How about the name of the river that flows through York (Ouse)?

<i>&quot;Kayb95, where are you from?&quot;</i>

Grew up in northern Ohio, live in Michigan now. Also checked with a friend who was born and raised in Chicago and she can't detect any difference between Mary, merry and marry either. Maybe it's a northern/mid-western thing? It must be something in the accent, because I can't think of any other way to pronounce them.

Yeah, merry, mary and marry are all pronounced the same here in California too. Also dairy, hairy, harry and all those other words mentioned. They all rhyme.

Monica, thanks. I am sick with a virus so not feeling very brillant but all afternoon my mind has been trying to figure out how to say Mary, merry, marry differently from each other. With no success I might add.

Well born and raised in the SF BayArea I now know why. Because we pronounce all the words the same. Phew, that is a relief, LOL. Thank again. One problem solved.

I know what you mean - I was starting think I had a speech impediment.

I posted this on another thread, but it fits here as a &quot;rookie mistake&quot; in Britain. I was afflicted of a &quot;Practice Wife&quot; who was English. The first time I stayed in her parent's home I nearly had an accident waiting for the bathroon (Ok, toilet) to be free.

In the States, it is the custom to leave the door ajar when leaving the facility to indicate it is open for business. In England, I found out, the practice is just the opposite. I spent seemingly endless uncomfortable moments either pacing the hall outside the door, or running around the house counting heads. One does not knock on the door in the States unless there is an emerbency -- or one has a teenage daughter.

I found out that the door in older English homes is kept closed because the bathroom window is kept ajar for vemtilation, and if one left the door open the heat in the house (what little there is of it) would all escape. The practice may provide ventilation, but it also makes for remarkably short stays, particularly during the winter.

nukesafe, the bathroom door, that is interesting. I and all my family have always kept the bathroom door closed when unused(well when used to of course!) I think all my friends do as well. Will have to start checking that out, LOL. What do the rest of you do?
Interesting subject.

Kay, what is still bugging me is HOW would one say Mary, merry and marry differently from each other????? Seriously, how is it possible?????
This is driving me nuts, LOL.

LoveItaly,

In Australia at least the question would be, &quot;How could anyone pronounce 'marry' to rhyme with 'merry'?&quot;

&quot;Mary&quot; has a lengthened vowel, the &quot;air&quot; sound somewhat drawled.

In &quot;Merry&quot; the &quot;air&quot; sound is clipped - more like the &quot;e&quot; in &quot;bet&quot;.

&quot;Marry&quot; has a completely different vowel sound - the &quot;a&quot; is pronounced as in &quot;cat&quot;, not like the &quot;e&quot; in &quot;bet&quot;.

Having written that I'm not sure it helps, but it's the best I can do.

Hi there Neil how are you?

OK, I read your post three times. The difference in the pronounciation of these words (Australians vs Californians)

We here in California say Mary as in berry. We say merry as in berry. We say marry as in berry.

Well if you let me treat you two to lunch in SF when you are here we can have fun driving the diners at the other tables crazy as we practice our merry Mary who is going to marry Berry. LOL. Take good care.

LoveItaly, how could I refuse an offer like that? As long as I can get good and merry on a few bloody Marys, maybe finish off with a berry fruit salad...

Its a deal buddy! And I know just the place for the bloody mary's &gt;. And lunch too!

I'm not trying to be funny here, but if somebody can't tell the differences between Mary, Marry and Merry, won't they find foreign languages very difficult?
Just one random example, marie and mairie.
The romance languages in particular pronounce vowel sounds in several different ways in different words.

Well,this thread certainly got messed up. What happened?

Uh, just ignore my last post. For a moment there this thread WAS all messed up but obviously it is back in order again. Sorry about that.

I've always pronounced Mary and merry the same, like berry. Marry is different. I grew up in eastern North Carolina, lived in Illinois and California for years.

It's all dialectal. A lot of people in the U.S. South pronounce Mary as May-ry, which is different from merry.

Actually Miss Prism I have no idea how to pronounce Mairie! quot;&gt;

And to be honest with you I can understand how you do not understand how here in California at least we pronounce Mary, merry and marry the same way. The British some find are often very difficult to understand. Different pronounciations and then of course different words at times. I and many I know have a difficult time sometimes following English films, due to the speech differences.

I have had friends (well educated I might add) that have come back from Britain and said &quot;But I thought they spoke English&quot;. I know you will not find that amusing but it is. I think because we speak an American style English. As I am almost certain has been discussed here on Fodors before.
And of course different sections of the US speak differently. And perhaps the English do not even consider our language as English? I ask this in jest of course.

We had an older couple from England that could not understand a lot of conversation in California for the longest time. I always remember them saying &quot;eh?&quot; with a confused look on their dear faces.

Anyway, here we pronounce all three words exactly the same. And the meaning is clear due to the way the word is used in the sentence.

But that is what makes travelling fun. The differences.

Best wishes to you.

ckneb, your right! I too have heard people from the south (now living in California) pronounce Mary as May-ry. My we have solved nothing have we, LOL. Not the proper way to pronounce those &quot;three words&quot;. Not about open or closed bathroom doors.

Reminds me of the time years ago in the Ann Landers column when a discussion, what seemed like for months, went on about the proper way to put the roll of toilet paper on the hanger. And OH NO, lets not go there, please!

It's amazing how fascinated and pre-occupied Americans are with bathroom customs and furnishings. What's the big deal?

Just don't talk about sex or food -- or other things that really matter. &quot;Bathrooms&quot; or toilets are what matter to Americans! And I am one, though I live in France now.

I can;t believe this thread. In standard american english - the kind that's heard on TV - and here in NYC - the three words are pronounced completely differently.

Merry is pronounced like berry.

Marry is pronounced like Harry (you don;t call him Herry do you?) or tarry.

Mary is pronounced like hairy.

And people think New Yorkers have accents!