Mispronounced names

[hrotha]

Sorry is it true that you pronounce alverde and uelta?

Spanish only has one phoneme, /b/, which can be represented by the letters <b>, <v> and, in some loanwords, <w>. When it's in absolute initial position (i.e. after a pause or when beginning to speak) and after [m], it's pronounced , which is the same sound as the English /b/. Otherwise, it's pronounced [β], which is the "soft b" LaFlorecita is referring to, and which is kinda similar to the English /v/, except that you don't pronounce it with your teeth on your lower lip, but by putting your upper and lower lips close together without completely closing the gap (hence its name, "voiced bilabial fricative").

Therefore, you'd say "balβerde", but "Alejandro βalβerde" (more specifically, [balˈβeɾðe] vs [aleˈxandɾo βalˈβeɾðe]). In some dialects, /b/ *is* pronounced after /l/ though.

 

[djlovesyou]

Sean Kelly is a funny one really. Sometimes his French pronunciation seems really good and other times it seems like he doesn't really care.

Today he commented on an attack by Jeremy Roy but pronounced Roy as in Cropper or Keane.

He's the only person I've ever heard always say the race Paris-Nice by saying Paris the English way. I guess he's allowed having won it so many times.

Sagan is a funny one too, every commentator says it differently. I've heard SARgun, surGAN, ZARgan, zaGAN and SAYgun.

 

[RedheadDane]

Konstantin Siutsou - "Kostantin quelque chose" (Bradley Wiggins)

Wait wait... what? I've heard Siutsou pronounced (and seen it spelled) in a number of different ways. But this? Do you have a video?

 

[ingsve]

Apparently Stijn Devolder's name can only be pronounced is you have a cat on your lap, and have trained it to purr at the end of the word.

That site shows some of the inherent problems in suggesting that commentators should attempt "native" pronunciations. Why should a Swede be expert on the pronunciation of the (presumably) Russian name Kessiakoff, or a Canadian on the (Norwegian?) Hesjedal? My cousins in Letterkenny (Philip Deignan's home town) certainly wouldn't pronounce his name the same way as the East London man who recorded it for Forvo, and if any commentator who is not from California had pronounced Lance Armstrong's forename the way that woman does, we would all have been in hysterics of giggles through 7 years worth of Tours.

Well, you would most likely pronounce a name like the person themselves would pronounce it and eventhough a name like Kessiakoff isn't originally swedish when speaking about someone like Fredrik Kessiakoff you would use the swedish pronounciation of that name if that is how it is normally pronounced by the individual.

 

[Andre.J]

When Phil and company call the champ ****ador....that's just not right.
In Spanish they're a very clear distinction between "o" and "u".

Infuriated,

Andre

 

[Andre.J]

CHRIST!!!!! Why the asterisks?

 

[ingsve]

CHRIST!!!!! Why the asterisks?

The forum doesn't tolerate writing the name of suspended riders.

 

[neineinei]

http://www.forvo.com/word/fabian_cancellara/

haha!

 

[quiqui]

Well, you would most likely pronounce a name like the person themselves would pronounce it and eventhough a name like Kessiakoff isn't originally swedish when speaking about someone like Fredrik Kessiakoff you would use the swedish pronounciation of that name if that is how it is normally pronounced by the individual.

Paul Sherwen's pronunciation of "Kessiakoff" doesn't bother me much, but he kept pronouncing "Fredrik" as "Robert" during yesterday's stage.

 

[MacRoadie]

I wish someone would tell Paul there's no "u" in "clavicle": at least while we're speaking English...

 

[RedheadDane]

Paul Sherwen's pronunciation of "Kessiakoff" doesn't bother me much, but he kept pronouncing "Fredrik" as "Robert" during yesterday's stage.

Now that is one helluva mispronouncing!

If he suddenly starts talking about Fredrik Kiserlovski I think we know what the issue might be...

 

[LaFlorecita]

CHRIST!!!!! Why the asterisks?

Because "cont" with a "u" instead of a "o" is pretty vulgar.

 

[cineteq]

Because "cont" with a "u" instead of a "o" is pretty vulgar.

Wiggins comes to mind

 

[LaFlorecita]

What always annoys me is the anglophone pronunciation of Alberto.

 

[Azabael]

What always annoys me is the anglophone pronunciation of Alberto.

For some reason they always try to make it sound English. Maybe cause they speak too many foreign names in an english way, like Vandevelde.

 

[Carl0880]

Everyone's tongue is a little different, so if its close it don't bother me as much. What Phil and Paul does that drives me nuts is they pronuouce the name 2 different ways in the conversation, like they can not make up their mind. Depending which second it is, its either Alexandre Vino-kour-ov or its Vi-nuke-ko-off.

They also bounce between VIncenzo Nee-bowl-lee or Nee-ba-lee (Nibali)

ITs either Ton Boon-in or Tom Bone-in

Of course no name was butchered as much as
Serhiy Gonchar, or maybe Sergei Gonchar, maybe Sergui Honchar, or Serge-e Gun-chard, or etc etc etc

 

[LaFlorecita]

For some reason they always try to make it sound English. Maybe cause they speak too many foreign names in an english way, like Vandevelde.

CVV is American though, so I can understand they pronounce that the English way, but Alberto is Spanish so pronounce it the Spanish way.

 

[UlleGigo]

The term 'cyling fans' is actually pronounced '****ing ****s'.

True story.

 

[cineteq]

Maybe cause they speak too many foreign names in an english way, like Vandevelde.

Christian's name Vandevelde should be pronounced the way his parents/family/himself pronounce it, regardless of the origin.

 

[hrotha]

Do they do anything super weird with "Alberto"? I imagine they turn it into "all-BER-tou", which should be perfectly fine. As I said earlier, adapting foreign names to the phonology of your native language is fine. It would be a problem if they were saying "all-beer-TOO" or something like that.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

I think its just general politeness to try and pronounce someone's name correctly. However, for commentators I really think they should try a little bit harder sometimes. It is their job after all. This won't be possible in some cases and that is understandable but the way they say a name will often be repeated by their audience so at least make an effort.

 

[Michele]

At Rai they often say that wherever possible they go directly to ask face-to-face to the riders.
Cycling is a nice sport also cause there are many different Countries involved so it's nice to know how to pronunce correctly riders names.

 

[Azabael]

CVV is American though, so I can understand they pronounce that the English way, but Alberto is Spanish so pronounce it the Spanish way.

But it's not about where he currently lives, it's about the origin of the name. By your logic, you may pronounce Alberto Contador in an english way if he'd migrate to the US or England and take their nationality. But I understand, as cineteq mentions, it's 'fine' as long as we pronounce it the way the guy would himself.

I imagine TJVG was called differently all his years he lived in Holland than when he went to BMC. But that's due to acceptance of TJ himself toward how they pronounce his name.

 

[janraaskalt]

At Rai they often say that wherever possible they go directly to ask face-to-face to the riders.

That's the way to go. Commentators are professionals as well. It's part of their jobs to get it right.

Cycling is a nice sport also cause there are many different Countries involved so it's nice to know how to pronunce correctly riders names.

Totally agreed.

 

[Warhawk]

I spent about 15 minutes last night trying to wrap my tongue around "Johnny Hoogerland," without much success.