How do you say Melee?

[Fr]anc[is]

In my head I say "may lay", but when I speak out loud I try not to say it in case I'm wrong

 

[Cj Vanek]

It is pronounced may-lay and thats how I say it.

 

[Enslave_All_Elves]

I say May-lay. My friend looks like hes gonna snap my neck every time I say it like that though, He's kind of a grammar Nazi and goes nuts when someone says something he thinks is wrong.

Here's what you do man:

1) Get a dictionary. Bear with me, I'm not going to be a dick to you, but to your friend.

2) Find melee. Show him the pronounciation.

3) Be a real dick. Don't let a know it all one up you, even if he is your friend. You are teaching a life lesson in humility when you instruct him about the French roots, accent, and proper pronounciation of melee. Recite it out loud and point at it in the book, for effect.

4) Have a mop as his head may explode. At the very least you can hit him with it if he gets unreasonable.

Use this opportunity to beat him at the game while he is stunned by his own FAIL.

Go forth and conquer!

NOTE: If you are British and the pronounciation there turns out to be me-lee as people here say then inform of the Froginess of the word's origins. The French say may lay and it is their word.

 

[Eerors]

Both ways are correct. U.S. English say May-Lay. U.K. English say Me-Lee.

See: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/melee

I'm British and I say may-lay
Also may-lay, I'm pretty sure, is correct, if we're talking about pronouncing it the way the French do, because it's spelled 'mélée' and the accents over the e makes an 'ay' sound

Well, are you sure you say May-lay because you are from Britain or because you have been influenced by American culture?

I think that, even if it does come from the French "mêlée" then the modifiers to the letters were dropped in the English pronunciation of the word. This leaves it open to interpretation as "Mel" and "ee".

For example: Mel-on, not May-lon.

I have heard that U.S. English is actually the closest to how English was spoken pre-revolution, like Quebec-French is closet to colonisation French. It may be the U.K. English is less fixed then U.S. English....

But I'm not a linguist.

Edit: I'm not a linguist so this is purely speculation. Also I'm from England and I say Mee-lee.

 

[Sarge034]

I used to say Me Lee also until someone told me the correct pronunciation.

ITS FRENCH: mêlée is the actual spelling. So the correct way to say it grammatically is may-lay

I say Me Lee and it's ok cus I aint French....

 

[Outright Villainy]

Meh-Lee for me.

How the announcer says it. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56P3-TwuRBo&t=1m24s]

 

[putowtin]

me-lay

me-lee sounds like your telling people your name, how upset will they be when they find out your not called lee is anyones guess!

 

[Reallink]

It's different on the context for me.
Super Smash Bros - May-Lay
Useful Halo Mnemnoic - B to Me-Lee

 

[natster43]

I say it like may-lay. It is also how it is said in Super Smash Bros, and I think that may have been the first time I heard it.

 

[PrototypeC]

I think I called it mee-lee when I was young, and then I figured it out when I was like, 10. May-lay for me now!

 

[Rooster893]

May-lay.

SUPER SMASH BROTHERS MAAAAAAAAAAAAYLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

How else?

 

[Goofguy]

I go with may-lay. Some of my buddies pronounce it mee-lee but hearing the context they use it in, I know exactly what they are talking about.

 

[LikeDustInTheWind]

I say it Ma-Lee but I know it's pronounced May-Lay

 

[WinkyTheGreat]

May-lay

Like the dictionary tells me to

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/melee

 

[Albino Boo]

I used to say Me Lee also until someone told me the correct pronunciation.

ITS FRENCH: mêlée is the actual spelling. So the correct way to say it grammatically is may-lay

Do you also say Pari for Paris and Koln for Cologne? We won the battle Waterloo I will pronounce it the English way. Now pass me my cigarette case, its the one with two crossed dead Frenchmen with the background of dead Frenchmen on the lid.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I say it may-lay or mee-lee. Because I'm special like that.

 

[twistedmic]

I've always pronounced it may-lay. Any other way sounds wrong and grating.

 

[Zero-Vash]

I like many others say may-lay

 

[Grond Strong]

"Me-Lee"

That's the way I say because that's the way it looks and I'm a pretty straightforward guy.

Does it really matter as long as it's lethal?

Now that I look a it though, it looks as if some ape-man was trying to pronounce his name for the very first time. "Me, Jane. You, Lee"
"Duh... Me, Lee?"
"Yes, you Lee."