17, 2020 Author Report Posted January 17, 2020 That was what I was afraid of. Everybody but me uses the long a. All of you do say Avgas with a short a don't you? And I don't remember when or where I picked it up. It is probably not regional. I think it is just me. I will change my pronunciation, and quit sounding like a dork (at least in this case). Thanks much. 1 Quote
takair Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 1 minute ago, DonMuncy said: That was what I was afraid of. Everybody but me uses the long a. All of you do say Avgas with a short a don't you? And I don't remember when or where I picked it up. It is probably not regional. I think it is just me. I will change my pronunciation, and quit sounding like a dork (at least in this case). Thanks much. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it sounds kind of smart, if you stick to it you might create a movement. Put it on you tube and it may even go viral. 1 1 Quote
AH-1 Cobra Pilot Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 At least you do not say "aluminium", do you? 2 1 1 Quote
Hank Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Ah-1 Cobra Pilot said: At least you do not say "aluminium", do you? Don is Texican, not British!! Quote
David Lloyd Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 You say tomato, I say tomato...uh, uh, uh? Long A. Quote
LANCECASPER Posted January 17, 2020 Report Posted January 17, 2020 6 hours ago, DonMuncy said: Last night a friend asked me why I pronounced aviation with a short "a" sound (like we use for Avgas) rather than the long "a" like the sound in eight. I had never thought about it, but admitted I pronounced it that way. I looked on several places on Google and each one said the correct sound was the long a. Have I just been wrong all these years and never knew it; do others use the short sound; or what? It pains me to use improper English, especially if I don't know I am doing it. Don't worry, some people say pronounciation instead of pronunciation. Where would you even start with them? 1 Quote
carusoam Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 It may change in New England... we can ask @Bob_Belville That would lead to asking @Hyett6420 For the old England version. See if he aviates or Aviates... From my time up there it seemed to be 50/50 depending on who was doing the speaking... Best regards, -a- Quote
Greg Ellis Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 I liked President George W Bush Please do not start a political debate or this thread will be shut down immediately, I'm sure). But one of my pet peeves of his was his pronunciation of Nuclear. He would pronounce it Nucular. Where in the word NUCLEAR do you see the extra U that would cause one to pronounce it Nucular? Used to bug the crap out of me. Then I found out that particular pronunciation is listed in Merriam Webster as a variation in pronunciation of the word. I still can't stand it. Not sure of they had it in there all the time or added it because the President used it... 2 Quote
Mooneymite Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 Q: What is the one word EVERY Harvard graduate pronounces wrong? A: "Wrong". 1 Quote
Hank Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 12 minutes ago, Mooneymite said: Q: What is the one word EVERY Harvard graduate pronounces wrong? A: "Wrong". I find if I pinch my.nose closed, I can talk like a New Englander. Hands off, no way . . . . Quote
skydvrboy Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 On 1/17/2020 at 1:06 PM, Ah-1 Cobra Pilot said: At least you do not say "aluminium", do you? A very good friend I grew up with had a speech impediment and always pronounced "aluminum" as "aluminium". I thought it was particularly funny because he was right in just about every other country! Quote
Hank Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 6 minutes ago, skydvrboy said: A very good friend I grew up with had a speech impediment and always pronounced "aluminum" as "aluminium". I thought it was particularly funny because he was right in just about every other country! It's on the internet, so it must be true . . . Looks like "aluminium" is the Chiefly British work for "aluminum" instead of being the other way around . . . . Quote
Oldguy Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 On 1/17/2020 at 2:11 PM, Hank said: Don is Texican, not British!! Don't be so sure. His ancestors may have been Texian. Quote
Hank Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) Oops! Got my threads confused and made a reply above thinking I was here instead . . . Here comes a repeat post that actually applies here. ************************************* We've been having discussions here at work with some recently-arrived coworkers from facilities outside the US, revolving around textbook vs. Southern English, and what the words mean [when they can figure out what the words are]. Fun times. Cue Lewis Grizzard: https://youtu.be/imZjCbRuZ3c Edited January 22, 2020 by Hank Quote
AH-1 Cobra Pilot Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) At Fort Rucker, we had an IP who would tell us to watch out for something. We never knew if it was a tire, a tower, or tar when he would say, "Wahtch eot fer tha' tahr!" Edited January 22, 2020 by Ah-1 Cobra Pilot 1 Quote
skydvrboy Posted January 22, 2020 Report Posted January 22, 2020 @Hank Aluminium is Latin, therefore that pronunciation has been spread throughout the world. It is pronounced the same in Arabic, German, Dutch, Swedish, French, Hindi, Korean, etc., etc. etc... even Zulu. I am unaware of any other language that pronounces it aluminum, but perhaps it's out there. I know in Spanish (and probably a few languages similar to Spanish) it is aluminio. 1 Quote
PT20J Posted January 27, 2020 Report Posted January 27, 2020 Proper American pronunciation is: FLYING Brits say: AVIATION (and will forever argue about the pronunciation) Quote
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