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Sat 16 Apr, 2016 11:25 pm
Are there other words which are pronounced like 'bury'? In other words the "u" in 'bury' is pronounced as 'air'? I cannot think of any other words no matter how much I cracked my head.
Would be grateful if someone could help me on this?
Thanks.
@tanguatlay,
surry
blurry
slurry
worry
it's not pronounced like "air"
@chai2,
Thanks, chai2.
Those words are not pronounced like 'bury'. I would like to know those that have 'u' pronounced as 'air'.
@Real Music,
Real Music wrote:
curry
furry
Thanks, Real Music.
Those words are not pronounced like the "u" in 'bury',
I once met an American from New England who pronounced 'curry' so it sounded like 'kirry' to my (southern) English ears, and 'mirror' sounded like 'meer'. She was very rich and very educated (Vassar, the Sorbonne).
The Old English version of the word "bury" is "byrgan", pronounced something like “BURR-yun,” similar to the modern pronunciation of “bury.” During the Middle English period (1100 to 1500), the word was spelled all sorts of ways: birien, byryn, berry, biry, burry, bewry, and so on. Likewise, the pronunciation of the first syllable was all over the place.
In the (English) Midlands the first vowel ("u") sounded like the “u” in “put”; in southern England, it sounded like the “i” in “pit”; and in the Southeast, it sounded like the “e” in “pet.” As often happened, the southeastern pronunciation is the one that came to modern English, but the standardized spelling reflected the Midlands dialect of the scribes in London.
The American Heritage Dictionary says “bury” is “the only word in Modern English with a Midlands spelling and a southeastern pronunciation.”
Worth noting that there are a number of towns or villages in England called Bury. The one near Manchester is pronounced Burry (the "u" as in "put") by people from Bury itself but Berry by many people from Manchester.
@tanguatlay,
tanguatlay wrote:
Real Music wrote:
curry
furry
Thanks, Real Music.
Those words are not pronounced like the "u" in 'bury',
Bury is not pronounced with the u sounding like air.
The words I gave all sound like bury.
Where are you thinking that it does?
Chai2, you're not getting it.
@chai2,
Chai2, you wrote:
Quote:Bury is not pronounced with the u sounding like air.
The words I gave [surry, blurry, slurry, worry] all sound like bury.
Where are you thinking that it does?
The words you gave do
not sound like bury in standard English pronunciation.
The "u" in bury in standard English sounds like the "e" in berry, cherry, merry, ferry, sherry. Bury is unique, as far as we can tell, in that respect.
None of your words sound like that in standard English. They don't all sound the same, either.
@Tes yeux noirs,
Thanks, Tes yeux noirs, for the excellent explanation.
I don't know why chai and Real Music misunderstood my question. Maybe it is not clear.
@tanguatlay,
Quote:I don't know why chai and Real Music misunderstood my question. Maybe it is not clear.
Your question is perfectly clear.
Her question was perfectly clear, and so was your response. I would say to Tanguatlay that we pronounce the word "bury" just as we pronounce the word "berry."
Tanguatlay appears to be aware of the correct pronunciation of 'bury' in standard English, and seeks to know if there are any other English words where the 'u' is pronounced likewise. Ignoring possible regional dialect variations*, I think we can be pretty sure the answer is "no".
*My partner is from Wigan in Lancashire (near Bury, as it happens), and her friend Claire from (also from Wigan) pronounces her own name "Clur". This is a source of (private) mild merriment to my partner and me.
@Tes yeux noirs,
I agree that the answer to Tanguatlay's question is "no." I have been very frustrated over the last several months by people who show up in threads by English language learners and immediately re-write the sentnece, as though that were the way to answer all such questions. It's as though they have not really read the question, or have failed to understand the question. A few weeks ago, an English language learner showed up and posted some sentences with blanks in them, obviously multiple choice questions. The student was asking if the instructor's answer were correct. I don't care for that type of thread, because i don't want to set up a student to go back to the instructor saying:" "See, this native speaker says you're wrong." I said as much after my second response to such a question.
But the worst part was all these fools who showed up and immediately offered alleged better ways to write the sentence. Hello, are you paying attention? The student cannot re-write the sentence, and that is not what the student is asking. I despair for the students and the site--they're getting crap advice and all too likely just leave, never to return.
@Tes yeux noirs,
Tes yeux noirs wrote:
Tanguatlay appears to be aware of the correct pronunciation of 'bury' in standard English, and seeks to know if there are any other English words where the 'u' is pronounced likewise. Ignoring possible regional dialect variations*, I think we can be pretty sure the answer is "no".
Tes yeux noirs, you're right that I know and I'm sure the word 'bury' is pronounced 'berry'. The 'u' in 'bury' sounds like 'air', to me.
I should have been clearer in asking my question, but I thought what I originally posted was clear enough, which unfortunately it is not.
@tanguatlay,
Quote:I should have been clearer in asking my question, but I thought what I originally posted was clear enough, which unfortunately is not.
I repeat what I wrote before about this. Your question was perfectly clear. Unfortunately there are plenty of people on A2K who rush to answer questions without reading or understanding them properly. [Edit: while I was typing this, Setanta said pretty much the same thing. Great minds think alike.]
@Tes yeux noirs,
Tes yeux noirs wrote:
Quote:I should have been clearer in asking my question, but I thought what I originally posted was clear enough, which unfortunately is not.
I repeat what I wrote before about this. Your question was perfectly clear. Unfortunately there are plenty of people on A2K who rush to answer questions without reading or understanding them properly.
Thanks for your explanation. I feel more at ease now.
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