How do you pronounce "psycho"?

Torsten · Fri Jul 13, 2007 22:51 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

There is this movie "Insomnia" with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. At the beginning when the two L.A. cops arrive in Alaska there are talking to the local policeman who is in charge of the investigation. At some point he says: "This isn't a random psycho? Crime of passion?"

Now, it seems that this man pronounces the "P" in "psycho". Do you too?

Thanks
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Alan · Fri Jul 13, 2007 23:39 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Hi Torsten,

I would certainly want the 'p' to be silent. Maybe this sounding of the 'p' is some kind of jokey practice.

Alan
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Torsten · Sat Jul 14, 2007 0:13 am *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Hi Alan,

Many thanks for your quick response, you are probably right about pronouncing the "p" to make it sound funny. By the way, later in the same movie Al Pacino pronounces "inquiry" quite strangely stressing the first syllable and treating the second one like a schwa. Are there are two accepted ways of pronouncing that word similar to "advertisement"?
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Alan · Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:19 am *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Hi Torsten,

Stress on the first syllable and the 'swallowed' second part is the American way of saying it - they tell me there are differences, ho, ho.

Alan
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Yankee · Sat Jul 14, 2007 19:35 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Yankee · Sat Jul 14, 2007 20:59 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Hi Torsten

I don't know anyone in the US who would seriously pronounce the 'p' in a word like 'psycho' except for non-native speakers of English.

At least I can agree with Alan's post about the fact that it might be intentionally pronounced that way as a joke.
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NinaZara · Sun Jul 15, 2007 19:00 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

Hi,

Maybe he was saying it deliberately to make it sound like pissed-sycho, to be funny.

Nina
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Conchita · Sun Jul 15, 2007 22:55 pm *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

It might just have been the result of pronouncing an 's' after an 'm'. Especially if the guy had a nasal voice or simply a cold!

Yankee · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:09 am *How do you pronounce "psycho"?*

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