"Literature"

Josh Lalonde   Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:57 am GMT
I pronounce it [li4@`r\@t_S@`] or [lit_Sr\@t_S@`]. Both are acceptable in my accent. I'm just wondering what the geographic distribution of these two variations is. For me the second is a little more formal.
Lazar   Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:28 am GMT
I pronounce it ["lItr\@tS@`]. But I remember that my high school English literature teacher (middle aged, great Worcester accent) pronounced it ["lI4@r\@tS@].
Uriel   Sat Feb 24, 2007 11:01 am GMT
Lidderacher only, for me.
Doug Pebb   Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:49 pm GMT
/lIt@r\@tj7:/

<<I pronounce it [li4@`r\@t_S@`] or [lit_Sr\@t_S@`].>>

You actually have /i/ there, as if it were "leeterature"? Or was that a typo?
MegaBox   Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:33 pm GMT
/jIt_S.t_S@/ for me.
Al Z.   Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:46 pm GMT
I pronounce it [lI4@`@t_S@`] in careful speech, or [lItr@t_S@`] in rapid speech. Oh, and because you wanted to know geographic distribution, I'm from Ohio.
Josh Lalonde   Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:56 pm GMT
<<You actually have /i/ there, as if it were "leeterature"? Or was that a typo?>>
[lI4@`@t_S@`] and [lIt_Sr@t_S@`]. Thanks for spotting that.
Stephen W.   Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:47 pm GMT
/lIt@`@t_S@`/ [lI4@`@t_S@`]
Stephen W.   Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:05 pm GMT
What about "general"? I pronounce that with three syllables /d_ZIN@`@l/.
Lazar   Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:09 pm GMT
I pronounce "general" and "federal" with two syllables: ["dZEnr\5=] and ["fEdr\5=].

Let's add "memory" to this list of words: I pronounce it with three syllables, ["mEm@`i], but I've heard that some people pronounce it with two.
Stephen W.   Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:16 pm GMT
I pronounce "federal" with three syllables /fEd@`@l/. I also have three syllables in "memory" /mIm@`i/.
Franco   Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:32 am GMT
Litchruchur
Rene   Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:40 pm GMT
Lidderature, federal (3 syllables), memory (three sylllables), general (you guessed it: three syllables!) Oh, I'm from California by the way.
Travis   Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:56 pm GMT
I myself have:

"literature" : ["L\I4R=:@tSR=:] (four syllables)
"general" : ["dZE~:nR=:M:] or ["dZE~:nr\M:] (two or three syllables)
"federal" : ["fE:4R=:M:] or ["fE:4r\M:] (two or three syllables)
"memory" : ["mE~:mR=:i:] or ["mE~:mr\i:] (two or three syllables)
Jim   Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:33 pm GMT
"literature" : /"lIt.rItS.@/ (three syllables)
"general" : /"dZen.rl=/ (two syllables)
"federal" : /"fed.rl=/ (two syllables)
"memory" : /mem.ri/ (two syllables)

Though the /d/ and /t/ before /r/ often become affricates.