Clothe-eez

Don't you just hate it when people refuse to believe that you know better?

I had a new member in one of my English classes today and she pronounces 'clothes' as 'clothe-eez'.

To be fair, it is a very common mistake that many, many Germans make. I don't usually comment*, but in this situation as the teacher I felt I should point out that that word, pronounced in that manner doesn't exist.

She wasn't happy. All her teachers and all the people she knows who speak English apparently pronounce it like this (and therefore (I could hear her unsaid conclusion) I must be wrong) and what's more when she uses the word people understand her. To which I pointed out that they may understand her but her mispronunciation marks her out as a foreigner and not a native speaker. Wrong thing to say because she doesn't want to be taken for a native speaker - fair enough. Then she decided she couldn't hear the difference between 'clothes' & 'close' (& therefore my pronunciation must be incorrect I guess) I told that the context would help her decide whether someone was talking about clothing or shutting.

I shall get revenge, they get a vocab test next week.



* although I do have to bite my tongue.