Poll: 'Flour' and 'Flower'

Martin

These two words are SO NOT said the same way!!!! You don't pronunce and "w" sound in the word "Flour". If you do, your saying it wrong. Flour is said with the two sounds Fl - our where as "Flower" is said using the sounds Fl - ow - er. The trip I think it the pronciation of our. I prenounce our more like the sound "ahh" and less like "ower".

yussuf

am improven my english on the website

Ivan

Martin, where are you from? Judging from the spelling mistakes you've made [e.g. "prenounce" (wrong) instead of "pronounce" (correct)], I'm guessing that you are not a Native English speaker, i.e. that you're neither from USA, Canada or UK. Are you from Singapore? Most Singaporeans tend to pronounce "flour" as "flah," rather than "flower."

gerald

I take issue with your insinuation that Singaporeans are not "native english speakers." Sure, Singlish predominates in Singapore, but there are Singaporeans who can speak and write standard english. Don't over-generalise when you refer to a country's population.

edward

The two words are pronounced very much the same way. It's very true that most Singaporeans and Malaysians for that matter mispronounce the word as "Flah.' You never hear it said this way in the UK, whatever the accent. Can't be sure how most Americans and Canadians say it.

Hamzah

USA, Canada or UK pronounces flour and flower sounds exactly the same. If I say "Go to the florist and get some flour". This sentence is stupid but does anyone know that I'm referring to flour or flower? I bet everyone will hear it as flower. Where else if is pronounce flour as flahh, everyone know what goes wrong.

So what you are a native English speaker. You mean English can't be change? A Singaporean and Malaysian majority speaks more than three native languages some even more. They are able to speak your only one native language. Do you able to speak theirs?

MrsB

I recommend that readers google Fadzillah Amin's well-researched comment on the standard pronunciation of this word. It is true that 'flah' is commonly pronounced and understood as 'flour' in Malaysia and Singapore, hence it may be recognized as a legitimate alternative pronunciation in Malaysian English and Singapore English , which are legitimate varieties of English .

george

... and thus, the whole absurdity of "correct" english is revealed. As a living language, even native speakers must adapt to changes in grammar and pronunciation from numerous sources. If you want it to remain the same forever, go and learn latin.

NRS

I am a British English speaker and they are the same. So says the Oxford dictionary too. If native speakers can't agree, what hope do the others have :).

Waqas

I am a non-native English speaker and to the least , I have read or heard about these words , they are both pronounced the same way. Thank you

NIZ

Actually, there is a difference between the two. One is Oxford and the other is Cambridge pronunciation. Malaysians learned the Cambridge way. Anyways, don't believe me, you guys can find it online too. Cheers.

Grace Mathenge

The two words are pronounced thesame i.e flower,however we were taught differently at different times,by different teachers,it depends with what your english teacher taught you.

Hana

My english teacher taught me that 'flour' is pronounced as 'flah'. But i have never seen or heard a native english speaker pronounced is as 'flah'. watched plenty of baking shows , even british ones and none pronounced it as 'flah.' so confused.

Mun

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pron
unciation/british/flour

:)

I pronounce flower and flour differently. The same as the British English example, in the link above. :)

I believe with this particular word, it just boils down to whether you were taught the British / American method of pronunciation. I am born a Malaysian and now am a New Zealander. In NZ they pronounce both words the same. XD Haha

I guess if we all walked the same stride then this world would be rather unassuming. :) Thank God for accents and uniqueness.

Petra Ho

How now? I teach English to kids and have always pronounced it as "flah" as I was taught. I like to accept what Mrs B said that it is an acceptable alternative pronunciation since it's so widely used in Malaysia.

alexpetrograd

the difference is so slight that what is signifivant is context