Pronunciation Discussion! (& Poll)

I grew up playing this game before the days of YouTube, and to this day really don't watch any streamers, etc. However, since the announcement of D2R, i've watched more Diablo-related media in the past 2 months than all of the past 10 years. And I can't believe how some people pronounce things!

Now, needless to say, the way I choose to say things is the undeniably correct way and everyone else is a godless heathen (jk),
but I'm curious how different everyone pronounces the following words; so let's have everyone weigh in!

Shako :: "Shack-o" or "Shay-ko"
SOJ :: "Es-Oh-Jay" or "Sodge"

Ber (rune) :: "Burr" or "Bear"
Sorc :: "Source" or "Sork"
Merc :: "Merse" or "Merk"
Occy :: "Ah-si" or "Ocky"

Open to other people adding your own Diablo 2 terms that people might say different than others!

(For the record, I say the words above as: "Shack-o", "Es-Oh-Jay", "Burr", "Source", "Merk", "Ocky".)
Also: Proof that

Shako is pronounced "Shack-o": https://www.google.com/search?q=shako+define

Shayko
Es-Oh-Jay
Bear or Burr, either way honestly.
Sork
Merk but Merse makes sense too.
Ocky because it sounds correct regarding the sound of "Ocu"

UnrivaledPiercer wrote: 3 years ago

Sork
...
Ocky because it sounds correct regarding the sound of "Ocu"

I find it interesting your rationale here, which i completely agree with, doesn't hold up the same for "Sorc". Following this reasoning it would clearly be "Source" for "Sorceress", no?

BMAY wrote: 3 years ago

UnrivaledPiercer wrote: 3 years ago

Sork
...
Ocky because it sounds correct regarding the sound of "Ocu"

I find it interested your rationale here, which i completely agree with, doesn't hold up the same for "Sorc". Following this reasoning it would clearly be "Source" for "Sorceress", no?

You'd think so, but I've just never found myself saying it that way. I suppose due to the fact that seeing "Sorc" is so common, along with "Merc" you tend to just pronounce the abbreviation more directly. I guess "Sorse" or "Source" as you said does make sense, you just almost never hear it, at least I don't. Though the same can't be said for people who say "Sodge" or "Soge" that's just WRONG. lol

While we're on the topic of pronunciations, this is actually a personal pet peeve of mine. I absolutely hate it when people pronounce certain words incorrectly. Words like "Chasm", or "Regen" (Dude on a video literally pronounced it like "Raygin"), and many more. It's rage inducing!

If I think of the other ones, I'll post them here. No promises though.

Edit: I do have another one, but I'm struggling to remember it. Trying to figure out what it is right now; it's just on the fog of my memory.

Edit: It was Facade! I legit have a friend who pronounced it like "Fay-Kade" once!

How am I the only sodge'r!?

When it comes to saying SoJ I've always said "So" with the J being silent! Other than that I voted Es-Oh-Jay since that is how it is spelled out!

Krythic wrote: 3 years ago

While we're on the topic of pronunciations, this is actually a personal pet peeve of mine. I absolutely hate it when people pronounce certain words incorrectly. Words like "Chasm", or "Regen" (Dude on a video literally pronounced it like "Raygin"), and many more. It's rage inducing!

If I think of the other ones, I'll post them here. No promises though.

Edit: I do have another one, but I'm struggling to remember it. Trying to figure out what it is right now; it's just on the fog of my memory.

Edit: It was Facade! I legit have a friend who pronounced it like "Fay-Kade" once!

Those words don't really count per this discussion as, well, they are actual words in the dictionary with verifiable english pronunciation that you can look up .

Same thing goes for "

Baal". It is pronounced "Bail" like "Christian Bale". Not "Ball" or "Ba'al". This is verifiable as the word is actually spoken numerous times throughout the story by NPCs lol.

WhirLWinD wrote: 3 years ago

When it comes to saying SoJ I've always said "So" with the J being silent!

Interesting, that's a new one for me lol

I think because of my danish heritage, I've always pronounced SOJ like: "Soi" or with danish letters "såi".
Kinda weird when I think about it now, but always been like that.

Tavron wrote: 3 years ago

I think because of my danish heritage, I've always pronounced SOJ like: "Soi" or with danish letters "såi".
Kinda weird when I think about it now, but always been like that.

Me as well. Same with

Shako. Shacko feels more natural in danish, than Shayko.

giz0r wrote: 3 years ago

Tavron wrote: 3 years ago

I think because of my danish heritage, I've always pronounced SOJ like: "Soi" or with danish letters "såi".
Kinda weird when I think about it now, but always been like that.

Me as well. Same with

Shako. Shacko feels more natural in danish, than Shayko.

Well

Shako is actually a real English word, and its pronounced Shack-o.

These shay-ko folks are just wrong.

Proof: https://www.google.com/search?q=shako+define

Ber is phonetically 'burr'. It would have to literally be spelled B - e - a - r to have the phonetic 'air' likeness. Am I not right here?

Have more than half of you been saying "

Jah -

Ith - Bear" all these years?

I'm going to go rock in a corner now.

Onymous wrote: 3 years ago

Ber is phonetically 'burr'. It would have to literally be spelled B - e - a - r to have the phonetic 'air' likeness. Am I not right here?

Have more than half of you been saying "

Jah -

Ith - Bear" all these years?

I'm going to go rock in a corner now.

That's what i'm saying!
This epidemic is widespread!

For the record, I've always pronounced its "bur", like the end of a September

But I don't think it's being pronounced as if it was spelled "bear" (even so I'd say it would be the word "bare"), but more "Behr" like the paint Brand. Maybe the transliteration of Behr is

Ber, and some people made the connection and it stuck, idk

What I would like to know is how people pronounced it after the first time reading it. If that's how they natural would have said it or if they heard someone else and started saying it that way.

Noemard wrote: 3 years ago

I don't think it's being pronounced as if it was spelled "bear" (even so I'd say it would be the word "bare"), but more "Behr" like the paint Brand. Maybe the transliteration of Behr is

Ber, and some people made the connection and it stuck, idk

I have heard people say "Bare/Bear" so i know it does happen; though I cannot explain it.
I have also heard people suggest, like you, its closer to Behr. This is true for some im sure, but for me and my specific dialect/accent; "Behr" and "Bare" sound the exact same coming out of my mouth. lol.

Noemard wrote: 3 years ago

What I would like to know is how people pronounced it after the first time reading it. If that's how they natural would have said it or if they heard someone else and started saying it that way.

Ber like the end of September, but I'm Polish so "behr" was never an option and others were completely different: SoJ was soy,

Shako was czako and I still shorten

The Oculus to "ossi".

So it looks like there are only two with a strong consensus.

Occy = Ocky not Ossi

&

SOJ = S. O. J. not Sodge


But i still think all you "Shayko" sayers are damned

Maybe it's because I mainly speak french, but I read them as Ossi, Bear, Shayko and Source.

Fun poll! Personally I normally refer to Sorc (Source) as Soso (So So), just as I refer to Druid as Dudu (dew dew), Barb as baba (bab bah) etc. Although pertaining to the question, source.

I've never heard any one pronounce

Ber as bear, however this poll shows that some people definitely do. Very interesting!

Oh, and it's definitely Shayko (Obviously tounge and cheek - it's just how I prefer to say it. =) )

ColdNCursed wrote: 3 years ago

Fun poll! Personally I normally refer to Sorc (Source) as Soso (So So), just as I refer to Druid as Dudu (dew dew), Barb as baba (bab bah) etc. Although pertaining to the question, source.

I've never heard any one pronounce

Ber as bear, however this poll shows that some people definitely do. Very interesting!

Oh, and it's definitely Shayko (Obviously tounge and cheek - it's just how I prefer to say it. =) )

I've heard a lot of the dudu/soso talk as well, i just personally never subscribed to that. I have no room for Baby talk in my D2

Also....
I will die on this

Shako hill!