pronunciation of "eighth": āth

[WilliamTaft]

The pronunciation of "eighth" in Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ˈātth; ˈāth

Is it normal to drop the T sound when saying "eighth?"

 

[Piscean]

No.

 

[emsr2d2]

I suggest you bookmark Forvo.com. It's a great site, on which native speakers (of just about every language) record individual words and phrases. Here's the page for "eighth". There are five recordings for your delight and delectation.

 

[probus]

In the USA some speakers say aith rather than eighth. I've always felt it was substandard, but it may be a regionalism. @Tarheel? @Skrej? @Amigos4?
@SoothingDave?

 

[Tarheel]

Well, in "eighth" the first "h" is silent. It seems like "aith" is phonetic pronunciation. However, I always say it as "eight" with "th" at the end. (It's probably hard for ESL learners to learn how to do that.)

 

[Amigos4]

I agree with @probus and @Tarheel. I always say it as "eight" with "th" at the end.

 

[Piscean]

I agree with @probus and @Tarheel. I always say it as "eight" with "th" at the end.

So do I, but my /t/ is not exploded. I suspect it's the same with you three. Contrast this with the /t/ in 'eight eggs'.

 

[Tarheel]

I've never heard of exploding letters before.

 

[Amigos4]

I've never heard of exploding letters before.

Neither have I! But you’ll find an explosive definition here.

 

[SoothingDave]

In the USA some speakers say aith rather than eighth. I've always felt it was substandard, but it may be a regionalism. @Tarheel? @Skrej? @Amigos4?
@SoothingDave?

I don't agree with this dictionary at all. They are saying that the word "eight" and "eighth" are pronounced the same. They aren't. The one ends in a "t" and the other ends in a "th."

If I heard someone say "an eight of an inch" I would assume they didn't know the difference between eight and eighths.

 

[Piscean]

They are saying that the word "eight" and "eighth" are pronounced the same.

I can't see where they are saying that.

 

[SoothingDave]

If I go to the dictionary link, click on the pronunciation, and listen that's what it sounds like to me.

I really don't understand this question by Probus "aith rather than eighth." Those are the same sounds to me.

 

[Piscean]

"aith rather than eighth." Those are the same sounds to me.

The first has no stopped sound; the second has a stopped /t/. You can't actually hear the /t/ as such, but it's there. It's a bit like the difference between hiss and hits.

 

[SoothingDave]

I say "eighth" with an ending exactly like "fourth." I don't know if that's supposed to be standard or some regional thing.

 

[emsr2d2]

I say "eighth" with an ending exactly like "fourth." I don't know if that's supposed to be standard or some regional thing.

It is a regionalism then. In BrE, it's pronounced "eight-th". We pronounce the single "t" (not exploded) as well as the "th". Whilst it might be written as if it should be pronounced "aith", it's not.

 

[probus]

I checked with my neice, a resident of Pittsburg for the past twenty years or so. She has only ever heard ate-th, never aith. Therefore, I think no regionalism is involved. Nevertheless, the Merriam-Webster entry seems to recognize both pronunciations, so I have to accept both.