There. I said it! I have been itching to say this for the longest time, and apparently, the beginning of 2014 seemed like the proper time. 😉 Yes, you don’t have to spend another year making this type of mistake.
Now, I have no idea why Nigerians (or maybe I should say ‘some’ because not everyone is guilty) choose to add ‘H’ in front of ‘Honor,’ when pronouncing the word. I have heard this mistake repeated especially in the National pledge, which has the famous lines, “To uphold her honor and glory, So help me God.” I won’t even attempt to understand why this happens, but I suspect that the reason for this mispronunciation is the same reason behind the following unexplained ‘pronunciation’ mysteries:
- Pronouncing Ferry as “Fewwy”
- Pronouncing Orange as “Horange” (Yoruba folks, please take note)
- Pronouncing Rubber as “Lubber”
But today’s lesson is not about those three examples. Nope. It’s about Honor.
Please, na beg I dey beg una, stop saying “Haw-nor.” It is pronounced “Aw-nor.” Just drop the “H” and let it live in peace. Oh, you don’t believe me? That’s fine. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to the correct way to say it here.
Why bother? Because correct pronunciation makes the world go round. At least, that’s what I say.
So, did you know the proper pronunciation before or is this the first time you’ve heard this? I would like to know.
Picture via Pinterest
Lol! @ Yoruba people take note!
My Father was a stickler for correct spelling and pronunciation, so I knew. But then most people dont, our accent no gree us. Most times when you hear people mis pronounce words you can tell their tribe and guess its the accent.
Lol, I have to agree with your comment. Thank you Sharon for helping us out 🙂
Lively Twist: Abi o! You’re quite welcome. *grins*
Temilade: Yes o, Yoruba folks are the most common offenders, but they are not the only ones. The H-factor thing still baffles me: removing ‘h’ from where it belongs and adding it where it is not needed. Thank God your dad emphasized proper pronunciation. You’re lucky.