English Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary

[Rob Houghton]

These days we always say 'Howton' and never 'Horton' - mainly because if we do, people in the Midlands and south would spell it Horton. They would never spell 'Horton' Houghton.

Plus there have been some well-known people (footballer's for example) whose name is spelled 'Houghton' but who are called 'Howton' - so its become the accepted way of pronouncing it, at least where I live.

In North Wales, where my dad's family still live, they are still called 'Horton'.

[floragord]

Smyths (toy retailer), Nisa (grocery chain), Leffe (beer) all confuse me! As do Pilescu and Ariste Leonides. I also know of someone who isn't sure of avatar and Houghton!

We watched Crooked House, last night - a 2017 film adapted from the book. I was pleased to hear Ariste Leonides pronounced several times, so I now know how to say it in my ind when I next read the book:

Aristeed Lay-on-a-dees.

I've only come across the name in Leonidas, as in the chocolates, which we pronounce as
Lee-ON-ee-das . We enjoyed CROOKED HOUSE too, first of the festive TV fare this year!

[Domino]

I'm confused now. Shouldn't that be Aristide Leonidas?

Sorry, you too have confused me! Do you mean Leonides is incorrectly spelled? If so, it is how Agatha Christie spelled it.

No, Nigel. Your post seemed to be suggesting that Ariste should be pronounced 'Ari-steed'. Surely the shortened form would be pronounced 'Arist-eh', possibly with the 'eh' only given the value of a half-syllable, which is something unknown in English, but occurs in various foreign languages.

Dave

[pete9012S]

These days we always say 'Howton' and never 'Horton' ...

Thanks Rob - I think I've got it now!

[KEVP]

I remember the singer "Sade". When she became popular in the UK, there were written explanations that her name was pronounced "Shar-day". And so all the Brits pronounced her name correctly.

Then she became popular in the USA. And the same written explanation was distributed in the USA, telling Americans to pronounce it "Shar-day". Then all the Americans followed the instructions, and pronounced her name wrong.

Because a word written as "Shar-day" is pronounced differently by Brits as it is by Americans.

[Moonraker]

No, Nigel. Your post seemed to be suggesting that Ariste should be pronounced 'Ari-steed'.

It is spelt Aristide, not Ariste, Dave.

Rob, I have only just started calling you 'Horton' after Julie and Tony told me that was how it should be pronounced. Now you've said it's Howton, after all.

[MJE]

     Nigel, do you mean to say that even British people don't know how to pronounce British names?
     Now I'm not sure if it should be "Horton" or "Howton"; but at least I don't feel quite so bad about thinking of Rob for several years as "Rob Horton" (phonetically), even if I have been incorrect.

Regards, Michael.

[Rob Houghton]

Rob, I have only just started calling you 'Horton' after Julie and Tony told me that was how it should be pronounced. Now you've said it's Howton, after all.

Depends where you come from. As Julie originally comes from 'up north' - she is actually quite correct! But if we say 'Horton' down here, people spell it wrong.

[Courtenay]

I remember the singer "Sade". When she became popular in the UK, there were written explanations that her name was pronounced "Shar-day". And so all the Brits pronounced her name correctly.

Then she became popular in the USA. And the same written explanation was distributed in the USA, telling Americans to pronounce it "Shar-day". Then all the Americans followed the instructions, and pronounced her name wrong.

Because a word written as "Shar-day" is pronounced differently by Brits as it is by Americans.

Presumably because of rhotic versus non-rhotic accents again? (They should have written "Shah-day" for the Americans, I assume. Actually, some British accents are rhotic too, but not in the south.)

[Courtenay]

Rob, I have only just started calling you 'Horton' after Julie and Tony told me that was how it should be pronounced. Now you've said it's Howton, after all.

Depends where you come from. As Julie originally comes from 'up north' - she is actually quite correct! But if we say 'Horton' down here, people spell it wrong.

I've always assumed it was Horton!

[John Pickup]

A good friend of mine is called Steve Houghton and he, and everyone else, pronounces it Howton. For that reason, I have always thought of Rob as Rob Howton. Pity they don't spell it properly.

[Darrell71]

I've always assumed it was Howton or Hooton!

I pronounce cough as huff, so I was quite confused there for a second.

I think you've confused us all now!

SorryNotSorry

[Domino]

No, Nigel. Your post seemed to be suggesting that Ariste should be pronounced 'Ari-steed'.

It is spelt Aristide, not Ariste, Dave.

So why did you put Ariste in you post? That's what's confusing me, Nigel.

Dave

[pete9012S]

...
Pierrot..........................................................Poirot

I'm sure it was just a minor oversight Dave.

Talking of Agatha Christie characters, I remember my dear old Nan giving me my first Agatha Christie book in the early 1970's. I was still a bit too young to read them, but she surmised correctly that my supply of Enid Blyton books wouldn't last forever.

She was a well read, educated lady. She handed me a large print version of Curtain, the last Poirot book to start me off.
A very strange choice I've always thought. She told me the detective's name was Poirot , but she prounounced it Pierrot, even though she knew this was incorrect...

Every time I hear the word Pierrot it still makes me smile and remember her fondly...

[Courtenay]

She told me the detective's name was Poirot , but she prounounced it Pierrot, even though she knew this was incorrect...

Every time I hear the word Pierrot it still makes me smile and remember her fondly...

My mum, when she first started reading Agatha Christie, pronounced his name as Hercules Pirate, though I think she also knew that wasn't correct! (Mind you, in the case of her infamous rendition of Noddy's car horn sound as "prap prap", she still refuses to accept the correct version, so I think she genuinely did misread it and believed she had it right...)