How is February pronounced?

  • Thread starter Tregg Smith
  • Start date
In summary, many people pronounce the "ru" of "February" /juː/ ( listen) you rather than /ruː/ roo, as if it were spelled "Feb-u-ary".[1] This comes about by analogy with "January" (which ends in "-uary" but not "-ruary"); as well as by a dissimilation effect whereby having two "r"s close to each other causes one to change for ease of pronunciation. Some people, primarily in the United States, pronounce it "Feb-yoo-war-lee".
  • #36
DaveC426913 said:
Clarification: Does capitalizing it simply turn it into some sort of acronym?

eg: he ('hee') versus He ('aitch-ee' or 'helium')

So, Dave, did you give up or did you figure it out and just move on?
 
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  • #37
phinds said:
No, it's just a simple capitalization, although it does change the word from a verb to an adjective and it does change the meaning.
Hm. Now that I think about it, there are many words with the same spelling but different meanings and pronunciations based on context. So, capitalization would disambiguate the meaning, and thus the pronunciation. Also, turning something into a proper name could cause a change in pronunciation.

But no I don't know what it is.
 
  • #38


How do you say nuclear? George Bush 2 says nuke you ler. He figures a prez can do as he likes. What about the argument that keeping a language uniform keeps a country united? Ridulous you say? Now America has Englilsh and Spanish for main languages and somebody wanting to introduce ebonics into the school system. It's fun though to play with language. Bob Dylan or Shakespear. I can't understand some black people at all. I've met some blacks and hispanics who I'd take as neighbors anyday.
 
  • #39


Tregg Smith said:
How do you say nuclear? George Bush 2 says nuke you ler. He figures a prez can do as he likes. What about the argument that keeping a language uniform keeps a country united? Ridulous you say? Now America has Englilsh and Spanish for main languages and somebody wanting to introduce ebonics into the school system. It's fun though to play with language. Bob Dylan or Shakespear. I can't understand some black people at all. I've met some blacks and hispanics who I'd take as neighbors anyday.

This one is unique, near as I can tell.

The Polish maid was asked to polish the silverware.
 
  • #40
Ever spent much time in the deep south of the US?

I was pretty dismayed to hear that patch of green between freeway lanes called a "medium strip" regularly, but even more disappointed to hear commercials exhorting customers to come to furniture stores to buy "bedroom suits" that were on sale. I kept thinking that "bedroom suits" were the stock in trade of Victoria's Secret. Certainly they do a good job displaying their wares.
 
  • #41
My wife coined a new word-comatoast. She is trying to say the word comatose. It's easier for some people to use familier pronunciations than to try to use an uncommon (to them)word. I think of comatoast as being passed out drunk. Another of her's is 'blasted to Bolivia' rather than 'blown to oblivion.' She's my wife and I still love her.
 
  • #42


phinds said:
This one is unique, near as I can tell.

The Polish maid was asked to polish the silverware.

Are you sure she wasn't made?


The bedroom suite (suit) thing in the south has always seemed strange to me. I never tried to confirm if it was correct or not, just avoided the combination altogether.

I've never heard wrought iron pronounced as eye - run, but the people in this part of Texas all seem to say ROD eye - urn.
 
  • #43


S_Happens said:
I've never heard wrought iron pronounced as eye - run, but the people in this part of Texas all seem to say ROD eye - urn.
One I've wondered about:

Yesterday you wrought havoc; today you will once again wreak havoc.

Does that mean that yesterday's iron was wrought, but today you will wreak some iron?
 
  • #44


DaveC426913 said:
One I've wondered about:

Yesterday you wrought havoc; today you will once again wreak havoc.

Does that mean that yesterday's iron was wrought, but today you will wreak some iron?
I had to look this up. Apparently, today you will work some iron:

wrought   [rawt] Show IPA
verb
1.
Archaic except in some senses . a simple past tense and past participle of work.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wrought
 

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