Babble.

How about a simpler test: change the first letter of Babel to an "L" or "M" and tell me how you'd pronounce it; then, if you accept that "el" is tantamount to "le", change the "B" to a "C", "F", "G" (as in Clark), "S", or "T" and tell me how you'd pronounce it.

Change the "C" in "Cough" to a "D" and tell me how you would pronounce it.

Using a complete other word makes for poor logic; name me one other first-letter change with "abel" or "able" that results in a pronunciation like "AB-ul".

People who say Baybel are obviously lower class and lack education.

It's Babble. Like Babylon.

I'm tired of this, I'm going ghotiing.

It's also a proper name, which are sometimes not pronounced like Hooked On Phonics would have us pronounce them.

Say it however the fuck you want. End thread.

Quit screwing up the election for the Democrats! Oh, wait...

Who knew John Kerry posted on DVD Talk...

"I once caught a ghoti this big (stretches hands out), but when I tell the story, people think I'm Babel-ing."

Signed, Donnacha
(whose name rhymes with "Monica")

how about this for 5 variations of -ough pronunciation

cough and trough
rough and tough
dough
bough
through

Nobody's talking about "ough". It shows ample variance, but "abel"/"able" shows absolutely none, unless you inexplicably insist on "BAB-uhl" being an exception.

Ditto. Babble-on. Same with the Tower of Babble and Babblefish. It's Babble, not Baybel. Fact.

False. It's Bay-bel. Fact.

Ok, if it's fact, prove it.

Babel is a proper name. Comparing it to common words like label, table, etc. is completely idiotic.

Funny, I was about to say the same thing about this entire debate.

-JP

I did compare it to another proper name--two, in fact: "Mabel" and Clark "Gable"; thanks for spending more time thinking of what you wanted to say than actually reading what I said.

You wouldn't think that they'd let people like that write dictionaries.

So, all you want to do is play your lame rhyming games and completely discount the Babylon connection? How many of your rhymes were shortened version of longer words?

Plenty of words shift pronunciation when they're altered into different configurations; for instance, we say "FO-ta-graff", but not "FO-ta-GRAFF-ee". There's nothing that maintains that "BA-buhl-on" must convert to "BA-buhl", instead of alter to "BAY-buhl". What you call lame I call inductive reasoning.

Yeah, and plenty of words don't rhyme the way you'd expect. I just thought is was lame that you're so focused on your point and totally dismissive of what's, at least, an equally valid point.

Dictionaries also say it's okay to pronounce nuclear as "nuke-u-ler."

Why the hell is there always someone who has to bring out the old tired "every viewpoint should be considered valid" argument? I'm here to debate, not be your life partner.

So, in all actuality, somebody *is* talking about "ough".

Not every point is as valid as others, no, but if someone wants their point to be heard, they need to be open to hearing--not necessarily agreeing with--other points. We've been through this before.