And buoy

I'm still not sure whether to say "boy" or "booey."

I’ve lived in the US for over a decade now and the way they say “buoy” still makes me physically shudder. It’s an abomination.

Every time someone says that, I want them to pronounce the word “buoyant” or “buoyancy” and immediately explain themselves.

this is an on-going argument between me and my American partner.

I live in the States too and I quite like "Booey", it's more fun

Okay, I need to know now…

“BOO-ee”

Are they pronouncing “buo” as “boo”? And how tf do you get the ee sound? Oh, is it “ee” like in “gooey”? (Which has an ey at the end.) Buo is really not obviously pronounced “boo”. Bu, yes, acceptable. Bou, yes. But buo, really no. Ick.

yeah, they pronounce it like “gooey” with a b. I don’t know how they are getting that sound from the spelling; you are correct that it makes no sense whatsoever.

Bu = "boo", Bo is close enough to "boo" - I mean it's only one letter off - and y = ee, so booey. Perfectly logical! I mean, why anyone is throwing boys in the water is beyond me. At least our way is humane! 😄

To be fair, in British English, you can technically say “boo-oy” very fast, which I think was the original way to say it, it just got squished over time.

That's the one that threw me. Rowing in Chicago, I couldn't work out what they meant. I still can't say it their way.....bizarre

They are permitted to say it that way if and only if they also start ‘buoyant’ like that.

And squirrel. And Craig.

I don’t even want to know.

Oh boy they don’t even MEAN foyer

Also, “solder” and “soda” shouldn’t sound the same.

Hell, yes.

'Niche' is my personal nadir

How do they say that?

I'm sorry to tell you that they say 'nitch'

Oh wait both "nitch" and "neesh" are correct. "Nitch" is the original pronunciation, "neesh" is a modern one. youtu.be/4mTRJ55JF4o?...

I'd accept "nitsh" or "neechi" but definitely never "nitch"

"Neechi"? I've never heard that!

Istg I used to hear ppl say that but it could very well be just my brain inserting an intrusive "ee" sound at the end.

Well, I'm going to start saying it, but for quiche

Hang on, what's the difference between 'nitsh' and 'nitch'?

youtu.be/4mTRJ55JF4o?...

But they pronounce fiche as feesh like normal people.

the big question is now 'quiche'

ah, no, they're with us on that I think, keesh, but that's reminded me of someone who used to say kwitch-ee, but I can't remember their nationality.

Which sort of implies they should pronounce quiche to rhyme with kitsch.

Not all of us!

Phew!!