Teacher to 4-Year-Olds: 'You Are All Just Stupid Kids'

[Darth Wong]

In what universe is a teacher allowed to strike a child and keep her job?

The kind of universe where a teacher can address her kids as "Y'all". Texas.

Yes, and I suppose we should also fire teachers for using other contractions such as don't, let's, can't, won't, we've, and shouldn't, too...

Are you honestly so fucking stupid that you think "y'all" is no less valid than "can't"?

Oh wait, you're posting from a high school in Houston, Texas. You probably do. I'll bet you pronounce "nuclear" as a three syllable word too. I wonder how long it will take you to accuse me of "elitism".

[Andrew J.]

You probably do. I'll bet you pronounce "nuclear" as a three syllable word too.

Uh, "nuclear" has three syllables even when it's pronounced correctly. Noo-klee-er.

[Darth Wong]

You probably do. I'll bet you pronounce "nuclear" as a three syllable word too.

Uh, "nuclear" has three syllables even when it's pronounced correctly. Noo-klee-er.

"Ear" is considered two syllables? I must admit I'm surprised by that.

[Andrew J.]

You probably do. I'll bet you pronounce "nuclear" as a three syllable word too.

Uh, "nuclear" has three syllables even when it's pronounced correctly. Noo-klee-er.

"Ear" is considered two syllables? I must admit I'm surprised by that.

Well, maybe it's different in Canada. I just double-checked my dictionary and it's definitely three syllables there.

Dictionary.com says:

In pronouncing nuclear, the second and third syllables are most commonly said as /-kliər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[-klee-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, a sequence of sounds that directly reflects the spelled sequence ‑cle·ar.

[Darth Wong]

Interesting. I always thought "ear" was a single syllable. So this would mean that gizmojumpjet probably pronounces "nuclear" as a four syllable word.

[Melchior]

AFAIK /ea is not a diphthong in English language (take it with a grain of salt, I mainly know phonetics details of my native tongue).

[CaptainChewbacca]

Interesting. I always thought "ear" was a single syllable. So this would mean that gizmojumpjet probably pronounces "nuclear" as a four syllable word.

I've heard some folks pronounce it 'new-clear' with a very soft 'a', but generally I believe it gets pronounce 'new-clee-ur' by most people, myself included. How do YOU pronounce it?

[Dartzap]

'New-clear' is how I pronounce it, as does everyone else I know.....

[Covenant]

'New-clear' is how I pronounce it, as does everyone else I know.....

Mirriam-Webster also calls it a 3 syllable word:

Main Entry:
nu·cle·ar
Pronunciation:
\ˈnü-klē-ər, ˈnyü-, ÷-kyə-lər\
Function:
adjective

I don't know what all that pronunciation garbage means, but clicking on the 'say the word' link sounds like they say "new-cle-err" which is essentially a drawn-out new-clear as you said. The nook-you-lurr is obviously incorrect, but the origin of the word is nucleus which is pronouned new-cle-uss (duh) so you can see why changing part of the word would still retain it as a 3 syllable word, unless you also pronounce nucleus as a two syllable word somehow.

[Dartzap]

Whilst my Oxford actually has 'Nu-clear'

Such is the way of languages, heh.

[Darth Wong]

Interesting. I always thought "ear" was a single syllable. So this would mean that gizmojumpjet probably pronounces "nuclear" as a four syllable word.

I've heard some folks pronounce it 'new-clear' with a very soft 'a', but generally I believe it gets pronounce 'new-clee-ur' by most people, myself included. How do YOU pronounce it?

I pronounce it "new" plus "clear", which is the way it's written. Not "nucular", which is the way Texans pronounce it, or "nucleur", which just sounds bizarre to me. I imagine some people might think you should say it that way because of the word "nucleus", but it's not unusual for singular/plural forms of words to have different pronunciations. Nobody pronounces "mice" as "mouce" just because the singular form has a different vowel than the plural.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Interesting. I always thought "ear" was a single syllable. So this would mean that gizmojumpjet probably pronounces "nuclear" as a four syllable word.

I've heard some folks pronounce it 'new-clear' with a very soft 'a', but generally I believe it gets pronounce 'new-clee-ur' by most people, myself included. How do YOU pronounce it?

I pronounce it "new" plus "clear", which is the way it's written. Not "nucular", which is the way Texans pronounce it, or "nucleur", which just sounds bizarre to me. I imagine some people might think you should say it that way because of the word "nucleus", but it's not unusual for singular/plural forms of words to have different pronunciations. Nobody pronounces "mice" as "mouce" just because the singular form has a different vowel than the plural.

I'm just going off of what I learned in physics at university. Good old nuclear forces.

[Darth Wong]

I'm just going off of what I learned in physics at university. Good old nuclear forces.

Precisely why do you think physics requires you to pronounce "nuclear" as "new"-"cle"-"ur"?

[Spin Echo]

I pronounce it "new" plus "clear", which is the way it's written.

I think this is a really bad guide to go by. English is littered with words not pronounced the way they are written.

Not "nucular", which is the way Texans pronounce it, or "nucleur", which just sounds bizarre to me. I imagine some people might think you should say it that way because of the word "nucleus", but it's not unusual for singular/plural forms of words to have different pronunciations. Nobody pronounces "mice" as "mouce" just because the singular form has a different vowel than the plural.

You can force it into two syllables, it just sounds really weird. Even the Brits in my field who speak with the poshest of accents break it into three. Occasionally the 'r' becomes lost so it sounds more like "new-cle-ah", but definitely three syllables.

[Darth Wong]

You can force it into two syllables, it just sounds really weird. Even the Brits in my field who speak with the poshest of accents break it into three. Occasionally the 'r' becomes lost so it sounds more like "new-cle-ah", but definitely three syllables.

It seems to me that everyone I see on the TV either pronounces it "new"-"clear" or "nucular", as per Texans. I suppose some might say that the word "clear" itself is pronounced "clee"-"ur", however.

[Spin Echo]

You can force it into two syllables, it just sounds really weird. Even the Brits in my field who speak with the poshest of accents break it into three. Occasionally the 'r' becomes lost so it sounds more like "new-cle-ah", but definitely three syllables.

It seems to me that everyone I see on the TV either pronounces it "new"-"clear" or "nucular", as per Texans. I suppose some might say that the word "clear" itself is pronounced "clee"-"ur", however.

I think I'm going to put my money with the nuclear scientists over TV announcers with regards to correct pronunciation.

[Darth Wong]

You can force it into two syllables, it just sounds really weird. Even the Brits in my field who speak with the poshest of accents break it into three. Occasionally the 'r' becomes lost so it sounds more like "new-cle-ah", but definitely three syllables.

It seems to me that everyone I see on the TV either pronounces it "new"-"clear" or "nucular", as per Texans. I suppose some might say that the word "clear" itself is pronounced "clee"-"ur", however.

I think I'm going to put my money with the nuclear scientists over TV announcers with regards to correct pronunciation.

Oh don't be ridiculous; nuclear science is not about pronunciation. It's not as if nuclear physics becomes totally different in other languages. If you can find me a single physics theory which somehow requires you to emphasize the "r" when you pronounce "nuclear" then I will concede, but you're quite frankly full of shit here and you know it.

[Spin Echo]

Oh don't be ridiculous; nuclear science is not about pronunciation. It's not as if nuclear physics becomes totally different in other languages. If you can find me a single physics theory which somehow requires you to emphasize the "r" when you pronounce "nuclear" then I will concede, but you're quite frankly full of shit here and you know it.

Eh? I'm just confused as to why you think a TV pronouncer is a better source as opposed to the scientists that work with the field. Considering how often I heard TV announcers bungling other scientific terms, I wouldn't consider them that reliable.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

There are regional variations in pronunciation, of course. I have always pronounced nuclear as "Nuke-lee-er", as have everyone I've ever heard say the word, but that's from a distinct geographical region influenced by German.

[Darth Wong]

Oh don't be ridiculous; nuclear science is not about pronunciation. It's not as if nuclear physics becomes totally different in other languages. If you can find me a single physics theory which somehow requires you to emphasize the "r" when you pronounce "nuclear" then I will concede, but you're quite frankly full of shit here and you know it.

Eh? I'm just confused as to why you think a TV pronouncer is a better source as opposed to the scientists that work with the field.

It's an ENGLISH WORD, Einstein. Its proper pronunciation is based upon dictionaries and traditional usage, and people who are hired as major network anchors are in fact typically hired for their use of region-neutral pronunciations and accents. The fact that someone is a nuclear physicist has nothing to do with the correctness of his pronunciation of the English word "nuclear". Would a Chinese nuclear physicist necessarily pronounce English words correctly? If he doesn't, would this make him incompetent?

[Spin Echo]

It's an ENGLISH WORD, Einstein.

But it comes from the French, nucléaire! Obviously the English pronunciation may have transmuted from its origin, but then why does that make "nu-cu-lur" any less of an acceptable trasmutation of the word?

The fact that someone is a nuclear physicist has nothing to do with the correctness of his pronunciation of the English word "nuclear". Would a Chinese nuclear physicist necessarily pronounce English words correctly? If he doesn't, would this make him incompetent?

I wouldn't say it makes them incompetent, but their pronuncation goes against the standard.

Edit: Hit submit instead of preview.
Edit edit: This is getting really silly.

[Darth Wong]

It's an ENGLISH WORD, Einstein.

But it comes from the French, nucléaire!

So? The point remains that your invocation of the English pronunciation authority of nuclear physicists was just plain ridiculous. Major network TV news anchors are actually paid to pronounce words in a region-neutral manner, as correctly as possible. That's part of their job description; the same cannot be said of nuclear physicists, who are paid to do physics, not public speaking.

Obviously the English pronunciation may have transmuted from its origin, but then why does that make "nu-cu-lur" any less of an acceptable trasmutation of the word?

It doesn't seem obvious that there's a more linear progression from "cleaire" to "clear" than from "cleaire" to "cular"?

Of course, one could argue that proper pronunciation is a matter of popularity rather than technical analysis of any kind. But the fact is that "nucular" is a region-specific pronunciation; it is not the accepted pronunciation and it is not found in any dictionary as such.

[Spin Echo]

It's an ENGLISH WORD, Einstein.

But it comes from the French, nucléaire!

So? The point remains that your invocation of the English pronunciation authority of nuclear physicists was just plain ridiculous. Major network TV news anchors are actually paid to pronounce words in a region-neutral manner, as correctly as possible. That's part of their job description; the same cannot be said of nuclear physicists, who are paid to do physics, not public speaking.

The most regionally-neutral usuages of the words are sometimes not the correct ones. Schrødinger for example. It's pronounced the way it is because it's easier. The TV pronouncers job is to make things understandable to the masses, and sometimes that involves altering pronuncation. You can argue that because that's how the masses pronounce something, that's the correct manner, but then you're getting into potato-patato territory.

Edit: And where are you hearing "new-clear" on the news? I've been browsing archives and it all comes up "new-cle-ar" or "new-cle-ur".

Obviously the English pronunciation may have transmuted from its origin, but then why does that make "nu-cu-lur" any less of an acceptable trasmutation of the word?

It doesn't seem obvious that there's a more linear progression from "cleaire" to "clear" than from "cleaire" to "cular"?

Well, it seems pretty obvious how a three syllable pronunciation came about.

Of course, one could argue that proper pronunciation is a matter of popularity rather than technical analysis of any kind. But the fact is that "nucular" is a region-specific pronunciation; it is not the accepted pronunciation and it is not found in any dictionary as such.

I hate to break it to you, but it's working its way in. I think we know who to thank for that.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I'm just going off of what I learned in physics at university. Good old nuclear forces.

Precisely why do you think physics requires you to pronounce "nuclear" as "new"-"cle"-"ur"?

It doesn't require it, but that was how I was taught the word in every single class I took in advanced science. Don't worry, I know how you feel. I feel the same way I hear a commonwealth scientist add an extra syllable to 'Aluminum' to make it 'Aluminium'.

I hate to break it to you, but it's working its way in. I think we know who to thank for that.

I really hope you're wrong. I (thankfully) havn't heard that pronunciation catching on.

[Spin Echo]

I hate to break it to you, but it's working its way in. I think we know who to thank for that.

I really hope you're wrong. I (thankfully) havn't heard that pronunciation catching on.

I wish I were. I lost an argument on that one.