Aaron vs. Erin pronunciation

[Phatoomch]

I totally agree with you. I think the people in the NE say thier vowels differently than much of the rest of the country. As I stated before -- there is no difference here in the midwest. I was also taught those words (and more) were homorphones. Maybe our teachers were wrong too??!!

I find that funny - they are so not homophones in the UK. If you even suggested that they might be, your Language Arts teacher would just fail you on the spot

 

[ilovemk76]

I totally agree with you. I think the people in the NE say thier vowels differently than much of the rest of the country. As I stated before -- there is no difference here in the midwest. I was also taught those words (and more) were homorphones. Maybe our teachers were wrong too??!!

According to this web site the teachers were wrong.

http://www.homophone.com/

I checked marry/merry and they are not on the list.

 

[bethbuchall]

I think this is because you're hearing southern Americans pronounce them. Here, most everyone I know pronounces them the way you'd think - with a distinction between Mary/merry/marry, Barry/berry, Aaron/Erin, etc. They don't sound the same at ALL, they're entirely different, easily distinguishable words.

I'm not southern. I'm from western NYS, and those words do not sound different to me.

 

[bethbuchall]

My name is Megan also pronounced meg-an, it drives me absolutely crazy when people call me maygan. It's a totally different name.

It's Meg-an around here.

My daughter's name is Laura. In our area it's pronounced like Lora, not Law-ra. We prefer the first but are not too annoyed by the other.

 

[Nolcrest]

Move to New York, we say AH-RUN for the guys, and ERR-in for the girls.

 

[EMom]

I think this is because you're hearing southern Americans pronounce them. Here, most everyone I know pronounces them the way you'd think - with a distinction between Mary/merry/marry, Barry/berry, Aaron/Erin, etc. They don't sound the same at ALL, they're entirely different, easily distinguishable words.

I think it's funny that of all the name pronounciation things that have come up, no one has mentioned Carolyn/Caroline. Those people get more peeved than anyone over that difference!

Lord, don't blame this one on Southerners. I've never heard those words pronounced the same, although I will say Mary/merry are very close (not merry and marry, though) and Harry/hairy are close too. But things like very/vary and Barry/berry? Don't think so. As I said, the childhood friend who said, "They got merried," stuck out like a sore thumb and we all wondered WHERE she learned to say it like that.

 

[HelenePA]

Dont blame it on the NE either... Marry/Merry are two different words here as well! Go listen to trains song "marry me" he doesn't say "Merry Me".

 

[sunshinehighway]

They are all different to me.

What about beer and bear? Same or different?

 

[Phatoomch]

Lord, don't blame this one on Southerners.

Dont blame it on the NE either...

So, who do we blame it on

 

[Becky2005]

love Aaron for a boy, but don't care much for Erin for a girl. Is that strange or do most prefer it for one gender or the other? I'm wondering why I feel this way considering they are exactly the same name

You know one thing I like in names is very distinct girl/boy names...so what do we do? Named our son Aaron! Even though they sound the same they are NOT the same name in my head and honestly didn't even give it much thought until I had to call to check on a prescription the first time for him and got asked the "with an A or E?"
So, I completely understand what you are saying of not like Erin for a girl but liking Aaron for a boy.

 

[HelenePA]

They are all different to me.

What about beer and bear? Same or different?

Really? do you go to a bar and order a bear? different words here!

Now I will say our town is known for tree/three being said the same

 

[sunshinehighway]

Really? do you go to a bar and order a bear? different words here!

Now I will say our town is known for tree/three being said the same

No I pronounce them differently. I was curious because I'd never heard Harry/hairy, merry/Mary/marry, Aaron/Erin or any of the other examples pronounced the same. Beer and bear seem closer to me than any of the other words people are pronouncing the same way.

 

[EMom]

Really? do you go to a bar and order a bear? different words here!

Now I will say our town is known for tree/three being said the same

My mother knew a woman who could not say "three." She tried, but it came out "tree." She got a phone and moaned to my mother, "And when they gave me this new phone number, what did they do? Gave me one that was all trees."

 

[disney4us2002]

No I pronounce them differently. I was curious because I'd never heard Harry/hairy, merry/Mary/marry, Aaron/Erin or any of the other examples pronounced the same. Beer and bear seem closer to me than any of the other words people are pronouncing the same way.

What? Beer and bear are closer? bear and bare are the same sound but beer has a long e - totally different.

I still cannot figure out how to pronounce Mary, merry and marry differently. Is one of them pronounced murray? My head is spinning....

 

[bethbuchall]

What? Beer and bear are closer? bear and bare are the same sound but beer has a long e - totally different.

I still cannot figure out how to pronounce Mary, merry and marry differently. Is one of them pronounced murray? My head is spinning....

I can't figure it out either. I went to American Heritage. It shows a slightly different pronunciation for them, but when you listen, they all sound the same (at least to me).

 

[shoney]

What? Beer and bear are closer? bear and bare are the same sound but beer has a long e - totally different.

I still cannot figure out how to pronounce Mary, merry and marry differently. Is one of them pronounced murray? My head is spinning....

LOL...pm me and you can call us to see the difference...I asked both my kids about this and they said "yes they are different words!" I can't imagine them being the same!

 

[EMom]

What? Beer and bear are closer? bear and bare are the same sound but beer has a long e - totally different.

I still cannot figure out how to pronounce Mary, merry and marry differently. Is one of them pronounced murray? My head is spinning....

Mary is a subtle difference.

But marry and merry are very distinct.

Marry, Larry, Harry, the infamous Barry

merry, Perry, Jerry, the also infamous berry

Marry Larry rhymes. Marry Jerry does not.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Meh, my kids just pronounced Harry as Hairy.

 

[bethbuchall]

Mary is a subtle difference.

But marry and merry are very distinct.

Marry, Larry, Harry, the infamous Barry

merry, Perry, Jerry, the also infamous berry

Marry Larry rhymes. Marry Jerry does not.

In my little universe, they all rhyme.

In Phineas and Ferb, when they say "Where's Perry?" does that rhyme with marry or merry to you? (If you've seen the show...)

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

In my little universe, they all rhyme.

In Phineas and Ferb, when they say "Where's Perry?" does that rhyme with marry or merry to you? (If you've seen the show...)

Perry rhymes with merry, and very, and berry. Good one bethbuchall!