Comments on: How should I pronounce "February?"

Question: How should I pronounce "February?"

DarwinianDan — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:33:07 -0800

Did you ever receive explicit instruction on how to pronounce "February" from someone who is considered an authority on such things? Is saying FEB-roo-air-y more common than FEB-you-air-y?

I know most American dictionaries say both pronunciations are acceptable. But is one more acceptable to those who use proper English? And is one more common the world over?

By: wfc123

wfc123 — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:37:48 -0800

Always go with the way a word is spelled.

By: caddis

caddis — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:39:04 -0800

Except in the English language

By: kcm

kcm — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:40:11 -0800

ou la langue Française.

By: poppo

poppo — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:42:09 -0800

I treat it the same way I treat the 'r' in surprise.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:42:43 -0800

Either. February.

By: heyho

heyho — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:42:51 -0800

There are two Rs; I use them both.
Yes, mispronouncing words is more common than not. Gah.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:43:51 -0800

But is one more acceptable to those who use proper English?

There are those who use proper English and there are those who believe that they use proper English and make a big deal of it. The former don't really care what you say, and the latter are of no consequence anyway.

By: roger ackroyd

roger ackroyd — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:44:27 -0800

Who would the authority be?

(This came up last week.)

By: croutonsupafreak

croutonsupafreak — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:45:30 -0800

I was taught "feb-you-air-y" by teachers. Since that's how I say it, and my birthday is in February, I consider myself an authority on this subject.

By: caddis

caddis — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:47:50 -0800

You could of course consult a dictionary, like Merriam-Webster or its February pronunciation blurb which seems to conflict somewhat with the online entry. Hope that clears things up.

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:52:46 -0800

I remember being taught the spelling, not the pronunciation, and to note that first "r" when spelling because it's not like how we pronounce it! So, implicitly, "feb-you-air-y." I had similar experiences with "Wednesday" and "Connecticut."

By: Forktine

Forktine — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:54:57 -0800

I treat it the same way I treat the 'r' in surprise.

I hear, and say, both "suh-prize" and "sir-prize" pretty interchangeably. But I've never noticed it to be common to say "feb-rue-ary"; it's always been "feb-you-ary," anywhere I've lived (both US and other).

By: burnmp3s

burnmp3s — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:55:37 -0800

Spoken English changes much more quickly than written English, so there are not really any "rules" that one can follow and to always speak "correct English". Instead you should know your audience, and try to speak in a way that makes them feel comfortable speaking with you.

In this particular case, 99% of people will not care which of the two pronunciations you use. My advice would be pick whichever one you like more and say it that way.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:57:44 -0800

I don't think I know anyone that says feb-ROO-rary.

By: goo

goo — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:59:09 -0800

Febyury.

By: ten pounds of inedita

ten pounds of inedita — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:06:51 -0800

I have always pronounced it FEB-roo-air-ee.

By: HotPatatta

HotPatatta — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:13:40 -0800

I have noticed many journalists on the BBC World Service say ROO, as well as several NPR journalists, and NY- and DC-based television journalists. Not that journalists are experts.

Elocution isn't taught to young students the way it once was.

By: PercussivePaul

PercussivePaul — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:14:40 -0800

I was taught feb-roo-air-ee. I can easily imagine my 1st grade teacher slowly going over the pronunciation. Repeat after me, class. feb-roo-air-ee! But it's an awkward thing to say. Most of the time when I speak, it comes out closer to "feb-oo-air-ee", but the "oo" is clipped short so the word almost sounds like three syllables. By the way, born and raised in Ontario, Canada, just in case you're keeping track.

By: the luke parker fiasco

the luke parker fiasco — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:15:39 -0800

Definitely "Feb-ru-ary". Firstly, because that's how it's spelled, secondly because "Feb-u-ary" and its ilk makes my skin crawl almost as much as "nucular", "expresso", and "liberry".

By: asavage

asavage — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:19:39 -0800

I use the roo, but then again, I always notice it when people (incorrectly, or so I'm told) say often with the T. (and what about the New Yorker spelling focussing that way?)

Honestly, The World Famous gets my vote for the Oscar Wilde quote of the day, and the definitive answer.

By: BSummers

BSummers — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:44:02 -0800

i like to say fe-brewery

By: greekphilosophy

greekphilosophy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:48:22 -0800

I was raised by Yankees in the South, which is a lot like being raised by wolves away from society. So they drilled us hard on pronounciation, stating explicitly that they wanted us to sound like the anchors on the national evening news. If we ever had questions about how to pronounce things, that was the standard by which we determined the answer. We all say "feb-roo-airy."

On a related note, once eldest of my younger sisters fell on the sidewalk and the middle sister ran inside, "Mama, Papa - Maura fell on the 'CEE-ment,' I mean, the 'SUH-ment,' I mean, THE CONCRETE!"

By: happyturtle

happyturtle — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:51:31 -0800

As an American expat in England who frequently has business conversations with people from different parts of the world, I am firmly of the opinion that any pronunciation that communicates the intended word to the hearer is correct.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:01:28 -0800

Since when is how something is spelled an adequate and acceptable guide to pronunciation?

By: rocket88

rocket88 — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:11:03 -0800

FEB-you-air-y is a mispronunciation that has become so common that it's now a correct pronunciation.

By: gfrobe

gfrobe — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:19:34 -0800

I pronounce the R. On a side note, as another American expat in the UK I notice a lot of Brits pronounce January as "Jan you ree" rather than "Jan-you-airy".

By: wtdoor

wtdoor — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:21:54 -0800

I agree with the luke parker fiasco except for the "almost." It marks the speaker as, well, ig'nant. Plenty of words have easier (mis)pronunciations with the same effect.

By: lyam

lyam — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:23:21 -0800

Surely Feb-you-airy is not as egregious a mispronunciation as nucular, expresso and liberry?

By: anadem

anadem — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:25:43 -0800

At the posh private English boarding school I was sent to, where accent was a social distinguishing mark, we called the month "Feb you ree". I don't think there's a right or wrong in pronunciation, but the "Feb ru ary" version always seems awkward on my tongue.

By: beniamino

beniamino — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:38:51 -0800

The OED is unequivocal in its support for feb-roo-uh-ree. I say feb-yoo-ree but am considering reform.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:46:17 -0800

I'm a "you" sayer, but it comes out more like "yuh." I am from Northern California.

By: cmgonzalez

cmgonzalez — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:49:30 -0800

It's always been as spelled: February.

I've never heard Feb-you-ary except by third graders and the occasional person who also says li-bary.

By: jamesonandwater

jamesonandwater — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:58:31 -0800

When you're from Dublin, it's febrar-ree.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:02:24 -0800

So, does the "February has two r's" logic carry over into "Wednesday has two d's?"

By: malaprohibita

malaprohibita — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:08:33 -0800

happyturtle is right. grammar and pronunciation are fluid and dependent upon a ton of factors. language changes and evolves, so as long as the person to whom you are speaking understands you, you're fine.

By: xetere

xetere — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:14:16 -0800

So, does the "February has two r's" logic carry over into "Wednesday has two d's?"

Probably not, English isn't a logical language. No language is. Wed-nuhz day sounds bizarre.

BTW I always pronounced it feb-roo-ery (ery rhyming with berry) In New York, whether or not it is feb-you or feb roo I've never heard it pronounced with "airy." That's sounds like you're from the movie Fargo to me. You betcha.

By: fish tick

fish tick — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:28:29 -0800

Feb-yoo-airy belongs with "Artic", libary, nucular and chimbley. Oh, and pointsetta. Take that extra R out of the "sherbert" and put it back in the month, please.

By: terrapin

terrapin — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:35:32 -0800

It's Feb-ru-rary ... oh and it's Wed-nes-day too.

By: Forktine

Forktine — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:46:59 -0800

BTW I always pronounced it feb-roo-ery (ery rhyming with berry) In New York, whether or not it is feb-you or feb roo I've never heard it pronounced with "airy." That's sounds like you're from the movie Fargo to me. You betcha.

I can't hear the slightest difference between "berry" and "airy" (aside from the initial 'b'). Aren't regional accents great?

By: sparrows

sparrows — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:48:21 -0800

I'll put in another vote for "feb-ROO" sounding mannered and newscastery.

Same way all the newscasters randomly decided Moscow was Mosk-OH rather than Mosk-OW (which is no more correct or meaningful given that the city's native name is Mosk-VAH)

By: Pinback

Pinback — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:32:31 -0800

croutonsupafreak: I was taught "feb-ru-air-y" by teachers and parents. Since that's how I say it, and my birthday is in February, I consider myself an authority on this subject ;-)

That's a short and softer "ru", though, rather than a longer and more emphatic "roo".

So, does the "February has two r's" logic carry over into "Wednesday has two d's?"

Yup. That first is a very very soft and almost unpronounced "d", so it's more "Wedn's - day" than "Wed-nes-day"

By: frobozz

frobozz — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:57:48 -0800

I've only known a handful of people who say "feb-roo-". Very carefully and distinctly. I always thought they were trying too hard.

By: phliar

phliar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:29:31 -0800

For me there are no silent letters in either February or Wednesday, but I also pronounce "medicine" as "medsn".

And what price "solder"? I've always pronounced it "soul-der", but then I find that in the US everyone says "sodder" (which for the first five years or so made me want to giggle because a sodder sounds like who sods [off]).

(In primary school -- first and second grades, as I remember it -- we did have diction and elocution classes.)

By: ob

ob — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:40:24 -0800

As a Brit I say Fe-byoo-ree but then I also say se-cre-tree for secretary, but I suppose that such clipping of syllables is quite normal in a standard southern-English accent. I should say that I haven't heard too many Brits (with my accent) say Feb-roo-ree but I do know people who say We-dens-day.

By: saturnine

saturnine — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:18:32 -0800

I'm English, I say it Feb-you-airy (do you need any more qualifications for an English language speaker?). The only deviation I've heard is ob's Feh-byoo-ree. Pronouncing that first r is odd and weird and strange to me - I also don't understand why people are citing it as a mispronunciation, because the English language has plenty of silent letters.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:36:02 -0800

Hm, I think I generally split the difference, sort of a FEH-bruh-airy. No OO in the middle, sometimes just a hint of YU.

The R is being elided away. I wouldn't worry about it unless I were in a very formal situation, as it's a conventional pronunciation like WENS-day, CUMF-ter-bull, or LAWN-zhu-RAY (instead of LAN-zhay-REE).

Socially, there is a consensus that ATH-uh-lete, NEW-kyuh-ler, EX-presso, and LI-berry carry a class marker. This is apparently why President Bush has adopted them. ;-) And why they are mostly avoided by formal speakers. But other conventional pronunciations do not carry that same baggage.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:30:59 -0800

FEB-yew-erry. But the "yew" is so unaccented, it's really like a sigh, and you can fit in a very quiet "r" at the beginning of it without making any real difference to how it sounds.

Like coutonsupfreak I was taught this by teachers (VERY proper, old-fashioned teachers, not hippy "it's all good let's hold hands" type teachers), and also my birthday is in February so my vote counts double.

By: blue_wardrobe

blue_wardrobe — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:23:51 -0800

Februry (but the first 'r' is nearly missing). Wedensday (and the first 'd' is nearly missing).
British with a lot of time in Southern Ireland.

By: exceptinsects

exceptinsects — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:57:05 -0800

Wow, am I the only one who says Feboowary? I must be some kinda weirdo.

By: TochterAusElysium

TochterAusElysium — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:07:08 -0800

Febbery. I was born in it.

By: Chunder

Chunder — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:52:41 -0800

Cripes - and here's us English-speaking folks making fun of "Engrish", where we should actually be making fun of ourselves...

FWIW, I'm a Brit (without the "benefit" of an expensive private education) and a lot of the common mispronunciations really bug me. IMO it should be:
Feb-roo-ary (roo as in root, ary as in ferry)
Wednz-day
Sicks-th (not "sikth"; BBC news presenters I'm looking at you!)

However, due to the locale where I was brought up, I pronounce "tooth" as "tu-th" (almost as in "tupperware", but fractionally longer) - so perhaps I'm not the best person to judge...

I'm not going to get into all the other Bush-isms and chav-isms that are prevalent in modern society, as my blood pressure would suffer.