Oestrogen

Status
Not open for further replies.

nyota

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Australia
How to pronounce oestrogen in BrE?

Cambridge goes for: /ˈiː.strəʊ .dʒən/
Oxford only lists: /ˈiːstrədʒ(ə)n, ˈɛstrə-/
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I go for /ˈi:strəʤən/ , which is what the LPD and the ALD give; they also give /ˈe:strəʤən/ as an alternative.

I am surprised at the Cambridge version. I have never heard it pronounced that way.
 

nyota

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Australia
I am surprised at the Cambridge version. I have never heard it pronounced that way.

Now that you've said that I examined the Cambridge transcription /ˈiː.strəʊ .dʒən/ more closely and realised that 'ʊ' is put in italics, so they must've meant it's optional. Thanks for verification.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I've also heard the first vowel as /e/ (like other words derived from a Greek οι - like economics, ecology etc).

b
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
I'd use /ˈi:strəʤən/ too.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
I agree the Cambridge 'East Trojan' sounds strange.
"oe" is pronounced variably these days. We haven't had an American contributor, but since they spell it "estrogen", that might account for the /e/ pronunication. But they still say /fi:təs/ for 'foetus' or 'fetus'.
But it's /ə'sɒfəgəs/ for '[o]esophagus'.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top