Poll: How do YOU say "Melee"?

[Asuka Soryu]

Ancient Gear Golem, attack with Mechanised Melee(May-Lay)!

 

[derbt]

Maylay. Imagine that we're speaking french, and that it's spelled like this: mêlée. The accents change the way in which it's pronounced, so that we say maylay, as opposed to mehlee.

Accents do change the pronunciation, but not always and not necessarily in the way you think. The first accent is a circumflex, and does not change pronunciation (except in Belgian French, maybe). So, essentially, the first accent is useless as a pronunciation guide in mêlée. Therefore, it should be pronounced as a typical French 'me' (which sounds similar to the 'me' in 'meringue'). The second accent is an acute accent, and does change pronunciation to a sound similar to an English 'lay' (not exactly the same, of course - just an approximation).

There are plenty of French words in the English language that have been changed pronunciation and even spelling-wise. Let's not forget that England was ruled by a French-speaking monarchy for a few centuries after William the Conqueror, which added an enormous amount of words to the language. This partially accounts for why we have so many synonyms in English - 'hide', for example, comes from the original Anglo-Saxon dialect, whereas 'conceal' has French origins. So in truth, how you pronounce 'melee' doesn't really matter. Even though we all find pronunciations different from own a bit annoying.

... I need a hobby...

 

[ThePinkAcidSmurf]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/melee is my guide.

 

[Dystopia]

I am fully aware that it's pronounced 'May-Lay' or 'Meh-Lay', but I read it before I heard it, and I'd been saying 'Mee-Lee' for years before someone corrected me.

So it is irreconcilably 'Mee-Lee' for me, and I usually say it that way out of habit.

I did that but with the word 'persephone', which I pronounced purse-uh-phone, and the name Siobhan which I pretty much pronounced as it is spelt Embarrassing.

OT: I pronounce it may-lay. You know, the way you're supposed to say it.

 

[Continuity]

Simple:

English: May-Lay

French: May-Lee

Or occasionally Mel-ay.

I tend to use Mel-ay

 

[AroLombardi]

I say May-Lay, but then again I say things weird apparently. I say scissors with an emphasis on the "c", and say twat like tw@.

 

[Magikarp]

I say meh-lay; that's the original french pronunciation.

 

[Continuity]

I am fully aware that it's pronounced 'May-Lay' or 'Meh-Lay', but I read it before I heard it, and I'd been saying 'Mee-Lee' for years before someone corrected me.

So it is irreconcilably 'Mee-Lee' for me, and I usually say it that way out of habit.

I did that but with the word 'persephone', which I pronounced purse-uh-phone, and the name Siobhan which I pretty much pronounced as it is spelt Embarrassing.

OT: I pronounce it may-lay. You know, the way you're supposed to say it.

Thats the trouble with applying English pronunciation to foreign words... makes you look like a twat. I do it all the time >.>

I take it you now know its per-sef-on-ee

I say meh-lay; that's the original french pronunciation.

Is it? I hear mel-ay used a lot (I take it thats what you mean by "meh-lay") and I use it myself, but I thought the French had a definite "lee" ending, i.e. May-Lee

 

[DanielBrown]

Mee-lee
Why? Because I saw the word for the first time when I was 12 and had no clue wth it ment, so I pronounced it like it's written. Any other way sounds really wrong to me. >.<

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Meh-Lay?

People say it differently? What's wrong with you people?

 

[Dalek Caan]

I pronounce it like Mel, like Mel Gibson, and then EYYY! from Fonz from Happy Days. Mel-EYYY! Melee. Simples.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I say mel-ee normally but I think its actually maylee

 

[L3W15 M]

I say may-lay. I don't know why its just the way it comes out.

 

[Broady Brio]

Mee-Lee.

Everyone else says it that way around me, so I say it like that.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Ever since Super Smash Bro Melee (the intro) I jut say it as "May-Lay".

 

[Hosker]

It's a French word I believe, spelt "mêlée", so it is pronounced "meh-lay".

EDIT: a source - http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/e.htm

 

[MintberryCrunch]

Well, since the correct spelling with accents is Mêlée, I'm gonna go with Meh-Lay. Used to say Mee-Lee for ages until I learnt how to spell/ pronounce it properly, then I changed how I said it. Now I get annoyed by people who say Mee-Lee.

It's a French word I believe, spelt "mêlée", so it is pronounced "meh-lay".

Christ, ninja'd by the person above me. How unfortunate.

 

[F'Angus]

I tend to switch between Meh-Lay and Meh-Lee

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

My friends say Mee-lee, but I say it Meh-lay.

 

[Richardplex]

I alternate between Meh-lay and mee-lay. It's one of those words, like shaman (shar-mun and Shay-mun).