VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #550 – Pronunciation is Key
Voice coaches, radio, everything voiceover. Welcome to a brand new episode of voice coaches radio. My name is Marissa and we are to a yet another Friday, uh, but you could be listening to this at any point in time. I'm just hoping it's not a Monday, but if it is a Monday, I just hope that we can lift your spirits.
Mondays are kind of a drag. You know what I mean? Uh, but let's see. I mean, we are. God, we are near the end of September, right? Uh, so we are now officially into fall. And, I mean, there's a lot of things, uh, that I am looking forward to. But the biggest is going to Florida in November, because I need to get the heck out of here when it's cold.
Uh, you know, I went to Florida back in April, and I'm sure you remember that story, if you go back a few episodes. Uh, that, that flight was a miserable experience. I mean, flights this year have just been... Unlike any other flying experience I've ever had in my life. I mean, the worst experience I ever had was Jamaica, but that wasn't even the flight that was, that was the shuttle to get to the resort, uh, because I was going there for work and, and that those bus drivers don't, they don't care.
Uh, they don't care about anything. They just want to get you from point a to point B. They don't care what their driving is like, how bumpy the road is anything. So. That experience basically, and I was going to a resort that was a family resort because we were trying to, um, promote the fact that, Oh, look, you can go to this tropical location with your family and they have a lot of things for the kids to do and blah, blah, blah.
Uh, I think almost every kid on that bus threw up. It was like the worst. Experience, especially when you're somebody like me, I am completely vom phobic. I will just throw that out to you right now. So that was awful. But back in April for me, my flight experience for going to floor Fort Lauderdale was, I mean, they had this six hour layover that was absolutely ridiculous, not layover delay.
And it was after midnight. It was like almost one o'clock in the morning. The plane was there. It was cleaned off, our luggage was put on it, and then the crew left. So we had nobody to fly the plane, and a whole, you know, uh, whatever, just a people just waiting and hoping to get to Fort Lauderdale, people that had cruises leaving the next day, people like myself going to a music festival that was starting the next day, and just...
Spring break, uh, and they canceled the flight and then gave us no details about how they could get us there. Like, that flight had to go back to Fort Lauderdale in the morning, and they didn't even say, Hey, just be here at 6 a. m. We'll get y'all on the flight. It was like, Nah, we can't help you. Oh, and by the way, because it's spring break, all our other flights are booked.
Sorry. Uh, so that was real fun. That was a giant cluster. I did end up getting to Fort Lauderdale and, and I had, A great time from what I can remember, but, uh, JetBlue at that point, they did refund my flight. I had, you know, travel credit and that is what I used towards this trip. Not to get there, wasn't going to make that mistake, let me tell you that.
There, my flight home, but, uh, with that being said, my flight's completely covered because I was like trying to think where do I want to go. And, and I ended up settling on, on Florida again, simply because, well, there were a lot of factors. California was way too expensive, so was Hawaii. I just wanted a beach.
And, uh, I'm gonna go to North Carolina next year, because my best friend just moved there. So I'm like, well, that would be silly to go now. Uh, because he's coming home way too much in the next few months. Uh, so, I'm gonna see him a lot. Um, and then... There was somebody I didn't want to see in Virginia, so, so I'm like, no, we're going to scrap that because I know if it comes out that I went, that's going to be a big old ordeal.
So, so Florida it is, uh, but that is going to be in November and when it is dreary and cold and just yucky here. I'm gonna keep my tan nice and crisp y'all. I can't wait. Uh, but I hope that this is finding you well Maybe you are all pumpkin spiced out Uh, maybe you are making some apple picking plans for next month or or whatever the case might be But uh, you know, I hope you're enjoying yourself And you know, I I had a couple things popping up recently with students as they were going into their demo sessions and and and like questioning certain things But it was all coming back to one very simple thing.
Pronunciation. All right. Like if you are questioning anything, do yourself a solid. And be as professional as possible and ask the question, how do I pronounce this? Or, you know, say you get this script ahead of time. You have a whole internet machine that can help you. Okay, now this is incredibly important because it's showing professionalism at the end of the day.
Never, ever, ever just assume, right? Like, because what do we say about assumptions in life? Makes an ass out of you and me, but in this case, just out of you. Uh, you know, because, like, the last thing you want to do is go into a recording session. You have been hired for a project, and you go in, and you're mispronouncing multiple things.
Like, that is just not gonna come across. As the professional human that they hired. You know, great, yes, they do hire you because they like what you sound like, right? But, I'm sure, and I'm sure they'll correct you. You know, but the last thing you want to do is have somebody have to correct you about, God, like, uh, a city name for a travel piece.
Uh, you know, or it's, you know, a business that you were hired to do their product. Why are they having to correct you on the business name? Um, You know, it's just like, you need to be able to go in and be comfortable and confident in yourself by asking that question. If you get that script day of, it's one thing, you know, but that's why you ask the question.
You know, don't just assume. Don't just go in there and be like, Oh. I know how this is pronounced and then do the read and then like, um, yeah, excuse me. No, that, that's not how you pronounce that. It's actually this, uh, you know, because that is just going to be like, oh man, brum, brum. That is going to have your heart in the pit of your stomach and that is going to feel very awful.
But I did have it recently. Where a student even questioned me on how to pronounce something in a travel piece. And I'm like, alright, well, then, you know, let's go ahead and Google it. Let's do it. Like, that is what I've done. I made the mistake once and only once. And this was when I was in Boston, right?
Because even, even though I Googled this, I did Google it. Google, the Google machine was even wrong. Uh, you know, because... In Boston, just like a lot of different areas, those cities are not what they look like. And the city was P Body. P E A B O D Y. The average human would be like, oh, it's P Body. You know, simple, right?
No. But the Google machine did tell me P Body. So I went and I did this whole read. It was a live read because on the radio sometimes we do live commercials. And, and I said, Peabody, for this Chick fil A, uh, place. Turns out, two seconds later, phone rings. And it is a Bostonian, in true Bostonian fashion, instead of just saying, Hey, I know you're new to the area, blah blah blah, They were laughing, and laughing, and laughing, And I was like, dude, like, you know, like, why don't you just call up and say, Hey, Hey you, it's, it's Peabody, just like it's Dorchester, and Fall River, uh, and, and Somerville.
Uh, you know, just, just be kind, just tell me it's Peabody. Uh, you know, after that, can I tell you I Google pronounced everything from there on out? Uh, because I'm like, I'm not making that mistake again. And I'm telling you right now, you're in New York State, and somebody sees the word Cooksake come up, they're like, and, uh, mmm.
I don't even know if I'm allowed to say that. Is that okay? Is that, can I say that out loud? Uh, or Schenectady, uh, my friends in Boston trying to pronounce that. Oh, that's a fun one. Uh, but this is why it is so important and it takes two seconds to your time. That's, that's the thing. That's what you always want to remember.
If you can solve a problem and not look foolish because you just took the, the two seconds to Google pronounce, I mean, you're gonna just go ahead and give it to yourself. Like, you know, a lot more credit in somebody else's eyes. Um, you know, and, and that day in that demo session, that's exactly what I did is I went, all right, hold on a second.
And I went to Google, I put it in and I put my, my, uh, speaker right up to the microphone on my phone so they could hear it. And I'm like, you hear that, right? And they're like, Oh. Yeah, yeah, sometimes I know what I'm talking about as, as your professional coach in voice acting, uh, sometimes, sometimes I'm right.
Uh, so just do yourself that professional courtesy. So, so you have a better reputation under your belt. I'm not going to say that the first time it happens, it's going to like kill your career, right? But if you are all of a sudden known as the mispronouncer. I mean, I'm not going to say that your sessions are going to be booked up like crazy.
Uh, right. So just save yourself the hardship and, and create a good relationship there by doing your homework. It takes two seconds, two seconds. Uh, and it saves. A whole lot of problems. So pronunciation is key. My friends. Uh, if there's a topic you want us to discuss info at voicecoaches. com, a brand new episode is going to be coming your way next week, week, next week, right here on voice coaches radio.
Stay safe.
Visit voice coaches. com.
Mondays are kind of a drag. You know what I mean? Uh, but let's see. I mean, we are. God, we are near the end of September, right? Uh, so we are now officially into fall. And, I mean, there's a lot of things, uh, that I am looking forward to. But the biggest is going to Florida in November, because I need to get the heck out of here when it's cold.
Uh, you know, I went to Florida back in April, and I'm sure you remember that story, if you go back a few episodes. Uh, that, that flight was a miserable experience. I mean, flights this year have just been... Unlike any other flying experience I've ever had in my life. I mean, the worst experience I ever had was Jamaica, but that wasn't even the flight that was, that was the shuttle to get to the resort, uh, because I was going there for work and, and that those bus drivers don't, they don't care.
Uh, they don't care about anything. They just want to get you from point a to point B. They don't care what their driving is like, how bumpy the road is anything. So. That experience basically, and I was going to a resort that was a family resort because we were trying to, um, promote the fact that, Oh, look, you can go to this tropical location with your family and they have a lot of things for the kids to do and blah, blah, blah.
Uh, I think almost every kid on that bus threw up. It was like the worst. Experience, especially when you're somebody like me, I am completely vom phobic. I will just throw that out to you right now. So that was awful. But back in April for me, my flight experience for going to floor Fort Lauderdale was, I mean, they had this six hour layover that was absolutely ridiculous, not layover delay.
And it was after midnight. It was like almost one o'clock in the morning. The plane was there. It was cleaned off, our luggage was put on it, and then the crew left. So we had nobody to fly the plane, and a whole, you know, uh, whatever, just a people just waiting and hoping to get to Fort Lauderdale, people that had cruises leaving the next day, people like myself going to a music festival that was starting the next day, and just...
Spring break, uh, and they canceled the flight and then gave us no details about how they could get us there. Like, that flight had to go back to Fort Lauderdale in the morning, and they didn't even say, Hey, just be here at 6 a. m. We'll get y'all on the flight. It was like, Nah, we can't help you. Oh, and by the way, because it's spring break, all our other flights are booked.
Sorry. Uh, so that was real fun. That was a giant cluster. I did end up getting to Fort Lauderdale and, and I had, A great time from what I can remember, but, uh, JetBlue at that point, they did refund my flight. I had, you know, travel credit and that is what I used towards this trip. Not to get there, wasn't going to make that mistake, let me tell you that.
There, my flight home, but, uh, with that being said, my flight's completely covered because I was like trying to think where do I want to go. And, and I ended up settling on, on Florida again, simply because, well, there were a lot of factors. California was way too expensive, so was Hawaii. I just wanted a beach.
And, uh, I'm gonna go to North Carolina next year, because my best friend just moved there. So I'm like, well, that would be silly to go now. Uh, because he's coming home way too much in the next few months. Uh, so, I'm gonna see him a lot. Um, and then... There was somebody I didn't want to see in Virginia, so, so I'm like, no, we're going to scrap that because I know if it comes out that I went, that's going to be a big old ordeal.
So, so Florida it is, uh, but that is going to be in November and when it is dreary and cold and just yucky here. I'm gonna keep my tan nice and crisp y'all. I can't wait. Uh, but I hope that this is finding you well Maybe you are all pumpkin spiced out Uh, maybe you are making some apple picking plans for next month or or whatever the case might be But uh, you know, I hope you're enjoying yourself And you know, I I had a couple things popping up recently with students as they were going into their demo sessions and and and like questioning certain things But it was all coming back to one very simple thing.
Pronunciation. All right. Like if you are questioning anything, do yourself a solid. And be as professional as possible and ask the question, how do I pronounce this? Or, you know, say you get this script ahead of time. You have a whole internet machine that can help you. Okay, now this is incredibly important because it's showing professionalism at the end of the day.
Never, ever, ever just assume, right? Like, because what do we say about assumptions in life? Makes an ass out of you and me, but in this case, just out of you. Uh, you know, because, like, the last thing you want to do is go into a recording session. You have been hired for a project, and you go in, and you're mispronouncing multiple things.
Like, that is just not gonna come across. As the professional human that they hired. You know, great, yes, they do hire you because they like what you sound like, right? But, I'm sure, and I'm sure they'll correct you. You know, but the last thing you want to do is have somebody have to correct you about, God, like, uh, a city name for a travel piece.
Uh, you know, or it's, you know, a business that you were hired to do their product. Why are they having to correct you on the business name? Um, You know, it's just like, you need to be able to go in and be comfortable and confident in yourself by asking that question. If you get that script day of, it's one thing, you know, but that's why you ask the question.
You know, don't just assume. Don't just go in there and be like, Oh. I know how this is pronounced and then do the read and then like, um, yeah, excuse me. No, that, that's not how you pronounce that. It's actually this, uh, you know, because that is just going to be like, oh man, brum, brum. That is going to have your heart in the pit of your stomach and that is going to feel very awful.
But I did have it recently. Where a student even questioned me on how to pronounce something in a travel piece. And I'm like, alright, well, then, you know, let's go ahead and Google it. Let's do it. Like, that is what I've done. I made the mistake once and only once. And this was when I was in Boston, right?
Because even, even though I Googled this, I did Google it. Google, the Google machine was even wrong. Uh, you know, because... In Boston, just like a lot of different areas, those cities are not what they look like. And the city was P Body. P E A B O D Y. The average human would be like, oh, it's P Body. You know, simple, right?
No. But the Google machine did tell me P Body. So I went and I did this whole read. It was a live read because on the radio sometimes we do live commercials. And, and I said, Peabody, for this Chick fil A, uh, place. Turns out, two seconds later, phone rings. And it is a Bostonian, in true Bostonian fashion, instead of just saying, Hey, I know you're new to the area, blah blah blah, They were laughing, and laughing, and laughing, And I was like, dude, like, you know, like, why don't you just call up and say, Hey, Hey you, it's, it's Peabody, just like it's Dorchester, and Fall River, uh, and, and Somerville.
Uh, you know, just, just be kind, just tell me it's Peabody. Uh, you know, after that, can I tell you I Google pronounced everything from there on out? Uh, because I'm like, I'm not making that mistake again. And I'm telling you right now, you're in New York State, and somebody sees the word Cooksake come up, they're like, and, uh, mmm.
I don't even know if I'm allowed to say that. Is that okay? Is that, can I say that out loud? Uh, or Schenectady, uh, my friends in Boston trying to pronounce that. Oh, that's a fun one. Uh, but this is why it is so important and it takes two seconds to your time. That's, that's the thing. That's what you always want to remember.
If you can solve a problem and not look foolish because you just took the, the two seconds to Google pronounce, I mean, you're gonna just go ahead and give it to yourself. Like, you know, a lot more credit in somebody else's eyes. Um, you know, and, and that day in that demo session, that's exactly what I did is I went, all right, hold on a second.
And I went to Google, I put it in and I put my, my, uh, speaker right up to the microphone on my phone so they could hear it. And I'm like, you hear that, right? And they're like, Oh. Yeah, yeah, sometimes I know what I'm talking about as, as your professional coach in voice acting, uh, sometimes, sometimes I'm right.
Uh, so just do yourself that professional courtesy. So, so you have a better reputation under your belt. I'm not going to say that the first time it happens, it's going to like kill your career, right? But if you are all of a sudden known as the mispronouncer. I mean, I'm not going to say that your sessions are going to be booked up like crazy.
Uh, right. So just save yourself the hardship and, and create a good relationship there by doing your homework. It takes two seconds, two seconds. Uh, and it saves. A whole lot of problems. So pronunciation is key. My friends. Uh, if there's a topic you want us to discuss info at voicecoaches. com, a brand new episode is going to be coming your way next week, week, next week, right here on voice coaches radio.
Stay safe.
Visit voice coaches. com.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa talks about the importance of pronunciation, research and asking the important questions.
