Harry and Hairy - The Difference.

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>
> 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'. 

Geoff:
Pay is a long 'a' surely.... In general UK pronunciation, the 
'a' is shorter than that. As I wrote recently, 'Harry' rhymes 
with 'carry' and 'marry'. It's much more easily detectable 
audibly than the Sirius/serious difference.