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.
Replies
Every time someone says that, I want them to pronounce the word “buoyant” or “buoyancy” and immediately explain themselves.
aug 26, 2025, 11:23 am • 3 0 • view
this is an on-going argument between me and my American partner.
aug 26, 2025, 9:50 pm • 2 0 • view
I live in the States too and I quite like "Booey", it's more fun
aug 26, 2025, 1:58 pm • 1 0 • view
Okay, I need to know now…
aug 25, 2025, 9:47 pm • 0 0 • view
“BOO-ee”
aug 25, 2025, 9:59 pm • 3 0 • view
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.
aug 25, 2025, 10:13 pm • 1 0 • view
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.
aug 25, 2025, 10:15 pm • 4 0 • view
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! 😄
aug 26, 2025, 8:38 am • 2 0 • view
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.
aug 26, 2025, 9:06 am • 0 0 • view