Thread: Variants? Variations? Versions?

Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?

Originally Posted by E-learner

Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?

Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

Variation is fine.

Version is incorrect.

All are acceptable in this context but as a Brit I would use variation. (I assume you are just talking about the different ways people choose to pronounce the same word - rather than about the area of homographs and heteronyms..eg lead.)
BTW I know the variation between the long a and short a in words such as grass, castle etc in British English confuses some non-native English speakers. It is mainly a geographical thing with the south using the long and the north using the short.

I don't get the question.

They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.

Originally Posted by sperk

They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.

В русском мы можем сказать "варианты произношения".

Originally Posted by paulb

Originally Posted by E-learner

Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?

Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

Variation is fine.

Version is incorrect.

Variant can be a stand alone noun....
Why is version wrong in this context? It simply means a form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing: eg the US version of vehicle has 3 syllables rather than the 2 of British English...
2 and 3 syllable variants of the word factory are equally acceptable.

[quote=Dave T]

Originally Posted by paulb

Originally Posted by "E-learner":2n1s0330

Let us suppose that a word can be pronounced in more ways than one. What are these pronunciations - variants, variations or versions?

Variant pronunciations or alternate pronunciations or acceptable pronunciations.

Variation is fine.

Version is incorrect.

Variant can be a stand alone noun....
Why is version wrong in this context? It simply means a form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing: eg the US version of vehicle has 3 syllables rather than the 2 of British English...
2 and 3 syllable variants of the word factory are equally acceptable.[/quote:2n1s0330]

It's wrong because I have never once in my life heard someone refer to differing pronunciations as "versions". E-learner was asking what the English term is, and I'm not going to suggest something that is completely outside of common usage.

Oh I see Paulb. It is wrong because you haven't heard it used and therefore it is outside (of) common usage. I stand corrected!
So far as I know there is no particular term to describe the different ways different people pronounce the same word so therefore any of the suggested synonyms can do the job - including the closest translation of the Russian term ie variant.
As suggested by Sperk, most people would talk of differences in pronunciation or other ways of pronunciation
/ different pronunciations or other pronunciations.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by sperk

They're just called different pronunciations. The word aunt can be pronounced like "ant" or like "ont." The different pronunciations are not referred to as versions, variations or variants.

В русском мы можем сказать "варианты произношения".

Yes, that was what I had in mind. As in
"Это британский вариант."
"Словарь даёт этот вариант как основной."
"Возможны разные варианты произношения этого слова."

I'm aware that by rephrasing you can avoid "вариант" in English altogether, as well as in Russian, but I was specifically interested in direct translation of this word, unless it is really awkward.

variance, form, type?

eh-kanomik - eekanomik, ant - ont
Variant/alternate/alternative pronunciations. But not variants. "variant" is a "false friend" translation of вариант. And we usually use "alternate" or "alternative". I would not call them "versions" either.