Should I follow American accent of Scott?

Status
Not open for further replies.

thedaffodils

Key Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2008
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
I would pronounce Scott as [Skot], which is my boss's first name, but a Chinese co-worker told me the other people call him [Sgat] -the American accent.

Should I have to follow the American accent? I prefer [Skot].

Thank you!
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
People's names are important to them. I normally try to pronounce them as closely as I can to the way the people themselves pronounce them.
 

Amigos4

VIP Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I would pronounce Scott as [Skot], which is my boss's first name, but a Chinese co-worker told me the other people call him [Sgat] -the American accent.

Should I have to follow the American accent? I prefer [Skot].

Thank you!
Daffodil, I beg to differ with your co-worker but Scott in AmE is [Skot]. :)
 

thedaffodils

Key Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2008
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
:-DThank you for your helpful replies.
 

White Hat

Banned
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Daffodil, I beg to differ with your co-worker but Scott in AmE is [Skot]. :)

Well, after having lived in the US for many years, I thought Americans tend to pronounce such words a bit differently. Take the word "cop", for example. Don't Americans say "k ah p", as opposed to simply "k o p" in BrE? I guess this is what the threadstarter means. I'm pretty sure that most Americans say "Sk ah t". Correct me if I'm wrong.
 

White Hat

Banned
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
I'd advise you to pronounce this name based on which accent you personally follow. Over the years I have managed to master both accents and I can easily switch between them depending on whom I am speaking with. American English with its rhoticity and ah-vowelling (if I may say so) is a pretty succulent variant of English, and lately I've been tempted to speak with an American accent to my students.
 

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
Well, after having lived in the US for many years, I thought Americans tend to pronounce such words a bit differently. Take the word "cop", for example. Don't Americans say "k ah p", as opposed to simply "k o p" in BrE? I guess this is what the threadstarter means. I'm pretty sure that most Americans say "Sk ah t". Correct me if I'm wrong.

Even in England there are different regions for this vowel. Compare "hot" in various regions of the UK and other English-speaking places.
 

raindoctor

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Swahili
Home Country
Kenya
Current Location
United States
I would pronounce Scott as [Skot], which is my boss's first name, but a Chinese co-worker told me the other people call him [Sgat] -the American accent.

Should I have to follow the American accent? I prefer [Skot].

Thank you!

The consonant cluster "sg" is not permitted in the onset or the coda of any English vowels. Consonant + o + Consonant = AH sound (a simple phonics trick).

I have just checked what velar consonant phonemes exist in Chinese. Unfortunately, /g/ doesn't exist; this explains why you hear /g/ in Scott :)
 

Amigos4

VIP Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I think 'Scott' needs to change his name to 'Joe'!!!! :)
 

thedaffodils

Key Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2008
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Thank you, everyone.

Yesterday, I asked how to pronunce "Scott" to two American co-workers of mine face to face.

They said they pronounce it as [Sgat], instead of [skot].
 

thatone

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
I think you're mistaking a /kʰ/ for a /g/.
 

Amigos4

VIP Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Thank you, everyone.

Yesterday, I asked how to pronunce "Scott" to two American co-workers of mine face to face.

They said they pronounce it as [Sgat], instead of [skot].
Daffodil, you need to check their passports!!! :lol:;-)

In AmE Scott is 'S-cot'...Scott!!! There is no 'g' sound! We say 'S-cot-land' for Scotland... there is no 'g' sound!!!!

In the final analysis, if Scott smiles when you say his name you are pronouncing it correctly!!! :up:

Cheers,
A4
 

raindoctor

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Swahili
Home Country
Kenya
Current Location
United States
I need to concur with amigos4. The consonant cluster /sg/ is not permitted in English onsets and codas.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top