February is known as a month for U.S. presidents, for those in
love, and as a tribute month for many worthwhile causes and historical remembrances.
So without doubt, we utter the word “February” throughout the month. However,
because today is near the end of the month, fear not. As we move forward into
the remaining months of the year, we will mention and refer to February often
in many ways. What I’d like to do is give you some current information that
will be useful, practical, and thought provoking.
I’ve lived in several cities in the United States and two
countries abroad. I’ve heard countless people pronounce February. It’s a
difficult word to pronounce using the preferred and traditional dictionary
suggestion (#1 below), and so I’ve concluded there are four ways that most
people pronounce it:
1. Feb-roo-were-e
2. Feb-u-were-e
3. Feb-u-air-e
4. A combination of the first three
After reading the current stances of the major dictionaries
and grammarians, I discovered a useful observation. The first pronunciation is
the oldest and still the most correct way of pronouncing February; the second
way is also an acceptable way of saying it; and it’s best to avoid the third
and fourth ways. But since the traditional pronunciation of the word (and
similar words such as “surprise” and “particular” where the “r” is often not
pronounced) is difficult, we adapt.
Let’s be realistic and admit that #2 is easier to pronounce
than #1. If so, why not do it? Well, you can—and that is why I am sitting here
writing this blog post on a subject that may seem meaningless. There is no
reason for anyone to avoid pronouncing February if he or she is unable to
correctly do it; the evolution of language permits us to do otherwise and feel
good about it. If #1 is too cumbersome, use #2.
Words change over time, both in their meaning and in their
pronunciation. February, for example, is a classic word (and there are many)
that contains two identical or closely related sounds. Look at the
pronunciation of #1 above and see how easy it is to get tripped up on the “roo”
as you pronounce February. When this occurs, dissimilation occurs and one of
the sounds either gets changed or dropped by its users. That is why #2 is a
favorite among most people.
This week, for example, I asked five people to name the
first three months of the year. Disregarding the occasional unique
pronunciations of January, all five
people pronounced February very similar to #2 and #3. No one chose to
tackle #1. I wonder why. It’s because #1 hard to pronounce.
Well there it is. The story could stop here, but it doesn’t.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention to you the application of today’s rant on
February; it’s not all about February.
First, realize that the sounds of words change, and if
you’re in doubt whether your version is correct or at least acceptable, look it
up in the dictionary. This might be helpful before you talk to a group, conduct
a meeting, or give a speech.
Second, be tolerant of others as they pronounce words
differently than you. It could be, for example, that in another’s person’s culture
or background, this is the way they say the word and communicate to others. So let it go and have a cup
of coffee. Note that since words change over time, you could very well be
witnessing the evolution of the word’s pronunciation. Now that is pretty neat.
Finally, be open-minded and accept the fact that the study
of grammar usage is a difficult, precise, and yet imprecise field of work; and
there are some easy answers coupled with the difficult. There are people who
spend all their working hours thinking about these things. My advice is to be
aware of the issue as I have outlined in my blog post today, and use your good
judgment and instincts if presented with a grammar or communication challenge.
Thank you for spending your valuable time on today’s post; I
appreciate that. I will see you again in March, and I ask you to bookmark my
blog for easier reference.
https://www.twitter.com/randallponder @randallponder
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