free variation in pronunciation

[James A. Landau]

I submit the following as possiblities only (i.e. I will refuse to defend any
of them that get attacked):

"route" can rhyme with either "bout" or "boot".  I use the former, but I
can't recall ever having heard "rout 66" instead of "root 66".

referring to where one lives, either ADdress or adDRESS.  However a speech is
an adDRESS.  "LIncoln's Gettysburg adDRESS was 'Fourscoure and seven years
ago' but his Gettysburg ADdress was 101 East Main Street"  (I think that's
from an Our Gang movie).

including or omitting the "h" sound on words beginning with "wh".

"fiche" and "microfiche" can rhyme with either "quiche" or "dish"---I have
yet to work at an installation where there was a consensus on which to use.

New orLEANS versus New ORleans versus New ORle-ans (3 syllables).  I've never
been there so I have no idea if these are free variations.

"wash" can rhyme with either "harsh" or "gosh".  I use "warsh" and always
have, despite my mother-in-law's attempts to ridicule it.  (i.e. to my
mother-in-law it certainly is not a free variation).

"Sundy" versus "Sunday" (particularly in the expression "Sunday school", and
similarly for other days of the week.  However, in my experience the ice
cream dessert is always "sundae" and never "sundy"

CHAUffer versus chauFFER (French lacks accented syllables, so according to
the French, both are wrong)

          - Jim Landau

P.S. I always pronounce "often" without a "t" sound (I am a native of
Kentucky) but both my children use the "t" sound.  In fact, my son who is
sitting next ot me as I write this cannot recall how I pronounce the word.