fifth

Jim H.   Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:34 am GMT
How do you pronounce this word? I have [fIft] "fift".
Josh Lalonde   Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:50 am GMT
I say ["fIfT] or ["fIf] depending on register and whether the next word begins with a vowel or a consonant.
Uriel   Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:45 am GMT
I ignore the second F and just say "fith".
Earle   Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:51 pm GMT
Reminds me of an argument I had in linguistics class back in the '50s with the professor. I'm from north Alabama, and we pronounce every letter, not only of "fifth," but also of "eighths." (We also pronounce every syllable of "comfortable.") The professor couldn't string together the "th" and the "s," and therefore felt everyone had to eliminate either the "th" or the "s." Even when I pronounced it for him, he simply could not hear it...
Dude Who Knows   Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:31 am GMT
You pronounce EVERY letter of "eighths"?
Skippy   Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:28 am GMT
I say it like Uriel.
Earle   Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:24 am GMT
LOL. Sorry, meant the ending "ths."
Travis   Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:10 pm GMT
Now that I think about it, I myself also normally pronounce "fifth" as [fIT].