I'm just curious how many people use the long 'a' pronunciation when they say basil (the herb)
Personally, I've always used the short "a", and although this is supposed to be the preferred pronunciation, I hear more and more people that say it with a long 'a' like "Bay-sil" I've even had people 'correct' me when I pronounce it with a short a.
It's variations are pronounced with a short a in almost all other languages to my knowledge.
Hm, I say bay-zil... but I also say bayg, tayg, draygon, and all that.
I also pronounce bag, tag and dragon with a long "a' It's not really an accent thing I find, some just use one or the other.
In the dictionary, both "băz'әl" and bAz'әl" are listed, so I guess ther're both correct. I've always thought that "băz'әl" sounded better though.
I don't speak any of these languages, but have looked up the pronuciations in other languages like Italian, German, Russian, French (basilico, basilikum, basilik, basilic) the a is always short in them.
The main reason dont like 'bay-sel" is that there is already another completely unrelated word tha is pronounced this way - "basal" (Of, relating to, located at, or forming a base)
Pronouncing "Basil" with a short "a" is just the natural way for me. I find "baysil" rather weird. I think the latter is a pronunciation adjusted to spelling (since normally, where the vowel is suposed to be short, the following consonant letter is doubled, as in "classy").
Brits say Basil, Americans say Bayzil. That's how I always thought it was.
In English for me, it's "bay-sil" is it's an herb, "bah-sil" if it's a name.
What Tiffany said goes for me as well.
>The main reason dont like 'bay-sel" is that there is already another >completely unrelated word tha is pronounced this way - "basal"
I voice the s in Basil but not in Basal. So Basil sounds like 'Bays ul'
and Basal sounds like 'Base ul'' I am American, by the way.
The m-w.com gives first pronunciations for these words that
agree with my pronunciation.
/b@z.l/
The /@/ is the vowel in "cat", /k@t/, and the /.l/ is the "le" sound in "little", /lit.l/.
Basil is a herb.
In English for me, it's "bay-sil" is it's an herb, "bah-sil" if it's a name.
What? Two different pronunciations for "basil"??? You silly Yanks also have 2 different pronuncations for "herb":
herb (plant) - [erb]
Herb (person's name - [herb]
Nigel,
We'd also pronounce your name Niggle, so if you ever come over for a visit, come up with an alias.
I just noticed another wierd thing about the word herb. Depending on the way you pronounce it, you would need to switch a / an.
"basil is an herb" (erb)
"basil is a herb" (herb)
Which is technically correct? :/
''I just noticed another wierd thing about the word herb. Depending on the way you pronounce it, you would need to switch a / an.''
''"basil is an herb" (erb)
"basil is a herb" (herb) ''
''Which is technically correct? :/''
In the language where ''herb'' came from, the ''h'' is silent. Thus, the pronunciation /e:(r)b/ for ''herb'' makes more sense than /he:(r)b/, but the pronunciation /he:(r)b/ is so common by Non-North Americans that it's not incorrect. Both are correct pronunciations.
