Know Your English (April 2001)

Know your English

How is the word ``debris'' pronounced?

There are several different ways of pronouncing this word. Here is the most common way of pronouncing it. The ``e'' in the first syllable is like the ``e'' in ``set'', ``bet'', and ``get''. Some people pronounce it like the ``ay'' in ``day'', ``bay'', and ``say''. The following ``i'' is like the ``ee'' in ``sheet'', ``bee'' and ``meet''. The final ``s'' is silent; it is not pronounced at all. The stress is on the first syllable. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. Here are a few examples.
They found only the debris. There were no survivors.
The lake which was once known for its beauty was now littered with debris.
The detectives went through the debris very carefully.
``Egotism is the anesthetic which nature gives us to deaden the pain of being a fool.'' - Hebert Shofield


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, April 03, 2001