Pronunciation: turquoise

How do you pronounce 'turquoise'?

  • Both meanings rhyme with 'noise'

    Votes: 16 76.2%

  • Both meanings rhyme with 'has'

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Gemstone ~ 'has'. Colour ~ 'noise'

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Gemstone ~ 'noise'. Colour ~ 'has'

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Something else? Please explain

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
ewie

ewie

Senior Member
Manchester, UK
English English
I lay awake half the night last night worrying about this and so thought I'll ask those nice people at WRF about it first thing in the morning.

It's now 2.40pm and I've just remembered it.

Does anyone else make any distinction between the pronunciation of turquoise to mean 'the gemstone turquoise' and turquoise to mean 'the colour'?

(Or is it just me? Gemstone: rhymes with has. Colour: rhymes with noise.)


The issue was not covered in this previous thread.
 
    • I pronounce it almost like "noise" but with an "s" at the end (as opposed to "noise" with a "z"). And I've always pronounced both the gem and the color exactly the same.
     
    ewie said:
    Does anyone else make any distinction between the pronunciation of turquoise to mean 'the gemstone turquoise' and turquoise to mean 'the colour'?
    Click to expand...
    Me? No. They both rhyme with noise. I don't think I've ever heard any other pronunciation, except maybe Kevin's "toorkwaz" said in jest.
     
    If memory serves, I've never heard any native AE speaker pronounce the gem and the color differently. I suspect we Yanks might end up skewing your results, ewie. In which case you may be in for another sleepless night... :eek:

    Edit: Well, judging by what follows, this is not an AE thing only. I'll rest easier knowing that.
     
    Last edited:
    I am not voting, but both dictionary.com and merriam-webster seem to favor a -koiz (or -kwoiz) ending. They don't suggest there is any difference between the stone and the colour.
     
    The stone and the colour are pronounced the same: -kwoiz.

    Just the same as the stone and colour emerald, and many others.
     
    Meeracat said:
    Ewie, My vote is in for 'noise' in both cases, as anyone who watches 'The Antiques Roadshow' would know.
    Click to expand...
    Ditto as regards the pronunciation:)

    Which one are you in 'The Antiques Roadshow', Meeracat?
     
    Last edited:
    It's a word that I try very hard not to use.
    It's not that difficult because MrsP insists I wouldn't know it if I saw it anyway. Things are green or blue or bluey-green or greeny-blue.
    The semi-precious stones don't come my way all that often.
    I get by.

    I see that there seems to be no mention of the first syllable. Is that because you all pronounce it the same way? ... or the colour and the gem the same way? ... or because ewie didn't ask?

    Forced into a corner I hover between two versions.
    The first is what I think it ought to sound like - turk-wazz (rhymes with jazz).
    The second is the version I am most likely to hear around me - tork-oys or tork-woys (rhymes with toys).
     
    When I speak English I say turkwoiz (rhymes with lurk noise). When I speak French, I pronounce it in French. I do not differentiate between the color and the stone.
     
    I pronounce it to rhyme with voice. I sometimes here it as rhyming with toys though.

    I have never heard it rhyming with has though; it surprised me to see it as an option.
     
    Polixenes said:
    I pronounce it to rhyme with voice. I sometimes here it as rhyming with toys though.

    I have never heard it rhyming with has though; it surprised me to see it as an option.
    Click to expand...
    After having repeated it to myself a hundred times I am now convinced I pronounce it to rhyme with 'voice' just as you say Polixenes. Is 'noise' a red herring or are we hearing subtle regional variations?
     
    Thanks for all the replies and votes :)mad:), folks. It's a shame no-one could bring themselves to agree with me, but I'm used to that by now :)().

    I've only ever heard the first half pronounced tur (like a headless turkey or bottomless turd). Which is why I didn't ask about that bit.

    I have however, heard the last part pronounced to rhyme with (erm) Joyce ~ again, though, I was more interested in the vowel than the final consonant, so didn't ask.

    Results of survey so far: inconclusive.
    ('Inconclusive' in the sense that an election won with 'only' 99.7% of the popular vote cannot be considered unanimous:D)
     
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