Why do people from the UK and the US pronounce "tuna" completely differently?

In the Canterville Ghost, which (1887) Oscar Wilde wrote: We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language.

In 1991 I wondered which country the US were bombing. It was somewhere called Eyerack.

Languages change with time and when they develop in remote parts of the world.

This isn't just an English problem. An author from Uzbekistan once said to me, 'We speak Turkish. Only God knows what they speak in Turkey.'

It is dependent. In Spanish, "ana" is reported "ON-ah." If i know a household is aware of Spanish phonetics, or the name seems to be Spanish, i might say ON-ah once I see Ana or -ana. Nonetheless, it is used beautiful as a rule in English names interchangeably with Anna, and i know that. So if I see an English identify in an English household, I are inclined to anticipate that -ana is the equal as -anna. For illustration, Anabel, Liliana, and many others. Bottom line: i've a guess in my intellect before i try to pronounce the name, and if i'm correct, great. If i'm incorrect, then I right it and transfer on. But I respect that folks can pronounce them differently. I'd surely pronounce Kianna as key-ANNA, even as Kiana could probably be key-ON-ah, or it would be key-ANNA as well. I would need to ask the individual to be sure of the correct pronunciation.

Americans say things differently because of their accents. It's not just in the UK that they say 'choo-nuh'. It's also Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in Europe where English is a second language.

- Ella :)

Stoopid pronunciation (or Stewpid spelling) depending on your point of view.

Two countries divided by a common language. The reason is that after the Pilgrim Fathers the language (which was not really fixed at the time) continued to develop differently as did some spellings. For example it is considered more logical to spell Gray with an a, as in "Greyhound Bus".

I pronounce it Tew-nah (but also hear it as Chew-nah). We never seemed to have it when I was growing up - it was always salmon, even if it wasn't.

It's to do with the "y" sound being phased out over time in the US. Same as with the word "suit" with used to be "syoot" and now is pronounced like "soot". I'm sure I read somewhere that "blue" used to be pronounced "blyoo" but this was couple of centuries ago possibly.

So all in all, we've retained the "y" sound in "tuna" but it has changed over time in the US.

I pronounce it t-yoo-na, I am from the UK, it is kind of like choo-na when i speak quickly. I think Aluminium is a bigger worry. Yes, aluminium, NOT aluminum!

Uk say its as choo na

Dictionary.com say pronunciation is t(y)oonə, which suggest even in the US 'tyoonə' is correct.

I think chew-na says what tuna are more than too-na. Too-na are graceful, expensive fish. Chew-na are slightly smelly, cheap fish.

Well I am in the UK and have never heard it pronouced as Choo-nuh only as tu-nah.

Because americans can't speak or write English properly.