this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2025
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The best examples that come to mind are when ordering food. As examples:

• You speak English and Spanish and are ordering a burrito
• You speak Thai and English and are ordering Tom Yum

I imagine it could depend on numerous things:
• You primary language or ethnicity
• What sort of restaurant
• Who you’re dining with
• Who you’re ordering from
• and probably a lot more…

(page 2) 16 comments
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[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 3 points 3 days ago

I generally go by either what the person I'm speaking to is likely to prefer or whichever is easier to pronounce, assuming I think it won't cause confusion for the listener.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 2 points 2 days ago

Depends on the person I’m talking to. I adapt based on how they (or how I assume they) pronounce it.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Depends , if I'm speaking with my wife we interchange and speak whatever comes in the moment and understand each other. In other countries we use the native language if we know it.

With friends it depends if everyone in the group can speak the language or not.

[–] porcoesphino@mander.xyz 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I'm not very bilingual but I grew up with English and have spent a few months in Latin America.

I noticed that in English I now say Mexico the Spanish way when I'm with local people, but the English way when I'm visiting friends in the US. I always say it the Spanish way in Spanish, and don't think I use any regional accents.

[–] alecsargent@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

Usually like the language of origin unless I'm around people that do not speak fluently or are not looking to learn.

For example, in Chile a lot of people mix English words in their day to day use and pronounce it incorrectly so I pronounce it the same way and go along with it.

I never pronounce words in my own language differently as I think its a missed opportunity on teaching someone a little bit. Which is also a thing I appreciate other people do to me as well.

[–] Ilixtze@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago

Depends who I am talking with. I use the pronunciation of my interlocutors language even if it sounds wrong in it's original language. Mainly because it's fun to speak like a weird movie accent.

So if I am with a Mexican I will say "Burrito."

And if I am with an English speaker I will say "Beau- rhee -toe!"

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago (10 children)

You pronounce the word correctly for whatever language the word is from. That’s the objectively correct way. Is this a serious question?

[–] alecsargent@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

There are times in which pronouncing the wrong way can save you a lot of hassle.

In many poor countries speaking proper English is a dead giveaway that you have money, so you can obviously see why that is undesirable. Even when that is not the case English is so deep in every other language that people use English words as they see fit without knowing the language at all, so one has to pronounce it like they do for them to understand.

Last case is to "avoid correcting someone" because one does not want to make the other person feel bad, or simply want to avoid the "how is it pronounced" situation.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Do you pronounce borrowed French words the way they should be correctly pronounced in everyday settings?

Like this video: https://youtu.be/fKGoVefhtMQ

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

If I can. My sentiments do not apply to “loan words”. Those are a different category in my opinion. And there are some French words I struggle with, tbh.

[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

I don’t even know how coupé is pronounced in French…

I have a guess but those are usually way off when it comes to French pronunciations

[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Definitely serious. Loanwords fall all across the spectrum regarding how much they’re integrated from their source language into the “local” language and most folks don’t know or care about word etymologies enough to even consider it. If you’re not native there’s a good chance you’re mispronouncing loanwords even when you’re trying to use their native pronunciation.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Loanwords are a different story. I would argue those are part of both languages at that point. Burrito is an English word and a Spanish word. As I see it, anyway.

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