Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
You didn't know there was a different in pronunciation between British and American English, or between "merry" and "marry"? A short "e" and a short "a" are distinctly different vowel sounds in British English; I've noticed that the short "e" seems to have almost disappeared in many forms of American English.
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I'm not familiar with any American accent that says 'merry' and 'marry' the same.
Not to say I couldn't come up with some INDIVIDUALS who say them the same, but I can also come up with individuals who pronounce the S at the end of Illinois and the M at the beginning of mnemonics.
I do sometimes hear marry and Mary said the same, even in "news anchor-speak", but mostly they are distinct. They have always been distinct for me, because I cannot hear or say the name 'Mary' without thinking of the way Jimmy Stewart says it in "It's A Wonderful Life."