For words ending in "-ity" is it ~t or ~d

[Wilson Gray]

If it's of any interest, except in monosyllables, we BE-speakers
pronounce -ity as [ItI] or [Iti]. Some of us even say [plIntI] or
[plinti].

-Wilson

On 6/11/07, Gordon, Matthew J. <GordonMJ at missouri.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Gordon, Matthew J." <GordonMJ at MISSOURI.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: For words ending in "-ity" is it ~t or ~d
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> You mean they should recognize it by putting a general statement in =
> their pronunciation guide regarding this well-known allophonic =
> variation? Maybe something like:
>
> "In some contexts, as when a stressed or unstressed vowel precedes and =
> an unstressed vowel or \&l\ follows, the sound represented by t or tt is =
> pronounced in most American speech as a voiced flap produced by the =
> tongue tip tapping the teethridge. In similar contexts the sound =
> represented by d or dd has the same pronunciation. Thus, the pairs =
> ladder and latter, leader and liter, parody and parity are often =
> homophones."
> http://www.m-w.com/help/pronguide.htm
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Tom Zurinskas
> Sent: Mon 6/11/2007 7:20 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      Re: For words ending in "-ity" is it ~t or ~d
> =20
> ...
>
> SUMMARY  - as spoken in m-w.com;
> Most words ending in "ity" are spoken as ~idee.
> This sample is large and sufficient.
> Dictionaries should recognize this fact.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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