How come British people can't pronounce aluminum?
by 
koldkanuck
ANSWERS: 20
-
Because they have the same issue with Advertisements.
-
Why can't everyone else pronounce it? They had the language first, they're right.
-
The same way I can't say Massachusetts..or Bawston:):)
-
It's better than the Australian annuciation: ALLOWMOONYUM.
-
Not only do the three types of English sound different, but they are also spelled differently. In some ways, the spelling reflects the difference in pronunciation. For instance, Americans use the world airplane to refer to a flying mode of transportation. In Great Britain, the word is aeroplane, and it is pronounced with an audible "o" sound. Another common difference in spelling is aluminium, which is the UK spelling, and aluminum, the US spelling. Again, the difference shows the difference in pronunciation of the two words. In this instance the Australian spelling is the same as the UK spelling.What is wota?
-
*LOL* are you trying to start a fight?
-
They can't?
-
the british pronounce it correctly we are the ones whom are incorrect.
-
Well said alaveno.. It called the 'english' for a reason!!
-
I am Irish and we pronounce it the same way as the Brits. I think Americans pronounce it wrong :D its just what your used to hearing!!
-
Because in British English, it isn't pronounced aluminum. It's pronounced aluminium. Remember that the various kinds of English have common roots, but there are differences. This is no different than when an American says that someone "is in the hospital," while a Briton would say someone "is in hospital." The fun part about this is that languages are always somewhat arbitrary -- they represent nothing more than a collective agreement about what a particular sequence of sounds means. Complicated, but very human....and very fun to figure out.
-
Maybe we say it right and everyone else says it wrong?!
-
We pronounce it 'aluminium' because it's discoverer named it that in Britain, to fit in with other elements ending in 'ium'. Then he went over to the US and decided that 'aluminum' sounded much nicer, so he'd call it that instead. But the Brits said 'no! you can't just change stuff' while the easy going american just said ok... I thik there's a message in there for us all about cultural differences somewhere...
-
Well, the word is ALUMINIUM and the Language you speak of is ENGLISH.....(Hint in the Language name as to who invented it!) How many Americans can even spell Colour...or Favourite.. But then I think you made it up spellingwise the way you Colonials do...
-
its their accent.....UHDUH!
-
They can. It is just said differently in that part of the world. We sound just as strange to them when we say it the other way.
-
They can, it's just said differently. You are aware there are many kinds of languages and dialects, right?
-
They can pronounce it perfectly well, just differently to you.
-
Those of us who speak the Queen's proper English pronounce "aluminum" the way it's correctly spelled: aluminium. ;o)
-
The British are correct. Americans, such as myself, littered in the pronunciation park to make it the way we wanted.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC