(July 7, 2014 at 4:55 pm)SteelCurtain Wrote:I live in the Northwest and grew up in the Rockies. All you need to do to hear sec ret ry is turn on the BBC. I pronounce secretary just like you do. But then, I'm not British.(July 7, 2014 at 3:31 pm)Jenny A Wrote: It must be much worse to make sense of English spelling if you're British, because the Brits drop so many syllables from the way the word is spelt ( and was originally pronounced) when they pronounce words:
Who would think "Worst-e-sure" would be spelled "Worcestershire"? or "sec ret ry" "secretary."
We Americans do some of this as in "rest rant" spelt "restaurant" but the Brits put us to shame. They drop syllables like it cost money to say them.
You must live in the deepest of the south. I pronounce those words "Wuss-ter-sure", "seck-re-tarry", and "rest-ar-aunt."
I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "sec-ret-ry!"
My husband grew up in Georgia. He adds syllables. Bey ed for bed; hey ed for head; ba ad for bad; and he does say rest ar aunt.
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