The correct pronunciation of the word "Garage".

[Ian_M]

Quick question: The correct pronunciation of the word "Garage".
Is "Garage" pronounced "Ga-ridge" or a softer "Ga-rah-ge".
We say for "Storage" : "Stor-ridge" never "Stor-rah-ge" , and for "Mirage" :Never "Mir-ridge" , but "Mir-rah-ge".
The structure of all these words is the same, therefore what governs the pronounciation of these words.
Hmmm? Is it because some of these words are derived from France?
Thanks... Ian Mathieson.

[Tdol]

You'll hear both pronunciations used. In the UK, the more conservative view of language tends to favour "Ga-rah-ge". However, I cannot account for the incosistency in pronunciation.

[Umut HIZAR]

I've allways heard and used it as [ga-rah-ge]; I agree with you that it must be because ıf its origin.

[AlainK]

Originally Posted by Umut HIZAR

I've allways heard and used it as [ga-rah-ge]; I agree with you that it must be because ıf its origin.

Yes, garage and mirage (most likely) come from the French.
But "storage" is English, there is no such verb as "storer" in french. It was probably constructed on the model of the others.
What is interesting (to me at least ) is that in French, "storage" is "stockage", from the English "stock" and the French suffix -age.
-age is added to a verb to express "the action of..."
(se) garer -> to park, un garage -> a place where you can park a car (parking lot, car-park; garage : where they are parked to be repaired)
And we say "un parking" for a car-park

[JJM Ballantyne]

"Is 'Garage' pronounced 'Ga-ridge' or a softer 'Ga-rah-ge.'"

Your choice. Either is fine. Pick one and stick with it.

[Umut HIZAR]

Originally Posted by JJM Ballantyne

"Is 'Garage' pronounced 'Ga-ridge' or a softer 'Ga-rah-ge.'"

Your choice. Either is fine. Pick one and stick with it.

The softer one 'Ga-rah-ge.'"

[gu'raazh] American
[ga'raazh] or [garji]

[Umut HIZAR]

English pronunciation varies considerably across the English speaking world. WordWeb only provides a rough guide, concentrating on the “standard” American and RP (BBC English) varieties that are widely comprehended. The correct local pronunciation will depend on where you are. In particular the vowel sounds vary very widely; words that rhyme in one locale may not in another (though in many cases vowel sounds change in a consistent pattern).

Hold the mouse cursor over the pronunciation to display a larger breakdown into the following sounds:

b but a cat, anger u ado, about
d door ã cast, grass* ú up, brother
f fall aa arm, calm û book, put
g good aw out, now
h happy e bet, egg
j jug eh air, wear
k cut ee sleep, each
l list ey day, rain
m moon eu coiffeur
n near i tip, inch
p part I eye, fry ch rich
r rest** o organ, law sh shut
s soft ó cot, orange* th theme
t turn oo too, food dh the
v village ow toad, own zh confusion
w wet ów cold, whole ng sing
y yet oy boy, boil xh Bach
z zoom
* These vowel sounds move around considerably with location. In the US ó often sounds similar to aa or sometimes o. In the south UK ã is the same as aa, but in the US and north UK usually the sound is like a (the actual sound of a is also different).
** In British “RP” r is generally only sounded if before a vowel; ur is sometimes as in fir.


Primary stresses are marked with ‘, secondary stresses with `. The stress can vary depending on part of speech and in some cases the sense.

Sounds that are sometimes present are enclosed in brackets.

Examples:

other ' údhu(r) quirky 'kwurkee
overlook [n] 'owvur`lûk coast kowst
overlook [v] `owvur'lûk deny di'nI
There are some broad rules on whether optional sounds are voiced or not. The (y) sound is almost always present in British English (and many other varieties), but often absent in US English; so news is pronounced n(y)ooz - which is nooz in the US and nyooz in the UK Optional (r) sounds are usually present at some level in US English, but not sounded in British English. So other sounds like údhu in the UK but like údhur in the US.

It's a liitle bit much but take it easy.

[englishstudent]

>Hmmm? Is it because some of these words are derived from France?

I had read somewhere that words with French origin, that end in 'age'
are pronounced - ah-ge.

An example of this is - barrage

But the problem for me is that I don't know which words have a French
origin (without refering to a dictionary). I have heard the word
"garbage" pronounced as "gar-bah-ge" but in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by englishstudent

But the problem for me is that I don't know which words have a French origin (without refering to a dictionary).

It doesn't matter.

English speakers who actually knew some French were the ones who initially adopted the French pronunciation gara[zh]. [zh] as in the French, 1st person singular, subject pronoun Je ("I"). The word gara[zh] was spread around from speaker to speaker, even to people who knew little or nothing of French, but they understood the word, and even used the word themselves. Some used it according to the pronunication they heard and other according to the rules of the dialect of English they spoke. The new word became conventionalized. That's why it has various pronunciations and, morever, why you need not memorize every French loanword that ends in -age.

For a list of English loanwords go to http://www.ruf.rice.edu/

[selena]

Yeah, I'm always having arguments with my friends over the correct pronunciation of some words:

If i correct them when they say "dunkey" instead of "donkey", they say how come you dont pronounce "mun-key" as "mon-key" then.

It's the same with tumaetoe/tumahtoe,
yog-ert/yo-gert,

Which is right??