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10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life - Travel - Nairaland

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10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:13am On May 10, 2018
To avoid any more travel blunders, here's a list of 10 countries you need to pronounce appropriately.
It’s easy for us to mispronounce some names of places in the world, especially when we don't even speak that language.
To avoid any more travel blunders, here's a list of 10 countries you need to pronounce appropriately.
1. Dubai
It is not Du-BYE. Rather say Du-BAY. Doo (Rhymes with new) Bay (Rhymes with day) Doo-bay.

Dubai is an Arabic word that means rich settlement, so many people pronounce it according to spelling, this is wrong in Arabic.

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:14am On May 10, 2018
2. Iraq
Don’t say EYE-RACK. Say EE-ROCK

There are several suggestions for the origin of the name of Iraq; one dates back to the Sumerian city of Uruk (or Erech). Another suggestion is that Iraq comes from the Aramaic language, meaning "the land along the banks of the rivers."

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:15am On May 10, 2018
3. Qatar
Don’t say: Kuh-TAR

Say: CUT-TER

The term 'Catara' (inhabitants, Cataraei) was exclusively used until the 18th century, after which 'Katara' emerged as the most commonly recognised spelling. Eventually, modern derivative Qatar was adopted as the country's name.

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:15am On May 10, 2018
4. Greenwich, London
Don’t say: green-witch

Say: grEN-ITCH

Meaning "green harbour" or "green trading place." The word was derived from Old English Grēnawīċ, Grēnewīċ before adopting Greenwich. It was a Royal Observatory founded on June 22, 1675, by King Charles II.

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:16am On May 10, 2018
5. Budapest
Don’t say: boo-duh-pest

Say: boo-duh-PESHT

Budapest, formed in 1872 was the merger of two cities on opposite shores of the Danube, Buda (probably from a word originally meaning "water"wink + Pest, a Hungarian word meaning "furnace, oven, cove."

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:17am On May 10, 2018
6. Maldives
Never say: Mall-Dives

Say: Mawl-deevz or mol-deevz.

Maldives is a combination of "Malé Islands", from Malé, the name of the main island plus -diva, -dive, "island".

9 Likes 3 Shares

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by swiz123(m): 11:17am On May 10, 2018
Mexico

Don't say ME-ZI-KO

Say ME-HI-KO

My one cent.

However, mr op is wrong. You don't expect an English man to pronounce like an Arabian.

We should all pronounce words in our own accent.

With that said;
Mexico = mezico
Paris = pehris
Dubai =dyubai or du:bai

76 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:17am On May 10, 2018
7. Iran
Don't say: Eye-rahn

Say: Ee-rahn

Iranians have always called it Iran, meaning "the land of Aryans" and Iranshahr. In Middle Persian sources, the name Arya and Iran is used for the pre-Sassanid Iranian empires as well as the Sassanid empire.

9 Likes 2 Shares

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:25am On May 10, 2018
8. Beijing
Don't say: Bay-jihng

Rather: Bey-Jihng

The name Beijing, which means "Northern Capital" (from the Chinese characters 北 for north and 京 for capital), was applied to the city in 1403 during the Ming dynasty to distinguish the city from Nanjing (the "Southern Capital"wink.

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Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:26am On May 10, 2018
9. Paris
Don't say: Peh-riss

Rather: Pah-ree

From Middle English Parys or Paris, from Old French Paris, from the Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lutetia Parisiorum "Lutetia of the Parisii", from Latin Parisii, a Gaulish tribe.

15 Likes 3 Shares

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by amzee(m): 11:27am On May 10, 2018
10. Moscow
Don't say: Mohsk-ow

Rather: Moh-skoh

Originally Moskha, later when Slavic tribes conquered the city they transformеd to Moscow because of the specificity of the Slavic languages.


Source http://cdn-af.op-mobile.opera.com/news/detail/ed96fdc1a532ffc0da16746aa8ae623e_ng?uid=7497db6496977b432fda3adbd9427066b133ce1f&client=mini&features=4
Lalasticlala

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by OMNIVIRUS(m): 11:28am On May 10, 2018
Good one OP

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Crocky23: 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
Who cares? Does it even matter?
Get an Arab to pronounce a Nigerian word and see how it goes. Or try Chinese man with an African word.

Americans pronounce Iran as Eye-ran.
It's waste of time pretending to be native of a place when you know you are not. You'd only end up sounding fooolish.

138 Likes 9 Shares

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by dermmy(m): 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
Lol. See my life outside. Thanks OP

5 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Icon4s(m): 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
amzee:
To avoid any more travel blunders, here's a list of 10 countries you need to pronounce appropriately.
It’s easy for us to mispronounce some names of places in the world, especially when we don't even speak that language.
To avoid any more travel blunders, here's a list of 10 countries you need to pronounce appropriately.
1. Dubai
It is not Du-BYE. Rather say Du-BAY. Doo (Rhymes with new) Bay (Rhymes with day) Doo-bay.

Dubai is an Arabic word that means rich settlement, so many people pronounce it according to spelling, this is wrong in Arabic.

Is Dubai a country?

39 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Ormorlehwah(f): 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
OMNIVIRUS:
Good one OP

2 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Ufranklin92(m): 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
You mean say I have been pronouncing it wrong all this while

11 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by ThinkSmarter: 2:18pm On May 10, 2018
So i should stop pronouncing DUBAI /du:bai/ And start forming queen's english speaker.
i only know DUBE as the surname of late S.A reggae musician.
sorry op, e no go work

7 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Felixalex(m): 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
Good, but u should edit your topic with immediate effect...

Those are countries and cities on your list, not just countries

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by tollytexy(m): 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
Don't say Buhari.. say Booo - warri

26 Likes 2 Shares

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by oshe11: 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
I've been doing that........
Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by CriticMaestro: 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
Nigeria
Not Najeriya like one foool usually calls it

3 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Nobody: 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
Interesting

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by MrGreenMavro: 2:19pm On May 10, 2018
shocked

1 Like

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by oshe11: 2:20pm On May 10, 2018
Icon4s:

Is Dubai a country?

16 Likes

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by AshCoded(m): 2:20pm On May 10, 2018
nice one man
bt ah never hear DAT no 6 bfr sha....
we learn everyday.

1 Like

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by Icon4s(m): 2:20pm On May 10, 2018
Some of the names you have there not countries. They are cities.
Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by tollytexy(m): 2:20pm On May 10, 2018
Ufranklin92:
;DW

Bookshop lomo latile

1 Like

Re: 10 Countries You've Been Mispronouncing Your Entire Life by nairavsdollars(f): 2:20pm On May 10, 2018
How do i pronounce Kyrgyzstan?

1 Like

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