Leotards and leopards (Herb (Was Re: Harry and Hairy - The Difference.)

[Carol]

Kemper now:
> > > 
> > > How is 'leotard' pronounced?
> > 
> > Magpie:
<snip>
> > LEP-erd
> > LEE-uh-tard
> 
> Geoff:
> In my Brit experience, I pronounce it:
> 
> lee-oh-tard - the 'o' longer than Magpie's I think. <snip>

Carol:
I'm American, but it's LEE oh tard for me, too, though the long "o" is
only lightly accented. At any rate, "leotard" and "leopard" are sight
rhymes, but they don't rhyme when they're spoken. But I'm guessing
that "leopard" ("leo" meaning lion and "pard" meaning leopard) was
once pronounced as LEE oh pard).

Carol, for whom "leopard" rhymes with "shepherd" and "leotard" doesn't
rhyme with anything