rhetoric/retric

[upinaballoon]

I've heard 'retric' a few times - this morning between 5.30 and 6.30 on the radio and I think on 'Question Time' last week, and a time or two more. Has anyone else?
I use three syllables to pronounce 'rhetoric'. I'm an oldie.

[PedantScorner]

Three syllables.
I've heard genric for generic. Makes me think of the former minister for immigration.

[PedantScorner]

@upinaballoon , boracic gets written as brassic.
Boracic lint, Skint.

[BlindurErBóklausMaður]

You're just not hearing the schwa for your weak vowel.

[upinaballoon]

What is schwa?

[BlindurErBóklausMaður]

It's the weak/neutral pronunciation of a vowel. It can be any vowel, but it's more often "a" or "e", and happens when the relevant syllable isn't stressed.
It can lead to a "silent syllable" ("interesting" becomes "intresting" etc)
"rhetoric" has a schwa on the "o" so it can sound like "retrik" but there's a wee schwa in there generally.

[PedantScorner]

@upinaballoon
In English, schwa is the most common vowel sound.[9] It is a reduced vowel in many unstressed syllables especially if syllabic consonants are not used. Depending on dialect, it may be written using any of the following letters:

• ⟨a⟩, as in about [əˈbaʊ̯t]
• ⟨e⟩, as in taken [ˈtʰeɪ̯kən]
• ⟨i⟩, as in pencil [ˈpʰɛnsəl]
• ⟨o⟩, as in havoc [ˈhævək]
• ⟨u⟩, as in supply [səˈpʰlaɪ̯]
• ⟨y⟩, as in sibyl [ˈsɪbəl]
• unwritten, as in rhythm [ˈɹɪðəm]

Schwa is a short neutral vowel sound and, like all other vowels, its precise quality varies depending on the adjacent consonants.

[upinaballoon]

Thank you, each. ( Can anyone remember Monica (Beryl Reed) saying, "Good evening, each"?)

Is schwa pronounced 'shwar' or 'shvar' or otherwise and why didn't they teach me about it at school.

The man on the radio, who said what sounded like 'retric', was pretty short with that swift vowel.

[upinaballoon]

Spit, I should have put a question mark after 'school'.

[TheAverageJoanne]

@BlindurErBóklausMaður

It's the weak/neutral pronunciation of a vowel. It can be any vowel, but it's more often "a" or "e", and happens when the relevant syllable isn't stressed.
It can lead to a "silent syllable" ("interesting" becomes "intresting" etc)
"rhetoric" has a schwa on the "o" so it can sound like "retrik" but there's a wee schwa in there generally.

This is why people think they use hair straightners and put sweetner in their tea