Mary/merry/marry

[Liberty Belle]

Ok so I watched this video like 10 times and listened really hard and they all still sound the same

I can tell a difference in marry on the video (it has more of a short a as in cat sound), but the itger two sound identical to me, too. I say all three the same.

 

[Minnesota!]

- these words are three different words- do not sound alike!

LOL--if you had a test in school here and you wrote down those words rhymed you would get a big fat zero on it LOL.

I am curious - we were taught rhyming words were words with the same ending sound. Which, to my ears, cherry, dairy, and carry all have (ch-air-ee, d-air-ee, c-air-ee). So how would they not rhyme? How do you (general you) pronounce those 3 words?

To me, dairy, cherry, and carry all have the same vowel sound

D-air-y, ch-air-y, c-air-y

M-air-y got m-air-ied and we were all m-air-y.

M-air-y Christmas!

Yep! Exactly how it's said here in MN

 

[snapppyd]

Along those same lines:
Mary rhymes with dairy.

Merry rhymes with cherry.

Marry rhymes with carry.

It's about vowel sounds and the effect single consonants vs double consonants has on the way vowels are pronounced. I think it's interesting that people from outside the Northeast aren't hearing a difference in that YouTube clip.

This! I don't say Mary Christmas, I did not merry my husband.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

All 3 are different to me. Here is a youtube example (no, it is not me!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNPDGuKZDpo

Yes

 

[Disney Ella]

I am originally from western PA where those words rhyme and am now in NJ where some people say "merry" differently. It sounds like "murry" to me and they pronounce "very" the same way. I listened to that youtube video and I couldn't hear the difference.

When I moved away from PA, I had trouble pronouncing some words correctly. We always pronounced "tile" and "towel" the same way and it took some time to learn to pronounce them correctly. We also pronounced "iron" as "arn" and it took me a few years to learn how to properly pronounce "iron". I still have to think a minute before I say the word.

 

[NikitaZee]

Here's a question for you - Do you pronounce the "g" in Long Island where it sound like you are saying "Lon Gilsland?" That's another controversy we have here as well We had that discussion at the Adventurers Club back when I was 19 (IIRC). We all had a good laugh!

Nope, no 'g'! I actually hate hearing it said that way, the only time I hear it is in deliberate exaggeration, ha!

 

[Pills]

Usually, Baby Boomers (and the first few years of Gen X) and before pronounces the "G" like that, but I've noticed that most people born in the 80s or later are cutting that terrible sound out of their speech.

I'm 39, and I cut the g out when I was in high school.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I can hear the difference on the video, by the way, I just don't say them that way.

 

[cybrkitn]

Usually, Baby Boomers (and the first few years of Gen X) and before pronounces the "G" like that, but I've noticed that most people born in the 80s or later are cutting that terrible sound out of their speech.

I'm a Generation Xer (born in 71) and I don't think I have ever said "Long Island" with a hard "g" sound. DH was born in 70 and I don't think I've ever heard him say it that way either.

 

[I Love Pluto]

My daughter's name is Meredith. People mispronounce and misspell her nickname all the time, as well as her name.

Nickname - Merry (as in Christmas)

Mary, Murray, Merrie, Marry, Morrie, etc etc
Merdith, Miridth, Merrith, Merith, Meridt, etc etc

Be expecting this if you name your daughter Meredith/Merry!

 

[Underneath The Sky]

Mary and merry sound the same over here. Marry has a different sound.

The former two seems to have an 'eh' sound and the latter has an 'ah' sound. (I don't know how else to describe it)

 

[Zandy595]

I'm from western NY originally. When the woman in the video says them, they sound different, but when I say them they sound the same. As hard as I try, I can't make them sound different.

 

[Tink575]

I'm a Generation Xer (born in 71) and I don't think I have ever said "Long Island" with a hard "g" sound. DH was born in 70 and I don't think I've ever heard him say it that way either.

I was born in the 50s and the only folks I ever heard use the long G sound were from Brooklyn. I was born there so I have nothing against Brooklyn

 

[Admit One]

So I'm just the weirdo, then

I don't know about that. My parents (and grandparents) are from Mahanoy City. So, I am not well-bred as far as my speech goes. I really think a linguist would have a field day up in those parts of PA

 

[EMom]

Mary and merry sound the same over here. Marry has a different sound.

The former two seems to have an 'eh' sound and the latter has an 'ah' sound. (I don't know how else to describe it)

That's the best way I can describe it. Mary and merry have an "eh" and marry has an "ah".

Here, Mary and merry rhyme with berry/cherry, while marry rhymes with Harry/Barry. And berry and Barry have nothing to do with one another.

I will marry Harry or Barry vs
Mary will eat a cherry or a berry and be merry.

As I have said before, there can be a slight difference between Mary and merry, but only in the sense that the vowel in Mary is drawn out a teeny bit longer.

 

[threeboysmom]

Massachusetts/NH here

Mary & Marry rhyme with Dairy & Carry (no difference with all 4 words)

Merry rhymes with Cherry

 

[Liberty Belle]

That's the best way I can describe it. Mary and merry have an "eh" and marry has an "ah".

Here, Mary and merry rhyme with berry/cherry, while marry rhymes with Harry/Barry. And berry and Barry have nothing to do with one another.

I will marry Harry or Barry vs
Mary will eat a cherry or a berry and be merry.

As I have said before, there can be a slight difference between Mary and merry, but only in the sense that the vowel in Mary is drawn out a teeny bit longer.

So, then, do you say Harry as in "hardy" without the d or in hat tree without the t? Because in the video it sounds more like she's using a short a instead of an "ah" sound. With an "ah" sound to me it would rhyme more with bar with a long e attached.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Massachusetts/NH here

Mary & Marry rhyme with Dairy & Carry (no difference with all 4 words)

Merry rhymes with Cherry

But to those of us not in New England (or at least those of us in the Midwest), cherry rhymes with dairy and carry.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

But to those of us not in New England (or at least those of us in the Midwest), cherry rhymes with dairy and carry.

I'm in New England & Merry, Marry, & Mary are the same & cherry, dairy, & carry all rhyme.

 

[Minnesota!]

That's the best way I can describe it. Mary and merry have an "eh" and marry has an "ah".

Here, Mary and merry rhyme with berry/cherry, while marry rhymes with Harry/Barry. And berry and Barry have nothing to do with one another.

I will marry Harry or Barry vs
Mary will eat a cherry or a berry and be merry.

As I have said before, there can be a slight difference between Mary and merry, but only in the sense that the vowel in Mary is drawn out a teeny bit longer.

But Harry, Barry, Mary, cherry, berry, and merry all rhyme (outside of pockets of the northeast, it looks like).

And an old boyfriend's last name is Berry - said the same way as Barry.