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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
"marry", "merry", and "Mary"
I gather from remarks in followups I've read that there is some question about whether or not Richard Fontana pronounces "marry" and "merry" differently. Anyone who wants to listen to a sound file at
http://www.alt-usage-english.org/mmm rf.wav should hear that he pronounces them quite differently. I can certainly hear the difference.
His "marry" is clearly ('m&ri)*, while his "merry" sounds like ('mEri)*. His "Mary" sounds somewhat different from his "merry", but I'm not sure what vowel it uses maybe it's close to (e)*.
You can hear me saying "Mary dear, make me merry; say you'll marry me" at bc.wav . I know that I pronounce "marry", "merry", and "Mary" identically, but I'm sure that there are people who will listen to the file and be certain that I pronounce them differently: People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless of what sounds are spoken. I understand this may be a physiological phenomenon that is beyond the control of the hearer.
*
and (E) are the vowels many people use in "mat" and "met", respectively. (e) is the initial component of the diphthong in "mate".
http://www.alt-usage-english.org/mmm rf.wav should hear that he pronounces them quite differently. I can certainly hear the difference.
His "marry" is clearly ('m&ri)*, while his "merry" sounds like ('mEri)*. His "Mary" sounds somewhat different from his "merry", but I'm not sure what vowel it uses maybe it's close to (e)*.
You can hear me saying "Mary dear, make me merry; say you'll marry me" at bc.wav . I know that I pronounce "marry", "merry", and "Mary" identically, but I'm sure that there are people who will listen to the file and be certain that I pronounce them differently: People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless of what sounds are spoken. I understand this may be a physiological phenomenon that is beyond the control of the hearer.
*
and (E) are the vowels many people use in "mat" and "met", respectively. (e) is the initial component of the diphthong in "mate".Top answer
[nq:1]People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless of what sounds are spoken. [/nq] Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"? Mark Barratt Budapest
- [nq:1]People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless of what sounds are spoken.
- [/nq] Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"?
- Mark Barratt Budapest
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38 Answers
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[nq:1]People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless of what sounds are spoken. I understand this may be a physiological phenomenon that is beyond the control of the hearer.[/nq]
Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"?
Mark Barratt
Budapest
Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"?
Mark Barratt
Budapest
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[nq:1]I gather from remarks in followups I've read that there is some question about whether or not Richard Fontana pronounces ... a sound file at http://www.alt-usage-english.org/mmm rf.wav should hear that he pronounces them quite differently. I can certainly hear the difference.[/
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[nq:2]His "marry" is clearly ('m&ri)*, while his "merry" sounds like ... what vowel it uses maybe it's close to (e)*.[/nq]
[nq:1]I hear only a tiny, tiny difference between them on his wav file not nearly as different as Boston ... maybe he makes some slight but consistent difference in those vowels: not as strong as "May-ry" but not "merry" either.[/nq]
My British ears hear Mary, merry, m
[nq:1]I hear only a tiny, tiny difference between them on his wav file not nearly as different as Boston ... maybe he makes some slight but consistent difference in those vowels: not as strong as "May-ry" but not "merry" either.[/nq]
My British ears hear Mary, merry, m
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On 18 Oct 2004 09:36:43 GMT, "Mark Barratt"
[nq:2]People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless ... physiological phenomenon that is beyond the control of the hearer.[/nq]
[nq:1]Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"?[/nq]
No, right or wrong I meant physiological. As I understand it, no one really knows what happens in the brain while the nerve impulses corresponding to
[nq:2]People tend to hear sounds they expect to hear regardless ... physiological phenomenon that is beyond the control of the hearer.[/nq]
[nq:1]Did you mean "a psychological phenomenon"?[/nq]
No, right or wrong I meant physiological. As I understand it, no one really knows what happens in the brain while the nerve impulses corresponding to
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[nq:1]I gather from remarks in followups I've read that there is some question about whether or not Richard Fontana pronounces ... the vowels many people use in "mat" and "met", respectively. (e) is the initial component of the diphthong in "mate".[/nq]
This seems like a decent venue to report on recent work by a.u.e regular Aaron Dinkin, who presented a paper entitled
"Mary, Darling,
This seems like a decent venue to report on recent work by a.u.e regular Aaron Dinkin, who presented a paper entitled
"Mary, Darling,
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[nq:1]This seems like a decent venue to report on recent work by a.u.e regular Aaron Dinkin,[/nq]
More accurately "a.u.e. intermittently regular Aaron Dinkin". He seems to post mostly when school is out, like in summer months.
[nq:1]who presented a paper entitled "Mary, Darling, Make Me Merry; Say You'll Marry Me:[/nq]
Did he give Woody Wordpecker credit for inventing that passage?
More accurately "a.u.e. intermittently regular Aaron Dinkin". He seems to post mostly when school is out, like in summer months.
[nq:1]who presented a paper entitled "Mary, Darling, Make Me Merry; Say You'll Marry Me:[/nq]
Did he give Woody Wordpecker credit for inventing that passage?
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Cunningham:
[nq:1]His "marry" is clearly ('m&ri)*, while his "merry" sounds like ('mEri)*. * and (E) are the vowels many people
[nq:1]His "marry" is clearly ('m&ri)*, while his "merry" sounds like ('mEri)*. *
and (E) are the vowels many people00
Donna:
[nq:1]So it's not "marry" and "merry," (Yes, I clearly hear his different "marry"), it's "Mary" and "merry". I hear only a tiny, tiny difference between them on his wav file not nearly as different as Boston people I know who say "May-ry".[/nq]
I think it's because Fontana doesn't have a BK accent. I think the difference between my* "Mary" & "merry" could be more noticible, as it
[nq:1]So it's not "marry" and "merry," (Yes, I clearly hear his different "marry"), it's "Mary" and "merry". I hear only a tiny, tiny difference between them on his wav file not nearly as different as Boston people I know who say "May-ry".[/nq]
I think it's because Fontana doesn't have a BK accent. I think the difference between my* "Mary" & "merry" could be more noticible, as it
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Maybe he just wanted a line of acatalectic trochaic tetrameter followed by a line of catalectic trochaic trimeter...
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[nq:1]Maybe he just wanted a line of acatalectic trochaic tetrameter followed by a line of catalectic trochaic trimeter...[/nq]
Yes any fool can see that that must be it. Mike Hardy
Yes any fool can see that that must be it. Mike Hardy
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