I'm intrigued by some pronunciations that up to this point in life I've never thought much about. I know we all have our geographical dialect, such as us aussiesrunningourwords together and forgettin to finish our words in a proper manner and saying just silly stuff like "yeeeeea. She'll be right maaayte. Nother middy. Ta champion"

Some American Journos, particularly the ones in the gulf, are incensed with the word Iraq. Not as 'I-rark' but as 'I-rack'. Another American example I've heard a lot recently is 'data' pronounced 'day-ta' others pronounce it as 'dar-ta' which is how it's said in Aussie speak. There's Sega 'See-ga' and the yanks somehow get 'Sayga'

The Irish seem to have an inbuilt dyslexic system "tis a nice day'

The English are most proper and painfully rooound their words. Unless you're cockney of course, which is an anything goes license "Nover cuppa squire." But they all say 'I-rark.'

Is it a regional thing? Perhaps the media is trying to come up with original ways of saying things and leaving bad habits around the place. Maybe they have nothing better to do than invent new dialects. Anyone have any more examples?

I think most people that I know also say day-ta rather than dar-ta although I have heard both.

I think most Brits say "day-ta", though some say "dar-ta" (or perhaps "dah-ta").

I think the usual American pronunciation is more like "datta" (with the first vowel as in "cat"). Similarly, we Brits usually pronounce "status" as "stay-tus" rather than the American "stattus".

English pronunciations are changing all the time. As an old-fashioned Englishman, I call my brow my "forrid", but most of my fellow-countrymen now say "fore-head". Similarly, I say that I "et" my breakfast this morning, but many people will say that they "eight" it. I call the art of healing "med'sin" in two syllables, rather than "med-i-sin" in three. I call Cervantes' hero Don Quicksut and not Don Kee-ho-tay. But if I live much longer, I may have to adopt the prevailing pronunciations in order to be understood.

I live where the word “little” rhymes with “riddle.”

And quite a few people in New York think that the sound during rains is “wa-er” on the “ruff.”

I don’t know why they can’t pronounce “warda” like everyone else does.

In addition, instead of washing dishes, they “worsh” them and instead of asking questions, they “ax” them.

Many teachers have told me that there was once a war in “Vietnyam.”

Today many will tell you that the U.S. is after “Usama” (as in “ooh la la”) “BinLayden.” You know, that guy linked with “Al Ki-da,” “Al Kay-da”—“Whateva’ it’s called.

I "haveta" go now!

My family “et” too!

I can’t count how many times they’ve been looked at funnily after saying that word.

I say “dadda” instead of “data” and “statis" (without a long “a” sound) for “status.”

I’m not sure about other New Yorkers, but I think they also say “dadda.” I think "status" is usually “stay-dis” or “stay-tis.”

A new one I heard last night was a news host (Ray Martin for the Australians) who kept saying "A-leet" for "elite" ... never heard it done that way but knowing him he probably just made it up anyway

And the way Americans say 'sem-I'instead of 'sem-E' for something like a semi-trailer is another one that I always stands out too.

Caught a great new Iraq from an ABC radio news anchor driving home.

We now have Irark, Irack and wait for it.......... Iruck. I laughed my head off. I ruck as well mate, but I try to save it for anyone wearing a number 3, 11 or 14 on their back.

Cutis Armenharv and Sunil Havaska

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I ruck as well mate, but I try to save it for anyone wearing a number 3, 11 or 14 on their back.

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HA!! Nice one Bertho!

Here's another one for you, we have a Danish girl staying with us at the moment and she says 'E-rlik'. Have no idea to spell it phonetically but it sounds like there is an L in there somewhere.

How about the word 'controversy'? I say 'con-tro-verse-y', and others say 'con-trov-er-sy'.

I say 'con-tro-verse-y', too.

My father makes me laugh with his pronunciation of 'basic' and 'vitamin'. I say 'bay-sick' , but he says 'bassic', rhyming with 'classic'.
With 'vitamin', I use a 'long' I, whereas he says 'vit..', rhyming with 'hit'.
Which is correct? Who knows, lol...

I have difficulty understanding some UK regional accents ...and I live here. It's quite surprising that there are such diverse regional accents in a relatively small area of land.

Do accents/word pronunciations in Australia vary due to region too? Can you identify what part of the Country a person might come from like we can here?

(I'm a day-ta person by the way)

Not really, Tellies. Although there are a few words that can give someone away as to the state they're from. South Australians say 'plahnt' for plant and 'dahnce' for dance. Queenslanders will put 'hey' on the end of nearly every sentence (particularly those from the country areas) and what is great for the rest of the country is 'grouse' in Victoria, and they also have nature strips where every one else has footpaths.


(oh, and i say 'dar-ta')

Just an interesting fact.The phrase "she`ll be right mate"is actually half the original phrase,the next part continues with "it`s your end of the boat that`s sinking".

One of the oz ones that fascinates me and it depends on whether you live in Victoria or New South Wales are the places called 'Newcastle' (NSW) or 'Castlemaine' (VIC). I call it New-car-sel whereas my Dad calls it 'Cass-el-main'.

A bit confusing for a lass who grew up on the NSW/Victorian border.

I also believe that Moslem is pronounced Muzlim in America, where we generally say Moozlem.

Bertho, there are about 3 people who understand that last line, and I'm one of them. Well done!
If you're interested, there is a 1/2 hour show on the ABC every Tuesday morning at 11.30. It deals with the English language, with Prof. Roley Sussex. Very interesting show.

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Do accents/word pronunciations in Australia vary due to region too? Can you identify what part of the Country a person might come from like we can here?

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I can generaly pick a Victorian and was shocked when I went to Western Australia and was accused immediately of being an East coast resident. I couldn't tell the difference myself.

Also, anyone from the far north, Queensland or The Territory, speak with more of a drawn out dialect. It's the heat you see. No one is in a hurry, not even to speak. Yet it's nothing here like the differences in the English and American regions.

I catch Rolly Sussex now and then thanks Dangleish and agreed it's great to listen to. my radio is rarely off ABC. There's not much the proff doesn't know . The origins of words can be fascinating.

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We now have Irark, Irack and wait for it.......... Iruck

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Actually it should be I-ruck: I as in "hit", U as in "up". At least that's how it's pronounced in Arabic (it's a hard R though).

Territorians always use the word 'true' when asking the question 'Is that true?' or 'Really?'.

An example is "My grandmother wears blue slippers."
"True?"
The Territory has a lot going for it, but for me, this isn't one of them.

Other nationalities trying to impersonate Australian accents are another story yet again.

You can often pick which state an Australian is from by the words they use, rather than by the accent. The accent is pretty universal. For example, in WA we can always pick someone from the eastern states because they say cozzie (short for costume) instead of bathers when talking about swimming gear. And they say devon instead of polony (it's a type of lunch meat). There's lots of other examples but that's all I can think of for now.

In Adelaide devon/polony is called bung fritz. Peanut paste in WA is peanut butter everywhere else (I think).

As far as swimwear is concerned, am I the only one who refers to it as togs? As in 'take your togs and towel to the beach'. This is an all encompassing term for bikinis, one piece, board shorts etc.

I go to a voice trivia game room sometimes (OK I'm freaking addicted to it...) where trivia questions are read over voice and people answer in text in the room... a lot of the readers are from Australia (and New Zealand, and all over England, and Scotland, and Ireland, and India and... well, you get the point).

Anyway, one of the topics that comes up at least once a day is vegemite. I love listening to an aussie say that! It sounds like "vidgimiiiiiiiiiiite".

I think Canadians get as much flack as anyone else for our linguistics. "Aboot" comes to mind, and "eh?" (although I've never actually heard anyone say "aboot". The "eh?" is everywhere, though).

One thing I find interesting is that in the States you can generally tell where people are from from their dialect... New York is different from the south, which is different from the midwest, which is different from the west... In Canada it's pretty much the same all the way across from BC to Nova Scotia (I don't know about the territories, I've never heard anybody speak who was from up there) except for one or two spots (the Ottawa valley is distinct) and NEWFOUNDLAND. Newfoundland is just its own thing.... lol.

Thanks to numerous re-viewings of my favorite film, "The Year of Living Dangerously" (first Oz film made with US money) and a number of other rather less voluntary viewings of the exploits of Croc Maniac Steve Irwin, I have somehow laboured under the misapprehension for some time that I am capable of doing a fair Aussie accent. The Aussie take on this, however, is that I sound like a Pom, and not an Aussie at all. Perhaps this is because of my love for the Monty Python "Bruces/Philosophers" sketch. But I am continuing to work on it.

As for Canadians, I know many and I have never heard a one actually say "aboot." In point of fact they say "aboat". And what Lady C says about Newfie-land may also apply to some older Nova Scotians.. I've met a few older "bluenoses" who made Billy Connolly sound like he was from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

I'm thoroughly fascinated by accents.....and I'd love to do a radio show like that professor does on ABC someday. It's one of my ambitions.
Thought I'd represent the Irish. We say we're after doing something when we've just done it. I think our accent bears certain similarities to both English and American accents. Though it is unique, and there are a lot of variations. Mostly our words run into each other. We say staytus, I-rack and Newcassle (for Newcastle.)

There is a definitedifference in accents between Perth and Sydney and it relates to something we Aussies relate well to, BEER. Sydney people say it with a flat EE, whereas Perthites say BEE ARE. As far as the Irish 'tis, that's where the problems between the English and the Irish all started, during the reign of Richard the Third!

I always thought we pronounced beer to rhyme with those things on the side of your head.