Television mainstay and badass cancer survivor Alex Trebek is a legend when it comes to game shows. Jeopardy is, and always will be, the epitome of that genre dof TV, and Trebek will always be the face of it in people’s minds. Obviously, being host since the ’80s makes it second nature, which includes getting into habits. For example, the way he says “genre.” It’s a super simple word; doesn’t seem like it’d be all that interesting to watch a supercut of him saying it over and over again, right? Wrong. His pronunciation is actually the greatest, most bougie way to pronounce “genre,” ever.
Trebek grew up speaking French in his native Canada (other countries are much less intent on being monolingual), and he gives the word a French pronunciation so it almost sounds like “jar” or “John.” The further you get in the video, you actually start questioning if you’ve been saying it incorrectly this whole time. It is a French word in its origin, but it’s a bit discombobulating when you make it to the 40-second mark in the video and you just hear Trebek say,“genre” almost 10 times in a row. But honestly, Trebek is allowed to say things however he wants—he will still be a gift to this world. (Remember when he took points away from a contestant for saying “Gangster’s Paradise” instead of “Gangsta’s Paradise”? That was great.)
[Editor’s note: This original video was actually created by Jeopardy! superstar Alex Jacob, who very politely requested that we give him credit rather than the lazy sonofabitch who downloaded and reposted it on their own channel, where we first stumbled upon it. We have corrected the error, and kindly request Jacob never challenge us to a trivia contest.]
70 Comments
I didn’t even have to click play to know exactly how he’d pronounce it.
Well he’s Canadian. I would say it’s not uncommon for us to pronounce it in that francophone style.
I’m an anglophone Canadian and I’ve always pronounced ‘genre’ the way Trebek does, as do most of the Canadians I know (not that it’s a word that comes up in conversation a lot).I was also surprised to read, on this site, all sorts of comments about how Ellen on Slings and Arrows pronounced ‘sorry’ before watching the show, then watched it and thought ‘But that’s how I and every other Canadian I know says that word.’
I’m Anglophone Canadian too and the only difference between his way and the way I pronounce it is I lengthen the ‘re at the end more.
How the hell does the rest of the world pronounce ‘genre’? Im Ontario English speaking Canadian and couldnt tell what was wrong with how Trebek said it.
This is like a Matt Berry bit. Incredible.
All these words are yours except GIF. Attempt no correction of pronunciation there.
Mmmm, I love me some peanut butter.
But honestly, Trebek is allowed to say things however he wants—he will still be a gift to this world.My man just beat stage 4 pancreatic cancer and we’re all thrilled that he’s still alive and still hosting the show. Of course he can pronounce “genre” any way he fucking pleases.
Not to be grim, but he didn’t beat cancer. He still has it, he’s not in remission. He completed his cancer treatment, yes, but sadly he still has cancer.
There were many articles months ago that said he was near remission already and then he updated again like a month ago and said he was in remission.
You’re right. I was embracing his optimistic appraisals that I’ve read like the one above on CNN (which even goes so far as to say “near remission”). I’ll amend my statement to read, “My man is in the middle of beating stage 4 pancreatic cancer…”.
Actually…https://fox8.com/2019/09/17/numbers-went-sky-high-alex-trebek-says-hes-undergoing-chemo-again-after-cancer-set-back/🙁
Well that’s terrible news. Thank you for the update, though!
Fuck that. I love Trebek with all of my heart, but I have to hear him Francoslur his way through that word multiple times a week every week. I will not subject myself to it again in montage form.
I bet his pronunciation of “croissant” is wonderful.
He’s from Sudbury, so he speaks Ontario french. So he probably pronounces like I would, with a silent R and T. K-Wah-SS-AN (the nnnn sound of N is silent, but the start of the N is adible. Like the word Aunt, except you stop before hitting your tongue to finalize the n sound.)
Even if I’m doing something and Jeopardy is on in the background, Trebek’s pronunciation of words/names of foreign origin always get my attention. Hercule Poirot and Albert Camus most notably.
Trebek grew up speaking French in his native Canada (other countries are much less intent on being monolingual), and he gives the word a French pronunciation so it almost sounds like “jar” or “John.”He’s actually from Philadelphia and is saying “jawn”
The one thing that needs is a chill-synth-wave track in the background.
Good ol’ canadian boy has the right of it, that word has never been two syllables.
This jawnre is my jamre.
I want him to interview Brett Favre
I’ll probably get hate for this, but with that pronunciation I’m casting Trebek as the new Gambit.
I’ll take him as live action Bayonetta. “JEANNE!”.
The regular pronunciation of “genre” is already weird.
Thats the correct pronunciation.
Yes and no. It’s the correct francophone pronunciation perhaps, but on an American show with a primarily English-speaking audience, it comes off as an affectation in my opinion. The word genre has been fully adopted from the French into English, and with that comes an independent pronunciation. The French may elide or destress the last syllable, but in English in general and American English in particular it is fully pronounced. Everyone in every English department I’ve ever worked in has used the English pronunciation. Anyone who didn’t would likely either get laughed at or eyerolled at because it is a bit of a pompous affectation. In short, both pronunciations are correct, depending on which language you’re using, but using the French when speaking in English to English speakers risks sound fake/put on. Kind of like the people who walk into the bakery in my midwest town and say, “Can I get a kwa-sohn.” Dude. You’re in Ohio. Say croissant with the hard K and T sounds.
Its how I was taught to pronounce it at an Australian university. I don’t have anything against the Anglophone pronunciation but it feels weird to single it out as a fancy or pretentious way to pronounce it.
Its how I was taught to pronounce it at an Australian university. Might be specific to your uni. Everyone I’ve ever known before, during, and since uni have pronounced it JOHN-ruh or ZHON-ruh. Only exceptions I can think of were this one French migrant and an upper-middle class dude who was a bit up himself.
Yep, french pronunciations are just a way to say “Ha ha, I speak French, pleb”
Thank you, yes, exactly. A surprising number of people in the responses to me apparently have never experienced this, but it’s been my near-universal experience with non-French speakers trying to affect a French accent on selective words. They’re not doing it so you don’t notice their fancy accent. They want to tell you, without telling you, that they are fancy. And I’ve got no time for that.
Curiously enough, in English the correct pronunciation of “croissant” is “crescent roll.”
hahahaha Exactly.
You’re sure it isn’t kroy-sănt? 😋My visceral reaction to your characterization of choosing to pronounce foreign language words as accurately as possible as a “pompous affectation” is… discomfort. Perhaps as an Anglo Canadian who chooses to say Kay-bec, and Mont-rèal (silent t), it actually seems like a reverse affectation to be so judgy. But then I moved away from the US Midwest when I was 6 years old. I guess when in Rome, etc.?
Here’s the thing, for me at least: Genre isn’t a foreign language word. It’s been fully anglicized for a long time; it’s an English word with an English pronunciation separate from the French, so there isn’t a need to rely on the French pronunciation if you’re a native English speaker. In most places in America, it will be seen as affectation to be speaking English with an American accent and then suddenly pronounce an English word like you’re speaking French. They’re not trying to fit in with French speakers or be understood by the French. It is affectation, insofar as an American English speaker will know the American pronunciation and make a conscious choice to affect a French accent. If you’re multilingual or living in a place where French is a commonly used language, then yeah, it’s probably not so strange to see people code switch and use different accents in different situations. I think the context matters, though. In Canada, Montreal and Mon-real are both common pronunciations and so it would be a non-issue there. But if I go around pronouncing Montreal “Mon-real” in suburban Cincinnati, people are going to wonder why I’ve selectively chosen to put on a French accent for one word. It’s not going to seem natural, it’s going to seem artificial.
I’m from originally from northern Alberta in Canada, and I have only heard it as ‘kwa-sohn’; the ‘T’ sometimes gets pronounced when speaking in plural. This area is about as far from ‘pompous affectation’ as you can get, mostly farmers and oil patch workers. I think it stems from the fact that the French stereotype is different here. We don’t default to the idea of the Parisian snob; rabble-rousing separatists, tough old trappers and old-school hockey players are the first things that come to mind. (look up Jacque Plante, total badass).
If you really want to get your affected pronunciation hackles up, watch Giada say words on Food Network.
I can’t even. I speak pretty OK Italian, and it still strikes me as weird when people like Giada go full Mario and Luigi when saying the name of a pasta dish. Like, if I were in Italy, I would try to pronounce words accurately. But I’m not going to walk into an Italian restaurant in my home state of Ohio and start tapping my Rs and pretending I’m fresh off the boat.
Many years ago in college, we had a Giada drinking game where one of the rules was taking a drink when she over-pronounced something. Lots of people couldn’t last an episode….
As a Québecois, I agree that his pronunciation is better than the usual american “genre” (gen-reauh), but it is not a native french one. The G in “genre” is still stressed in a weird way for us, as it is a lot smoother for us. And the -re of his “genre” is pronounced “reh”, as in French, it is pronounced ʁ, like the R in red.
Word “genre” isn’t French in its origin, it’s from Latin “genus (Nominative), generis (Genitive)“ or from PIE even, if you’d like to dig that deep. It “only” came to English from French and that’s a pretty big difference.
Niiice:)
After one of the shows I was on, I asked him how he knew the correct pronunciation of the name of prime minister during the Hungarian revolt of 1956. He said he called the Hungarian Embassy.
Trebek is, for me, the guy who took over from the real Jeopardy host, Art Fleming. Trebek does a fair job, though he’s a bit snooty since he’s given the answer sheet. Glad he’s still around.
Well, he got it right. The only pronunciation that makes me cringe is my dad’s when he says “ZHON-RAY.”
Every word sounds weird when said over and over again and especially when someone quick-cuts it into a montage.In Australia, we pronounce genre like it’s written – shazwozza.
Hahaaa!Luv you Aussies.
“Gangsta’s” Really? I taught English and Writing way too long, but – damn – that’s harsh.
Do we like Alex with a beard?
I did, but I was happy when his wife made him shave it because that means homeboy still gets laid.
Why, are people saying his marriage isn’t on the up and up? (And… Yes)
😀
I don’t like Alex with a beard.
A beard makes Alex look too weird.
I think Alex should have short hair.
I do not like it here or there!
lol, 😀
Please rephrase this in the form of a question poem…Do I like Alex with a beard?
Will a beard make Alex look too weird?
Should Alex have short hair?
Do I like it here or there!
Do I love Alex either way?
What would Sean Connery say?
Something about his mom, in jest,
Isn’t Alex just Trebest?
He pronounces it like it’s a word ending with -re en français! I wonder how he pronounces rendezvous.. “Ron day voo” as in voodoo is the french way :-O
There’s another way to pronounce rendezvous?
I love how he pronounces it, you can hear the french pronounciation, like “jean-ruh”
Petition to make the adjective “bougie” go away in 2020…
I’m an American and that is the correct pronunciation. What else would it be? To be fair he makes it silky sweet.
I just read this morning that Alex’s numbers are back up and he restarted chemo. That’s really too bad.
i really don’t get the point of this article…what’s wrong with the way he’s (from my german understanding -correctly-) pronouncing that word?
I wouldn’t say that the way most English speakers pronounce it is wrong but that this way is just more precise. It’s like how most English speakers don’t attempt the trilled R in Spanish words and it’s good that we don’t because most of us are terrible at it.
Canadian here…he is pronouncing is correctly…people that say John-rah are rubes.
If you scroll the top image up and down it’s trippy as all hell.
Much LESS intent on being monolingual? …Canada’s bilingual….