Who Determines the Pronunciation of a Word?

The way a word is pronounced often comes from what we hear in our daily life or our assumptions when reading unfamiliar words. However, it is important to note that people do not follow rule books or formal guidelines for their native language pronunciation. Teachers and grammarians might influence pronunciation, but this influence is often unpredictable and not universally followed.

Pronunciation vs. Writing

You have the sequence of events wrong. Spoken language arises first, and only a few languages later develop writing systems, which are often based on capturing spoken language. People who devise these writing systems aim to accurately represent spoken pronunciation, but even their efforts are imperfect. Over time, language and pronunciation evolve, leading to a divergence between the written and spoken forms.

The Role of the International Phonetic Association

The International Phonetic Association (IPA) provides a standardized notation system for the phonetic representation of all languages. This is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). While it serves as a reference, it does not dictate pronunciation rules exactly. It allows for natural regional accents, as long as they are phonetically accurate and easy to understand with practice.

English: A Languague with Varied Pronunciations

In the case of English, there is no single, formal entity that determines the "correct" pronunciation. Unlike French, which has the Ancien Ru00e9gime Acadu00e9mie Franu00e7aise, English relies on the linguistic community for determining pronunciation. This means that people naturally adopt the pronunciation used by those around them, and regional variations can lead to different pronunciations of the same words.

Language as a Community Agreement

Language is a community agreement. The people who speak a particular language collectively decide how words are pronounced. While this process is not conscious, it is informed by the speech patterns of the community. Over time, these patterns can change, leading to variations in pronunciation.

The Linguistic Community in English

In the case of English, the "linguistic community" is diverse and can include anyone from different regions and backgrounds. Good dictionaries and textbooks often reflect these regional pronunciations, attempting to provide a comprehensive guide for learners and users from different areas.

Summary: Pronunciation is primarily determined by the linguistic community. While writing systems help standardize pronunciation to some extent, true pronunciation is influenced by spoken language and regionally specific accents.