View Poll Results: Alum pronunciation

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  • Al 'uhm (like aluminum)

    11 25.58%
  • A 'lum (like Alumni)

    32 74.42%
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  1. #1
    Senior Member Milton Man's Avatar
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    Default Pronunciation guide: Alum

    Hi Gents,
    So in talking with some friends and old-timers, I've come to note that there is two distinct camps for the pronunciation of the alum bar:
    1) Al 'uhm (like aluminum)
    2)A 'lum (like alumni)


    Which do you use?

    Mark

  2. #2
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    from australia here,

    i say 'a-loom' as such

  3. #3
    Large Member ben.mid's Avatar
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    From England, i pronounce it with the U sounding a bit more like an A. Can't spell it phonetically! Out of the two options it sounds very like the second, but not quite.

    Edit: I'm not saying that's how the English pronounce it, I have no real idea, that's just me.
    Last edited by ben.mid; 01-05-2009 at 07:23 PM.

  4. #4
    There is no charge for Awesomeness Jimbo's Avatar
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    I pronounce it Alum like alumni. But I use styptic, which I pronounce stip (rhymes with sip) tic.

    James.
    <This signature intentionally left blank>

  5. #5
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
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    I'm not sure Aluminum is the right word to compare with ( thoug I can't think of another)

    We pronounce it: uh loo man um

    While I hear the BBC pronounce it: al loo min ium

  6. #6
    The Razor Whisperer Philadelph's Avatar
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    It's neither supposedly-

    alum definition | Dictionary.com

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alum

    You can click the little icon to hear the pronunciation there. I did this at a couple different online dictionaries and it came up the same- Al (as in the name) ' em or... Al ' um (sounds like it to me).

  7. #7
    Senior Member sinnfein's Avatar
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    well ya cant argue with websters now can ya? i pronounce it like al-um, english has always been my worst subject though

    -dan-

  8. #8
    Babyface Cornelius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ben.mid View Post
    From England, i pronounce it with the U sounding a bit more like an A. Can't spell it phonetically! Out of the two options it sounds very like the second, but not quite.

    Edit: I'm not saying that's how the English pronounce it, I have no real idea, that's just me.
    Like "alarm" without the R? That's how I pronounce it.

  9. #9
    Super Shaver xman's Avatar
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    actually it's AL-uhm, with the accent on the first syllable. Don't you have a dictionary?

    X

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  11. #10
    Dapper Dandy Quick Orange's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philadelph View Post
    It's neither supposedly-

    alum definition | Dictionary.com

    alum - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

    You can click the little icon to hear the pronunciation there. I did this at a couple different online dictionaries and it came up the same- Al (as in the name) ' em or... Al ' um (sounds like it to me).
    That's how I've always pronounced it

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