# How do you pronounce “burial” **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850 "2022-01-15T15:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/1 "2022-01-15T15:03:52Z")
All my life I’ve heard it pronounced as berry-ul but lately I’ve been hearing it as burr-ee-ul. Is this new or am I just now being exposed to it? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/2 "2022-01-15T15:07:30Z")
I pronounce it the same as you. ‘Burr-ee-ul’ sounds like a regionalism. Where have you been hearing that pronunciation lately? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/3 "2022-01-15T15:12:44Z")
Mrs Piper and I both grew up in Saskatchewan. I say “berryial”, she says “burrial”. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/4 "2022-01-15T15:23:08Z")
Podcasts. Mostly history and murder mysteries, both of which contain stories of burials. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/5 "2022-01-15T15:32:52Z")
I’d probably look into where the podcaster (or guest) who’s pronouncing it burr-ee-ul is from then. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/6 "2022-01-15T15:47:46Z")
I say and hear berrial, but on occasion I’ve heard burrial. When someone dies are they then berried or burried? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/7 "2022-01-15T15:49:41Z")
I’ve heard both pronunciations. From the mouths of New Orleans area locals, “b **e** rry-al” is typical and “b **u** rr-ial” is rarely heard. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/8 "2022-01-15T15:50:34Z")
I’ve always said burr ee al I was raised by N philly parents in S Fla. picked up many of their “accents”. My folks are dead and b **u** ried now so can’t ask them to say it. Or it could be my own weirdness. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/9 "2022-01-15T16:30:45Z")
“Burr-ee-al” sounds like something Cleveland Brown would say. I’m not sure what that character’s accent or manner of speaking is supposed to represent, but I did find this on the [Family Guy Wiki](https://familyguy.fandom.com/wiki/Cleveland_Brown): > [@](#): > > Mike Henry has stated that his inspiration for the voice was someone that he had met and told him that he had graduated from the University of Maryland, pronouncing it “the University of Merlind”, which is recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/10 "2022-01-15T17:24:29Z")
I know it’s not right, but _Berry-uhl_. As young kids we pronounced our home town at the time, Danbury Ct. as “Dam-berry”. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/11 "2022-01-15T17:26:54Z")
Berry-uhl for me; never heard it the other way. Reminds me of BE speakers who say Strawburry instead of Strawberry. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/12 "2022-01-15T17:58:44Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > I know it’s not right, but _Berry-uhl_. Both pronunciations are right per Merriam-Webster. And “berry-uhl” seems to be the majority pronunciation in the U.S. > **[Definition of BURIAL](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burial)** > > grave, tomb; the act or process of burying… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/13 "2022-01-15T19:44:53Z")
On this side of the pond **burial** would be ‘berry-uhl’. If it helps, the name **Muriel** would be pronounced ‘Mur-ee-ul.’ ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/14 "2022-01-15T20:19:09Z")
From the PNW in the US (Seattle area). I say “berry-uhl” and have always heard it that way. ---
**Author:** ![SoToasty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sotoasty/32/2803_2.png) [@SoToasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoToasty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/15 "2022-01-16T01:28:43Z")
I’m from Arkansas, and I am a berry person. It could just be my family. Not sure but that’s how I say it. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/16 "2022-01-16T03:34:25Z")
Wiktionary has /ˈbɛɹɪəl/ listed for both Received Pronunciation and General American, and that’s how I say it. ---
**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 16, 2022, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/17 "2022-01-16T03:39:16Z")
I wonder how much of this is where it is pronounced how it spells, and how much of it is the merry/Murray merger, where /ɛr/ (err) and /ɜr/ (urr) are always pronounced the same way. I know my former pastor would say things that way when he would exaggerate his (native) Texan accent. In other words, I wonder how how many people say “burr-y-ull” also pronounce _berry_ as “burr-y”. > **[English-language vowel changes before historic /r/ | Merry–Murray merger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Merry%E2%80%93Murray_merger)** > > The merry–Murray merger is a merger of /ɛ/ and /ʌ/ before /r/. That is common in the Philadelphia accent, which does not usually have the marry–merry merger, but its "short a" /æ/, as in marry, is a distinct unmerged class before /r/. Therefore, merry and Murray are pronounced the same, but marry is pronounced differently. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/18 "2022-01-17T15:12:43Z")
Minnesotan - I say berry-uhl. I wonder if the bur-ee-ul people pronounce bury, buried, buries with the same “bur”. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/19 "2022-01-17T18:11:38Z")
Modern English “bury” was Old English “byrgan”, pronounced /byrjan/. That is, the vowel spelled as “u” in Modern English was pronounced as /y/, a vowel between /ɛ/ (like “Ben”) and /u/ (like “boon”). That vowel doesn’t exist in standard Modern English, but was moved to /ɛ/ or /u/. So the variant pronunciations of “bury” and related words goes back a long time. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850/20 "2022-01-18T17:31:31Z")
I don’t recall if I’ve heard the burrial pronunciation IRL but in **Meet the Parents** , Blythe Danner’s character comments how the cat , Jinx, likes to “dig, squat and _burry_”. I don’t know if BD pronounces it that way herself or if she’s using the sort of regionalism you’d find in Oyster Bay, where the fictional family lives. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-burial/957850.md?page=2)