Thicknesse: Question on Pronunciation

[marion11111]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Elizabeth Snape" <snapes_witch at ...> wrote:
> 
> Since I've never made a distinction between 'Sirius' and 'serious' I 
> thought I'd look them up in the American Heritage Dictionary.
> 
> Guess what?  The proper pronunciation of the 'i' in Sirius *is* the 
> same as pit/sit.  Who knew?  I'll be danged if this Hoosier can get it 
> right though.  As I seldom, if ever, pronounce Sirius out loud, I don't 
> think I'll worry about it! LOL
> 
> Snape's Witch
>

So, I tried this with sirius/serious (same for me) and if I stop right at the vowel sound, my 
mouth is making the shape of the "i" in "pit," but as soon as I add the "r" the vowel gets 
longer.  I took a linguisitics class in college as a fluff-general-elective.  I can't remember 
what it's called, but the 'r' makes a change in the vowel pronounciation.  And it varies from 
region to region.  Hey, there you go - are "very" and "vary" the same for you?  They are for 
me.