Aspergers syndrome

[timpeac]

Hi

Is the "g" pronounced with the "j" of "jewel" or the "g" of "goat"?

I had always thought it was "j" but just heard it pronounced with "g" on the telly. I'm not sure I've ever heard it said before, just read it, so it probably is "g" but it did surprise me to hear that.

Thanks.

 

[Pedro y La Torre]

I personally pronounce it with the "j" of "jewel" however Merriam-Webster lists it as "äs-ˌpər-gərz" while the OED gives "asperjərz". Perhaps a BE/AE difference?

 

[Kevin Beach]

I believe that Asperger is a German name, in which case the g would originally have been hard, as in "goat".

However, I have heard it pronounced both ways in BrE. Once the word is anglicised, the rules of English pronunciation make the second e soften the g.

 

[AlabamaBoy]

It is generally pronounced with a hard g like goat on television in the US.

 

[xqby]

I've heard puns on "ass burgers," so that pronunciation is familiar to me, but I think I typically say it with a j as well.

 

[lablady]

All the AE psychology professionals of my acquaintance pronounce it with a hard "g" (on those occasions that the subject happens to come up). Of course, that's not to say that the professionals wouldn't have variations in pronunciation.

I don't recall ever hearing it pronounced with the "j" sound. However, a quick search reveals both pronunciations:
- M-W, Dictionary.com and the American Heritage Dictionary list it with a hard "g".
- Encarta's dictionary concurs with the OED and lists it with a "j" sound,- and quite a few posters on other forums agree.

I thought I knew how to pronounce it, but now I'm not sure. I'll probably stay with the way I've heard it- with the hard "g".

 

[mrr5052]

My cousin has it... it is pronounced with a g as in "goat".

 

[timpeac]

Thanks everyone. Judging from the above discussion the "correct" pronunciation seems to be with a hard "g", but evidently I'm not the only one who has started to remodel the pronunciation by its spelling.

 

[Thomas Tompion]

I had a pupil with it and the professionals in the UK pronounced it as in MacDonald's.

 

[Kevin Beach]

I had a pupil with it and the professionals in the UK pronounced it as in MacDonald's.

I'm sure you'll explain that to us TT. [Oh - "ass burgers". Got it now]

Meanwhile, it occurs to me that some people might soften the g because the word is so similar to the (mainly ecclesiastical) noun "asperges", meaning a sprinkling of holy water, in which the g is always soft.

 

[Rover_KE]

To sum up, timpeac, please yourself how you say it.

Rover

 

[entangledbank]

The OED actually gives this: Brit. /'asˌpəːgə/, U.S. /'asˌpərgər/