cafe, café - (1) [kæ.ˈfeɪ] [k{."feI], (2) [ˈkæ.feɪ] ["k{.feI], (3) [kæf] [k{f], (4) [keɪf] [keIf] (1), with the stress on the second syllable, is most common in the U.S., and American dictionaries list it as the only possible pronunciation. (2), with the stress on the first syllable, is most common outside the U.S., and is listed in both the OED and the MQD.(3) is listed in both OED and MQD for the word caff, which is defined as colloquial or jocular slang for cafe. MQD labels (4) as a humorous pronunciation for cafe.
forteThe word forte in its most common use, refers to something at which a person excels. The pronunciation of forte when used in this sense is disputed, with most people pronouncing it with two syllables, as IPA /fte/ SAMPA /"fOrte/, rather than like the word - (1) [fɔɹt] [fOrt], (2) [ˈfɔɹ.ˌteɪ] ["fOr.%teI], (3) [ˌfɔɹ.ˈteɪ] [%fOr."teI] The pronunciation of forte when it means one's strength or strong point, is disputed. M-W has this comment about usage: "In forte we have a word derived from French that in its 'strong point' sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated (2) and (3) because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte. Their recommended pronunciation (1), however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however."
gigabyte - (1) [ˈgɪ.gə.bɑɪt] [gIg.@.baIt], (2) [ˈdʒɪ.gə.bɑɪt] [dZI.g@.baIt], (3) [ˈdʒɑɪ.gə.bɑɪt] [dZaI.g@.baIt] The giga- prefix, derived originally from Greek γιγασ (="giant"), has been traditionally pronounced as in (2), but (1) today is much more common at least in the United States. Most dictionaries include both (1) and (2) as acceptable pronunciations, and some dictionaries include (3) as well.
guillotine - (1) [ˈgijətin] ["gij@tin], (2) [ˈgɪlətin] ["gIl@tin] (2) is the main pronunciation used when the word was first adopted around the time of the French revolution, and, (1) with no l pronounced, has been labelled a "pseudo-French affectation" by pronunciation commentator Charles Harrington Elster in his Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations, but is recognized by most dictionaries and is frequently heard.
Hans - (1) [hɑns] [hAns] (2) [hæns] [h{ns] (3) [hɔns] [hOns] The German pronunciation of this name is [hans] [hans], and the vowel is short. The closest English pronunciation is thus (1). However, the German vowel [a] [a] is distinct from [ɑ] [A] and so some English speakers use the front vowel [æ] [{] (rhyming with scans). In some dialects, the phone corresponding to [ɑ] [A] is too high, and so they pronounce the name (3), which is usually with an elongated vowel (rhyming with pawns). This is least like the German pronunciation of the three.
Iran - (1) [ɪ.ˈɹɑn] [I."rAn], (2) [ɪ.ˈɹæn] [I."r{n], (3) [ɑɪ.ˈɹæn] [aI."r{n] (1) is the preferred pronunciation in most dictionaries, and the only pronunciation listed in OED. MQD lists (2) first. (3) is considered uneducated or unacceptable to some. It is the pronunciation which is least like how it is pronounced by the people who live in Iran.
Iraq - (1) [ɪ.ˈɹɑk] [I."rAk], (2) [ɪ.ˈɹæk] [I."r{k], (3) [ɑɪ.ˈɹæk] [ai."r{k] (1) is the preferred pronunciation in most dictionaries, and the only pronunciation listed in OED. MQD lists (2) first. (3) is considered uneducated or unacceptable to some. It is the pronunciation which is least like how it is pronounced by speakers of Arabic.
Islam - (1) [ɪ.ˈslɑm] [I."slAm], (2) [ɪz.ˈlɑm] [Iz."lAm], (3) [ˈɪz.læm] ["Iz.l{m] (1) is closest to Arabic. (2), (3), and other variations with [z] [z], [æ] [{], and stress on the first syllable are all common, however.
Kyoto - (1) [ˈkjoʊ.toʊ] ["kjoU.toU], (2) [ki.ˈoʊ.toʊ] [ki."oU.toU] The Japanese pronunciation of the name of this city is [kjoː-to] [kjo:.to]. Thus (1) is the English pronunciation most like the original Japanese. (2), however, is more common, as syllables beginning with [kj] are infrequent in English and are often broken into two syllables.
Lima - (1) [ˈli.mə] ["li.m@], (2) [ˈlɑɪ.mə] ["laI.m@] The capital of Peru is usually pronounced (1) (similar to the Spanish), although sometimes it is pronounced (2), which is how the name of the bean is pronounced.
paella - (1) [pa.ˈe.ʝa] [pa."e.\ja], (2) [pɑɪ.ˈeɪ.jə] [paI."eI.j@], (3) [pɑ.ˈɛ.lə] [pA."E.l@] (1) is approximately how it is pronounced in Spanish. (2) is the closest English approximation to the Spanish. (3) (with the /l/ pronounced) is the most common pronunciation given in dictionaries.
Qatar - (1) [qʌ.tˤʌɾ] [qV.t_?\4], (2) [ˈkʌ.tʌɹ] ["kV.tVr], (3) [ˈkɑ.tɚ] ["kA.t@`], (4)[ˈkʌ.tɚ] ["kV.t@`], (5) [ˈgʌ.tɚ] ["gV.t@`], (6)[kə.ˈtɑɹ] [k@."tAr] (1) is approximately how it is pronounced in Arabic. (2) is thus the most straighforward approximation using sounds of English, although [ʌɹ] [Vr] is very uncommon at the end of words. (4)(sounds like cutter) is the next closest approximation, and (3) (sounds like cotter) is similar to (4) except it uses the vowel [ɑ] [A] as the spelling might imply, instead of a vowel normally associated with the letter /u/. (5) (sounds like gutter) is commonly heard because to some ears, English [g] sounds closer to Arabic [q] than English [k] does. Finally, (6) (sounds like guitar with initial [k]), with stress on the second syllable, is often heard. Word stress does not work the same way in Arabic as it does in English, so choosing which syllable to stress in a borrowed word can vary.
reich - (1) [ʁaɪç] [R\aIC], (2) [ɹɑɪx] [raIx], (3) [ɹɑɪk] [raIk], (4) [ɹɑɪtʃ] [raItS] The German pronunciation is approximately like (1), and the closest pronunciation using sounds of English is (3), which is the most common pronunciation. Some English speakers have the [x] [x] sound (like in 'loch' and 'chanukah') and so may produce (2). (4) is uncommon, but is how composer Steve Reich pronounces his name.
Saddam - (1) [sə.ˈdɑm] [s@."dAm], (2) [sə.ˈdæm] [s@."d{m], (3) [ˈsɑ.dəm] ["sA.d@m] (1) is closest to the Arabic, and is how the name is usually pronounced. (2) and (3) are extra-Americanized pronunciations favored by some Americans (notably George W. Bush), especially when intending to belittle Saddam Hussein.
señor - (1) [se.ˈɲoɾ] [se."Jor], (2) [sɛn.ˈjɔɹ] [sEn."jOr], (3) [sə.ˈnɔɹ] [s@."nor] This Spanish word for mister is pronounced (1) in Spanish. (2) is the English approximation. The letter 'ñ' is usually pronounced [nj] [nj]in English, and (3), with a plain [n] [n], is not listed as an acceptable pronunciation in any major dictionary.
