How do you pronounce Perrier? (my dh is wrong!)

Gold Member Joined: Feb 13 2007 Posts: 1263

Okay, so DH asked me to get him some "perry-air" water tonight. He claims that this is how Americans pronounce it, so it's correct *here* even though it's technically the wrong pronunciation. Come on, he's totally wrong, no?? I always say it the proper way and everyone I know did too, until tonight. LOL

Americans have a longstanding tradition of messing up pronunciation (and often spelling) of words to fit our accents. Think of any city in the U.S. that was originally French, Spanish or Native American.

Anyway, I think it's better to say words with an American accent than attempt to say them in French, Spanish or whatever and just mess up the pronunciation anyway. Unless you're doing it for fun. But please try to do it seriously with a French person in the room and see how they react.

I mean, I don't know how it should be pronounced. I'm not a native French speaker. But chances are, if you're pronouncing it 'perry-ay' the French people will laugh at you as much as they laugh at people pronouncing it 'perry-air.'

Most likely it's something like 'pehr-ree-ay' with the 'pehr' having that delicate pitch somewhere between 'eh' and 'ai.' And, of course, you should be rolling the r's with your throat. Laughing

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Active Poster Joined: Jun 23 2011 Posts: 35

do NOT pronounce the last R in 'Perrier'

pronouncing it 'perry-ay' is fine.

perry-ay
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Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8963

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8963

Privately my dh calls it "Derriere water". Ever one to poke holes in pretensions, he is. It's rather amusing the first three times you hear it. After that, not so much.

Gold Member Joined: Aug 24 2010 Posts: 1488

OP, how do you pronounce hors d'oeuvres?

Executive Member Joined: Apr 07 2010 Posts: 353

horse- devours! and so do ppl.
au-derve

Gold Member Joined: Feb 05 2008 Posts: 2428 Location: UK

perry eh.
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20496

Pear-YEH
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Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2009 Posts: 3162

Gold Member Joined: Jun 11 2008 Posts: 1974 Location: NJ

Exactly Tamiri. No yay because it doesn't end in -I.

click on the audio thing http://translate.google.com/#fr|yi|Perrier
Though most people make a short I
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Gold Member Joined: Feb 13 2007 Posts: 1263

Thanks for proving me right, guys! I'm going to send this link to dh. Smile

(FTR, the correct way to pronounce it in America is different from the true French pronunciation. French people say it like Tamiri said, along with an "r" sound in the middle that's all throaty and French sounding. Perrier knew that Americans would never be able to pronounce it properly, so they marketed it in TV ads as "perry-ay.")

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 18 2010 Posts: 3035

As a French-American, I am on your side Very Happy

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2009 Posts: 3162

No one asks for a perfect accent. But horse devours? really, just say starter. For your own sake.

http://translate.google.fr/#fr|en|hors-d%27oeuvres (though I don't think she pronounces it right either, the "huh" sound is just wrong)