I have been listening to a book narrator who pronounces the word “diamond” as three syllables (dye’ ə mond) and “interesting” as four syllables (in’ tə ris ting). The apostrophe marks where the stress falls. His speech is otherwise regular American.
Does anybody have an opinion as far as his upbringing, like part of the country (US), or his education?
The diamond pronunciation reminds me of the guy on the radio who talks about diamonds. I think he’s supposed to be South African, but I could be totally wrong.
I pronounce ‘interesting’ with four syllables, which is the correct way.
Do you pronounce it ‘intresting’?
I also pronounce ‘diamond’ with three, but apparently, that’s wrong.
But that ‘dahy’ sounds to my ear as two slightly slurred syllables, so maybe I’m doing it right.
As for your question, he could be from anywhere.
As do I, although I sometimes slur it when speaking quickly. And sometimes like Arte Johnson with a Germanic touch.
It sounds like he’s pronouncing these words like I do (“regular” American), though perhaps more slowly. I don’t think there’s any regionalism involved.
That’s not the normal South African pronunciation.
I don’t understand how you determine what’s correct and wrong. The pronunciation of interesting that you seem to think is incorrect is actually the second listed pronunciation in your link as is your “wrong” pronunciation of diamond. Are you just ignoring alternative pronunciations listed in your very own link?
Not ignoring them, just considering the first to be the most common, therefore, ‘correct’, and the secondary and tertiary ones to be more colloquial, informal, sloppy and/or lazy. Like the guys I used to work with who referred to the black stuff that gasoline is made from as ‘earl’.
OP, the packaging on talking books generally gives the name of the person who’s doing the reading.
What’s the name of the narrator on this one?
P.S. Those are the pronunciations I use, so yes, they are correct. 
There is nothing written in stone as far as pronunciation, as long as you’re not the only one in a particular area of the country who pronounces words differently from the rest. I’m from California, so to me the pronunciation of “interesting” and “diamond” as pronounced above sound like they are from somewhere else. I thought someone might recognize where in the country they are pronounced like that. Now I’m starting to think that it is somewhere on the East Coast.
The name of the narrator is still a mystery. As a matter of fact, I am trying to isolate a specific area of the country in relationship to this question: Anybody here familiar with narrators/announcers who worked for Grolier 1960s-80s? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
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Maybe this time, somebody will know who the man is/was. It is not somebody whose name we might recognize today. If you can find his name on the Internet, who have the wrong person, unless you have another source of information.
But you’re assuming it’s some sort of regionalism. I think it’s just someone who enunciates more than some other people. Especially if the guy is narrating a book, this may be the reason he was hired.
I had a debate with an old GF of mine about “meh-thane” or “mee-thane”
She had just heard someone say “mee-thane” and figured that’s the way you say it.
While I know that the pronunciation is not wrong, the only reasoning I gave her (in my favor of “meh-thane”) is would you say “mee-thanol” and “mee-thyl” ? ee-thanol? (ok I hadn’t thought of ee-ther) lol