February 18, 2009, 19:08
KallehBarack
As you British posters know, we in the U.S. have a new president whose first name is Barack. I recently was listening to a BBC report, and the announcer pronounced his name as bah-RACK (to rhyme with
Iraq). We pronounce it bah-ROCK. How do our British (and Canadian) posters pronounce it?
February 18, 2009, 20:28
tinmanquote:
Originally posted by Kalleh:
As you British posters know, we in the U.S. have a new president whose first name is Barack. I recently was listening to a BBC report, and the announcer pronounced his name as bah-RACK (to rhyme with Iraq). We pronounce it bah-ROCK. How do our British (and Canadian) posters pronounce it?
The most important thing is how he pronounces it.
February 19, 2009, 07:56
goofyCanadians say bah-ROCK. But since Canadians have the
cot-caught merger and not all Americans do, we might not pronounce it the same as you, Kalleh.
February 19, 2009, 08:23
arnieIs the capitalisation intended to indicate stress? We tend not to stress either syllable and most people use a schwa for the second:
ba-rəck. However, if anything it's closer to an a than an o:
ba-rack (as in where soldiers live). Do you pronounce it, then, the same way as
baroque?
February 19, 2009, 15:45
goofyI should practice what I preach and use IPA: [bəˈɹɑk]
February 19, 2009, 18:43
KallehI should, too, goofy. Arnie, the BBC announcer clearly stressed the second syllable. We do too.