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EyeSeeYou Posted 20 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation

Skipping letters when pronouncing certain words?

Am I correct to notice that words such as laboratory or comfortable are pronounced differently depneding on the country/region? For example the "o" in laboratory and the "or" in comfortable are not heard. And is that a correct thing to do?
  

Top answer

You are right, elisions happen. Also, sounds change. It is not a matter of correct or incorrect, but public speakers and others intent on communication will make an effort to ensure that their pronunciation is distinct.

— Mister Micawber

  • You are right, elisions happen.
  • Also, sounds change.
  • It is not a matter of correct or incorrect, but public speakers and others intent on communication will make an effort to ensure that their pronunciation is distinct.
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30 Answers
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You are right, elisions happen. Also, sounds change. It is not a matter of correct or incorrect, but public speakers and others intent on communication will make an effort to ensure that their pronunciation is distinct.
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Yes, the pronunciation varies by region, and it's normal for that particular place. For instance, in "laboratory," the first "o" is dropped in AmE, while the second "o" is dropped in BrE. So in the U.S., it's pronounced "labratory" and in the U.K., it's pronounced "laboratry."
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Thank you both.

I was asking this because the other day a teacher at the laboratory session (AmE-oriented)told me I wasn't pronouncing the word immediately correctly. I tend to drop the final 'e', resulting in 'immediatly'. Is that wrong?
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EyeSeeYouThank you both.

I was asking this because the other day a teacher at the laboratory session (AmE-oriented)told me I wasn't pronouncing the word immediately correctly. I tend to drop the final 'e', resulting in 'immediatly'. Is that wrong?
That's definitely (the last "e" is dropped here as well) how the word is pronounced here in
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Thethenothere123
EyeSeeYouThank you both.

I was asking this because the other day a teacher at the laboratory session (AmE-oriented)told me I wasn't pronouncing the word immediately correctly. I tend to drop the final 'e', resulting in 'immediatly'. Is that wrong?

That's definitely (the last "e" is dropped he
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EyeSeeYouI'm attending a Phonetics course in an institution called ICANA, in Argentina. I've been speaking English for quite a long time now, and I've taken classes in several other places as well.
You can very politely tell your teacher that they don't know what they're talking about then.
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Frequently heard American pronunciation: cumfterble
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Thethenothere123
EyeSeeYouI'm attending a Phonetics course in an institution called ICANA, in Argentina. I've been speaking English for quite a long time now, and I've taken classes in several other places as well.

You can very politely tell your teacher that they don't know what they're talking about then.
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I'm not really sure what you mean, but here's a link to Merriam-Webster's article for immediately which includes the AmE pronunciation under the little speaker icon.
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Yes, the M-W is a typical AmE pronunciation of immediately.

I have a feeling that, since you are a Spanish native speaker, your terminal consonants and consonant clusters (strengths, firstly, etc.) are not as clear as your teacher would like; therefore she is asking you to stress the /t/ sound a bit more.

There are three /t/ sounds: aspirated /t/
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