Thorough- thurra or thurro

Pedro   Wed May 31, 2006 9:52 pm GMT
I have heard Americans pronounce the word both ways, but which is more commonly used?
Bob   Wed May 31, 2006 9:54 pm GMT
In England its pronouced both ways too, thurra is more northern, while thurro is more southern.
Johnathan Mark   Wed May 31, 2006 10:05 pm GMT
I would say that thurro is more common in all regions except for the South, where they say thurra. Here in the Upper Midwest, if someone says thurra, you know they are not from here.
Travis   Wed May 31, 2006 10:08 pm GMT
I myself have the weirdass pronunciation ["TR=L\=] or ["t_dR=L\=] for such, but such is likely due to reanalyzing [o] as being due to a vocalized "l" (as my dialect does strongly tend towards lateral vocalization in many positions, unlike most NAE dialects) and consequently mapping it to /L\/ (GAE /l/ or /5/) instead of the expected /o/.
Bob   Wed May 31, 2006 10:13 pm GMT
In England it's pronounced a lot of ways.....

Manchester - thurr-0h (pronounce with by rolling the "R" similar to Spanish) and loud O at the end.

Liverpool - thurreh, pronounce with rolling the "R" simiar to Spanish.

Birmingham - thurruh. pronouncd with rolling the "R" similar to Spansih.

London - posh = thorro, cockney = thurra
Kirk   Wed May 31, 2006 10:44 pm GMT
I pronounce it ["T3`o(U)], thus rhyming with my "furrow."

<<I myself have the weirdass pronunciation ["TR=L\=] or ["t_dR=L\=] for such, but such is likely due to reanalyzing [o] as being due to a vocalized "l" (as my dialect does strongly tend towards lateral vocalization in many positions, unlike most NAE dialects) and consequently mapping it to /L\/ (GAE /l/ or /5/) instead of the expected /o/.>>

Oh, fun! Extra [5].
Uriel   Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:54 am GMT
Thurro is more common in the US.
Travis   Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:48 am GMT
>>Oh, fun! Extra [5].<<

Well, more like something from [L\=] to some sort of vowel really than [5], which does involve actual alveolar contact.
Jim   Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:44 am GMT
It's "thurra" (/"T6.r\@/) for me. Interesting how this North-South thing seems to be sort of global.
Gabriel   Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:04 pm GMT
<<Manchester - thurr-0h (pronounce with by rolling the "R" similar to Spanish) and loud O at the end.

Liverpool - thurreh, pronounce with rolling the "R" simiar to Spanish.

Birmingham - thurruh. pronouncd with rolling the "R" similar to Spansih. >>

Odd indeed. I've never heard an Englishman produce a rolled R like the Spanish sound in "perro". Are you sure you're talking about a proper rolled R (an alveolar trill)?
Guest   Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:49 pm GMT
I am from a liverpudlianized region of Wales and it always sounded more like it was just the tip of the tongue that does the rolling sound.
Lazar   Sun Jun 04, 2006 4:29 pm GMT
The word "thorough" I usually pronounce as ["TVr\7U] (and notice my hurry-furry distinction there); but the adverb "thoroughly", I often pronounce as ["TVr\@5i].