[Vocabulary] ''family'' - why [æ]?

[pavelij]

Why do we pronounce ''family'' as a /ˈfæməli/, but not /'feɪməli/? Stressed syllable ends with a vowel, but why do we pronounce it as a closed type of syllable?

 

[GoesStation]

Or fam-ly in American English. We don't pronounce the middle syllable unless we're speaking very slowly and carefully.

 

[Tarheel]

I'm in the habit of pronouncing all three syllables: fam-i-ly.

I might sometimes leave out the middle syllable. I'm not sure.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm in the habit of pronouncing all three syllables: fam-i-ly.

I might sometimes leave out the middle syllable. I'm not sure.

Back in Ohio I heard fambly sometimes: Let's warsh up and take the fambly to the thee-ay-ter.

 

[jutfrank]

When you say "closed type of syllable" I understand you mean that the syllable contains a short vowel.

There's no rule that says short vowels can't be stressed. Who told you there is?

 

[bubbha]

Or fam-ly in American English. We don't pronounce the middle syllable unless we're speaking very slowly and carefully.

I'm American and I have always pronounced it with three syllables.

 

[probus]

In phrases like "family law" and "family matters" I do give it three syllables but the "i" is so extremly short it almost vanishes. Most Canadians do the same I think.