How do you pronounce "ballute" ?

Hi all !

This question is only for native speakers of English - I am working on the prononciation of some blends (portmanteau words), so if non-native speakers answer, I'm afraid that won't work.

How do you pronounce "ballute" ? It's a blend made from balloon + parachute. Has existed since the 1950s.

Please don't try to fond THE way to pronounce it, I mean don't try to reflect upon how to pronounce it; just tell me how you would pronounce it instinctively.

Thanks a lot !
Jeremy.

Well actually I know it seems to be stressed on the first syllable and "ute" is pronounced as in "execute". But in fact my point is to know if some people happen to stress it on the second syllable, that is, like balloon.

I've never heard of this word, but instinctively, I would've pronounced it "bal-loot" and put the stress on the second syllable.

I've never heard of this word either, and I have to say that it doesn't present any clear intuitive pronunciation to me. "Balloon" is stressed on the second syllable and "parachute" is stressed on the first syllable, so I think it's not a well-designed portmanteau. I suppose I'd have to go with [b@"lu:t], based on the imperfect analogy of "balloon", but it still seems dissonant to put a primary stress on the "-ute" taken from "parachute". Honestly, if I had to come up with an intuitive portmanteau of "balloon" and "parachute", I think I would have gone with "balloonachute".

I also never heard of this word. In general, you don't know how a word is pronounced in English unless you've heard it before. That's one of the quaint charms of English

I'd go with "buh-LOOT", myself.

Why don't you check it out in dictionary?


http://www.yourdictionary.com/ballute


It sounds like salute, with the accent on second syllabe as was said before...