Rachel's pronunciation

[Mike Thompson]

My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this

[Matt Morrison]

My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this

Yes, and yes. It's annoying but what can you do?
It's better to get your kids playing along and have to remind them how to pronounce the letters properly than ban the show entirely because of it.

[Ben Hunter]

the letters have to pronounced correctly.

Correct grammar doesn't appear to enjoy the same lofty position in your totalitarian regime's list of priorities.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this

Yes it has been commented on several times and I belive it stems from an early show of Rachel's when a contestant misheard an F for an S. She now makes a point of accentuating both letters in addition to Mmmmmmmmmmm and Nnnnnnnnnnn.

It is perhaps slightly over done and she could probably back off a bit now - I hope so, because SWMBO is always complaining about it too - as if I could do anything about it!

[D Eadie]

The visually impaired struggle to differenciate, so it was an intentional thing on our part, but over the coming weeks it disappears...........z

[Rosemary Roberts]

To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this

This continuing harping irritates me beyond bearing. This is not a personal foible on Rachel's part. The letters and numbers are intended to be pronounced in such a way that blind and partially sighted people can play the game as well. She pronounces S and F as "esser" and "effer" to make sure they are perfectly clear and unambiguous. Which they are. I was extremely impressed that she managed to get this exactly right from her very first show.

It would be nice if you would all show as much consideration!

[Rosemary Roberts]

The visually impaired struggle to differenciate, so it was an intentional thing on our part, but over the coming weeks it disappears...........z

I do hope not, Damian, it really is extremely useful!

[Jon Corby]

It's annoying but what can you do?

Stop being so freaking anal?

[Matt Morrison]

It's annoying but what can you do?

Stop being so freaking anal?

Glad you agree.

[Jon Corby]

It's annoying but what can you do?

Stop being so freaking anal?

Glad you agree.

Effer off.

[Phil Reynolds]

This is not a personal foible on Rachel's part. The letters and numbers are intended to be pronounced in such a way that blind and partially sighted people can play the game as well.

Understood but I think it's a question of degree. It's possible to pronounce the names of the letters S, F, M, N and L perfectly distinctly by emphasising the final consonantal sound - e.g. essss, effff - without adding the ugly-sounding "uh" at the end, which I must admit is starting to irritate me as well. You have to remember that when she began this job, Rachel had absolutely no TV experience whatsoever; she is still learning and improving and no doubt her style will quickly settle down to a happy medium.

[Kieran Child]

Her first couple of shows she could NOT stand up in those shoes and flicked between looking like a zombie to looking like a hobo.

She's improving. Hopefully the letters will get there.

[D Eadie]

Geez, some of you guys are very easily irritated by the looks of it..........

[David Williams]

Carol did the same, but I don't recall anyone objecting. It's an attempt to make sure the letters can be differentiated. If you want to be irritated, so be it, but it's done for a good reason.

What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel. If she's so perfect her supporters would just ignore or laugh off criticism, surely.

[Gavin Chipper]

The funniest one for me is her pronunciation of some of the vowels - O in particular. I'm not sure how to put it into text but it's the way she goes up at the end. It's just hilarious. I suppose thinking about it, it's not entirely dissimilar to the S and F thing.

[George Jenkins]

Her first couple of shows she could NOT stand up in those shoes and flicked between looking like a zombie to looking like a hobo.

She's improving. Hopefully the letters will get there.

Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are. The fashion People decree that women will now be perched on a pair of three or more inch stilts. the fact that few women will be able to walk gracefully, and that many of them will soon be filling Doctor's surgeries complaining of crippled feet, does not matter, there is money to be made. This includes my own two daughters and four granddaughters. they don't take a blind bit of notice of my lectures. If you ladies refused to buy these torture instruments, the people who control you will have to design comfortable shoes, and which will still look smart and fashionable.
As to Rachel's accented letters, I think that she has been instructed to do this, and I don't find it irritating at all.

[Allan Harmer]

I think Rachel should use the phonetic alphabet and she can tell us to Foxtrot Oscar!

[D Eadie]

Carol did the same, but I don't recall anyone objecting. It's an attempt to make sure the letters can be differentiated. If you want to be irritated, so be it, but it's done for a good reason.

What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel. If she's so perfect her supporters would just ignore or laugh off criticism, surely.

The phonetic alphabet was created to remove any doubt over what letter was being spoken, but obviously we can't use this, so the emphasising of certain letters becomes necessary. If this irritates some people, i can only presume they spend most of their lives irritated, because in the grand scheme of things, ie traffic jams, automated telephone services etc, it's really nothing, let's face it. Nobody is ever going to be perfect David, because perfection is judged in different ways by different folk.

As i said earlier, the situation rectifies itself over the coming weeks, but not to the detriment of the visually impaired. I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.

[D Eadie]

Oh and the heels thing is no longer an issue. We've shipped in a large order of Doc Marten boots, so keep your eyes peeled.
George, have to laugh at your comments about ladies shoes and lecturing your daughters. Whatever happened to letting them do what they want? It's not as if you can possibly know what its like to spend a day in high heels, is it?

[Kathleen Batlle]

Well. Rachel certainly doesn't irritate me, I think she's lovely and like a breath of fresh air amongst all the doom and gloom of the world at the moment. I did notice that she puts a big emphasis on certain letters, but I imagined she had been trained that way in order that people at home with sight problems would still be able to play along. Before my mother died, she suffered from macular degeneration and couldn't see very well, but she was still able to enjoy Countdown because Carol also put a big emphasis on the letters she was placing on the board. There are lots of things which irritate me at times especially regarding politics, illegal immigrants and benefit fraud but Rachel's pronunciation of the letters is more a delight than an irritant.

[Allan Harmer]

Well. Rachel certainly doesn't irritate me, I think she's lovely and like a breath of fresh air amongst all the doom and gloom of the world at the moment. I did notice that she puts a big emphasis on certain letters, but I imagined she had been trained that way in order that people at home with sight problems would still be able to play along. Before my mother died, she suffered from macular degeneration and couldn't see very well, but she was still able to enjoy Countdown because Carol also put a big emphasis on the letters she was placing on the board. There are lots of things which irritate me at times especially regarding politics, illegal immigrants and benefit fraud but Rachel's pronunciation of the letters is more a delight than an irritant.

Well said Kathleen - I feel you are leaning against a rather large open door here.

[Allan Harmer]

By the way - I could never go on The Weakest Link, as I can't understand half the rubbish that Ann Robinson comes out with. Her pronunciation is diabolical IMO.

Rachel is like Brian Sewell in comparison to Ann.

[Gavin Chipper]

I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.

I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.

[Gavin Chipper]

Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.

I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?

[Paul Hammond]

The funniest one for me is her pronunciation of some of the vowels - O in particular. I'm not sure how to put it into text but it's the way she goes up at the end. It's just hilarious. I suppose thinking about it, it's not entirely dissimilar to the S and F thing.

She does have very noticeable diphthongs, like many an Essex girl. I find myself dwelling on Rachel's diphthongs every day [/frankie howerd].
Somebody who's better than me with IPA could break the diphthongs (gliding vowels, such as "ai", a sound producing by transitioning from "ah" to "ee") down into their constituent parts. But at a rough guess, her O's sound almost like ah-oo. And her I's emphasise the "ah" of the "ah-ee".

[D Eadie]

I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.

I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.

Is that often, or just 99% of the time?

[D Eadie]

Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.

I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?

Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.

[Jon Corby]

Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.

Zing!

[George Jenkins]

Oh and the heels thing is no longer an issue. We've shipped in a large order of Doc Marten boots, so keep your eyes peeled.
George, have to laugh at your comments about ladies shoes and lecturing your daughters. Whatever happened to letting them do what they want? It's not as if you can possibly know what its like to spend a day in high heels, is it?

I'ts an age thing. One has to impose one's authority on the young people who know no better. the fact that they ignore one's advice, and call one an "old git" shows that they have no respect for our superior knowledge. I have to confess that my lecturing and their reaction generates a lot of humour, and I wouldn't have it any other way, and as for being an old git, I love it. did you notice how posh I writ that.

[Andy Wilson]

I've just had a distorted vision of Rachel doing Rhianna's umbrella song at karaoke... Ella...ella...ella...

[Charlie Reams]

What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel.

I wasn't going to bother to reply to this thread, but having seen that it annoys you...

STFU everyone, Rachel is perfect.

[Jason Larsen]

That does remind me of Carol in a way!

[Gavin Chipper]

I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.

I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.

Is that often, or just 99% of the time?

I often think the same about you - after about 99% of your posts in fact. I hope this clears the matter up.

[Gavin Chipper]

Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.

I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?

Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.

Still waiting for an insipid weed...