Pronouncing 'research' as 'r'search'

[StayCoolLikeAPenguin]

My parents always tell me off for pronouncing the 'e' in research. They say this makes it 're-search', as in, looking for something again, and the correct way to pronounce it is 'r'search'. They both had posh private school/top-tier university educations, whereas I'm a local comp/no uni type,, so I suppose they do know best. The thing is everyone else I've ever come across seems to say 'rEsearch' and it feels silly when I force myself to say it their way. What do you think?

There just isn't a right and a wrong about this, OP. I don't think it is posh versus non-posh either. It's just people speaking slightly differently.

EDIT: Sorry - I included the quote in error! Was initially going to say that's how I pronounce things too, but then realised that I don't consistently pronounce the noun one way or the other.

I work somewhere with a research function and the word is in daily use. We use both pronounciations. So a piece of equipment might be ree-search use only, a meeting would be a ree-search project meeting. But we r'search things and work in r'search and development. I think everyone uses them the same (small company, all European staff).

This

Tell them they are wrong in their understanding of the origin and meaning of the word itself: it comes from the Middle French noun recherche and verb rechercher, meaning "to go about seeking" or "to examine closely";

and that pronunciation is: ri-SURCH /rɪˈsɜːtʃ/ , which in some dialects may mean the first syllable sounds like “r’ ”but is not more ‘correct’.

Definitely no double e sound. That’s American. See also Recall not Reecall.

I’m with your parents.

The word “romance” is similar, I think. Ruh-MANCE rather than RO-mance.

re-: An intensive prefix meaning "closely" or "thoroughly" (though it is sometimes popularly misconstrued to mean "again").
therefore the pronunciation is irrelevant to the the precise meaning.

Well, I pronounce the EE sound, research, and out and proud! I dont hold the eee for a long time, just re - search.

I’m northern. It’s Reee search.

@CarolinaInTheMorning That makes sense. Another regional variation that I’ve noticed is the word “route”. Where I currently live, ppl pronounce it “root” but my MidWestern DH says “rout,” to rhyme with “trout.” 😀

Re-search for the noun and r’search for the verb imo

I grew up in Georgia saying "rout" (rhymes with trout). But somewhere along the way, I switched to "root." Probably about the time I started taking French in college and thus acquired pretensions. 😊

Your parents are correct, it is pronounced r'search.

I say r'search and it seems right. Similarly an hotel, an historical fact, etc. Also contribewtary rather than contributry. Sorry, I can't quite get the emphasis right but hope people can see what I mean. Many others.

I thought you meant ‘are’ - search at first , ie a long ‘r’ sound, rather than a ruh sound. I think I say ‘ree- search’ (but like any of these threads, I say both out loud, and then am not so sure).

My 25 year old says Row-mania for the country Romania. When I say it correctly as Roo-mania he laughs. I even have told him to google it because the dictionary states it is pronounced Roo- mania.

Don't British speakers distinguish between record used as a noun and record used as a verb?
And frequent as an adjective and frequent as a verb?

I say r’search in general conversation. But when it’s Research with a capital R - e.g. university research output. Research funding strategy etc. I say REsearch. Dunno why 🤷🏼‍♀️

For some words we pronounce the verb and noun differently, yes. For words like research, detail, retail, resort, no.

I say it ri-search. I work for a university famous for doing a lot of it in London and everyone I work with pronounces it the same.

Your parents are correct. It should be the same as replace, report, return etc, and not in the way you would say re-entry or redesign.

The fact that charities such as the British Heart Foundation get it persistently wrong in their adverts on tv and radio infuriates me.

Yep, came here to say this.

DH and I were both r’search chemists.

I have always said it the ‘r’search’ way.

I thought ‘REE-search’ was an American pronunciation, rather than ‘wrong’.

Never heard the verb/noun thing