Oh those booths

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Goloviznin Konstantin wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> There is some doubt about pronunciation of the word booths.
> Dictionaries  give two variants for singular of it. Those are [buːð]
> and [buːθ]. Сorrespondingly the plural for them should be [buːðz] and
> [buːθs]. But listening to it on the site www.howjsay.com gives
> [buːðs]. Am I right about my hearing and this time it's  only some
> exception to the rule "after voiced - voiced, after unvoiced -
> unvoiced" or something else?

I hear [buːðs] on the website, as you do, but I find it unnatural; I 
would have [buːθs], but have heard and would accept [buːðz].

As for the singular, I cannot imagine anyone saying [buːð] to rhyme with 
"soothe" and "toothe." In all my travels, I don't think I've ever run 
into a "boothe-sayer."

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------