Harry and Hairy - The Difference.

[Steve]

Once again, since people, especially people in the UK,
see a distinct difference between Harry and Hairy, I
looked in my dictionary (Am. Heritage CD-ROM) for the
difference. I found the difference is roughly the same
as Sirius and Serious.

Hairy is hâr'ee. The second letter is a circumflex 'A'.
As in 'pat'.

Harry is har'ee. The second letter is a standard Short
'A'. As in 'pay'. 

Sirius is sir'ee-es. The second letter is a standard
short 'I' as in 'pit'. The second to the last letter
is an inverted 'E' as in 'itEm'. 

Sirious is sîr'ee-es. Second letter circumfles 'I' as
in 'peir'. Second to the last letter is an inverted
'E'.

Even with this pronunciation clarification. I still see
the difference as subtle to nonexistent. 

Other seem to have indicated they said and heard a 
distinct difference between 'harry' and 'hairy', though
I simply can't imagine what it could be. 

Care to elaborate?

Is it the difference between 'car' and 'air'?

Harr-ee and Hair-ee? 

Pehaps the problem is that we have reached the limits
of the extent to which differences can be conveyed in
printed words or phrases? 

Still, even though we haven't really resolved anything,
it's been interesting to explore the cultural 
differences in language.

I still say in the region I'm in, in common daily
speech, virtually no one would make any distinction
between any of the words discussed.

Steve/bboyminn