Why the word 'women' is pronounced "we-men" even though there's clearly an "o" over there?

Question

of course I know it is to diferentiate from 'woman'. But why not write "wemen" then?? lol

Answer 1

The way you said it was phonetically. That would be the phonetic spelling of it. It's hard to say, but the English language has many quirks. We have those words that sound like different words like dying. Many people spell it it dieing because that's how it sounds. but we spell it with the y because it ends with a vowel.

Also it depends what dialect you speak of the English language.

Check out the wiki on the English Language, it's interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Language

Answer 2

Good point. Another ridiculous english unexplainable bonk on the head.

Answer 3

Same reason we pronounce "Wednesday" like "Wenzday". It's one of those words that doesn't follow the rules.

Answer 4

Ummm there are several words that are not pronounced the way they are spelled.

Answer 5

I don't know but where I'm from, we pronounce it with an "i" not "e".

Lots of words don't sound as they are spelled.

Answer 6

to differenciate between 'woman' and 'women'. English is such a weird language.

Answer 7

Actually, it is more of a schwa - the upside-down e symbol, a neutral vowel.

Answer 8

To differentiate from "wee men" ore "little people".

Answer 9

actually, if you are going to write women phonetically, i would think it would be more like "wuh-men"... i don't think i would ever say weeeeee.... men! (ok... maybe once i did that).

Answer 10

I'm just answering because your name amuses me much...