# Do you pronounce "mirror" as a 1-syllable or 2-syllable word? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001 "2012-02-25T21:20:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/21 "2012-02-26T12:30:46Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Meer-er I think that’s closest to the way I pronounce it. Maybe the best way to explain it is that the second “r” is silent. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/22 "2012-02-26T14:02:14Z")
Mirr-er. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/23 "2012-02-26T18:20:23Z")
I was going to say “two syllables”, but really, it’s about a syllable and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/24 "2012-02-26T19:15:40Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Two syllables. > > There are several words like “mirror” that I wish would be changed to something more pronounceable. Like “terror,” “horror” and the worst: “rural.” In my accent (would you believe I typed “accident” absentmindedly?) “horror” sounds just like “whore”, I have a terrible time with “rural”, and let’s not talk about “jewelry” because you won’t be sure if I’m talking about bling or that thing where twelve of your peers decide your fate. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/25 "2012-02-26T19:40:41Z")
Pretty sure if your say it with one, you are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/26 "2012-02-26T21:54:57Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Quick me-ur, slow meer-rer, ironic meer-roar. > > That’s funny because whenever we watch BBCA, we make fun of all the multiple syllable words Brits turn into single syllable. My favorite is “literally” which goes from four syllables to “lree”. Still trying to top that. Lree? Um, I think you’re exaggerating somewhat. I can’t think of any accent where literally would be “lree.” Some British accents reduce things down (particularly Cockney, esp. if you’re not used to the accent so don’t hear the nuances) but some US accents do too. Brits don’t have a monopoly on this. ---
**Author:** ![Dublin11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/27 "2012-02-26T22:22:55Z")
My boyfriend is American and says meer. I am not American, so I say mirr-uh. He says woyrr for warrior. I say worr-i-yuh He says aaaaaahnt for aunt. I say ant He says skwurl for squirrel. I say skwi-rull. He says rurl for rural, I say roo-ral. He says horr for horror, I say horr-uh If ether of us has an aunt who is a squirrel warrior, armed with a mirror who perpetrates horror somewhere rural, he’ll be able to say it with about fifty seven fewer sylablles than me. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/28 "2012-02-27T15:48:18Z")
Mir-or I have a strange accent though ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/29 "2012-02-27T15:56:21Z")
I pronounce it sort of like MERE-err. The second syllable is weak and can easily be dropped or not, usually depending on poetic license. > [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever hear anyone pronounce it like “Myron” but without the M. I pronounce it “eye earn”. I pronounce it like you. The only people I’ve heard pronounce it to rhyme with myron were foreigners who I assume learned to pronounce it phonetically. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/30 "2012-02-27T19:33:12Z")
Two syllables. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001/31 "2012-02-27T19:45:26Z")
1.4 syllables. > [@panache45](#): > > There are several words like “mirror” that I wish would be changed to something more pronounceable. Like “terror,” “horror” and the worst: “rural.” Chong: What are you watching? Cheech: A horror movie. Chong: A horror movie? Cheech: Yeah. Chong: Oh wow, is that Jane Fonda? Cheech: No, horror, like the scary kind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-mirror-as-a-1-syllable-or-2-syllable-word/614001.md?page=1)