Unscientific Survey: The R’s Have It
The pronunciation of “Swarthmore” — both the borough and the college — has long been a subject of disagreement and sometimes contention. There are those who pronounce both r’s in the word, and those, like SEPTA conductors, who drop the first one and say it “Swathmore.”
The confusion is such that a few years back, Swarthmore College issued the following press release:
Swathmore Drops “R” from Name
to Fix 150 Years of Pronunciation Confusion
April 1st, 2014
SWATHMORE COLLEGE, PA - In another effort to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the College’s founding, the Quaker-founded school announced it will now be known as “Swathmore” College, effective immediately.
“For 150 years, our community has debated, and quite frankly mangled, the pronunciation of the College’s name,” says President Rebecca Chopp. “Today, in true Quaker fashion, we have peacefully resolved this conflict once and for all by dropping the ‘r.’”
If you haven’t already, please note the date of the release.
The uncertainty is such that this seemed an appropriate subject for the first in a series of unscientific Swarthmorean surveys. The response was robust: 559 people took the online poll. And the results were clear. As the chart below shows, 52 percent of respondents reported saying both r’s, 37 percent say “Swathmore,” and 11 percent pronounce the name differently according to the circumstances.
Drilling down a bit yields some intriguing findings. Consider the proportion among this group who report saying “Swathmore.”
Lived here less than five years: 24 percent.
Lived here between five and 20 years: 47 percent.
Lived here more than 20 years: 34 percent.
The implication seems to be that the longer one lives here, the more one is inclined to drop the r. But only up to a point: longtime residents apparently revert to “Swarthmore.” Clearly, further investigation is called for.
Meanwhile, here are some readers’ comments on this issue.
Selected Comments
I have no idea why I pronounce Swarthmore the way I do. I don’t judge anyone who says it differently!
I really feel that the “r” should be pronounced. I have always assumed that the lack of “r” sound was based on the English pronunciation of Swarthmoor, after which we are named. However, we do not, in the manner of Bostonians, speak of the “bah” or the “cah.” It is inconsistent not to pronounce the “r.” (There is of course the further question on the vowel sound of the first “a.” “Sworthmore” or “Swahrthmore?”
I think people started pronouncing it the wrong way (as in NOT pronouncing the first “r”) because it sounded more “la de da.”
I started dropping the R just to fit in with my colleagues. I didn't grow up in Delco, but I work here now.
I went to the College, and I say SwaRthmore for it and Swathmore for the Ville.
I'm connected with the College and I feel like "the College" pronounces the R!
It’s all good as long as no one says skidmore
I think I'm more mindful to pronounce the "r" if speaking with someone unfamiliar with the town.
How do you suppose they say it in Cumbria?
Teach at Strath Haven High School for 16 years. Love hearing the different ways kids pronounce it.
As an alum I say swathmore but sometimes people are confused so I say Swarthmore and that magic “r” clarifies things for them. Sometimes I say Swarthmore when I assume people won’t understand. I also say swat (as a former athlete it is easier)
Don’t like calling our town “The Ville”
I live in Philly and tend to hear no-R, so when talking to non-Swattie Philadelphians I default to that way (even though I rarely said it that way in college). However, when I was back on campus at a reunion and said it that way in a speech, people made jokes about it like it was a weird pronunciation!
My generation of Swarthmore alums refers to itself as Swarthmorons, not Swatties. Definitely pronounce both Rs
I say it the way four generations of my family have said it, with both "r"s.
I moved to Swarthmore in the mid-90's. I always wondered at the different pronunciations of Swarthmore by folks who live here. I feel strongly (for some reason) about the first silent 'r'.
Please campaign to get rid of calling Swarthmore the Ville - it is not a village in France.
I pronounce it with the “r” only when referring to “Swarthmore College” to non-locals
People originally from the area do not pronounce first r, from outside the area they pronounce both
No matter how I say it, people never understand me until I give the zip code
My parents, grandparent, and I all attended Swarthmore College. ALL pronounce(d) Swarthmore with both Rs! The other pronunciation is an accent from Philly or elsewhere, like Massachusetts.
Went to Swarthmore HS lived in Rutledge. Definitely pronounce the r.
I pronounce the "r" if someone needs to know how to spell it for something like a mailing address, but usually I drop the "r"
I associate the no-R version with the conductors on the Media local. Swaaaaahthmore. Swaaaaahthmore...next stop... Swaaaaaahthmore.
I’m right and everyone who disagrees with me is w(r)ong!
I use the first pronunciation when I’m talking to locals or talking about where I’m from, but I use the latter (with both r’s) when explaining where I went to college or speaking with someone who hasn’t heard of it before
WHY WOULD IT BE SWARTHMORE IF U DIDNT SAY BOTH "r"s
My whole extended family is from DelCo generations back and I attended Swarthmore College. None of us pronounce the r.
The SEPTA conductors pronounce it without either R.
I used to work at Swarthmore college and always pronounced the 'R'. Don't be Delco. Say it right, lol!
Growing up in Wallingford, everyone around me said Swathmore but my mother being an English teacher made sure I pronounced it SwaRthmore
I don’t live in Swarthmore now but I grew up there in the eighties. Even my father, who was born and bred in Brooklyn taught his kids to say “SwaRthmore”!
Most people at the college include both R's. People from Delco don't.
I was not born in Delco, but I have lived most of my life here. Honestly, the only time I ever really noticed someone pronounce the first ‘R’ (and this includes most residents in the town that I knew), was when that someone was being intentionally haughty/snooty to a young person, or someone who didn’t look as well-to-do or well-educated as the average village dweller (as in this case the first “R” was usually emphasized in a condescending way). Is possible some pronounced the first “R” and others did not...but first “R” was never apparent to me except as aforementioned. Same with Wallingford and Rutledge. It was always Walling-ferd...and Rut-Lidge (like Brad, the Phillies closer). But, every once in awhile a person would (similarly to the first R in Swarthmore), attempt to to de-Delcofy the pronunciation into ‘Walling-FORD’ (like the car) and Rut-LEDGE (like the grammatical one they were attempting to push you from).
Ben Yagoda is the Swarthmorean’s Survey Editor.
