Pronunciation Help
I've come across a few sites that offer a little help with pronunciations in several languages. I'm sure you have come across times when you are sure you or your colleagues are butchering a word or name. Here's a way to check and learn the correct pronunciation. You can even offer your own version of the truth by recording yourself saying the word or name.
And then you can risk seeming pretentious by your peers.
Forvo.com
A helpful site where you can look up a word or name, either by language or freely if you are not sure of the origin. Rather than a phonetic spelling of the word, you can hear the sound recording. For my daughter's name I found several interpretations which did not surprise me. At least you can eliminate some options rather than settle on a single pronunciation.
Inogolo offers itself as "English Pronunciation Guide to the Names of People, Places, and Stuff" Inogolo, we are told means "not-to-butcher". This site appears to use the same person pronouncing all the words. You can search the most mispronounced words which is always interesting as well as those in dispute. They also offer accepted variations. This site is organized and easy to search, and you don't have to wait for the sound.
And then you can risk seeming pretentious by your peers.
Forvo.com
A helpful site where you can look up a word or name, either by language or freely if you are not sure of the origin. Rather than a phonetic spelling of the word, you can hear the sound recording. For my daughter's name I found several interpretations which did not surprise me. At least you can eliminate some options rather than settle on a single pronunciation.
Inogolo offers itself as "English Pronunciation Guide to the Names of People, Places, and Stuff" Inogolo, we are told means "not-to-butcher". This site appears to use the same person pronouncing all the words. You can search the most mispronounced words which is always interesting as well as those in dispute. They also offer accepted variations. This site is organized and easy to search, and you don't have to wait for the sound.
Comments
I also founded a name pronunciation site with native speakers pronouncing names that may also be relevant. I'm relaunching it soon and the new design will be more user-friendly and is a much larger database.
www.howtosaythatname.com
J.