How to pronounce Caenorhabditis ?

[NewHopeR]

Context:

Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why?

UCLA Minuscule amounts of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the life span of a tiny worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is used frequently as a model in aging studies, UCLA biochemists report. The scientists said they find their discovery difficult to explain.

 

[Raymott]

Context:

Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why?

UCLA Minuscule amounts of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the life span of a tiny worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is used frequently as a model in aging studies, UCLA biochemists report. The scientists said they find their discovery difficult to explain.

Caenorhabditis elegans (

/ˌsiːnɵræbˈdaɪtɨs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Keyˈɛlɨɡænz/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenorhabditis_elegans

 

[5jj]

Caenorhabditis elegans (

/ˌsiːnɵræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenorhabditis_elegans

Thanks. I always wondered about that. ;-)

 

[NewHopeR]

Caenorhabditis elegans (

/ˌsiːnɵræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenorhabditis_elegans

Excellent!
Thanks a lot.

PS, in ˌsiːnɵræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/) I pronounce as siːnəræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/) . Correct?

 

[Raymott]

Excellent!
Thanks a lot.

PS, in ˌsiːnɵræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/) I pronounce as siːnəræbˈdaɪtɨs ˈɛlɨɡænz/) . Correct?

No, if you say it that way, you'll be socially ostracised and you'll end up with no friends at all! ;-)

In more common words with Caeno, as in 'Caenozoic', I say /sinəʊ /

 

[BobK]

And for future reference, these two rules of thumb will help:

• In words with the spelling 'rh' the 'h' is usually silent
• In words with the spelling 'bd' both consonants are usually heard

(I can't think of any counter-examples at the moment, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were a few - especially when the 'r' closes a syllable and the 'h' starts a new one.)

b

 

[spongie]

rhetoric

obdurate

 

[aachu]

rheumatic

Abduction

 

[BobK]

rheumatic

Abduction

Neither of these is a counter-example. To recap:

In words with the spelling 'rh' the 'h' is usually silent [e.g. rheumatic]
In words with the spelling 'bd' both consonants are usually heard [e.g. abdomen]

Perhaps you were just giving supporting examples ;-)

Other examples of the first are rhetoric, rhombus, rhyme,... etc etc.
Other examples of the second are abdomen, abduction, and the tree bdellium (which I've never heard spoken, but which I think an English native speaker wuld try to get their mouth round - although such a consonant coluster at the beginning of a word is non-native).

A [questionable] counter-example is 'earhole'. In a careful, standard - that is, non rhotic - pronunciation there is no /r/; in a less formal pronunciation, there is no /h/ . Besides, many people would use a hyphen

b

 

[aachu]

Perhaps you were just giving supporting examples ;-)

Yes. I just gave supporting examples.

 

[BobK]

Yes. I just gave supporting examples.

:up:
Thanks
b

 

[NewHopeR]

No, if you say it that way, you'll be socially ostracised and you'll end up with no friends at all! ;-)

In more common words with Caeno, as in 'Caenozoic', I say /sinəʊ /

That's horrible. I'd like to, I'll have to know why.

My dictionary give me this: 'Caenozoic' /,si:nə'zəuik/

The dictionary is not only going to ruin me, but it's going to ruin anyone who is misguided by it.

Hopefully I will fight back with your support.

 

[birdeen's call]

Perhaps you were just giving supporting examples ;-)

But you've just given a counterexample. :-D