Jean in Newcastle Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Poll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 But my pronunciation teds to be very non-standard - grew up on the East Coast, Lived on the West Coast, and now 8 years abroad...it is all over the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I pronounce it "neesh." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awisha. Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Neesh here in my part of Upside Down Land Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Rhymes with fish. I've never heard it pronounced any other way, but then I have standard book nerd pronounciation issues. Maybe I've never heard it pronounced at all and just THINK it's supposed to rhyme with fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Pronounced 'neesh' in the UK. Brits tend to be a bit better at pronouncing French words (French was long the standard MFL in UK schools) and worse at Spanish words. I heard a British specialist in growing chilis talking on the radio and pronouncing jalapeno as Ja-luh-PEA-no. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I voted "nich," which I assume means rhymes with "rich." That's how it's most often pronounced here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 it was nitch here when I was a kid and nike rhymed with bike and nestles was like a chick with her mother. Niche is now neesh, nike is nikey and nestles is nes-lay. Times change and so do pronunciations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Well, I had to look it up because I have never heard it pronounced any other way than niCH. I had no idea it wasn't always pronounced that way. HUH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Depends on the sentence - She has found her NITCH in the workplace. The statue is in the NEESH. I have no idea why, but I do this with either (EE-ther and EYE-ther) too. Different sentences get different pronunciations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I randomly, inconsistently use all three you've listed. I hadn't even realized I was all over the place with it until you asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 NITCH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I've heard it pronounced all three ways before. Dictionaries list nitch and neesh as acceptable, and nish is included in some too. I say nitch because it's more common in the US and neesh sounds pretentious to my ears, but I avoid speaking the word aloud because it bugs me. You can find sources that definitively claim nitch is correct (in America) because the pronunciation was Anglicized long ago, and a few say no, it's neesh because it shouldn't have ever been Anglicized. Others say both are right. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/how-do-you-pronounce-niche http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid/ http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/beastly/#Niche http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nic1.htm http://mentalfloss.com/article/32273/11-common-words-youre-probably-mispronouncing http://the-penultimate-word.com/2012/08/10/niche-an-appropriate-place-for-one-to-settle/ http://articles.courant.com/2008-11-11/news/words1111_1_middle-english-ak-ye http://thoughtcatalog.com/nico-lang/2013/08/24-words-you-might-not-know-youve-been-saying-incorrectly/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I've only ever heard it pronounced "neesh". New Englander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I voted "nich," which I assume means rhymes with "rich." That's how it's most often pronounced here. This, except with a hint of a "t" sound in there. Never heard it any other way. (so rhymes with "snitsch" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I know it's neesh, but if I called it neesh around here people would look at me like I was crazy. So I voted "nich." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Until today, I had no idea anyone said "neesh". If I heard someone say "neesh", I wouldn't know what they are talking about. I've never heard anyone say it any way other than "nich". Grew up in the Mid-Atlantic region and have lived in various parts of the South......... Perhaps it's regional but most places I've lived were highly transitional with people from all over the place locating there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I looked it up in the OED: Pronunciation: Brit. /niËʃ/ [as in bean] , /nɪtʃ/ [as in hill ], U.S. /nɪtʃ/ , /niʃ/ [as in happy] It also says N.E.D. (1907) gives only the pronunciation (nitʃ) /nɪtʃ/ and the pronunciation /niËʃ/ is apparently not recorded before this date. H. Michaelis & D. Jones Phonetic Dict. Eng. Lang. (1913), and all editions of D. Jones Eng. Pronouncing Dict. up to and including the fourteenth edition (1977) give /nɪtʃ/ as the typical pronunciation and /niËʃ/ as an alternative pronunciation. The fifteenth edition (1991) gives /niËʃ/ in British English and /nɪtʃ/ in U.S. English. ** What the heck is the difference between the "ee" sound in "bean" and "happy"?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I've always said Neesh, I have heard people use nitch, but I always thought it was just them mispronouncing another word since the ones who say nitch around here also mispronounce a lot of other words. I never realized that there were actually large amounts of people who said it a different way. All the people in the french communities around here say neesh and I thought it was a french word so I have followed their lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I say "neesh", if I hear it the other way I assume it's being mispronounced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfknitter.# Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I never knew there was another way to pronounce it other than "neesh". :confused1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I say "neesh", if I hear it the other way I assume it's being mispronounced. I've always said Neesh, I have heard people use nitch, but I always thought it was just them mispronouncing another word since the ones who say nitch around here also mispronounce a lot of other words. "Nitch" is not a mispronunciation in American English. See above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 "Nitch" is not a mispronunciation in American English. See above. But it sounds wrong to me. :lol: French words in English.... :smash: Although, I do say foyer as foy-er, not fo-yaa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 But it sounds wrong to me. :lol: French words in English.... :smash: Although, I do say foyer as foy-er, not fo-yaa We have a lake here called "Le Homme Dieu." Took me a good four years before I could hear the local pronunciation without twitching psychotically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 French words in English.... :smash: Although, I do say foyer as foy-er, not fo-yaa But in French is would be neither foy-er not fo-yaa, but roughly fwa-yeh. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 French roots are my spelling bee kid's nemesis. Anyhoo, here you can say nitch but someone will ask "do you mean neesh?" and you'll feel dumb and shamed into saying neesh forevermore. Only sorta joking. I stopped saying nitch in high school because my teachers corrected me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Question for those that say this "neesh" that I've never heard......... Do you mean like the ee in knee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Question for those that say this "neesh" that I've never heard......... Do you mean like the ee in knee? Yes. It's like kneesh. Listen to the Brits, Australians and Irish on this page. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Sounds like nitch here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid/ Just sharing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid/ Just sharing :) Eh. I disagree. It isn't a mispronunciation. I think it's like tomato, potato, amen, karate, and foyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I voted neesh, but I guess it's fair to say that context matters to me. I'd consider "neesh" to be "proper" and "nitch" to be more casual. Much in the way I might say "Yes, ma'am" in one context and "Yeah, okay" in another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 But it sounds wrong to me. :lol: French words in English.... :smash: Although, I do say foyer as foy-er, not fo-yaa I have only met a handful of people that say foy-er and I've never met anyone who says fo-yaa. I've always heard it foy-a with the a long and almost a w sound in the first syllable. I have always thought if the word was originally french, then I should be doing my best to say it the french way, or use a completely different term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I pronounce it nich, but when I read it is sounds like neesh in my head. No idea why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian summer Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I say neesh because my schooling was conducted in the French language. (East coast of Canada) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-incorrect-pronunciations-that-you-should-avoid/ Just sharing :) See my post above. I linked to the same page and multiple others that say just the opposite. I'm with Mental Floss and the OED; both are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 We have a lake here called "Le Homme Dieu." Took me a good four years before I could hear the local pronunciation without twitching psychotically. Oh, yeah, I lived in the Cajun south for 5 years. I quit trying to pronounce much of anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Neesh. Perhaps the 6 years of French in school (Canada) can be credited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 We have a lake here called "Le Homme Dieu." Took me a good four years before I could hear the local pronunciation without twitching psychotically. I must know how they pronounce it. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Definitely neesh. Do the nitch people also say kitch or keech for quiche? Genuinely curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Definitely neesh. Do the nitch people also say kitch or keech for quiche? Genuinely curious. I am a nitch person - although I won't be after today. ;) I have heard neesh, but assumed it was incorrect because I hear nitch much more often. I pronounce quiche 'keesh' and have never heard anybody pronounce it any other way. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I must know how they pronounce it. :) Lah homma doo. With a strong MN accent. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Rhymes with fish. I've never heard it pronounced any other way, but then I have standard book nerd pronounciation issues. Maybe I've never heard it pronounced at all and just THINK it's supposed to rhyme with fish? My mother LOL at me once when I said "tunic." Of course, I said "tun" (rhymes with bun) because I had never heard anyone say it out loud. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I say "neesh," but only because I heard someone pronounce it that way after I was grown and married. I never heard anyone say it when I was growing up so I just glommed on to the first pronunciation I heard. No one ever said "foyer," either. Today, I would probably pronounce it the way the people around me do. At my church, we say "narthex" so I'm off the hook there, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Oh, and while we're at it, we could discuss "clique." "click" or "cleek"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Do the nitch people also say kitch or keech for quiche? Of course not. Since when is English pronunciation consistent? ;) From the same Merriam-Webster dictionary: quiche \'kēsh\ niche \'nich also 'nēsh or 'nish\ I am more committed than ever now to avoid saying niche out loud at all if I can help it. No matter which way you say it, someone will think you're wrong—even though both are right. Groove is a groovy substitute. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Question for those that say this "neesh" that I've never heard......... Do you mean like the ee in knee? Like the Knights Who Say Ni! with a sh at the end. ;) I say it both ways depending on context as a PP does. No clue why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Like the Knights Who Say Ni! with a sh at the end. ;) :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhanaBee Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I grew up in a semi-affluent section of Southern California and only ever heard it pronounced "neesh". Moved to Colorado and was laughed out of a Bible Study once for pronouncing it that way. They pronounced it nich. {They also pronounced Buena Vista "Buuuna Vista" which drove me insane....but that's another story}. I'm now living in the Upper South and have heard it pronounced both nich and neesh. No one blinks an eye at the various accents, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 {They also pronounced Buena Vista "Buuuna Vista" which drove me insane....but that's another story}. They pronounced it that way because it's the name of the town and always has been since its founding. The woman who suggested the name knew the correct pronunciation but deliberately Americanized it so the bue- would match the first syllable in beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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