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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation

The word 'air'

For some reason i find it easier to pronunuce the word 'air' /e?(r)/ rather than with schwa /e?(r)/ which seems to be the correct way. Is it acceptable or bad English to pronunce it with /?/ sound?
  

Top answer

There isn't one, correct way to pronounce that word. org/dictionary/british/air

— Anonymous

  • There isn't one, correct way to pronounce that word.
  • org/dictionary/british/air
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22 Answers
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There isn't one, correct way to pronounce that word. It depends on which kind of English you speak, as can be seen and heard here http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/air
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The link gives the difference between BrE and AmE. I was referring to BrE.
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In fact In the above link for "air", i hear a vowel between "ay" (in bay) and "e" (in bed) plus schwa /?/ in BrE and a vowel between "ay" (in bay) and "e" (in bed) plus the "r" in AmE. Is this correct please?
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I am still expecting a reply from one of the phonetic experts whether there is y glide in the pronunciation.
I have also listened in the link below and still sounds the same or is it just to my non-native ears.

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/a
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I am very surprised that nobody replied to this.
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AnonymousIn fact In the above link for "air", i hear a vowel between "ay" (in bay) and "e" (in bed) plus schwa /?/ in BrE and a vowel between "ay" (in bay) and "e" (in bed) plus the "r" in AmE. Is this correct please?
It's difficult for anyone to comment on what you hear,
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fivejedjonIt's difficult for anyone to comment on what you hear,
Effectively you are being polite and not saying that what i hear is incorrect.
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AnonymousEffectively you are being polite and not saying that what i hear is incorrect.
No, I am not. If you are the same Anon, you wrote "In fact In the above link for "air", I hear a vowel between "ay" (in bay) and "e" (in bed) plus schwa /?/ in BrE ". I hear a glide from approximately the /e/ of 'bed' to schwa.

However, I can't see inside your h
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fivejedjon I hear a glide from approximately the /e/ of 'bed' to schwa.
Thank you. The accepted standard in BrE is a glide from approximately the /e/ of 'bed' to schwa, there is no y glide.
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Anonymous The accepted standard in BrE is a glide from approximately the /e/ of 'bed' to schwa,
True, though a long [??] is commonly heard, and is completely acceptable Other variations in BrE dialects include
/e?r/ and/er/ in Standard Scottish English, [e??](r) in Cockney, and [œ:](r) in Liverpool English. My own Southern British pronunciation is an /e?
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