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Pedants' corner

How do you pronounce 'mayor'?

40 replies

DontPhoneItIn · 08/02/2013 19:47

I've heard so many people saying 'may-er' recently - I was sure that it was pronounced as 'mare' in British English. Confused

Please help, it's driving me batty!

OP posts:
LadyInPink · 08/02/2013 19:48

I say Mair.

TripTheLightFanjotastic · 08/02/2013 19:51

As it's spelt: may-or

FaceLikeAPickledOnion · 08/02/2013 19:59

I say mare. But I'm common as muck Grin

MsHighwater · 08/02/2013 20:02

Surely it's partly regional? I pronounce it as two syllables. I'm Scottish. Thinking of the one syllable pronunciation, I hear it in an English accent (mostly southern English)

IrrelevantElephant · 08/02/2013 20:03

May-or.

RobinSparkles · 08/02/2013 20:04

Mare.

deleted203 · 08/02/2013 20:06

Mare. (Northern English here). I reckon it's probably down to your accent.

ZZZenAgain · 08/02/2013 20:08

one syllable for me. I say mare, same as the horse.

SCOTCHandWRY · 08/02/2013 20:11

May ur (Scottish)

AnaisB · 08/02/2013 20:19

I say marr

Lostonthemoors · 08/02/2013 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnaisB · 08/02/2013 20:20

Obviossly I mean "mare."

Bilbobagginstummy · 08/02/2013 20:22

2 syllables??? Shock

Mair.

mummysmellsofsick · 08/02/2013 20:24

Round here some people pronounce there 'they-re' and hair 'hay-re'. I've always thought may-or belonged to the same accent. I say mare fwiw

SueDunome · 08/02/2013 20:24

mare

AnaisB · 08/02/2013 20:25

"obviously"

MikeOxardAndWellard · 08/02/2013 20:25

Mare

fuzzysnout · 08/02/2013 20:29

Mare

edam · 08/02/2013 20:30

mare. To rhyme with hare and dare.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 08/02/2013 20:31

Never have cause to say it to be honest, but if i did I'd say May-ur.

MirandaWest · 08/02/2013 20:34

I say mare. I think.

cardibach · 09/02/2013 23:38

I say may-er. It's an accent thing. THis site has an American and British pronunciation example, and both have two syllables. I think Mare sounds silly, so I'm pleased.

steppemum · 09/02/2013 23:47

mare - I am southern english a bit RP pronunciation

steppemum · 10/02/2013 00:20

ummm, cardibach, unless I am missing somethign, that link has an American voice doing the pronuncuation (2 syllables)

Then it has the phonetic pronunciation written next to the word, it gives both may-or and mare (can't write in phonetic as no accents over letters)
So both are correct.

steppemum · 10/02/2013 00:21

right sorry, just found the us and uk vocals Blush but the uk one says mare.

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