Just hit episode 7 of a crime series and the detective keeps saying 'motive' wrong

Honestly, I'm rewatching this British crime show on Netflix and there's this detective who pronounces 'motive' like 'mow-tive' instead of 'moh-tive'. It's a small thing but it throws me off every time. I noticed it because I grew up in Glasgow and we say it the proper way, so it sticks out like a sore thumb. My mum even texted me during episode 3 saying 'did they not run that by a dialect coach?'. It matters because if the show is set in London, the slang and accents should match. I know I'm not crazy because I checked a forum and like 200 people are ranting about the same thing. Has anyone else run into a weird pronunciation that totally breaks the immersion for a show?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.anna1mo ago

Mow-tive sounds like something a cow would say while testifying.

the_tessa1mo ago

A friend of mine said "mow-tive" once and his cow actually turned to look at him, just like @smith.anna described.