How do you pronounce "Associate/s"? Is it a-so-si... or a-so-shi? Heard it both ways, what's proper?
149761
I, and most people I know, say "Shi"  I think the difference is largely attributable to regional differences, and you won't sound wrong either way.  I certainly have heard "si" a lot too.\n\nMerriam Webster's say "shi" as does American Heritage
60368
Jewelry - not Joolery\nAsterisk - not a$$-trick (and oddly enough, I had to use dollar signs to avoid asterisks!)\nCavalry - not Calvery (unless you're talking about the mountain) \n\nI have an aunt who cannot say "breakfast" - she says "breftuss". It drives me absolutely bonkers.\n\nJust a note regarding the pronunciation of the word "the" - both pronunciations are correct. Generally, the schwa sound  "thuh" is used before words beginning with consonants (the building), and the long E "thee" is used before words beginning with vowels (the outdoors). "Thee" is also used to emphasize the importance of the following word. See the Wikipedia article below.\n\nI'll also add one more word - Been. I admit, I have a tendency to get sloppy and say "bin" or "ben" although the correct pronunciation is "bee-n". (long E like seen).\n(Update - my "bin" pronunciation is acceptable! Check out the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary with the audio pronunciation. Whew - I'm not an illiterate idiot after all.)\n\nOkay, back with a couple more.\n\nMoot (moo like a cow, not mew like a kitten)\nSpecific (not pacific)\nProbably (this has 3 syllables, not 2 - it is pro bab ly not prob ly)
588416
to one person, it is "go raibh maith agat", to more than one person it is "go raibh maith agaibh".  To say thank you very much, it it "go raibh mile maith agat".\n\nTo pronounce these it is a bit difficult for people not familiar with Irish spelling, the closest would be gu (as in gut but without the t) rev moh (moth without the t sound) a-got. Or for thank you very much it is: gu rev meel-a moh a-got.
1051426
it's a combination of R and ZH.\npurse your lips as if you were to pronounce R and begin to pronounce R, but immediately change to ZH.
267565
Since it's Latin, probably 'sek-su-AH-lis' (though I'd guess that 'sek-shu-A-lis' is often said too)
732144
Yes, it is pronounced "toom" - the "b" is silent and the "o" is long.  It's kind of along the same lines that we pronounce through "thru" and the "ough" sounds silent...
404558
Sammon.\n\nGo here for an audio clip of the correct pronunciation:\n\nhttp://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/salmon
404908
i think its called a long a...so pronounce it like it has 2 a's
443783
It is not the synapse *gap*, its merely the synapse.  it is pronounced "sin-aps".
332774
GH is prounounced as an F in the word "tough"\nO is pronounced as a short I in the word "women"\nTI is pronounced as an SH in the word "motion"
831549
Sadly Ally H's sentance (sic) doesn't make sense.\nHowever, imagine a sign writer had written this pub sign:\n "TheCoachandHorses" with no gaps between words.\nYou'd have to tell the sign writer, "You've not left enough space between "Coach" and "and" and "and" and Horses." 5 in a row and making perfect sense.
963019
Just pronounce it the way it looks then ask the person if you got it right, they will soon tell you how to say it.
729114
"Couch," like a sofa?  It's "el sofa".  Pronounced so-FAH.   (Should have an accent on the "a".)
984808
I would think it would be pronounced "lay".  I knew a girl whose last name was Bey, and it was pronounced "Bay".
109494
It would really depend on the context of using them. In many cases, the aka is pronounced as the acronym (letters only); however, in formal conversation one would explain "also known as" ... as to the NA - this can, and often does, mean several things.  i.e., not available, not applicable etc.  In light of this, it is almost always used in conversation described and not merely with the acronym (letters only).
634003
i think its "C" but im not sure...could be an informal though! lol
505401
"comf'terbul" has a perfectly logical explanation and is an acceptable pronunciation (as is "comf'tebul")\n\nAnd why don't pronounce it "the way it's written"?  Because language simply doesn't always work that way.  And so I don't say "I-run" for "iron"; and the "t" that I pronounce in "soft" I do NOT pronounce in the form "soften" (even though it is written that way and even COMES from "soft").\n\n--------------------\n\nThis sort of re-ordering of the sounds of a word --called "METATHESIS"--  is very common in language.  It may come about by confusion, but often it happens simply because the expected form is more difficult to pronounce.    In some cases the change is considered ignorant or at least non-standard, in other instances it is the (or a) ACCEPTED pronounciation.\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metathesis_(linguistics)\n\n\nExamples in English:\n1) incorrect/nonstandard:\n  "nuclear" -- pronounced as "nucular" (by educated people as well... including THREE Presidents in recent times --not just GW but Carter & Eisenhower)\n  "ax" for "ask"  (though actually BOTH forms are found in the Middle English of Chaucer)\n\n2) correct:\n  "iron" -- pronounced "i-urn"  In fact, does ANYONE say "i-ron"?  On the other hand, we DO keep the sounds in their written order in the suffixed form "ironic".  (We do the same with "irony", though it's acceptable, or at least permitted, to say "i-urnee" --as we do with "ironing".   Thus, the most important factor seems to be where the word is ACCENTED.)\n\n3) debated but probably correct\nThe example of "iron" vs. "ironic" --that is, changing the pronounciation based on where the accent falls (often related to whether there is a suffix or not)--  helps explain why we SAY "comfort"  but "comfturble".    There are two conflicting "laws" at work here. In our spelling, we do not change the base when we add the suffix "able".   But the change in the PHONOLOGY (sound pattern) pushes us to SAY the word in a way that is much easier to pronounce.  \n\nHere's how it happens.  Note that the syllable in question --"fort"--  has a slight accent in "comfort" but almost NO accent when we add the "able" suffix.  In English, adding suffixes frequently shifts or reduces accent of certain syllables.  When a syllable loses accent, the vowel typically is shortened; in an UN-accented syllable it may end up as the 'swallowed', unaccented "schwa" sound, or even completely disappear.  But this leaves us with the unaccented combination "frt" which is more difficult or at least less natural to pronounce.    The natural solution is to simplify the pronounciation, either by skipping the "r" sound (which leads some to say "comf'-tubly") or to reverse sounds ("metathesis") and say "comf'turbly".\n\n------------------\n\n(Frankly, I suspect the pronunciation "com-four-tab-ly" is  a hypercorrection.   Some people say it that way BECAUSE of the spelling, whereas the SPOKEN language long ago changed the pronounciation.  But spelling is NOT always a sure guide to the spoken language.  Based on SPELLING, some people improperly pronounce the t in "often", not recognizing that the "t" is from the short form "oft" and is LOST when -en is added . . . as in soft > soften, compare list > listen; haste > hasten, etc.)\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercorrection\n\n-----------------------------------------------\n\nIncidentally, this process or metathesis explains the origins of some modern English words.   Old English had "brid", now it is "bird";  Old English &quo