What Is The Correct Pronunciation Of

What is the correct pronunciation of "data"?

There are far too many people here who are trying to speak for everyone in all countries. Unless we are linguists and have studied the issue in detail, none of us can speak for everyone.For myself, growing up in Indiana, the most common pronunciation I heard was “dae-tuh” (ae as in cat). Sometimes you would hear “day-tuh”. Although this was less common than the former, it was common enough that no one batted at eye at the pronunciation. The only time I would ever hear “dah-tah” was when someone was attempting an upper-class English accent.Here in Japan I have never met a Japanese who didn’t pronounce it as “day-tuh”. I know many Brits, and Aussies (and people from other English speaking countries), but I can’t honestly remember which way they say it, which may show you how little the issue matters to this American.

What is the correct pronunciation of "Van Gogh"?

Okeeeeeeeeeyy, this is a tricky one. People commonly say it van go, van gaug, van goff . But if you really want to say it “correct”, it must be in Dutch pronunciation, since he was Dutch.Van the v is more like a ph . A more sutil fff sound. Don´t you dare say fanGogh the go is more like a ho. Like Santa´s ho ho ho. Now the -gh is an ouff sound.Put it together and it basically sound fincen phan houffBut again it depends on who says it, and where you’re from. I’m learning German and it’s been a pain in the ass, my mother language is Spanish, and know French and English. And changing the way you grew up thinking was the correct way, is DIFFICULT. I always thought Beethoveen was something like beth-oven. But nooo it´s something more like bet-ho-fen.So yes, you do you, say it however you want.

What is the correct pronunciation of "W" in English?

I presume you know the standard pronunciation used for the letter “U.” It’s pronounced the same as the word “you.”The letter “W” was literally named for two letters “U” in succession. That is, it is called a double “U.” Say it exactly that way (“double U”) and you will be pronouncing it correctly.Any variance you believe you hear when English speakers speak is either because they speak so rapidly it’s hard to catch the pronunciation, or because they are using a regional accent which tends to slur the sound so the name of the letter is indistinct.You can’t go wrong if you say “double U.”Interestingly, the name of the letter “W” has nothing to do with the sound it represents when used in a word, the name obviously came from the way it looks when written.

What is the correct pronunciation of "Gandalf"?

I cannot answer this question without mentioning the late Sir Christopher Lee. He actually met Tolkien while he lived- and in an interview, he was talking about exactly this subject (among other tings). Fun fact: Tolkien told Christopher Lee, taht if the Lord of the Rings was ever made into a movie, he wanted him to play Gandalf! Even though he ended up playing Saruman, he did his best to pronounce the names as Tolkien would have liked.Tolkien himself intended that the names should be pronounced like they would be in Early Modern English (17th century). Tolkien used Early Modern English quite a bit in his works- “thou art wise”= you are wise, “harken to me!”= listen to me! “Thee and thine folk”- You and your kind, etc. This helps us understand how Tolkien wanted names pronounced.Though, it is easier to understand the pronunciation when you hear it than if I try to type it phonetically, so I will let Christopher Lee do the talking; he pronounces “Gandalf” at ca 1.25.May he rest in peace!Thanks for reading!

What is the correct pronunciation of Hawaii?

Thereʻs a story I often tell my students when they begin to learn one of the favorite mele (songs) to sing at the end of events, “Hawaiʻi Aloha”… I will often hear someone pronounce “Hawaiʻi” as Huh-wuh-ee. Inevitably, another student will inform them that it’s pronounced Huh-VUH-ee with an air of disdain and a look of disgust for their obviously uninformed classmate. Vociferous arguments ensue, which is hilarious in a third grade classroom. When they finally quiet down with a firm “hāMAU” (siLENCE) from me, I let them know they are both incorrect.Incredulous looks confront me until one student (usually a quiet one) raises their hand and says, “Isnʻt it pronounced Hu-VAI-ee?”When I say, “Pololei! (correct)” They beam like the little rays of sunshine that 3rd graders can be (you know, sometimes) until another yells out (yeah, they donʻt all raise their hands) “I thought it was Ha-WAI-ee!!” — and then I get to tell them my story…“An old man, a mana leo (native speaker), was once asked on a Hawaiian language radio show, ʻʻAnakala (Uncle), is it pronounced Ha-VAI-ee? or Ha-WAI-ee!?’The uncle replied,“ʻAe!”And so now, with Uncleʻs blessing, I have a class full of 9-year olds who can confidently pronounce the name of the place they live knowing that their Kumu is proud of them for being able to hear and articulate the difference that some of their parents (and other teachers) find difficult.