The Word Binoculars?

Question

Does the pronounciation of the word vary with people accents?

Do you pronounce the Bi bit in the word like "bisect" or like "biscuit"?

Answer 1

There ARE two different pronunciations, but everyone has incorrectly described the one of them.

True, the "buy" pronunciation (like the bi in bisect) is accepted... though it seems to be a 'secondary' one (Everyone lists the other pronunciation first, and some briefer dictionaries do not list it, as you can see if you look through the whole set of entries for the word a dictionary.com.) I myself pronounce it "the other way".

But the i is NOT like the short i in "biscuit" or "bin", NOR the short u in "butter". These are accented vowels. THIS i is what is called a "schwa". It's a "mid-central neutral vowel" which often sounds swallowed (and sometimes virtually disappears), SORT of like "uh" which you find in syllables with NO accent (not even a secondary accent).

Check on the links to the pronunciation guide at dictionary.com and other sites. What you will find is things like this. The sound is typically indicated by an upside-down backwards e or an ITALICIZED "uh" (which is NOT the same as the normal "uh"). The pronunciation links will give you a number of examples of this sound.

It is:

the a in about
the e in problem
the o in gallop
the u in circus

In other words in can come from ANY of the vowels. That's because of the LOSS of accent.

Notice that the pronunciation of "binocular in which the first syllable sounds like "buy" gives a secondary accent to this syllable (unlike the totally UN-stressed version I've been describing).

One other note -- I can find NO evidence of a distinction in pronunciation between the adjective form of this word and the noun "binoculars".

Answer 2

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1) Sakura is the manufacturer. 2) 60 x 60 is the power and aperture, the image is magnified 60 times and the big lenses on the front are 60mm diameter 3) 105 ft at 1000 yds is the field of view, if you look at a fence 1000 yards away, you will be able to see 105 feet of the fence without moving the binoculars 4) Coated optics means the lenses are coated to prevent internal reflections, do not polish the lenses with a hanky or you might rub the coating off. .

Answer 3

Bisect

Answer 4

Personaly I pronounce the Bi like in "bisect", but I have heard people prounounce it like "biscuit"...
I guess it does vary with peoples accents....

Answer 5

Yes, in my experience both pronounciations are used. I believe the correct or official pronounciation is Bi as in bisect, as the prefex has the same meaning (two as in bicycle, biped, biplane). The other pronounciation is, I believe, more of a lazy slang, as it is easier and faster to say.

How do you say these words: bimonthly, biannual, binary, bisexual?

Answer 6

I've heard it pronounced both ways. I personally use the biscuit version.

This is the pronunciation according to dictionary.com. The first form is like butter, and the second form is like bisect. They don't show a biscuit version

bin·oc·u·lar buh-nok-yuh-ler, bahy-nok-yuh-ler

Answer 7

I am an English teacher and am quite interested with how words/language is used and pronounced.

On the west coast (So. Cal.), I have always heard it said like "bi" in "bicycle."

But then different ways of pronunciation come about, for example, I say "vase" with a soft "a," almost looking like "vozz."

Answer 8

In Iowa, we pronounce it like in the word "bisect". That's the American way, I think. I'm not sure how they would say it in England.

Answer 9

I say binoculars starting with a "bin" like .... bin-oc-u-lar.

I don't hear people say "bi-noc-u-lar". Try the M-W dictionary below that can say the word for you ...

Answer 10

i pronounce the bin not the bi. bin like a garbage bin and the ocular like eyes. bin-ocular. i think bi-nocular sounds funny, especially since ocular comes from ocular...not nocular.