Pronunciation is a funny thing, isn't it? (It's also a strangely difficult word to spell, by the way). Some words are inherently challenging, while others may be tricky due to particular quirks, peculiar spellings or cultural differentiations — the rolling "R" in Spanish words, the syllabic intonation of Italian words and so on and so forth. Some pronunciations are strictly regional or geographically-driven, possibly even passed down from generation to generation, steeped in the parlance of that family.
Other situations are more potato-puh-tah-toe, tomato-tah-mah-toe, such as pecan, which can be both pee-cahn and peh-cahn. My true kryptonite, which always results in a physical cringe, is mascarpone (I'll never comprehend why people pronounce it mar-sca-pone?)
