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/lit/ - Literature

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File: 23 KB, 450x433, homophone.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1882398 No.1882398 [Reply] [Original]

Hi /lit/

Do you pronounce the words "marry" "merry" and "mary" exactly the same or are they different? Where are you from (if US, post region)?

Just curious, as I've had this argument with a friend and we can't agree. I hope this isn't too off topic - if so, my apologies, I never post here. Pic related - it's a homophone.

>> No.1882406

mah-ree
meh-ree
mair-ee

>> No.1882404
File: 136 KB, 428x510, 1250039594307.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1882404

>homophone

And no, I pronounce all of my words correctly (for the most part)

>> No.1882412

I just wanted to post to congratulate you on your glorious example of wit with that picture. Homophone indeed.

Also I pronounce "marry" and "marry" the same, like saying "air," where the corners of your mouth are pulled back to say the vowel.

Merry sounds like "meh," sort of schwa-ing an e sound (if that's possible.) Mouth is open but corners aren't pulled back.

>> No.1882424

i pronounce them all the same way
i'm from new jersey

>> No.1882439

MAH-ree
MEH-ree
MAIR-ee

>> No.1882442

>>1882439
Same guy here, from the UK I forgot to add.

>> No.1882443

Mary and marry the samet.
Merry slightly different.

I'm from Toronto.

>> No.1882447

marry - may-ree

And merry and mary are pretty much the same. I'm from Texas.

>> No.1882451

All exactly the same. San Diego.

>> No.1882455

>>1882447
but_thats_wrong_you_retard.jpeg

>> No.1882457

Pronounce them all the same. OH.

>> No.1882460

>>1882455
Okay? I didn't claim to be right. Was just posting how I pronounced it.

>> No.1882468

"marry" [MA-REE]
"merry" [MEH-REE]
"mary" [MARE-REE]
Portsmouth, England

>> No.1882507

All the same, but that's because of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, derp.

>> No.1882517

>>1882460
I mean, that's not even a vowel sound issue. That's mixing consonants.

Favre is pronounced Farv by most people though, so wth idaf

>> No.1882529

>>1882468
>"marry" [MA-REE]
>"merry" [MEH-REE]
>"mary" [MARE-REE]

This. Southern New Jersey.

>> No.1882545

MAH-ree (Marry)
MEH-ree (Merry)
MARE-ree (Mary)

From South East England

>> No.1882546

I pronounce merry and mary the same, but marry differently.

I'm from Pennsylvania, US

>> No.1882560

and yet another pronounciation thread without any IPA in it.

are you guys all retarded?

>> No.1882562

www.howjsay.com

>> No.1882569

Ah, this old chestnut. So what, you're taking freshman linguistics?

Philadelphia here. We actually have 3 separate vowel sounds (as linguists will confirm) that differ from every other US region. The Philly vowels are:

Merry Mary got Married to Murray.

In which Merry = Murray are the same vowels,
Mary is the vowel sound of Mare
And Married rhymes with Carried

I'm pretty sure it's only this region of SE Pennsylvania and maybe south Jersey that has that particular combo. I know my linguistics major friend in college was very excited when I did the pronunciations.

>> No.1882577

>>1882569
I grew up in Allentown. It makes me cringe whenever I hear you guys say Merry Christmas.

But as a linguist, it intrigues me that I could have lived almost my whole life an hour away from someplace and have this minor pronunciation point be so notably different.

>> No.1882603

Yes. Southern California.

>> No.1882608

>>1882468
>>1882529
>"marry" [MA-REE]
>"merry" [MEH-REE]
>"mary" [MARE-REE]

>This. Southern New Jersey.

OP here, same for me. Marlton, btw.

My friend is actually a "speech implementer" (assists a speech therapist) in an elementary school in Missouri. I'm appalled that she teaches that they are homophones. She pronounces them all [MARE-REE]

ugh it bugs me. anyway thanks for everyone's input. i was just curious how common it is.

>> No.1882617

>>1882569
OP again. Despite being born in Philly, and growing up just 10 miles away in Jersey, I never noticed the "murray" = "merry" thing before. But you're totally right. Now I'm remembering my mom singing "row row row your boat" and cringing lol.

>> No.1882627

I live in SoCal. Most of our vowels have sort of amalgamated, I think: I, at least, pronounce the three of things the same.

>> No.1882630

>>1882627
*pronounce these three things

>> No.1882633

>>1882577
>>1882608
>>1882617

Yeah, my college friend was very excited when I did the pronunciation test (and she is now a linguistics grad student at MIT, so I'm inclined to trust her).

But it's the same set of sounds as:

Can John KERRY manage to CARRY Drew CAREY, or did he eat too much CURRY?

1 and 4 are the same in Philly, but are distinct from 2 and 3.

There's a couple other weird ones, which are listed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_r

>> No.1882658

They sounds different in my head but to anyone else they probably hear the same sound each time, but I've also lived in five different states so that probably isn't very surprising.

>> No.1882660

i can't tell i'm deaf

>> No.1882662
File: 88 KB, 900x350, key_art_theres_something_about_mary.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1882662

itt

>> No.1882667
File: 9 KB, 200x270, Marlee-Matlin signing.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1882667

>>1882660
since you don't have too many, here's a reaction pic for your further use

>> No.1882676

>>1882667
thanks

>> No.1882681
File: 36 KB, 300x303, Robert-Palmer-Johnny-And-Mary-97710.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1882681

That bitch Mary is always combing her hair and counting the walls.

>> No.1882770

>>1882633
thanks for that link - I find this stuff really interesting!

>> No.1882904

>homophone

i seriously lost my shit

>> No.1883961
File: 124 KB, 337x367, 1308882198512.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1883961

Silly colonials.

MAH-ree
MEH-ree
MAIR-ree