Most annoying mispronunciation

<<One of my peeves is when someone pronounces my state as "Missoura".>>

Yeah, I hate that too. Especially because I live in Massachusetts.

*drum* pa-ta-pa-pshhh!

Sorry, I'm feeling silly today.

<<One of my peeves is when someone pronounces my state as "Missoura". >>

1. Hmmm...I've never heard anyone pronounce Missouri that way.
2. I thought you were from France.

I have heard people say "Missoura," but they weren't from Missouri (or Massachusetts). I think they say it that way because they heard somewhere that that's how it's pronounced in Missouri. Maybe in the past that was how some people in Missouri pronounced it. Some people call San Francisco "Frisco," but I've never heard a San Franciscan call it that. A few out-of-towners I've talked to thought that was the way San Franciscans refer to their city.

*Not* to get political...but I remember once on the news it showed John Kerry campaigning in Missouri, and he pronounced it "Missoura". I supported him, but it still made me cringe.

Bush pronounces it "Missoura" (or Mizzourah) too.

I've always heard that people from the southern end of the state pronounce it that way, while people in the north INSIST that it's "Missou-REE". In fact, I remember reading an article on Brad Pitt, who was raised in Springfield, where he corrected the writer, saying it's pronounced "Missoura". Maybe it's a southern thing.

<=Bush pronounces it "Missoura" (or Mizzourah) too.=>

Yeah, but we already know Bush's track record with pronounciations.

<=I've always heard that people from the southern end of the state pronounce it that way, while people in the north INSIST that it's "Missou-REE". In fact, I remember reading an article on Brad Pitt, who was raised in Springfield, where he corrected the writer, saying it's pronounced "Missoura". Maybe it's a southern thing.=>

Could be. My GF calls it "Missoura" and her family is from southern Missouri. I'm from Kansas City, in northwestern Missouri, and I pronounce it the right way.

Missouri... that's a weird sounding name. I just had that thing happen where if you think about a word too much it starts to sound weird. Missouri... it sounds almost like "misery."

Can I hear the difference between "ICE and EYES, and LICE and LIES"? pls...

"Ice" and "eyes" sound the same, except "ice" has /s/ as in "sap", and "eyes" has /z/ as in "zap".

Same for "lice" and "lies" - "lice" has /s/, and "lies" has /z/.

(Then there's Canadian raising, of course, but that isn't really relevant for someone learning English.)

I wasn't sure thanks a bunch...

About the pronunciation of "Missouri" being "Missoura" -- I've heard it most often in southern U.S. speech. It's that [i] at the end of words that they pronounce as a schwa.

About the Cro-Magnon. Although they originated in a French cave (Homo Sapiens) they spread to the rest of the world after that.

By the way, France has some amazing cave art that was done 10 to 20 thousand years ago.

Yeah. Chirac did it.

His long life mate was called Margaret Thatcher. They lived happily ever after in a cave and a thatched house. It is thought that their children spoke better French than English.