Pronunciation debates

In my household I get picked on for pronouncing 'troll' so that it rhymes with doll. I'm told I'm wrong, it should rhyme with roll.

Obviously this is an upbringing thing. When I was read Three Billy Goats Gruff, it most definitely rhymed with doll, and my mum didn't get much wrong.

I have since listened to the Norwegian pronunciation, and in my view it could be translated to either doll or roll in English. I also wonder if it's a regional thing - I'm Glasgow, my family are Perth - there are definitely differences.

I suspect I'm in the minority, but are there any other dolls out there? And what other words are candidates for this sort of debate? Apart from 'scone' of course.

I pronounce it like Roll.

Up in the north, we always pronounced 'tongue' to rhyme with 'long.' In the south, it rhymes with 'strung.' 

although I have my own preference I much prefer to not impose my ideals onto any bridge dwelling species of mythical extraction. Have you considered sitting down and asking them how they like to be referred to?

Scone or scone? 

boogieman said:

Scone or scone? 

Definitely scone.

Well i was taught the Billy Goats Gruff story as a kid with the troll singing a little song that goes "I'm Troll, Trolly Roll" with Troll both times rhyming with roll. It would sound weird if that song had it rhyming with doll 

SteveRobinson said:

boogieman said:

Scone or scone? 

Definitely scone.

I don't think it's possible to be more wrong. 

I know I'm likely to be vastly outnumbered, but I live in hope of finding some other troll dolls!

Bath or Barth?

That's definitely a regional one. Lots of r's added to words down south. Idear instead of idea etc

thecolourbox said:

Well i was taught the Billy Goats Gruff story as a kid with the troll singing a little song that goes "I'm Troll, Trolly Roll" with Troll both times rhyming with roll. It would sound weird if that song had it rhyming with doll 

"Fol-dee-roll", I think, but no less nonsense. 

sinbaadi said:

thecolourbox said:

Well i was taught the Billy Goats Gruff story as a kid with the troll singing a little song that goes "I'm Troll, Trolly Roll" with Troll both times rhyming with roll. It would sound weird if that song had it rhyming with doll 

"Fol-dee-roll", I think, but no less nonsense. 

That might be the proper version but my parents are yam yams and say a lot of odd phrases and taught me a lot of odd songs as a kid which have a passing resemblance to actual songs but actually are different than with added bits and missed out bits. 

For example, ive just looked that up with fol dee roll and it's no doubt similar to what they sang, however the proper one is much longer than the one they sang, which was essentially "I'm a troll trolly roll, I'm a troll trolly roll, I'm a troll trolly roll and I'm going to eat you all up for my supper". Which isn't that different than some bits of it but the tune is quite different as well. 

Absolute drivel they used to fill my head with no wonder I'm a flipping basket case now

I have no idea how I pronounce privacy or controversy.


Troll rhymes with roll, though.

RocknRollDave said:

I have no idea how I pronounce privacy or controversy.

There is some controversy about how to pronounce controversy.

Jalapeno is pronounced "Hala-pen-yo".
Paella is not pronounced "payela".

Rant over =) 

If you want to go to the origins of the word troll, then as a Scandinavian I can tell you that it should absolutely rhyme with doll.  :)

Ha! 

I bloody knew it!!

Cig35 said:

If you want to go to the origins of the word troll, then as a Scandinavian I can tell you that it should absolutely rhyme with doll.  :)

Yeah, but I pronounce 'doll' as 'dole'.

I grew up on the banks of the river Nene. Which is pronounced "Nenn". Unless you live on the lower part towards Peterborough, where it's pronounced "Neen".

Kilgore said:

Bath or Barth?

Barf.

Rhymes with doll when I say it

LionAquaLooper said:

Jalapeno is pronounced "Hala-pen-yo".
Paella is not pronounced "payela".

Rant over =) 

These are controversial, that’s based on their native pronunciations, but you wouldn’t say barthelona or paree (Paris) 

I can't imagine any scenario where Troll rhymes with Roll unless you pronounce Roll weirdly. Is this a northern thing? 

The site https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/troll would suggest that it’s a UK/US difference with the UK version being like doll. 

Kilgore said:

Bath or Barth?

Shower. Which might also be pronounced "shaar".

Troll, roll & doll sound the same to me.

I’m a Londoner though, so it makes sense that my reductionist accent matches the fact I have no soul. It matters not to me if a doll is dull or on the dole.

Revolutions said:

Troll, roll & doll sound the same to me.

They are the same. Exactly the same. Not sure what planet anyone comes from who can manage to pronounce them differently. Planet weird, I guess. (Disclaimer: I speak Australian but am familiar with Kiwi, South African, most of the halfway sensible American dialects, and the more common UK ones.) 

Stuckfast said:

I grew up on the banks of the river Nene. Which is pronounced "Nenn". Unless you live on the lower part towards Peterborough, where it's pronounced "Neen".

We have the river Beult running close by, which is pronounced “belt”. Makes you wonder why they bothered putting the extra U in, presumably it’s originally a French word or summat? 

munckee said:

LionAquaLooper said:

Jalapeno is pronounced "Hala-pen-yo".
Paella is not pronounced "payela".

Rant over  

These are controversial, that’s based on their native pronunciations, but you wouldn’t say barthelona or paree (Paris) 

Except the Spanish natives don't say Barthelona either =)