pronounce acropora
 

Dr Ron,

I almost couldn't believe my ears when Rob Toonen pronounced acropora the other day. Often from the net I read scientific names and minpronounce them, but this one I couldn't believe so many people had it wrong.

So my question is, how do you say acropora?

I've always heard "ack - row - pore - ah"

But Rob pronounced it "ah - crop- o - rah"!

Did I have it wrong all these years? Or maybe its because Rob is a Canadian! (about = a - boot) :D

Rob's pronounciation is allegedly the correct one in scientific circles. Your pronounciation is the correct one in American hobbyist circles. Both are accepted pronounciations here in the U.S. Can't speak for the Europeans though-sure they'd bash us!! :)

Now, apply what you've learned to the pronounciation of others like seriatopora, hydnophora, etc. etc. FUN FUN!!

Hi,

Rob's (and my) pronounciation is correct.

The accent on multisyllabic words is on the antepenultimate syllable (or the the syllable before the syllable before the end).

I'll bet you probably learned in a history class at one time or another, about the famous building, the Parthenon, which sits on a hill called the Acropolis.

Now, did you pronounce it ACK-ro-polis...

or a-CROP-o-lis.

This has the same root ([i]acro[/i]) and same number of syllables as [i]Acropora[/i].

Some hobbyists may think their pronounciation is correct, but what can you expect from people who specifically add poisons (trace metals and such) to their tanks, keep the salinity too low (less than 1.025), and don't feed their animals appropriately. :D