Machismo!

[Scarlett]

How do you pronounce "machismo"? Is it like it looks with a CH sound, or with a "K" instead? Thanks!

[Quizmonster]

In Britain, the adjective form, 'macho' is normally pronounced with the 'ch' as in 'church', but the noun form, 'machismo' is more often pronounced with the 'ch' as 'k'. However, Chambers Dictionary's pronunciation guide offers both 'ch' and 'k' variants for 'machismo'! As the ultimate source is the Latin word, 'masculus', meaning 'male', then a 'k' is probably better.

[Scarlett]

GREAT thanks!

[Kingaroo]

But it's a spanish word, and I think a spanish speaker would use the CH sound not the K sound.

[marmaduke]

Indeed - it should be machismo with a 'ch' as in 'church', as it is a Spanish word, and the Spaniards would use the sound in 'church'.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Scarlett, click http://www.yourdictionary.com/ and the link will take you to a dictionary website. Once there, type 'macho' into the slot and click 'Go' . On the new page, click on 'macho' and, when it comes up, click on 'Listen' by the loudspeaker symbol. You will find that the 'ch' is pronounced as it is in 'church'. Repeat the proceess, this time entering 'machismo' and you will find that the 'ch' is pronounced 'k'.

I guessed that you wanted to know how English speakers pronounce the words, so I figured that how Spaniards pronounce them is not particularly relevant. We're not very good at speaking foreign languages correctly, hence - for example - the British word 'plonk' for 'wine'. This came from the 'blanc' in 'vin blanc'  = French for 'white wine' . The French 'blanc' and the British 'plonk' aren't even close!

[marmaduke]

For God's sake, that's all irrelevant. It's pronounced with the 'ch' as in 'CHurch'. MaCHismo.

[Quizmonster]

I don't know for whose sake it is, but yes, 'macho' is pronounced as in 'church', Marmaduke, but not necessarily 'machismo' ...at least generally speaking in British usage it isn't. (Are you American?) I have never once heard a British speaker say machismo, but invariably makismo. As I said in my first response above, Chambers Dictionary's pronunciation guide says both pronunciations are acceptable, so your insistence that only one is is simply mistaken.

Language is driven by usage and nothing I said above is irrelevant.

[Spriggo]

I agree with Quizmonster - if anything, I would think someone was wrong if they said ma-ch-ismo. However, British people saying s-k-edule drives me bonkers.

[Quizmonster]

Hi, Spriggo. An American comedian once said that the reason the British pronounced the 'sch' of 'schedule' as 'sh' was because that's how they were taught to say it in 'school', which he pronounced 'shool'!

[marmaduke]

Everyone saying it doesn't mean that it's correct. The number of people who can't say library or February for example.

It's machismo with a ch as in church.

[Quizmonster]

Aw for goodness' sake!
I've already provided a link to the yourdictionary website above. If you visit the Merriam-Webster Dictionary's web-page, you will find it also offers both pronunciations. On the other hand, if you visit the American Heritage Dictionary's website, you will find that it offers only the �k' version!! So Americans appear to have no doubt about it.

Also above, I pointed out that one major British dictionary, Chambers, agrees about the two possibilities. So, too, does the online edition of The Oxford English Dictionary (TOED). This is universally agreed in the world of English words to be the ultimate arbiter. Sadly, that last is not available free online; I should point out, though, that it lists the �k' pronunciation first.

It seems, therefore, that the entire English-speaking world - or certainly all of its authoritative word-sources - thinks the k-pronunciation correct. (The "correct"...ie French...pronunciation of Paris is Paree, but that doesn't stop any English-speaker from calling it Paris. Indeed, to call it anything else would be a pretentious nonsense...or a joke.

TOED offers an interesting insight for you, Marmaduke. The Second edition (published 1989) of the printed dictionary offers only the �ch' version, whilst - as mentioned above - the more recent online version offers both, with 'k' first...ie the more common usage. It would appear, therefore, that anyone insisting on �ch' alone is really living in the past. Things have moved on in 16 years.
As I said earlier, usage drives language and it is self-evident that, regarding �machismo', �k' is superseding �ch' in worldwide usage.
PS I don't think you will find lie-berry or Febury as pronunciation-options - certainly not as first-choices - in TOED!

[firefly]

Come on, Christmas, Christopher and various other words pronounce 'ch' as K and they're not Spanish.