How do you distiguish between the 2 in this example: "it's a holiday" or "it's a holy day"?
Holiday vs. Holy day
It's more than just ''ee'' versus ''uh'' that distinguishes them for me:
holiday - /hAl@.deI/ ''holluh day''
holy day - /hoUli deI/ ''holee day''
holiday - /hAl@.deI/ ''holluh day''
holy day - /hoUli deI/ ''holee day''
Note that this NAE (north American English) not BE.
In Britain they don't say "holluh day"
In Britain they don't say "holluh day"
My pron. is similar to Smith's but for a lack of the FATHER-BOTHER merger.
holiday - /hOl@.d{I/
holy day - /h@}li.d{I/
holiday - /hOl@.d{I/
holy day - /h@}li.d{I/