# How do you pronounce primer (textbook or explanatory text.) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036 "2012-02-07T00:41:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/1 "2012-02-07T00:41:36Z")
I’ve listened to NPR announcers pronounce it “PRIM-mer” for years, and that drives me nuts. If the pronunciation was “primmer” surely it would be spelled with two n’s? As an aside, I am a painting contractor and in over three decades have only ever heard primer, the coating, pronounced PRY-mer. Never “primmer.” Poll in a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/2 "2012-02-07T00:43:29Z")
The coating _is_ pronounced pry-mer. I have heard the term for a text pronounced both ways. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/3 "2012-02-07T00:47:21Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > The coating _is_ pronounced pry-mer. I have heard the term for a text pronounced both ways. Which is interesting since they clearly come from the same root, prime, meaning start. I pronounce the book “primmer”. I think it’s because I hear British people pronounce it that way and it’s a (much?) more common word in British English than American English. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/4 "2012-02-07T00:57:12Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Which is interesting since they clearly come from the same root, prime, meaning start. > > I pronounce the book “primmer”. I think it’s because I hear British people pronounce it that way and it’s a (much?) more common word in British English than American English. Interestingly enough, I grew up in Europe and was schooled almost exclusively in the UK system and am familiar with, and used, the UK term as relates to a book…yet I do not recall anyone ever using the “primmer” pronunciation over there. Could be I’m mis-remembering, of course. Hopefully some UK dopers will chime in! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/5 "2012-02-07T01:00:25Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I pronounce the book “primmer”. I think it’s because I hear British people pronounce it that way and it’s a (much?) more common word in British English than American English. I’m British and I never heard that. “Primmer” to me would mean “more prim”. Using it to describe a text book sounds completely absurd to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/6 "2012-02-07T01:02:55Z")
In my head, it’s PRY-mer for both the textbook and the paint coat. In real life, it’s one of those words that I simply avoid saying out of uncertainty to avoid embarrassing myself. Like “dour.” Does it rhyme with “sour” or “pour?” ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/7 "2012-02-07T01:13:13Z")
The “e” gives its strength to the “i” - It’s PRY-mer, and NPR is full of douches, as proved in BAY-zhing v. BAY-jing. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/8 "2012-02-07T01:26:32Z")
I would lean towards PRIM-mer for a book. PRY-mer for paint. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/9 "2012-02-07T01:45:47Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I’m British and I never heard that. “Primmer” to me would mean “more prim”. Based on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), it’s actually the other way around. Hard “I” is the British pronunciation and the soft “I” is more commonly American. Apologies for spreading confusion. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/10 "2012-02-07T02:43:10Z")
American here. The word isn’t very commonly used, but I pronounced it with a long “i” until 8th grade, when we had a book with that word in the title. I was shocked when our teacher taught us how to pronounce it, but I looked it up in the dictionary and he was right. The on-linie dictionaries I just checked still give only the short “i” pronunciation, “primmer”. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/11 "2012-02-07T02:50:25Z")
In my head they’re both pry-mer but if I’m speaking out loud about a beginning textbook I’ll say pry-im-mer as my brain changes the pronunciation to be ‘right’. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/12 "2012-02-07T03:07:52Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Based on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), it’s actually the other way around. Hard “I” is the British pronunciation and the soft “I” is more commonly American. Hmm. I suggest [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) is just plain wrong. [The OED](http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/primer--2) gives only one pronunciation for that spelling for any of the word’s definitions: > [@](#): > > /ˈprʌɪmə/ Possibly this is not relevant as it’s about spelling but in the _Molesworth_ books set in a 1950s English public school, Molesworth vandalises his text book from: The Shorter Latin Primer to The Shorter Way of Eating Prime Beef ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/13 "2012-02-07T03:17:48Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Hmm. I suggest [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) is just plain wrong. [The OED](http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/primer--2) gives only one pronunciation for that spelling for any of the word’s definitions:Possibly this is not relevant as it’s about spelling but in the _Molesworth_ books set in a 1950s English public school, Molesworth vandalises his text book from: > > The Shorter Latin Primer > > to > > The Shorter Way of Eating Prime Beef No - If the OED ignores the fact that “primmer” is a common US pronunciation, than it’s either wrong or it needs to be updated. Or perhaps it’s not up on American pronunciations. I don’t know that I’d accept Molesworth as an authority here. Aren’t those books full of odd spellings? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/14 "2012-02-07T03:19:34Z")
The early textbooks in the U.S. were called primers - “primmer” is how I’ve heard it pronounced. (Took a couple of history of education courses in grad school.) However, I’ve never heard anyone ridiculed for the way it’s actually, you know, spelled. And I’ve not heard anyone refer to a modern-day text as anything but “pry-mer.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/15 "2012-02-07T03:23:58Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > No - If the OED ignores the fact that “primmer” is a common US pronunciation, than it’s either wrong or it needs to be updated. Or perhaps it’s not up on American pronunciations. That part of the OED website is about British (and ‘World’) English pronunciation. There’s a separate bit for US English. > [@](#): > > I don’t know that I’d accept Molesworth as an authority here. Aren’t those books full of odd spellings? Well of course not, it was just a bit of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/16 "2012-02-07T03:25:19Z")
I have always heard the word pronounced as prim-er. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/17 "2012-02-07T03:45:06Z")
I thought it was PRY-mer up until Jr. High (I saw the word almost every month in MAD Magazine), then I was corrected by my 8th grade creative writing teacher and pronounced it primmer ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/18 "2012-02-07T04:02:01Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I’ve listened to NPR announcers pronounce it “PRIM-mer” for years, and that drives me nuts. If the pronunciation was “primmer” surely it would be spelled with two n’s? > As an aside, I am a painting contractor and in over three decades have only ever heard primer, the coating, pronounced PRY-mer. Never “primmer.” > > Poll in a minute. You mean something like “prinmner”? 😛 ---
**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:** [February 7, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/19 "2012-02-07T04:26:40Z")
It sure as hell looks like it ought to be pronounced “pry-mer,” but I’ve heard that the official correct pronunciation is “primmer.” So, basically, I avoid pronouncing the word altogether. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036/20 "2012-02-07T05:54:44Z")
In my dialect (text) primer rhymes with trimmer; (paint) primer rhymes with rhymer dour rhymes with tour and pour [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-primer-textbook-or-explanatory-text/612036.md?page=2)