American and English Pronunciation - which would you say?Bat-('n) or B'-Ton?

At a Toastmasters meeting the President chose as her theme, 'passing the baton'.

The word baton is used as a metaphor. But also in the context of a conductor's baton.

Sousa with a conductor's baton. 1911

Stravinsky with a conductor's baton. 1929.

Batons, used by Toscanini, an Italian who fled to the USA in the thirties. in the Smithsonian museum, Washington DC, USA.

 The speaker repeatedly said baton, pronouncing it with intonation on the second syllable. I was language evaluator, but did not like to correct her nor argue with her, especially since I was Immediate Past President of Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club.

This was in Singapore.

Who to ask? As far as I was concerned, I was the expert.

UK
I looked up the word in an English dictionary. As expected, I was right.

In Singapore, the standard is British English, because historically Singapore was British, and school children do English exams with exam papers flown to the UK and marked there. At a club in Singapore, I expect British English to be the norm.

USA
However, I checked in a US dictionary and was relieved to discover that Americans pronounce the word with emphasis on the second syllable.

Useful websites

English and American pronunciation
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/baton

You can hear the American pronunciation here.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baton
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/baton

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker