Math or Maths? 2

[CajunCenturion]

In another thread, the following question was asked:

By the way, without wishing to go off topic, why do we Brits use maths while Americans use math? Is the full name mathematic or mathematics?

Anyone interested in tackling this great mystery?

Good Luck
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[CajunCenturion]

Stella740pl - If you look at the pronounciation guide, you'll see that it shows both the 'din' and 'den' options. I grant that 'din' is the more common pronounciation, especially in the USA, but 'den' is acceptable.

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[Stella740pl]

Yes, I've seen it. But why did they choose less common one to pronounce?

 

[CajunCenturion]

I don't think 'dine' is less common. I think 'dine' is the most common pronounciation in the USA.

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[Stella740pl]

Didn't you say that "'din' is the more common pronounciation, especially in the USA"? I am confused. Or you mean, 'dine' is the most common, and 'din' is just more common that 'den'?

 

[SQLSister]

dine is the common pronunciation in the US. I've never heard anyone use din or den.

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[CajunCenturion]

I understand. The pronounciation guide shows 'din' with a hard 'i' and 'den' with a hard 'e'. I don't know how to add the accents to the characters as shown in the pronounciation guide.

In other words, phonectically, 'din' == 'dine' == 'dyn', all with a hard 'i' sound.

Sorry for the confusion.

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[Stella740pl]

OK, I got to ask what do you mean by "hard 'i'" (or soft 'i', for that matter). Like you would say in "dine" with "e" at the end, not as in "din" with no "e", right?

 

[CajunCenturion]

The word 'dine', with an 'e', is pronounced as a hard 'i', and 'din', without an 'e', is pronounced as a soft 'i'. The earlier confusion stems from the pronunciation guide which uses 'din' with the bar above it to indicate a hard 'i'. A semi-circle above the 'i' would indicate a soft 'i'. I couldn't replicate the bar above the 'i' in my previous post, thus leading to the confusion of the pronunciation of 'din' with a hard 'i'.

The word 'ate' uses a hard 'a' and 'flat' uses a soft 'a'.

There are other subtleties, such as nasal, but we can save that for another day.

Again, sorry for the confusion.

Good Luck
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[BobRodes]

In my experience, I never heard anything but Iodyne in America or anything but Iodeen in England.

Bob