NanakiXIII  +  452181 Tue, 11 Dec 07 07:37 PM I heard the word 'finite' pronounced today as 'fie-nite' (forgive the horrible phonetic representation, I think it will do the job, though). I checked a dictionary and sure enough, that is how it is supposed to be pronounced. This was most definitely the first time, however, that I ever heard anyone pronounce it this way, so I have either never heard the word in speech before, or I have been hearing it pronounced differently. I always though that 'finite' was pronounced nearly the same as the last two syllables of 'infinite', with emphasis on the first syllable. I always pronounced the word as 'fin-it'. Have I had it wrong all this time? Or is there more than one way to pronounce the word? NanakiXIII Joined on Wed, Jun 18 2003 Netherlands Junior Member 76 Pronunciation, Phonetics

	Clive  +  452207 Tue, 11 Dec 07 09:16 PM Hi, I've always said and heard it as 'fie-nite'. Clive  Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,657 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

	CalifJim  +  452347 Wed, 12 Dec 07 09:26 AM finite indeed has the tense i in both syllables.  The tense vowel is the typical pronunciation for the last syllable of all two-syllable words ending in -ate, -ete, -ite, -ote, -ute, even when the first syllable has the primary stress, as in the examples below. innate, vacate, vibrate, athlete, crinite, phosphite, compote, hirsute, tribute There are just a few exceptions:  palate, pirate, granite, minute. Here the last syllable takes the lax i pronunciation in all cases. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,447 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Vowels, Pronunciation, Tenses