[Magdalen] Mary, Marry, and Merry

[ME Michaud]

I am a New Englander.
We pronounce Mary and merry exactly the same.
-M


On Monday, May 18, 2020, Simon Kershaw <simon at kershaw.org.uk> wrote:

> Scott's description also applies in England, certainly in the English I
> speak (which most would probably consider to be "standard" "unaccented"
> English). The three words have the clearly distinct pronunciations.
>
> The difference between the first and the third (Mary and merry) is the
> length of the vowel -- long "eh" in Mary and short "eh" in merry.
>
> The vowel is marry is distinct, a short sharp "a" as in "map", and a pure
> vowel not a diphthong as it might be in the US ("meh-up").
>
> And in all three the "r" is audible but not trilled (non-rhotic).
>
> simon
>
> On 2020-05-14 21:10, Scott Knitter wrote:
>
>> Here's how I hear the three words in, let's say, East Coast accents (I
>> know
>> there are many):
>>
>> Mary = MARE-ee  --first syllable of medium length
>>
>> marry = MA (from "map") - ree   -- first syllable rather long
>>
>> merry = MEH (from "meth") - ree   --first syllable quite short
>>
>> And yes, here in Chicago, all three of these are likely to be said the
>> first way.
>>
>>
>
> --
> Simon Kershaw
> simon at kershaw.org.uk
> St Ives, Cambridgeshire
>