Thicknesse: Question on Pronunciation

[marion11111]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" <catlady at ...> 
wrote:
>
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, Janette <jnferr@> wrote:
> 
> << speaking as a native UK speaker, I cannot think of any part of the
> UK that would not distinguish easily between Sirius and serious.  It
> is not that close.  As always, I am ready to be corrected, but IME
> where the pronunciation would differ from county to county would be in
> the r, NOT in the vowel...  Pit and peat, bit and beat, Sirius and
> serious - the vowels are discrete. >>
> 
> I am a native of Los Angelenos. I believe I have no accent, except
> American. I pronounce the first syllables if Sirius and serious the
> same as I pronounce the one-syllable words seer and sear. Which I do
> not pronounce 'see - er' (one who sees), nor do I pronunce any of them
> with a truly long 'e' like see.
>

In Minnesota, "seer" is a two syllable word while sear is one.  Pit and Peat, bit and beat 
have VERY different vowel sounds, but serious and Sirius are identical unless someone is 
trying to sound affected (no offense, but it would sound affected here) and pronounce the 
first syllable of Sirius as "Sir" as in To Sir with Love.  I can always tell which of my students 
have not read the books, but have only watched the movie when they turn in a book report 
and mention Serious Black.