How is pho really pronounced?

[Laurence Horn]

Another option is suggested by the name of a Vietnamese joint near the linguistics department at Yale, Pot au Pho.  But I expect that's the only evidence for a mid-front rounded vowel, and the pun would work just as well (or poorly) if it's really either /f@/ or /fo/.

LH

On Oct 18, 2012, at 4:24 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> Both Wiktionary and the OED give f + schwa for the pronunciation of "pho" (Wiktionary actually gives a turned "v"). That matches what I have learned from a Vietnamese acquaintance and from a Vietnamese restaurant menu in Reno.
>
> Because of what I've been taught, that's how I pronounce it, but that's not what I hear from Americans, which is "foh."
>
> Which pronunciation is actually used?
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org