How do you pronounce "Semi" (as in the truck)?


How do you pronounce "semi"?  

48 members have voted

  1. 1. How do you say it?

    • With the I making the 'I' sound
      22
    • With the I making the 'E' sound
      24


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I am watching a TV show called Highway Thru Hell, which takes place in Canada, and they all say semi with the E at the end, whereas I have always heard it and say it with I saying the I instead.

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13 minutes ago, jnelsoninjax said:

I am watching a TV show called Highway Thru Hell, which takes place in Canada, and they all say semi with the I at the end, whereas I have always heard it and say it with I saying the E instead.

Other than the fact that you are from the US, I always assumed all Americans used the I pronunciation and the rest of the correctly uses the E.

 

Congrats for proving that i'm wrong about at least one American :-P 

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2 minutes ago, Mud W1ggle said:

Other than the fact that you are from the US, I always assumed all Americans used the I pronunciation and the rest of the correctly uses the E.

 

Congrats for proving that i'm wrong about at least one American ?

Opps! I realized that I put it in backwards! I meant I say the I not the E! It must have been the beer that caused me to type it backwards, I'm going to go with that excuse! :D

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1 minute ago, jnelsoninjax said:

Opps! I realized that I put it in backwards! I meant I say the I not the E! It must have been the beer that caused me to type it backwards, I'm going to go with that excuse! :D

Lol, I did think it was strange!  however, my comment still stands, the correct way is with the E - its sem-e

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17 minutes ago, Mud W1ggle said:

Other than the fact that you are from the US, I always assumed all Americans used the I pronunciation and the rest of the correctly uses the E.

 

Congrats for proving that i'm wrong about at least one American ?

Both versions are acceptable. Semicircle, semi-trailer, semiconductor for instance are often used with the E sound, while other words like semiannual or semi trucks might be pronounced with the I sound.

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51 minutes ago, dead.cell said:

Both versions are acceptable. Semicircle, semi-trailer, semiconductor for instance are often used with the E sound, while other words like semiannual or semi trucks might be pronounced with the I sound.

All of those words use the E sound.  as far as i'm aware its only North America that ever uses the I sound, but if someone else from another region uses the I sound anywhere please feel free to correct me

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11 minutes ago, Mud W1ggle said:

All of those words use the E sound.  as far as i'm aware its only North America that ever uses the I sound, but if someone else from another region uses the I sound anywhere please feel free to correct me

What difference does that make exactly? We also use recognize over recognise, color instead of colour.

 

Both forms are still correct. :ermm:

 

Here's an example: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/semi-annual

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1 minute ago, dead.cell said:

What difference does that make exactly? We also use recognize over recognise, color instead of colour.

 

Both forms are still correct. :ermm:

It doesn't in the end, but im just a bit "anti-american" in their use of the English Language, the removal of the U, the replacement of the S with Z just annoy me.  The pronunciation of words like semi...

 

Its just one of my pet hates, my issue not yours,  Feel free to keep using the I sound, and i'll continue to dislike your use of the I sound ?

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11 minutes ago, Mud W1ggle said:

It doesn't in the end, but im just a bit "anti-american" in their use of the English Language, the removal of the U, the replacement of the S with Z just annoy me.  The pronunciation of words like semi...

 

Its just one of my pet hates, my issue not yours,  Feel free to keep using the I sound, and i'll continue to dislike your use of the I sound ?

Obnoxious, but you be you. :sleep2:  At least you're honest I guess.

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Depends, for example I pronounce semi, semifinals, semisweet with the "i"

 

But I pronounce semiconductor, semiautomatic, semicircular with an "e" . 

 

...so whatever.  Either way is fine afaik.  :) 

 

"Seme" for an 18-wheeler just doesn't sound right.

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Let us not forget Jewellery...  Sorry yanks, meant Jewelry ? (I got into an argument a few years ago about the spelling, in Canada, both are acceptable :S )

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sEmi

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14 hours ago, dead.cell said:

Both versions are acceptable. Semicircle, semi-trailer, semiconductor for instance are often used with the E sound, while other words like semiannual or semi trucks might be pronounced with the I sound.

I have NEVER heard any of those words pronounced with the i sounding like an e. I'd have to look at the person that did pronounce it with the e sound like they were fruit cakes!!

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I think that I generally use the -i sound, but it actually varies. Sometimes I say sem-i-circular, sometimes sem-e-circular. Weird. I guess it depends on where it is in the sentence to change the stress.

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2 hours ago, DConnell said:

If it's a word in itself, sem-eye. If it's a prefix, sem-ee.

Both pronunciations are correct, and I think that's the rule most Americans use.

 

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On 9/24/2018 at 2:42 PM, tsupersonic said:

Does it really matter? As long as you can understand what the person is trying to say...

Not at all, I was/am just curious how others say it.

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