# Do you pronounce the first "r" in Turmeric? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420 "2018-03-29T16:01:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/41 "2018-04-02T16:50:54Z")
I read books and “see” text in my mind, but it wasn’t till this board that I realized I was saying “comf-terble”. And I just realized a couple of days ago that I say family “falmly”! :eek: Not a full-on ell, but the hint of one. Now how did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/42 "2018-04-03T01:49:26Z")
I have never before seen two rs in TUMERIC. You think you know something… ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/43 "2018-04-03T02:25:44Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > I have never before seen two rs in TUMERIC. You think you know something… I’ve always known it to be “turmeric,” but that similar discovery happened when somebody pointed out there’s no “r” in “sherbet.” Literally everybody I know in my dialect says “sherbert” and I thought there was no way in hell it’s spelled “sherbet” on the box and that whoever told me that was mistaken and conflating it with the word “sorbet,” but, sure enough, it’s “sherbet.” I still cannot bring myself to say “sure-bit.” That sounds all sorts of wrong to me. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/44 "2018-04-05T16:39:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always known it to be “turmeric,” but that similar discovery happened when somebody pointed out there’s no “r” in “sherbet.” Literally everybody I know in my dialect says “sherbert” and I thought there was no way in hell it’s spelled “sherbet” on the box and that whoever told me that was mistaken and conflating it with the word “sorbet,” but, sure enough, it’s “sherbet.” I still cannot bring myself to say “sure-bit.” That sounds all sorts of wrong to me. And here I thought all along that people were taking the “r” out of “tumeric” to put it into “marscarpone”! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/45 "2018-04-05T18:15:55Z")
Never noticed the extra “r” and I can’t say I’ve ever said the word outloud. But on the cooking show in my head, we say “too-mer-ick”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/46 "2018-04-05T19:13:48Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Never noticed the extra “r” and I can’t say I’ve ever said the word outloud. I’d never noticed either, but indeed this month’s _Cooks Illustrated_ has a little blurb on the spice, and that damned “r” jumped right out at me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/47 "2018-04-05T19:24:30Z")
I read it with both "r"s when I’m reading it but say it with only one “r” out loud. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/48 "2018-04-07T08:51:11Z")
I got some turmeric when I got married and set up house in 1983. I think we still have pretty much all of it. Since I never use it I never talk about it. If someone were to ask me what it is, though, I’d pronounce the “R.” Because, as has been mentioned, it’s right THERE. I also pronounce the word “comfort,” when I say “comfortable,” though, so take that for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420/49 "2018-04-07T12:26:14Z")
I think i say TER-meric, but I’m not 100% certain. I asked my husband about the yellow spice we use cooking lentils, and he pronounced the “r”, but lightly. He was aware there is dispute re the pronunciation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pronounce-the-first-r-in-turmeric/811420.md?page=2)