How do you pronounce this word?

[DawnM]

We have been looking at houses, so I have heard this word more than normal lately.  I have heard it many, many different ways.

 

 

But please answer honestly and before you google.  About 90% of the people who say it (who I hear) don't pronounce it the Webster's dictionary way.

 

There might even be more ways, but these are the ones I have heard recently.

[Melissa in Australia]

not sure if I have ever heard the word before so I will have to look it up to see what it is before I can vote

[Melissa in Australia]

Ah, I see. It is a North American word. I have never heard of the word and have no idea how it would be pronounced

[DawnM]

not sure if I have ever heard the word before so I will have to look it up to see what it is before I can vote

 

 

What do you call them?  They are people who work to list and sell homes.

[nobeatenpath]

I'm an Australian, have lived in UK/Germany/Turkey in the past 7 years.  I say real-ter.

In Australia they are usually called real estate agents, though it is not that unusual for realtor to be used.

[Melissa B]

I voted but not really any of those. I put the emphasis on RE and those all appear to put the emphasis at the end of the world. REE-al-tore

[Daria]

I voted but not really any of those. I put the emphasis on RE and those all appear to put the emphasis at the end of the world. REE-al-tore

I voted real-ter but I am pronouncing real like the word Real which I say as a 2 syllable word with the accent on REE.

 

I think we pronounce it almost the same. I was also on the fence between ter and tore

[DawnM]

I voted but not really any of those. I put the emphasis on RE and those all appear to put the emphasis at the end of the world. REE-al-tore

 

 

Ah, no, that isn't what I meant to do, but not sure I can change it.

[SproutMamaK]

REAL - ter over here. I haven't heard it any other way, and that's how it's pronounced on radio and television ads for them, so... even if that pronounciation doesn't agree with Webster's, perhaps language has shifted on this one and Webster's hasn't kept up? Or it could just be a local colloquialism, I suppose.

[strange_girl]

Real-ter. We're in Maine, so that might skew our pronunciation, lol.

[GailV]

Ree-al-tore if I'm thinking about it.  Ree-al-ter if I'm talking really fast.

 

It's changed over time.  Before I dealt with so many I would've said real-ter, probably.  Then MIL got her realty license, and I always said "realty" with 3 syllables, so that carried over to the person with the license.

[maize]

I say Ree-al-ter; if I'm just saying the word "real" I say it "reel".

[J-rap]

REE-el-ter, emphasis on the first syllable.  Midwest.

[edelweiss]

I used to say "real-a-tore" or "real-a-ter".  Then I went to work for the National Association of Realtors (not as a realtor, but as a Marketing Director).  I was corrected really fast!!!  I was told that the word does not have that extra "a" sound after real.  That makes sense when you look at the word.  I guess I just heard others say it that way, and I picked it up.  Ever since then I've said "real-ter" maybe "real-tore".  I'm torn between those two.

[Daria]

I say Ree-al-ter; if I'm just saying the word "real" I say it "reel".

I say both real and reel as a two syllable word. As if it was Ree Le (last syllable like the end of turtle without the t).

[Matryoshka]

REAL-ter. 'Real' only has one syllable around here (northeast)

[xixstar]

I am guilty of adding an extra sound that doesn't exist in the word. Sigh. Though it's a very subtle one that would possibly be overlooked in conversation. It's only when I draw the word out that I hear it.

[happypamama]

"Real estate agent" is how I pronounce it. :D

 

(Not all agents are Realtors.  I held a license to sell real estate for a while, but I never joined the national association, so I was not technically a Realtor.)

 

But, I say it somewhere between "real-ter" or "real-tore," closer to the former.

[Crimson Wife]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce the word with 3 syllables. But I've only ever lived in New England and California.

[regentrude]

ree-al-tor

[regentrude]

Why would anybody say real-a-tor or something like this? There is no letter between the l and the t in the word, so why would there be an extra sound?

It's like certain people saying "nu-cu-lar" instead of "nuclear"

Edited April 16, 2016 by regentrude

[Mergath]

Kind of halfway between real-ter and real-tore. I know it has an "or" at the end, but emphasizing that too much sounds a bit silly to me.

[poppy]

For some reason, it bugs me when people say real-a-tor BUT it doesn't bug me when people say nuke-u-lar. 
Highly illogical.

[Cinder]

I didn't vote. I use 2-ish syllables for the "real" part--more like ree-ul-ter.

[happi duck]

I didn't vote. I use 2-ish syllables for the "real" part--more like ree-ul-ter.

Me too.

[Tanaqui]

Why would anybody say real-a-tor or something like this? There is no letter between the l and the t in the word, so why would there be an extra sound?

It's like certain people saying "nu-cu-lar" instead of "nuclear"

 

Epenthesis (for realtor) and metathesis (for nuclear), that is, the insertion of a new sound or the switching of sounds within a word, respectively. Intermedial -lt- is tricky for some people to say, and "nucular" fits the general sound pattern of "molecular, spectacular" and so on. I actually can't think of very many words that end with -clear at all.

 

These are phonological processes that make words easier to say. Many English words formed by these processes. For example, consider "bird" and "third" - originally, they were "brid" and "thrid" (compare "three"). Or compare "messenger" and "passenger" to their root words "message" and "passage". We stuck -n- in those words.

 

Remember, speech is primary. Making words easy to say and comprehensible is more important than following the spelling. None of us says "iron", after all, to sound like "eye ron". The other reason people use those pronunciations is because those are the pronunciations they're familiar with. All of us try to sound like the people around us, usually unconsciously.

 

As for "the Webster pronunciation", Merriam-Webster specifically lists "realator" as a widespread and valid pronunciation. They also list "nucular". The dictionary is descriptive, not prescriptive.

[maize]

I love it when Tanaqui weighs in on these language threads :)

[Matryoshka]

I love it when Tanaqui weighs in on these language threads :)

 

I was thinking the same thing. :)  I love linguistics.  I should have taken way more classes in linguistics in college (I considered doing a grad degree in it, but couldn't figure out what I'd do with it after, since I had no interest in working in academia...)

Edited April 16, 2016 by Matryoshka

[Tsuga]

Epenthesis (for realtor) and metathesis (for nuclear), that is, the insertion of a new sound or the switching of sounds within a word, respectively. Intermedial -lt- is tricky for some people to say, and "nucular" fits the general sound pattern of "molecular, spectacular" and so on. I actually can't think of very many words that end with -clear at all.

 

These are phonological processes that make words easier to say. Many English words formed by these processes. For example, consider "bird" and "third" - originally, they were "brid" and "thrid" (compare "three"). Or compare "messenger" and "passenger" to their root words "message" and "passage". We stuck -n- in those words.

 

Remember, speech is primary. Making words easy to say and comprehensible is more important than following the spelling. None of us says "iron", after all, to sound like "eye ron". The other reason people use those pronunciations is because those are the pronunciations they're familiar with. All of us try to sound like the people around us, usually unconsciously.

 

As for "the Webster pronunciation", Merriam-Webster specifically lists "realator" as a widespread and valid pronunciation. They also list "nucular". The dictionary is descriptive, not prescriptive.

 

I say iron... irun.

 

I appreciate your explanation of this phenomenon. We say "REul" for "real life" and we say "Reultor". Almost phonetic, but the a becomes a schwa and the "o" is heading in that direction so it sounds like "er" at the end.

[myfunnybunch]

I voted but not really any of those. I put the emphasis on RE and those all appear to put the emphasis at the end of the world. REE-al-tore

Ditto.

 

Also, I voted real-ter, but I had to say it four or five times out loud, because I kind of land between "-ter" and "-tore" at the end.

[Tanaqui]

I say iron... irun.

 

You do? Learn something new every day, I just assumed everybody said i-ern like I do! (Note to self: Seriously, start typing IPA.)

 

[Tanaqui]

(I considered doing a grad degree in it, but couldn't figure out what I'd do with it after, since I had no interest in working in academia...)

 

Make up languages for sci-fi movies and tv shows?

 

[Bluegoat]

I said with the "a", but really it is kind of in between having the "a" and not having it.  Like a little pause in the word that implies but doesn't quite say the "a".

[Laura Corin]

You do? Learn something new every day, I just assumed everybody said i-ern like I do! (Note to self: Seriously, start typing IPA.)

I say eye-uhn, no 'r'.

 

Estate agent in the UK generally, but just as likely to be 'solicitor' in Scotland - many solicitors market property.

[Tanaqui]

I say eye-uhn, no 'r'.

 

Is your dialect non-rhotic in general?

[redsquirrel]

I say real-a-ter but have no idea what the correct pronunciation would be. 

[Happy]

I am one...

 

Real  tore

 

Drives me crazy when someone puts an a in there. :)

[Laura Corin]

Is your dialect non-rhotic in general?

Yes. To the extent that when Hobbes saw a speech therapist in Scotland, she said that she would have worked on his 'r' had his background been Scottish, but given my accent and his growing up overseas, it wasn't appropriate.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Laura Corin

[maize]

Yes. To the extent that when Hobbes saw a speech therapist in Scotland, she said that she would have worked on his 'r' had his background been Scottish, but given my accent and his growing up overseas, it wasn't appropriate.

 

It is really, really too bad that my kids don't have that excuse. All but one have trouble with r, my 10 year old still can't get it after years of speech therapy. He's getting closer, but his mouth just doesn't want to form the sound.

 

He does a lovely French r...

[8circles]

Epenthesis (for realtor) and metathesis (for nuclear), that is, the insertion of a new sound or the switching of sounds within a word, respectively. Intermedial -lt- is tricky for some people to say, and "nucular" fits the general sound pattern of "molecular, spectacular" and so on. I actually can't think of very many words that end with -clear at all.

 

These are phonological processes that make words easier to say. Many English words formed by these processes. For example, consider "bird" and "third" - originally, they were "brid" and "thrid" (compare "three"). Or compare "messenger" and "passenger" to their root words "message" and "passage". We stuck -n- in those words.

 

Remember, speech is primary. Making words easy to say and comprehensible is more important than following the spelling. None of us says "iron", after all, to sound like "eye ron". The other reason people use those pronunciations is because those are the pronunciations they're familiar with. All of us try to sound like the people around us, usually unconsciously.

 

As for "the Webster pronunciation", Merriam-Webster specifically lists "realator" as a widespread and valid pronunciation. They also list "nucular". The dictionary is descriptive, not prescriptive.

 

That is fascinating.  I want to be you when I grow up.  Ignorant question, is this linguistics?  I'd love to study this more.

[8circles]

I say iron... irun.

 

I appreciate your explanation of this phenomenon. We say "REul" for "real life" and we say "Reultor". Almost phonetic, but the a becomes a schwa and the "o" is heading in that direction so it sounds like "er" at the end.

 

Huh.  I say eye-urn for iron.  I've never noticed it pronounced differently.

[8circles]

DS8 used to have a hard time with his "s" sound.  His name is Samson.  He'd say his name was "yam-yun".  I wish I had it on video.

[Tanaqui]

That is fascinating. I want to be you when I grow up. Ignorant question, is this linguistics? I'd love to study this more.

 

It certainly is linguistics, or anyway a branch thereof.

 

You know, most of my knowledge (in all fields) is self-taught. There's tons of linguistic information on the internet, even if you just start with wikipedia.

[Guest]

Here's another one, not really asking, just poking it in here:  jewelry

 

JEW-luh-ree 

 

(Umm...JEW'l-ree...)

 

:0)  

 

Just don't get my mother started...she has a list as long as your arm.  LOL

 

[Amy in NH]

There is a highway near me that is spelled Kancamagus.  I did not grow up in the north country, and had only heard it spelled until we moved up here.  I was in disbelief when I first saw it on the highway sign.   Everyone pronounces it Kang-uh-mang-us.  Go figure. 

[8circles]

It certainly is linguistics, or anyway a branch thereof.

 

You know, most of my knowledge (in all fields) is self-taught. There's tons of linguistic information on the internet, even if you just start with wikipedia.

 

I'd happily accept any recommendations of where to start. :)

[Bluegoat]

I say iron... irun.

 

I appreciate your explanation of this phenomenon. We say "REul" for "real life" and we say "Reultor". Almost phonetic, but the a becomes a schwa and the "o" is heading in that direction so it sounds like "er" at the end.

 

I also say irun, and that is normal here.  Are you in New England?

[Bluegoat]

The town I grew up near had a street named Tatar street. But everyone called it Tar-ter. If you had asked someone where Tatar street was they wouldn't have had a clue, but say Tarter and they had it. 

 

Similarly in Houston, there is a street spelled Fuqua. Everyone native to here (that I've ever heard, including the traffic broadcasts on TV and radio) pronounce it Fu-quay, with a long A. You can always tell out-of-towners who pronounce it Fu-qua. I've always wondered how either of these come about. Guess it's the same with realtors. It is heard and repeated. :)

 

In my experience place name are just loaded with those kinds of differences with how they are written and said.

 

In a lot of cases where I live it is because the name is from a different language.  Or, it reflects an older way of speaking.

[Crimson Wife]

I also say irun, and that is normal here.  Are you in New England?

 

I'm from New England and pronounce iron as a single syllable. Kind of like "urn" or "cairn" but with a long i.

 

This is why I'm struggling in the phonetics course I'm taking this semester. I don't think of myself as having a particularly strong New England accent but I pronounce certain words differently enough from the author of the textbook that I keep transcribing them "incorrectly".  :mad: 

 

[Alicia64]

Forever I said real-a-tor, and then my dingy mom corrected me by saying "everyone" now says "real-ter." (She and I don't get along and she was thrilled to find a reason to correct me.)

 

At first I couldn't even hear the difference.

 

Alley