# How do you pronounce eraser?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 10, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591 "2012-11-10T18:00:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/41 "2012-11-12T23:15:42Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> Whoa. Sorry, I completely missed the “long” part of the clue. :smack:
> 
> Change my answer to “Sometimes I say it with a long ‘e’ – particularly if it were an isolated word – but in a sentence it’s usually a short ‘e.’”

The clue really was just “Eraser head”. It’s the answer that was “LONGE”. Without the “long”, it would just be “E”. 🙂

It’s cool you worked full time with crosswords. When are we getting an, “Ask the crossword constructor” thread?

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**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/42 "2012-11-13T13:47:14Z")

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It rhymes with me.

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/43 "2012-11-13T15:35:39Z")

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And Speed Racer.

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**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/44 "2012-11-13T18:37:12Z")

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E-Racer. Which I guess the Canadians (or at least BNL) agree with:

[http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Eraser/1r6uMK](http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Eraser/1r6uMK)

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**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/45 "2012-11-13T20:28:54Z")

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Long E. Lifetime California native.

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-eraser/640591/46 "2012-11-13T21:28:01Z")

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I wonder if the problem is that it’s hard to identify unaccented vowel sounds? Maybe we’re all pronouncing it the same, but some call the sound a long E, and others don’t.

The [Oxford Online Dictionaries](http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/eraser) has American and British pronunciations both using the “i in pit” pronunciation.

On the other hand, a site called [Forvo](http://www.forvo.com/word/eraser/#en), has six pronunciations, which I would classify as three "i in pit"s, one schwa, and two actual long Es, so I guess it is possible. I still have doubts it really sounds like that in conversation though.

(I am surprised how much British vocalize the S into an American Z sound.)

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