Mid-evil or Me-devil?!?

[Delireus]

I've heard people pronounce it Medi-evil. 'Medi' as in 'medic' and evil, as in...Sauron is evil. (Mostly, I hear this from British people) It's like they really pronounce the 'i'.

Do you think the people trying to spell it sound out the word this way, which might explain (but not justify) their odd spellings?

I just say it as 'med-evil', but I suppose I could see how people might add in the 'ee' part in the middle. Am I in the minority in this pronunciation? Is everything I know a lie?!

My name is Shanon, with 1 N in the middle. That's my father's fault. I've been called Sharon my whole life, because some people can't tell the different between an n and an r. I could never have personalized pencils or whatever like the other children (and a pencil with a blacked out N just wouldn't do). I swear, I'm naming my kid something with a very common spelling!

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Another word that I have heard pronounced 2 ways is "Renaissance"

Ren-ah-sanse

Ren-nay-sanse

Owain Phyfe pronounced it the second way, as do several cast members at Bristol.

[Merlin the Elder]

From what I could gather, "mee-dee-e-vil" is the most correct of the several accepted pronunciations.

[Butch]

I've heard people pronounce it Medi-evil. 'Medi' as in 'medic' and evil, as in...Sauron is evil. (Mostly, I hear this from British people) It's like they really pronounce the 'i'.

I've also heard Brits pronounce "aluminum" as "al-loo-MIN-ee-um" with the extra "eeeee" sound.

[Norfolk]

From what I could gather, "mee-dee-e-vil" is the most correct of the several accepted pronunciations.

You and I are in complete agreement, Wizard!

[DonaCatalina]

I've also heard Brits pronounce "aluminum" as "al-loo-MIN-ee-um" with the extra "eeeee" sound.

They also spell it Alumin-I-um

[Dinobabe]

I've also heard Brits pronounce "aluminum" as "al-loo-MIN-ee-um" with the extra "eeeee" sound.

If you watch Top Gear they joke about how we (Americans) pronounce it wrong!  lol

[Norfolk]

I've also heard Brits pronounce "aluminum" as "al-loo-MIN-ee-um" with the extra "eeeee" sound.

If you watch Top Gear they joke about how we (Americans) pronounce it wrong!  lol

It appears that we truly are, as Sir Winston observed, a common people separated by a common language!

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

You say po-tay-toe.  I say po-tah-toe.



My British husband had to change to the American way of saying potato and tomato, because being an executive chef in a large kitchen with over 350 employees, nobody understood him when he pronounced them the British way.

[Norfolk]

This may be of interest on more than this particular pronunciation.  Try this wonderful site:

http://www.howjsay.com

You type in a word, hit "submit" and your computer speakers will then emit the proper British pronunciation of the submitted word.

As a performer who struggles with his "upper class" British accent, despite hours and hours practicing with Dr. Stern's CD, I find it invaluable.

[Craigmeister]

I think that mid-winter is mid-evil.  Bring on the faire season!

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

As a performer who struggles with his "upper class" British accent, despite hours and hours practicing with Dr. Stern's CD, I find it invaluable.

Don't sell yourself short, your character voice is quite good!!

[Merlin the Elder]

Agreed, Gauwyn. Norfolk is on my A-List of on-cast performers.

[LissaRoisin]

I think that mid-winter is mid-evil.  Bring on the faire season!

I have to agree with this

[LadyStitch]

Thing that drove me a little nuts was when I studied over seas.  As it was a former British colony things were spelled in British English. I would be using my American computer over there and would get papers back saying my spelling was terrible, yet spell check said it was perfect.  UNTIL a friend of mine told me to go in and change my spell check to British English.  Then I was fine, until I got back home and was sending things with British spellings.

I still get caught up when it is color vs colour  and fair vs faire.  Both are correct spells but it depends on which side of the pond you are on. 

I am part of Toastmasters international. I keep telling the students that are members of the club.  If you can do a proper presentation in clear concise English you will score more points with the professor because they can properly understand you.  You will appear far more professional to them.  Many look at me like I'm nuts.