This is a non-sequitur argument. That the French word "lingerie" is pronounced in English with the "ay" of "hay," How strange. I would have thought the main oddity about the English pronunciation of lingerie was the

I wonder which variety of English CyberCypher/Franke would consider "dumbed-down ... rabbit" or the version in which people say "Welsh rarebit." He wouldn't be able to tell; the pronunciation is identical. Three

'Near' and, of course, let it be understood that ... that's on the same lines, three syllables, /'pi:@nist/, occasionally /a/. Thanks Do you mean the "father" vowel (usually /A:/ in RP transcriptions)? If so, I have to

Do you think of "near" as one or two syllables? ... Could you explain how you pronounce "theatre", "pianist" and "Beatrice"? 'Near' and, of course, let it be understood that one is often wrong about

Interesting examples. Those are one (sic) syllable words for me. . . . Two syllables for me; no diphthong. But they all have about the same quantity! so to say that has oneof something but has two ... to say that Miss Moore's syllable-count

So too for me. "Theater" and "idea" (each two syllables) are, I think, the only words where I have a diphthong /i@/. Really? Did you mean to exclude words where that sound does not have primary stress (e.g. "area",

Okay, let's try. When most Brits say "near to the ... "yatter" with a "th" tacked on the front (Tj&t@). Whereas some Scots can't handle consecutive vowels, and say 'theeter'. I love Eddie Mair this side

Not for this ex-Chicagoan, it ain't, and I'm as empa-pathetic ... what you wear on your feet? Not "Shyooz", I hope. Er, yep, that's exactly how I pronounce it. I worked out that if you pronounce 'oo' as a much

Pronounce a word that is 'shoo' without the 'yoo'. It ... but it's very hard to get rid of it completely. Not for this ex-Chicagoan, it ain't, and I'm as empa-pathetic as the next guy. What do you call what you wear on

Dylan Nicholson infrared: "Crèche", always in RobertE's UK sense, often retains its French grave accent and the vowel is closer to that of "air" rather than "mesh". In Aus. I've only ever heard it pronounced