Pronouncing Guacamole... (San Antonio, Anton: live, doctorate, education)

[TexasNurse]

Ok...I have lived in San Antonio all my life and have always pronounced guacamole..."whacamole".

I had a friend from up north come and visit...and he was saying gwacamole. Of course, I was so helpful and corrected my touristy friend.

He thought saying "whacamole" was strange and never heard of that...so we asked the waitress how to pronounce guacamole. The hispanic waitress said it is pronounced..."gwacamole"?!?!?

I felt like a fool and am now questioning my guacamole pronuctiation.

How IS it prnounced???


TIA!

[sapphire]

ba-bee poop. baby poop


I know I am in the minority here, but I really find that stuff to be gross.

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by TexasNurse

Ok...I have lived in San Antonio all my life and have always pronounced guacamole..."whacamole".

I had a friend from up north come and visit...and he was saying gwacamole. Of course, I was so helpful and corrected my touristy friend.

He thought saying "whacamole" was strange and never heard of that...so we asked the waitress how to pronounce guacamole. The hispanic waitress said it is pronounced..."gwacamole"?!?!?

I felt like a fool and am now questioning my guacamole pronuctiation.

How IS it prnounced???


TIA!

The "g" is soft, not guttaral, so it comes out sounding "wha", but you do pronounce it. And, fyi, just because someone is "hispanic" don't presume that he/she speaks Spanish.

[rd2007]

and just because someone is speaking spanish, still don't assume they actually know how to speak it.. Just like english, it depends on the education level. I learned spanish from people that had masters and doctorates in the language, so I wasn't really prepared for the street spanish I was hearing when I was out and about. I used to try to correct native speakers on their verb conjugations, but it was to no avail.. go figure

and gua in spanish would be equal to wha in english. Very few languages have a W, so they usually have to find other ways or change the sound to V, which of course sounds like bay in the alphabet for some spanish speakers. So you have to say v de vaca, or at least that's how it was when I learned the language. My instructors were from Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, and Russia..

[ShaneSA]

I'm with Sapphire. I can't stand even to say it so it doesn't matter how you say it.

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by rd2007

and just because someone is speaking spanish, still don't assume they actually know how to speak it.. Just like english, it depends on the education level. I learned spanish from people that had masters and doctorates in the language, so I wasn't really prepared for the street spanish I was hearing when I was out and about. I used to try to correct native speakers on their verb conjugations, but it was to no avail.. go figure

and gua in spanish would be equal to wha in english. Very few languages have a W, so they usually have to find other ways or change the sound to V, which of course sounds like bay in the alphabet for some spanish speakers. So you have to say v de vaca, or at least that's how it was when I learned the language. My instructors were from Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, and Russia..

This is true, too! Speaking of verb conjungations...my pet peeve is when people say "I should've went", instead of "I should've gone."

Anyway...the first "Spanish" I learned was purely Tex-Mex. I learned to speak proper Spanish when my old boss took on only Latin American clients. They were my teachers. I knew I was on the right track when I enrolled into a Spanish class at the UNAM and had to take a test to determine the level into which I would be placed and I tested into a level 8 class...the highest level available. Unfortunately, I really don't have much of an opportunity to use my Spanish these days.

[SanAntoQT]

I don't like all the crap some people put into guacamole. For me, just mash up the avocado, add some salt and I'm good to go. Mmmmm...especially when you slather it on some barbacoa with some pico de gallo thrown in.

[Chakapu]

I've always pronounced it 'Wha", but I'm non-spanish speaking Hispanic from Southern California.

My guacamole is the best - hand mashed, with finely chopped tomatoes and a bit of finely chopped red onion. Bit of oregano, lemon, salt and pepper. Key is to get the tomatoes and onion super fine. But I'll take just mashed avocado with salt

[Bowie]

Before I moved here, I avoided avocados because the only avocados I'd ever had tasted like soap! Now that I've had some of the good guacamole in town, I no longer avoid them.

[TexasNurse]

Thanks everyone. And I had always assumed that whacamole was the correct way to pronounce it.....guess I am learning otherwise! LOL

My husband always hated guacamole, baby poop. Until I made him try it....now we fight over it! Grrr...LOL