How do you know pronounce Caribbean?

[Locut0s]

Last edited Sun Jun 30, 2013, 08:25 PM - Edit history (1)

#1 cari.bbEan - emphasis on the E. Like saying the name Ian

#2 caribb.ean - slight emphasis on the beginning

Which do you say. Where are you from?

I say #2 and I'm from North East North America, Vancouver Canada specifically.

Which is more common in the Caribbean itself, or does it vary by location?

11 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	cari.bbEan - emphasis on the E. Like saying the name Ian
	4 (36%)
	caribb.ean - slight emphasis on the beginning
	1 (9%)
	I use both.
	6 (55%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[HipChick]

1. It's called

YARD by the locals...

West Indies by the British..

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. Billy Ocean pronounced like #2

[Locut0s]

8. Wow I hear a lot of Billy Jean in this :P

?t=1m40s

[Duer 157099]

3. Both. Depends on context.

Or mood. Or something. But I know I use both.

[elleng]

4. ca RIBB e an

From NE U.S., New York.

[RudynJack]

6. yep

Same here. Also from NY.

[bigwillq]

12. Same. From CT (nt)

[nolabear]

14. Kermit the Frog sings Carribbean Amphibian. But I rhyme w/ Ian.

[LiberalEsto]

20. Same. Northern/Central New Jersey. nt

[elleng]

21. and I think I heard Anthony Bourdain pronounce it that way today.

[MrSlayer]

5. Car-a-bee-in.

Philly.

[Myrina]

25. +1

n/t

[BlueJazz]

7. Been severals songs by that name...or part of the song.

[sarge43]

9. I use both

Speech pattern: Northern Midwest

[pipi_k]

10. Oddly enough...

I use both. No good reason other than how the mood strikes me.

I am western Massachusetts born and bred

[Danmel]

11. ca-RIB-ean

NY.city native. How do you say New Orleans? New or-lins.

I am assured by my Tulane grad daughter that natives never say Nawlins.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Karibukai

in Japanese (Kari- bu- kai)

[Populist_Prole]

15. Another vote for ca-RIB-ean

Downstate NY.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. JFK pronounced it with the emphasis on the "rib" and it caught on

[olddots]

17. " down in the Cara- be-in that's not a dream you're seeing "

Chuck Berry lyric but the possessive would be Car-ib-ean wouldn't it ? don't ask me I'm less than functionally illiterate .

[BillStein]

18. both

Philly area here-

I use Ca-rib-ee-an when referring to the area (we vacationed on a Caribbean island)

and Car ib-ian for culture (we enjoy Caribbean music)

[OriginalGeek]

19. I live about 20 minutes from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at WDW

well, 20 minutes if they'd let me drive right up to the ride entrance - 3 hours if you count waiting in line to get into the parking lot and then into the park and then walking to the ride and then waiting in line for the ride...


but I always say Pirates of the Care-ah-BE-an. If I'm not talking about the ride then I say ca-ribby-an.


I don't like that they updated it to include the movies. I like the movies but I liked my ride old-school. Haunted Mansion is the best ride anyway.

[Honeycombe8]

22. Ka RIB' e-an. Emphasis on 2nd syllable. If that's one of your choices, I didn't see it. nt

[shanti]

23. When I lived on the east coast

I said it like #1. I moved to Cali and everyone said it like #2. Go figure.

[Jamaal510]

24. I used to pronounce it "cuh-ribb-eyan".