“Vir-Gin-Knee-Uh” or “Vir-Gin-Yuh”? Which is the preferred/higher-class pronunciation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wait until you meet a real mushmouth

Musbhbrain OP can fall in love and find a little mushroom to live in and raise a perfect mush baby and get a dog to mush.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my accent (British) it has 4 syllables. I had no idea I was offending so many people!

Only the people who enjoy being offended and are noxious in large doses. It's a blessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my accent (British) it has 4 syllables. I had no idea I was offending so many people!

It's fine. We don't expect you to know, and we know what you're talking about.

Not as funny as the Brit who said "Tee AH nek" (as in New Jersey)

[Anonymous]

What a bizarre post. Pronounce it the way the locals pronounce it, because THAT is how you're supposed to pronounce it. I won't think you're high class and educated (I'm probably more educated than you anyway), I'll just think "oh you're not from here and you're not making an effort to fit in"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

Idiotic thread and question.

Do you think it makes someone from Louisville feel self-conscious that some immigrant with a degree might say "Lou-ee-ville" rather than "Lou-a-ville"?

It’s pronounced “Low-Uh-Vul”

I would say: Lou uh vul, not Low uh vul.

Loi-ville.Thx.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

Are you concerned that your grammatical and vocabulary mistakes in the OP might cause better educated people to perceive you as a rube?

I apologize. American English is my seventh language.

You should not have so many languages. Mistake on your part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

Both of those are just wrong. It is Vir gin ya. Anything else is off. So your better educated friends are wrong and should be self conscious. They would be percieved as uneducated.

[Anonymous]

Anyone pronouncing it the first way is an asshat, but it’s actually good that they do it because right when you hear it you can think “Oh, this person is an asshat, no reason to waste my time here.” Also, it probably means they’re from the Richmond area, where a certain type of person likes to pretend it’s still a pocket of antebellum Southern charm and speaks like Foghorn Leghorn. Again, asshat alert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

Idiotic thread and question.

Do you think it makes someone from Louisville feel self-conscious that some immigrant with a degree might say "Lou-ee-ville" rather than "Lou-a-ville"?

It’s pronounced “Low-Uh-Vul”

I would say: Lou uh vul, not Low uh vul.

Loi-ville.Thx.

No. Loo-uh-vul.

[Anonymous]

Looahville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

I literally Lol'ED. thanks for the laugh.
In all seriousness, of course, I am awake at night many nights thinking about this

[Anonymous]

Veeeeer
Gen (hard "g," as in gay)
Eye
Uhhh (emphasis on last syllable - the more you stretch this out, the higher-class you sound.Trust me)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to the area, and I’ve noticed a couple distinct pronunciations of “Virginia”.

I’ve noticed well-educated foreign-born people, with whom I tend to identify with more, tend to use the four-syllable pronunciation, whereas native born Americans tend to use the lazier (IMO) three-syllable pronunciation. I’ve noticed the prevalence of use of the three-syllable pronunciation isn’t really bound by SES lines, with people who I’d otherwise associate with being upper-class still using the three-syllable pronunciation.

Which is correct? As native-born Americans, which do you use? If you use the three-syllable pronunciation, why? Does it concern you or make you feel self-conscious that better-educated people might perceive you as a rube? Why does America tolerate such colloquialisms in language?

Idiotic thread and question.

Do you think it makes someone from Louisville feel self-conscious that some immigrant with a degree might say "Lou-ee-ville" rather than "Lou-a-ville"?

It’s pronounced “Low-Uh-Vul”

I would say: Lou uh vul, not Low uh vul.

Loi-ville.Thx.

No. Loo-uh-vul.

I'm not from there, but my roommate from there said Loo-vull. Or more like Loo-vll.

[Anonymous]

So foreign people pronounce the state name wrong and you think they are right just because you like them more???

Vir Gin ya. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a bizarre post. Pronounce it the way the locals pronounce it, because THAT is how you're supposed to pronounce it. I won't think you're high class and educated (I'm probably more educated than you anyway), I'll just think "oh you're not from here and you're not making an effort to fit in"

+1
Or I will think “oh they don’t know English very well”.