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EyeSeeYou Posted 14 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation
SPECIES & CONTROVERSIAL
In the past month I've heard these two words pronounced in a different way than what I've always known or the dictiomnary suggests.
The C in "species" had an /s/ sound instead of the sound you can find in the C in the words "commerCial" or "speCial".
The same happened with the word "controversial"; the S sounded like an /s/.
Are these widely used variations? I'd assume they are correct as the people who pronounced them were learned native English speakers. Both were Americans.
Thanks.
The C in "species" had an /s/ sound instead of the sound you can find in the C in the words "commerCial" or "speCial".
The same happened with the word "controversial"; the S sounded like an /s/.
Are these widely used variations? I'd assume they are correct as the people who pronounced them were learned native English speakers. Both were Americans.
Thanks.
Top answer
Yes, they are common enough, though they don't seem to appear as recorded pronunciations in the on-line dictionaries. com/reference/dictionary/entry/controversial
- Yes, they are common enough, though they don't seem to appear as recorded pronunciations in the on-line dictionaries.
- com/reference/dictionary/entry/controversial
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2 Answers
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Yes, they are common enough, though they don't seem to appear as recorded pronunciations in the on-line dictionaries.
For species: [spee-sheez, -seez] - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/species?r=66
For controversial:
For species: [spee-sheez, -seez] - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/species?r=66
For controversial:
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About controversial. You hear /s/ when you hear two vowels for "sial"--this is called diaeresis. \?kän-tr?-'v?r-se-?l\ (It's MW transcription)
Unstressed prevocalic /i/ can become /y/ under certain conditions, esp before an unstressed nucleus. This is called synaeresis. Here, s + i > s + y > sh . \?kän-tr?-'v?r-sh?l/ (MW transcription again).
Unstressed prevocalic /i/ can become /y/ under certain conditions, esp before an unstressed nucleus. This is called synaeresis. Here, s + i > s + y > sh . \?kän-tr?-'v?r-sh?l/ (MW transcription again).
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