validate, elucidate

Question

1. Do you pronouce validate , elucidate, solid, valid, fluid, etc. as the short vowel u as in rut or but, or as the short vowel i as in bit or kit?

2. Do you pronounce cabinet, hornet, booklet, magnet, voilet, piglet, pamphlet, etc. as the short vowel u as in rut or but, or as the short vowel i as in bit or kit, or the short vowel e as in bet or set?

I looked them up in various dictionaries and received different answers. I am very confused as to how to pronounce them.

Much obliged for your help:)

Nona the brit · Accepted Answer

1 and 2.  You pronounce them i as in bit or kit.

Davidrock65 · Answer

A friend of mine from Kansas said they should be pronounced as u as in rut or but, why?

Nona the brit · Answer

It may be their local accent. If you want to speak with a Kansas accent, go ahead, but most of the world will say them as 'i'.

Davidrock65 · Answer

thanks a lot

CalifJim · Answer

It's difficult to characterize some of these unstressed vowels as either u in but or i in kit.

I find that the vowel I use is something between u in but and i in kit in words like elucidate and validate.
I use something closer to i in kit for solid, valid, and fluid -- almost exactly the i in kit, actually.

For all the final et's in the two-syllable words in the second group I use the i in kit, but for the et in cabinet I use a vowel a little less like i in kit and more like e in bet, but not clearly either one or the other.

But if I weren't splitting hairs, I'd just say that I say all of them like i in kit.

CJ

Davidrock65 · Answer

if I weren't splitting hairs..

Whats it mean?

CalifJim · Answer

If I weren't attempting to be so ridiculously accurate and precise ...

CJ

validate, elucidate

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