After all these years, which is it: Ear-rack, Eye-rack; Ear-rock, Eye-rock?

[elocs]

I have heard intelligent people pronounce it all ways. This should not be so difficult. If we cannot even settle upon a single pronunciation of the country we have invaded, how will we decide things more complicated than how Iraq's name is pronounced?

[Bluebear]

1. >>>>

Ear-rock:

Eye-rack:

[elocs]

15. Funny, but that's the way I have always looked at it too.

The trouble is that I have heard intelligent (at least I think) people say "Eye-rack".

[hobbit709]

2. FUBAR

[Beaverhausen]

3. "ee-rock"

I pronounce it the way Christiane Amanpour does. She knows all!

Also "ee-ron"

[conscious evolution]

12. I saw her rant on the correct pronunciation.

You could tell it drives her batty.

[karlrschneider]

4. I think it's "noo kya ler"

:crazy:

[Gold Metal Flake]

5. On Colbert, Christianne Omanpour pointedly corrected Stephen thusly...

Ear-rock and Ear-ron.

[ElizabethDC]

17. Yep, and since she's from Iran, I trust her on that. n/t

[Malikshah]

6. Short "i" Long "a" Q sounds like the hard "c" when one says what a crow does (i.e. caw)

i-raaq

Make the "k" sound in the back of one's throad (like in "caw") vs. the k in kitchen.

For Iran its the "a" sound as in "saw" i-raan.

:)

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. I think for most English speakers, 'caw' and 'kitchen' have the same sound

but I think I know what you mean.

'as in "saw"'? I pronounce that the same as 'sore', and I'm pretty sure you're not saying 'Iran' should rhyme with 'lawn'. Any other hints?

[Malikshah]

11. Actually-- Iran does rhyme with lawn. The Persian long "a" sounds

like the a in lawn and saw.

The Arabic long "a" sounds like the "a" in hat and bat.

The "k" sound in kitchen is made by holding the top of the tongue to the roof of one's mouth more toward the front. The "k" sound in caw is made by holding the back of the tongue up near to one's throat.



Now, then. The rain in spain falls mainly on the plain.

Again.

In Hartford Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen. :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Disclaimer before we go any further: I'm British

(and my accent would probably be described as Received Pronunciation - ie Rex Harrison, more or less). So some 'as in's are going to be a little difficult. However, both Merriam-Webster's and the OED pronounce 'caw' with the same hard 'k' as kitchen - and the OED doesn't even have an alternative available in its pronunciation guide (the 'ch' of 'loch' is going too far). I'm guessing by your screen name that you could be authoritative on Arabic or Persian sounds, but I'm going to stick with the 2 main dictionaries and my own experience on the simple English consonant.

'lawn' was an unfortunate word for me to choose - while the OED gives only one pronunciation, I see M-W gives 2. So, to be clear, I say 'lawn' and 'saw' both rhyme with 'law' (and for me, with an 'RP' accent, 'four' - since RP is non-rhotic). Is that really the pronunciation you say should be used for Iran? I'd say it's the vowel sound of 'far', not 'four'.

[Malikshah]

22. Disclaimer here-- born and bred whitebread american-- the name comes from

my area of research/teaching.

I was talking about the native sound-- we all will add our own accent based upon our background.

I was just giving what I was taught when I was taught said languages-- in both cases by folks who focused on the linguistic aspects complete with diagrams to show where the tongue should go and discussion of aspirants, fricatives, and other naughty bits. :)

[KG]

7. 'clus-ter-fuk'

[htuttle]

8. Vee-et-naam

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. None of the above - "ear-rahk"

ie a long 'a'. That's what the OED has for 'Iraqi', anyway (the simple name of the country being a proper noun, it's not in the OED).

[Ilsa]

21. Yeah, and Christiane Amanpour actually did a commercial in which

she was tutoring news readers on "Ear-rahk' " and "Ear-rawn' ".

[demgurl]

13. I can only say what I have heard Iraqis say....

NPR has done numberous interviews with people from Iraq and they always pronounce it e-rack, not i-rack. I would trust people who live there over anyone else.

[Speck Tater]

14. eh-rawk (why not?) (nt)

[mitchum]

16. It's pronounced..."Vietnam"

[elocs]

20. I remember Vietnam when it was Viet Nam, but I was looking for an actual answer

not a clever one.

[Swamp Rat]

18. Kid Rock