Pronunciation of Jerez

[Anon123]

I always hear "herreth" whenever it features in F1 or Moto GP.

[Miguel]

My fellow countryman Hollus has it right (obviously). I also pronounce it as #1, but I'm mostly basque, and we _love_ hard sounds in the north. Thus, there's quite a variation on the pronunciation due to accents. It's also one of these words that I wouldn't expect a native english speaker to pronounce properly. My (hopefully trilingual) 2-year old son isn't yet able to pronounce it like me.

The one thing that one doesn't need to do is a strong R in the middle. Just don't. That comes to me as trying overly hard without knowing the pronunciation rules.

Edit2: Apologies to any other spaniards here for posting a video from Manolo Escobar

Manolo Escobar? In F1T? Damnit, I should report this post to moderators!

PS: I've lived in London for 4 years, and now work in Edinburgh, and I will never be able to speak English even remotely properly. I feel I sound horrible, to be honest, so don't feel too bad about Jerez.

[Pup]

...But the local accent will make most locals pronounce the same word as Here' with what I guess is a glottal stop, would sound in English. In both cases stress is in the final E, both vowels clearly pronounced. In the local dialect "z" is converted to "s" and all "s" are dutifully swallowed, so the consonant is lost but marked with a weird pause I cannot describe in writing...

...The one thing that one doesn't need to do is a strong R in the middle. Just don't...

I'm gathering then that the goal is pronounce as little of the word as possible.

Seriously, though, thank you both for your posts - though I think the local pronunciation is probably too difficult for me to attempt without hearing it first hand.

I think I'll go with the idea that while there may be a wrong way to pronounce the name, there really isn't a right way.

[Miguel]

I think I'll go with the idea that while there may be a wrong way to pronounce the name, there really isn't a right way.

Actually, 1) is the right way. In Spanish, as in French (and probably all latin-derived languages), there are strict rules on how to pronounce a word if you know how it's spelled. Down to the stress (unlike russian!). Whether the local andalusian accent does it slightly differently does not matter, because the local accent pronounces all "j"'s the same way, and always "inhales" the z when it's at the end of a word.

[Mr.G]

Fernando Alonso is Spanish and he name Jerez on lot of videos, why don't use that?

[MOWOG]

I understand that the word gave rise to the liqueur the English dubbed "sherry", a wine which originated in the Jerez region of Spain. There's quite a lot of lisping in Castillian Spanish, so I am told and so the last part of the word should be pronounced "eth".

Also there is a very good possibility that I don't know what I am talking about. Except to say it is 8 degrees outside my door right now and I think I would rather be in Jerez! [-o<

[mx_tifoso]

I dont think that lisping is the correct term for it, that is a very generic description. The th sound is very specific and it's best if given the time to really research.

Although my pronunciation is the Latin american way so the z sounds like a s for us.

Feliz año a todos!

[beelsebob]

Hyereth, but the y sound is very very subtle.

[mx_tifoso]

Not really.... Its a j for all intents and purposes. Whether its a soft or hard J depends on your region of origin.

[hollus]

I am amazed at the resistance of many to accept something when told that this is "like this", with examples, by people who should know. And then challenge that with a simple "I heard it is like that". Makes me think of a friend that, when learning German, often reminded me that "one doesn't discuss or challenge grammar, one accepts it".
We are now two Spanish guys pinching in, both saying the exact same thing. I don't know how Jerez is pronounced in your local dialect's best effort to pronounce a different language (English sounds aren't any easier for us native Spanish speakers), but if you simply want to know how Jerez is pronounced in its official language, Spanish as codified by the Spanish academy of language, the answer was clear, three times, in post number 14:

Listen to this (0:05, 0:11, 0:20 etc)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEeOY7OpCdY[/youtube]

[SectorOne]

Marc Marquez saying Jorge which becomes Horhe sort of.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vXO3f6kETg[/youtube]

And mentioning Jerez which certainly sounds like Hereth to me. With the first H having a bit of a throaty sound.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJqY-o3C7c[/youtube]

[Miguel]

I am amazed at the resistance of many to accept something when told that this is "like this", with examples, by people who should know. And then challenge that with a simple "I heard it is like that". Makes me think of a friend that, when learning German, often reminded me that "one doesn't discuss or challenge grammar, one accepts it".
We are now two Spanish guys pinching in, both saying the exact same thing. I don't know how Jerez is pronounced in your local dialect's best effort to pronounce a different language (English sounds aren't any easier for us native Spanish speakers), but if you simply want to know how Jerez is pronounced in its official language, Spanish as codified by the Spanish academy of language, the answer was clear, three times, in post number 14

Don't forget our Mexican moderator mx_tifoso!

Anyway, it's a trick question after all.Of the 5 letters that Jerez has, three sounds are accent dependant, and is one of those words native english speakers won't do (try "carruaje"!). I'd put it in another way: when any British hears me saying "hello" they can tel I'm Spanish or, maybe, Greek (the sound mapping is eerily similar).

With the first H having a bit of a throaty sound.

The throaty part is key

[Pup]

Of the examples given, the easiest for me to hear is the Monolo Escobar video. The others are said too quickly for my American ears to really pick up the subtleties.

To me, it sounds more like "Hyereh", but with the tongue back a bit in the throat and neither H really pronounced and the R sound made more with the tongue than with the jaw and lips like an American R - like Miguel described.

But I think that if used that pronunciation, no one I know would have a clue what I said, and I'm probably not saying it right anyway.

I think the reference to pronunciation 1 might be confusing people, at least it does me. In 1, I was saying that the J is pronounced like in the english word Judge (either end), and I'm guessing that's not what you two are saying, since Hollus also said it sounded like the J in Juan.

Of course, that also may be confusing, since in Americanized spanish at least, Juan is pronounced with a distinct W, mostly with the lips - like Wahn.

After all the discussion, I think the best compromise pronunciation for an English speaker is probably 'Herez'. Understandable by other English speakers while not sounding like a complete idiot to Spanish speakers.

[xpensive]

I understand that the word gave rise to the liqueur the English dubbed "sherry", a wine which originated in the Jerez region of Spain. There's quite a lot of lisping in Castillian Spanish, so I am told and so the last part of the word should be pronounced "eth".

Also there is a very good possibility that I don't know what I am talking about. Except to say it is 8 degrees outside my door right now and I think I would rather be in Jerez! [-o<

I don't see why we should bother that much really, as long as Alonso himself calls a chicane a "chicken" I will go with "Je-reez".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-57Thiyvy8

[SectorOne]

reez? surely rez like in "res"olution is a little bit better if you are gonna go with Jerez.