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Victo Posted 16 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation

Pronunciation of Visage

Instead of the American pronunciation of visage as viz-ij, the French pronounce it as vee-ZAHZH.

However, can you also pronounce it as vih-SAHZH as in massage (mih-SAHZH)? Yes or no?

I've heard it pronounced this way innumerable times.

Let me know.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Actually, your claim to have heard 'visage' pronounced innumerable times rather surprises me since I rarely hear people use this word in everyday speech -- no matter what the pronunciation. But, hey, if you and your friends tend to use this word often for some reason and you enjoy using a more "French-sounding" pronunciation, then why not?

— Yankee

  • Actually, your claim to have heard 'visage' pronounced innumerable times rather surprises me since I rarely hear people use this word in everyday speech -- no matter what the pronunciation.
  • But, hey, if you and your friends tend to use this word often for some reason and you enjoy using a more "French-sounding" pronunciation, then why not?
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4 Answers
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Actually, your claim to have heard 'visage' pronounced innumerable times rather surprises me since I rarely hear people use this word in everyday speech -- no matter what the pronunciation.

But, hey, if you and your friends tend to use this word often for some reason and you enjoy using a more "French-sounding" pronunciation, then why not?
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Keeping source pronunciations is unproductive, unless you want to appear stilted among the normal populace. Every foreign word goes thru a phase of conforming to the target phonology.
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i think i've heard it pronounced in it's french variant first while listening to a Leonard Cohen song.( I think) Ever since then when trying to search for the song i only find it's american english version. Glad i wasn't going crazy!!!!!
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When it's your Business name you try to get it to sound dynamic and powerful. Vis-idj sounds a bit nothing, whereas vi-zahzh sounds really nice and meaty. And, yes! I do use it everyday. When we sponsor an event, we have to put out a statement for the MC so they know how to pronounce it properly.
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