A Question About Pronouncing Weird Words

  • Thread starter Thread starter triley
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Weird
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the pronunciation of the word "Boox," which is a non-standard spelling of "books." Participants explore various perspectives on how such invented words should be pronounced, considering the influence of spelling conventions and individual interpretations.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that "Boox" should be pronounced like "books," following the pattern of similar words like "rox" and "roxor."
  • Another participant argues that pronunciation is largely subjective and can vary based on common usage, noting that "Boox" is a trademarked term which may influence its pronunciation.
  • A third option is proposed to pronounce "Boox" as "Bo-ox," breaking it into two syllables, with "Bo" potentially pronounced like "bow" or "toe."
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the pronunciation and suggests contacting the company for clarification.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the pronunciation of "Boox," with multiple competing views presented regarding how it could be pronounced.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the variability in English pronunciation and the influence of individual interpretation, especially for non-standard or trademarked terms. There is also a lack of definitive sources to confirm the pronunciation.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to linguists, language enthusiasts, or anyone curious about the pronunciation of invented words and the complexities of English spelling conventions.

triley
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
Hello, maybe you can settle an argument. The internet leaves people trying to spell words a little different, or creating new ones all together. For example, rocks, becomes rox, becomes roxor (said rocks-or)
This leads to my question. ‘Boox’ is the ‘word’ in question. I think it should be said books like in rox, and roxor. (I know roxor isn’t a real word but still..) My friend says it should be said “Boo” and word readers pounce it so. They also have a problem pronouncing things with X in general.
So, how is ‘Boox’ pronounced? If it’s wrong what would you suggest for a silly spelling of the word ‘books’ with some x’s in there.
Thanks for your time with this silly question.
 
Science news on Phys.org
English is weird. For most words, the "correct" pronunciation is just a matter of how most people pronounce it (similar to how the "correct" spelling is just a matter of how most people spell it). It doesn't necessarily have to abide by any logic, rhyme or reason. It's just chaos, really.

"Boox" might be an exception, because it is contrived (made up by an individual) and trademarked. So I suppose the owner of the trademark has some say over its pronunciation. This is similar to how you have some say over how your own name is pronounced (and/or maybe your parents).
https://alter.com/trademarks/boox-79291653

Honestly, I had never heard the word "Boox" before today, and I had to look it up. I have no idea how it's pronounced.

I tried to find some videos from the company which might give some insight, but all I've found are videos with music in the background, or 3rd party review videos. So I don't know.

You gave good examples of different pronunciations for double-o words, like "books" vs. "boo."

But there's a third option, to break up the word into two syllables. Bo-ox. "Bo" could be pronounced like "bow," "toe," "blow" etc., and "ox," is well, like "ox." This is similar to "zoology" where the first syllable is "zo" and last three syllables are "ology."
 
Last edited:
Email somebody at the company and ask them.
 
(Start at about t=20s)
 
robphy said:
(Start at about t=20s)

Darn it. I was so hoping for "Bo-ox."
 

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
9K
  • · Replies 49 ·
2
Replies
49
Views
5K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K