Non-English Pronunciations
From Homestar Runner Wiki
Words with non-English pronunciations are often mispronounced based on their English spelling by the characters of the Homestar Runner universe, usually by Strong Bad.
Other times, English words are given exaggerated, non-English pronunciations in an attempt to sound authentic to their foreign origins, usually by Strong Sad. This tendency of his has been referenced a few times; Strong Bad reminds him in Dad's Garage & Friends that "not every word has some dumb French pronunciation", and refers to it in Fan 'Stumes 2020 as "try-to-pronounce-foreign-words-authentically-but-not-do-a-very-good-job-of-it".
Ignored Pronunciations
| Original word | Source language | How it was pronounced | Standard pronunciation | Appears in | Spoken by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| résumé | French | reh·zoom | reh·zoo·may | The Interview | Homestar Runner |
| chamois | French | sham·oyce, shim·ee | sham·wah | funny, Podstar Runner 2008 | Strong Bad |
| gazebo | English | gayz·boh | gah·zee·boh | 3 Times Halloween Funjob | Strong Bad |
| señor | Spanish | seh·nor | sen·yor | Many — see main article Senor | |
| coup | French | koop | koo | Email car | Homestar Runner |
| eau | French | eww | oh | Email origins | Strong Bad |
| subpoena | Latin | sub·poe·ee·na | sub·pee·na | Email rampage | Strong Bad |
| manga | Japanese | mag·na | mahn·ga | Trogdor Con '97 | Homestar Runner |
| chez | French | chezz | shay | Date Nite | Homestar Runner |
| lasagna | Italian | la·zan·ya | la·zahn·ya | DNA evidence, business trip DVD commentary | Coach Z, Homestar Runner |
| laissez-faire | French | lazy·fair | lah·say·fair or lay·zay·fair | Strong Badia the Free | Strong Bad |
| prosciutto | Italian | pres·quee·toe | pruh·shoo·tow | fan club DVD commentary | Strong Bad, Homestar Runner |
| macabre | French | macramé, ma·ca·ber, ma·ca·bré | mah·kahb | Doomy Tales of the Macabre | Homestar Runner, Strong Bad |
| monsieur | French | mon·soor | mis·seeur | Fan 'Stumes 2019 | Strong Bad, Coach Z |
Exaggerated Pronunciations
| Original word | Source language | How it was pronounced | Standard pronunciation | Appears in | Spoken by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ukulele | Hawaiian | oo·koo·lay·lay | yoo·koo·lay·lee | The Luau | Marzipan (multiple times) |
| baklava | Turkish | ba·ka·la·va, ba·ka·ma·la·va | bahk·la·vah | Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon | Marzipan |
| haiku | Japanese | hai·oo·koo | hai·koo | Halloween Fairstival | Strong Bad |
| rendezvous | French | ron·day·voooooo·ses ron·dayz·vooz | ron·day·vou | Email origins Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective | Strong Bad |
| anime | Japanese | ah·nee·may | ah·nih·may | Trogdor Con '97 | Strong Sad |
| chaperon | French | shah·pah·rone (French accent) | shap·er·own | Email senior prom | Strong Sad |
| instrument | English | in·struh·mohnt | in·struh·ment | Strong Badia the Free | Strong Sad |
| thermometer | English | ther·mom·e·teur | ther·mom·et·er | Strong Badia the Free | Strong Sad |
| menace | English | men·ah·chay | men·iss | Strong Badia the Free | Narrator (mistakenly reading it as an Italian word) |
| macabre | French | ma·cahb·ruh | mah·kahb | Doomy Tales of the Macabre | Strong Sad |
| troupe | French | troop·ay | troop | Dad's Garage & Friends - 13 Jun 2015 | Strong Sad |
| machete | Spanish | ma·shet·eh | ma·shet·ee | The House That Gave Sucky Tricks | Strong Sad |
| Hercule Poirot | French | A·cue Pwar·o, A·cool Pwagh·chho | Her·kyool Pwah·roh | Haunted Photo Booth | Strong Sad |
| Tove Jansson | Swedish | too·vuh yahn·son | (correctly, but with overly stressed intonation) | The Homestar Runner Enters the Spooky Woods | Strong Sad |
| Långstrump | Swedish | Long·stroomp | Long·strump | Fan 'Stumes 2020 | Strong Sad |
