Pronunciations you had to unlearn

[Raphael]

I very recently learned that in English, the "o" in "leopard" is silent. To think that for all that time, my inner ear had a completely false idea of how the face eating quote would sound like when spoken out aloud!

[Lērisama]

I very recently learned that in English, the "o" in "leopard" is silent. To think that for all that time, my inner ear had a completely false idea of how the face eating quote would sound like when spoken out aloud!

The ⟨e⟩ is short¹ as well, which is odd. Interestingly this pronounciation of ⟨eo⟩ is also found in the word ⟨Leonard('s)⟩². Does anyone know whats going on here? I'd guess trisyllabic laxing and then … randomly dropping a schwa?

¹ In English spelling terminology, and coincidentally also in real life. It's the DRESS vowel /ɛ/.
² In the UK at least, it's much more likely that you come across something named St Leonard's than someone named Leonard.

Edit: forgot to double check my lexical set and got it wrong

[Travis B.]

I very recently learned that in English, the "o" in "leopard" is silent. To think that for all that time, my inner ear had a completely false idea of how the face eating quote would sound like when spoken out aloud!

The ⟨e⟩ is short¹ as well, which is odd. Interestingly this pronounciation of ⟨eo⟩ is also found in the word ⟨Leonard('s)⟩². Does anyone know whats going on here? I'd guess trisyllabic laxing and then … randomly dropping a schwa?

¹ In English spelling terminology, and coincidentally also in real life. It's the BED vowel /ɛ/.

I'm pretty sure the term is 'DRESS', not 'BED'.

² In the UK at least, it's much more likely that you come across something named St Leonard's than someone named Leonard.

I'd never even heard of a "St. Leonard's" until I saw your post.

[Travis B.]

I should also note that 'Leonard' is just the English equivalent to Scandinavian/German 'Lennart'.

[jal]

I should also note that 'Leonard' is just the English equivalent to Scandinavian/German 'Lennart'.

Or any of the other multitude of local varieties ("Leonardo", "Léonard", "Lennard" etc.). Apparently it's from Germanic "Leonhard", "brave lion".


JAL

[Raphael]

I just learned how "coyote" is pronounced in English. Would never have expected that.

[jal]

I just learned how "coyote" is pronounced in English. Would never have expected that.

What variety? GenAm and British English differ in the first vowel.


JAL

[Travis B.]

I just learned how "coyote" is pronounced in English. Would never have expected that.

What variety? GenAm and British English differ in the first vowel.

The thing is the EngE pronunciation is the 'expected' one -- it's GA which has an unexpected pronunciation here.

[Glenn]

I just learned how "coyote" is pronounced in English. Would never have expected that.

What variety? GenAm and British English differ in the first vowel.

The thing is the EngE pronunciation is the 'expected' one -- it's GA which has an unexpected pronunciation here.

I had to look up the British pronunciation, as I had never encountered it before.

A further variation is whether “coyote” is pronounced with three syllables or two; some speakers drop the final vowel. When I was little, I was told that the former was the “Eastern” (US) pronunciation, while the latter was the “Western” one; for example, people in Ohio, where I grew up, pronounced “coyote” with three syllables, while my relatives in South Dakota pronounced it with two. I think that this may still be a broad tendency, but not universal; I’m sure that there are many exceptions.

[Travis B.]

What variety? GenAm and British English differ in the first vowel.

The thing is the EngE pronunciation is the 'expected' one -- it's GA which has an unexpected pronunciation here.

I had to look up the British pronunciation, as I had never encountered it before.

A further variation is whether “coyote” is pronounced with three syllables or two; some speakers drop the final vowel. When I was little, I was told that the former was the “Eastern” (US) pronunciation, while the latter was the “Western” one; for example, people in Ohio, where I grew up, pronounced “coyote” with three syllables, while my relatives in South Dakota pronounced it with two. I think that this may still be a broad tendency, but not universal; I’m sure that there are many exceptions.

I pronounce it two different ways in free variation ─ /kaɪˈjoʊti/ [kʰae̯ˈjo̞ɾi(ː)] and /kəɪˈjoʊti/ [kʰəe̯ˈjo̞ɾi(ː)] ─ even though I am more likely to use the former when speaking carefully.

Edit: And yes, I have heard of the two-syllable pronunciation, but I have never actually heard it in the wild here in Wisconsin.

[Raphael]

I was thinking of the pronunciation is this video:

https://bsky.app/profile/kylec.bsky.soc ... rqcekq6s2n