How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

[akimel]

We all know it comes from a tree in Brazil and is an essential ingredient in traditional car waxes. We know, in other words, what the word carnauba means, but how is it pronounced? More interestingly, how do you pronounce it?

[ramphonic]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

car new ba

[Carfire]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

I voted car NOO ba, but I think the choice should have been car NEW ba

[CharlesW]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

Turn on your sound and click on the speaker icon in this link.
Carnauba

[Superior Shine]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

W-A-X

[akimel]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

I voted car NOO ba, but I think the choice should have been car NEW ba

I wish I had included this pronunciation in the poll, but the NOO-ba and NEW-ba pronunciations are very close.

[TimG]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

kahr-nou-buh

[Markus Kleis]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

kahr-nou-buh

I reject your reality, and replace it with my own.

Car-new-buh !!!!

[TimG]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

I reject your reality, and replace it with my own.

Car-new-buh !!!!

[Weiler]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

Finally I can help in this forum.....

I'm brazilian, so the word CARNAÚBA is a common word to me.

The spelling carnauba isn't correct as the word has an the caracter " ´ " over the U , which means there's an accent over this vogal.

While you speak english, to achieve the closest pronounce to the original you should try this:

Say YOU
Subtract the Y
The -OU should sound like Ú on CAR-NA-Ú-BA.

If I could attach an audio file here at the thread the teaching should be easier. Is there any way to do that?

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

Good stuff. Protects the finish. lol.

[yalerd]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

W-A-X

[akimel]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

Finally I can help in this forum.....

I'm brazilian, so the word CARNAÚBA is a common word to me.

The spelling carnauba isn't correct as the word has an the caracter " ´ " over the U , which means there's an accent over this vogal.

While you speak english, to achieve the closest pronounce to the original you should try this:

Say YOU
Subtract the Y
The -OU should sound like Ú on CAR-NA-Ú-BA.

If I could attach an audio file here at the thread the teaching should be easier. Is there any way to do that?

Thanks for this explanation. I suspect that native English speakers will never move back to a four syllable pronunciation of carnauba. We will always see nauba and make the nau into a single syllable. In cases like this English-speakers will typically either make the first vowel long and silence the second vowel or make the two vowels into a dipthong, where the speaker quickly glides from one sound to the next, so quickly that it virtually becomes one sound. (But don't quote me on this. I'm not an authority on English grammar.)

If therefore we are trying to be faithful to the word's Brazilian roots, then the English pronunciation car-NEW-ba would seem to be fitting.

Al

[TimG]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

You guys remind me of my language professor.

[akimel]

Re: How do you pronounce "carnauba"?

You guys remind me of my language professor.

Go to the blackboard and write carnauba fifty times!