Do you say quarter with a /kw/ sound at the beginning?

[cathmom]

I realized that although "quarter" and "quart" start with "qu", which should be pronounced /kw/, I don't say it that way. I say "quart" as though it were "court" and "quarter" like "courter." However, I do say "quarry" and "quartz" with a /kw/ sound. I grew up in southern NJ with parents from Ohio and New York. Is there a region or regions in the English-speaking world where people say quart and quarter with a /kw/ sound?

[JudoMom]

I realized that although "quarter" and "quart" start with "qu", which should be pronounced /kw/, I don't say it that way. I say "quart" as though it were "court" and "quarter" like "courter." However, I do say "quarry" and "quartz" with a /kw/ sound. I grew up in southern NJ with parents from Ohio and New York. Is there a region or regions in the English-speaking world where people say quart and quarter with a /kw/ sound?

 

I do. I was raised in TN by parents who grew up in KS.

[NanceXToo]

Well I say it like you do, but I'm kinda from the same area- originally from New York, now living in Pennsylvania. I've never heard anybody use a kw sound, actually.

[Daisy]

I hear the /kw/ when I say quarter. I've lived all over the US so I'm not sure my location will help you any.

[BikeBookBread]

KW and hard "T" here. Raised in Washington State.

Edited June 13, 2010 by BikeBookBread

[Avila]

KW in St. Louis. And Texas. And everywhere else I have ever been too!

[gandpsmommy]

I realized that although "quarter" and "quart" start with "qu", which should be pronounced /kw/, I don't say it that way. I say "quart" as though it were "court" and "quarter" like "courter." However, I do say "quarry" and "quartz" with a /kw/ sound. I grew up in southern NJ with parents from Ohio and New York. Is there a region or regions in the English-speaking world where people say quart and quarter with a /kw/ sound?

 

I pronounce it the way you do, and so does everyone I can think of right now. I was born and raised in Ohio and live in Ohio currently.

[Quiver0f10]

/Kw/ I lived in New England until I was almost 40 and now in AR.

[radiobrain]

Kw.... Chicago.

[Hunter's Moon]

I believe people in Boston say quarter with the /kw/ sound, but that is just my experience with my brothers and the other people from Boston I have met.

 

Sometimes I say it that way because I got used to my brothers saying it that way, but I usually say it without the /kw/.

[Matryoshka]

Well... the only one of those four /qu/ words I say as kw is quarry.

 

I pronounce quartz the same way as quarts - that is, courts.

 

I think others here pronounce them the same way, or where did I pick that up? Lived in MA pretty much my whole life.

 

ETA: lived in MA my whole life, but don't have a "Boston Accent" - meaning, I do pronounce my Rs. I think Tigers is right that the Boston accent people do pronounce the kw. I say courter, they say kwatah.

Edited June 13, 2010 by matroyshka

[Mrs Mungo]

I am from Oklahoma, dh is from Texas (we are both from cities). We say it like "courter." I have heard people say it with the w sound, but they use a hard t.

[kewb]

I sau court and courter, kwartz and kwarry. Native Long Islander.

[sbgrace]

Sort of weird--my husband and I are both from Indiana and have parents both from Indiana. I say courter, court (more core-tr core-t) and he says kwarter, kwart.

 

I was curious. I have two six year olds. One told me the coin was a courter (core-tr) and the other said kwarter! FWIW--my "courter" guy strongly takes after my side of the family and the kwarter guy strongly my hubby's side.

 

Weird, huh?

Edited June 13, 2010 by sbgrace

[Mergath]

I've lived in Minnesota my whole life, and now that I think about it, I say cor-der.

[TravelingChris]

I grew up in Northern VA and am back to living here for now after 27 years absence. I say kw.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Kw and hard t - I grew up in Japan (but my parents are from PA and IA)

[ereks mom]

I realized that although "quarter" and "quart" start with "qu", which should be pronounced /kw/, I don't say it that way. I say "quart" as though it were "court" and "quarter" like "courter." However, I do say "quarry" and "quartz" with a /kw/ sound. I grew up in southern NJ with parents from Ohio and New York. Is there a region or regions in the English-speaking world where people say quart and quarter with a /kw/ sound?

 

My dad, who was from Michigan, said /korter/. Of course, he pronounced a lot of things in an odd way. He said /kawner/ instead of "corner", for example.

[Care]

I'm a suburban Chicago girl, and it's always been /kw/ for me. My husband, from southwestern Ontario, also says it with a /kw/ sound. As does our roommate, who was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta before he moved to SW Ontario.

 

I'm kind of suspecting that the regional dialect may be the "court" pronunciation and not the "kwart" one. :001_smile:

[Ravin]

I say them all "kw", I grew up in Idaho and Texas, with Californian parents. I think the "court" pronounciation is an East Coast thing.

Some linguist has probably done a dissertation on it, delineating the geographical distribution and everything.

[hornblower]

What a ...

 

queer question. :lol:

 

I say KW in all English words with qu that I can think of.

[MamaT]

I say the /kw/ for quart and quarter, and so does everyone I know. I live in NC, but lived my first 38 years in Florida.

[Just Robyn]

Iowa - quarter: /kwordr/

quart: /kwort/ or /kwor?/ where /?/ = glottal stop

[Dawn in OH]

/kw/ I've spent most of my life in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

[OrganicAnn]

I say it with the /kw/ Raised in California and Indiana.

 

I would imagine only some parts of the East would not do the /kw/.

[QueenCat]

"kw".... grew up in the mid-Atlantic, spent my adult life in various parts of the south, and normally hear the "kw" in others speaking.

[Teachin'Mine]

From the Yankee states too, and I say courter. I'm not kwick to change. We buy courts of half and half, but get rocks from the kwarry. :)

 

Here's another fun one - how do you pronounce crayons? Someone I know from Delaware pronounces it crowns. We say cray (like the crayfish) ons (opposite of offs).

[Care]

Here's another fun one - how do you pronounce crayons? Someone I know from Delaware pronounces it crowns. We say cray (like the crayfish) ons (opposite of offs).

 

My DH and roomie say cray-ons. I say crans (like cran-berries). :001_huh:

[smrtmama]

We say it with a /kw/ and I was raised in the Southeastern US.

[Veritaserum]

Me - KW from California

Dh - "korder" from upstate NY

[cathmom]

What a ...

 

queer question. :lol:

 

I say KW in all English words with qu that I can think of.

 

You made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!!

 

 

I'm kind of suspecting that the regional dialect may be the "court" pronunciation and not the "kwart" one. :001_smile:

 

LOL, that is what I was thinking when I realized that I don't say it right!

[TravelingChris]

I grew up in Northern VA and I say kw. My dd says kw too (the one who is still up). My dh says kw more of the time but sometimes slips back into k. He grew up in Northern NJ.

[simka2]

KW and hard "T" here. Raised in Washington State.

 

Same here! although after spending more than a decade in the midwest the "T" isn't quite so pronounced!!!!!

[Wheres Toto]

NJ here and I say court-er and court. But I use the kw sound for queer, question and quarry.

[Irene Lynn]

Another from Indiana with parents, who have lived here most of their lives. I say "kwarter". My dad was also an English major. My mother sounds a bit southern for some reason. I have also had voice lessons, so I tend to pronounce things more clearly, at least when I think about it. :)

[mommyrooch]

I am from Oklahoma, dh is from Texas (we are both from cities). We say it like "courter." I have heard people say it with the w sound, but they use a hard t.

 

Now see, that's funny. :lol: I am also from Oklahoma. I was born here and I still live here. I've been an Okie my whole life and I say quarter with the KW sound. I can definitely hear the W when I say it. I also use the KW sound for queen, quart, quiet, etc. Any word I say that starts with qu I pronounce with the KW sound.

 

So, obviously it's not completely regional since Mrs. Mongo and I are both from Oklahoma and say it differently. :tongue_smilie:

[Susan in KY]

/kwarder/ and /kwart/ here. I was raised in Indiana.

[Food4Thought]

I say corder. My DH insists he says kworder (and puts in a little jab about my pronunciation being "lazy") though his pronunciation sounds just like corder to me. We were both raised in the pacific NW.

[edithcrawley]

I say "courter" (quarter) and "court" (quart) but I also say "kwarry"(quarry) "kwestion" (question) and "kwell" (quell)

 

born and raised in Central Indiana

[Ellie]

/kw/ here. Grew up in Virginia and other parts Southern, spent almost 30 years in California.

[Tap]

KW for all-Grew up in Oregon until 10yo, but lived all over the US

[Sugarfoot]

DH and I both grew up in MO. We both say "corder." So does DD, although she insists she pronounces the "kw" sound;)mommy is nuts!- DD

[Amber in AUS]

Everyone i know uses the /kw/ sound for those words. Born and raised in Australia :D

[OhM]

I'm accustomed to saying & hearing /kw/ - in central OH for all my life.

 

But now that I think about it, I think the "w" is pretty subtle, but definitely there.

[Melinda in VT]

I sau court and courter, kwartz and kwarry. Native Long Islander.

 

This is me, too. I grew up in Oregon, raised by parents who gew up in Oregon.

[Ester Maria]

I say /kwarter/, but I'm not a native speaker. I think that I always prounounce QU- as /kw/.

[Di3kids]

KW in Wisconsin!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I say courter (quarter) and court (quart), but say kwartz (quartz) and kwarry (quarry). So does dh. Both of us and all of our parents are from northeast Ohio. Northern Ohio has way different pronunciation than central or southern Ohio.

[Laura Corin]

I say 'cawtuh'. LOL. Middle class southern England.

 

Laura

[sleepymommy]

kw (Va, Nj, Ny)