I do not understand the allowance of two ways to pronounce this word. It is a compound word made up of two words unto themselves and should only be pronounced by saying the two words as one. Carib Bean. It should NOT be pronounced as if it only had one B. caribean. (cah rib ean)
The mis-pronunciation of karaoke as continued by American Heritage was started by a radio DJ many years ago because he was to lazy to find out how to properly say the word. Listeners assumed he knew what he was saying and followed his example. After pronouncing the first letter A as an AH, you can't change the sound of the second A to be an EE. It has to stay the same. My Japanese friend told me twenty years ago when I asked about the way the DJ was saying it that the correct pronunciation is KAH RAH O KEE.
American Heritage Dictionary is wrong with their pronunciation of eczema. I am 69 years old and the English teachers I had, taught us that when a word ends in a vowel, the vowel preceding the last consonant is to be pronounced as a long sound. Earlier dictionaries agree with me and show a line over the second E. Even dictionaries that show a so called secondary accepted pronunciation put the long sound first. It is properly pronounced Ek zee muh.
Comments by cbbudman
cbbudman commented on the word caribbean
I do not understand the allowance of two ways to pronounce this word. It is a compound word made up of two words unto themselves and should only be pronounced by saying the two words as one. Carib Bean. It should NOT be pronounced as if it only had one B. caribean. (cah rib ean)
June 15, 2010
cbbudman commented on the word karaoke
The mis-pronunciation of karaoke as continued by American Heritage was started by a radio DJ many years ago because he was to lazy to find out how to properly say the word. Listeners assumed he knew what he was saying and followed his example. After pronouncing the first letter A as an AH, you can't change the sound of the second A to be an EE. It has to stay the same. My Japanese friend told me twenty years ago when I asked about the way the DJ was saying it that the correct pronunciation is KAH RAH O KEE.
June 15, 2010
cbbudman commented on the word eczema
American Heritage Dictionary is wrong with their pronunciation of eczema. I am 69 years old and the English teachers I had, taught us that when a word ends in a vowel, the vowel preceding the last consonant is to be pronounced as a long sound. Earlier dictionaries agree with me and show a line over the second E. Even dictionaries that show a so called secondary accepted pronunciation put the long sound first. It is properly pronounced Ek zee muh.
June 15, 2010