# American pronuncation of "Bury" - Why did Pres. Obama pronounce it as "Burr-y"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280 "2016-01-06T00:37:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheUser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/45deac/32.png) [@TheUser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheUser)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/1 "2016-01-06T00:37:36Z")
Why did President Obama mispronounce the word “bury” in this video? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7IUVJCRfNS8/maxresdefault.jpg "Watch President Obama announce gun control initiatives at White House") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IUVJCRfNS8) (4:54) He pronounced it as “ **burr-y** ” instead of “_berry_.” Am I the only American who finds this strange? From what I understand, the standard American pronunciation is “berry.” Did he make a mistake? Or did he actually intend to pronounce it this way? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/2 "2016-01-06T00:41:46Z")
You need to get out more. “Berry” isn’t anywhere near “the” standard American pronunciation of that word. In reality, “burr-y” is closest to “the” standard American pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/3 "2016-01-06T00:47:03Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You need to get out more. “Berry” isn’t anywhere near “the” standard American pronunciation of that word. In reality, “burr-y” is closest to “the” standard American pronunciation. Not according to OED it isn’t. _Berry_ is the pronunciation given for both the UK and US. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/4 "2016-01-06T00:48:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You need to get out more. “Berry” isn’t anywhere near “the” standard American pronunciation of that word. In reality, “burr-y” is closest to “the” standard American pronunciation. Can you back that up? [Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bury) would say no. > [@](#): > > Pronunciation > (UK, US) enPR: bĕ’-ri, IPA(key): /ˈbɛ.ɹi/ > Rhymes: -ɛri Rhymes: -ɛɹi > Homophone: berry So does [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bury?s=t) > [@](#): > > Can be confused: > Barry, berry, bury. But my guess is that local variants would give a wide range of pronunciations, and that’s what Obama is giving. ---
**Author:** ![TheUser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/45deac/32.png) [@TheUser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheUser)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/5 "2016-01-06T00:53:56Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You need to get out more. “Berry” isn’t anywhere near “the” standard American pronunciation of that word. In reality, “burr-y” is closest to “the” standard American pronunciation. I have never in my life heard anyone pronounce it “burry.” I live in Baltimore MD if that makes any difference. For that matter, never heard it pronounced like that on TV, either. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/6 "2016-01-06T01:01:32Z")
It’s almost certainly a regional thing. To me (Ohio with Appalachian roots), either sounds reasonable, but “burry” is more so. This probably means that I’m near a boundary between dialects, but I’m not sure which way that boundary would go. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/7 "2016-01-06T01:02:16Z")
It’s most often “burr-y” in Chicago. He wasn’t born and raised here, but he spent enough time here that his dialect is pretty Chicago. It’s perfectly normal to me, although I’m also familiar with “barry”. I just don’t use it. Burr-y 'em at their burr-ial. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/8 "2016-01-06T01:05:08Z")
“Bury” is indeed usually homophonous with “berry.” However, it appears that Mr. Obama has at least a partial [furry-ferry merger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Furry.E2.80.93ferry_merger). Wiki only mentions Philadelphia, but I’ve noticed it in Chicago accents as well. (And from some Texans, too.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/9 "2016-01-06T01:42:36Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It’s most often “burr-y” in Chicago. He wasn’t born and raised here, but he spent enough time here that his dialect is pretty Chicago. It’s perfectly normal to me, although I’m also familiar with “barry”. I just don’t use it. Burr-y 'em at their burr-ial. Huh. I’m from here and in my part of town, it rhymes with berry. I have heard “burr-y”, but I would have pegged that as “foreign.” But Chicago has at least a couple of accents, see the pronunciation of “Chicago,” for instance. (Shih - CAW vs CAH - go.). ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/10 "2016-01-06T02:03:59Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It’s most often “burr-y” in Chicago. He wasn’t born and raised here, but he spent enough time here that his dialect is pretty Chicago. It’s perfectly normal to me, although I’m also familiar with “barry”. I just don’t use it. Burr-y 'em at their burr-ial. “Barry”, as distinct from “berry”? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/11 "2016-01-06T02:06:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > But Chicago has at least a couple of accents, see the pronunciation of “Chicago,” for instance. (Shih - CAW vs CAH - go.). Is there such a beast as a caw-cah merger? Because I would pronounce both of those the exact same way. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/12 "2016-01-06T02:19:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > (Shih - CAW vs CAH - go.). Shih-CAW-go for me. But it’s a little fuzzy. Kind of between the two when I’m speaking at speed. (I also say Saw-sidge, for “sausage” not Sah-sidge. The SNL “Chicahgo” dialect sounds totally weird to me.) > [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Barry”, as distinct from “berry”? 😕 No, not really. By the time I typed it, I forgot if the OP said “berry” or “barry”, and it was about (Barry) Obama, so my brain picked the wrong one and I didn’t bother to edit. “Berry” and “Barry” sound the same to me. Sorry to add to the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/13 "2016-01-06T02:32:39Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Barry”, as distinct from “berry”? 😕 And this is why nobody can use SAMPA or IPA in these threads. IOW, it’s ‘cot’ as opposed to ‘caught’; ‘Mary’, not ‘merry’; and ‘pin’, as distinct from ‘pen’. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/14 "2016-01-06T03:34:43Z")
Not sure why this is noteworthy. If I listen to someone speak for more than a couple minutes I can often pick out one or two words that I would consider to have been strangely pronounced. And by strangely I mean “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that word pronounced quite like that”. That’s due to factors like growing up in a different place, in a different time, with a different class of education with/without the influence of foreign language(s), plus just individual quirkiness. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/15 "2016-01-06T05:36:45Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Is there such a beast as a caw-cah merger? Because I would pronounce both of those the exact same way. Yes, it’s the cot-caught merger. Chicago differentiates between the two. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/16 "2016-01-06T05:41:36Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Shih-CAW-go for me. But it’s a little fuzzy. Kind of between the two when I’m speaking at speed. (I also say Saw-sidge, for “sausage” not Sah-sidge. The SNL “Chicahgo” dialect sounds totally weird to me.) Yeah, I grew up more with shih-CAH-go and sahsidge, although I will sometimes vacillate between the two. And also “aygs” for “eggs” (well, it’s probably more like “égs”–it’s not quite as long as a typical English “ay” sound.) although I’ve since (mostly) switched to “eggs.” “Burr-y” is kind of a new one for me, though, for Chicago area. Like I said, I’ve heard it, but always assumed it was like Indiana or father east or something. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/17 "2016-01-06T05:53:18Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And this is why nobody can use SAMPA or IPA in these threads. > > IOW, it’s ‘cot’ as opposed to ‘caught’; ‘Mary’, not ‘merry’; and ‘pin’, as distinct from ‘pen’. I still don’t see how “Barry” is pronounced any different than “Berry”. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/18 "2016-01-06T06:56:08Z")
American English, as spoken in Hawaii, has a lot of local variation that puts it somewhat distinct from mainland English pronunciation. Is it possible that he’s bringing some of his Hawaiian dialect into his speech? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/19 "2016-01-06T11:59:11Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I still don’t see how “Barry” is pronounced any different than “Berry”. Do you pronounce “marry” and “merry” the same? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280/20 "2016-01-06T12:12:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I still don’t see how “Barry” is pronounced any different than “Berry”. “Barry” uses a flat A sound, like in “cat”. ETA: And my Nebraskan inlaws say “burr-y” for “bury”. “Syrup” is “surr-up”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-pronuncation-of-bury-why-did-pres-obama-pronounce-it-as-burr-y/742280.md?page=2)