Different pronunciations for "Linen"?

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carriewest

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Hi ! I have always wondered if there are different and CORRECT pronunciations for "Linen" because of different accents. I am asking this because I have to be different countries and they all read this word differently. Usually the word is read as linen /l'ɪnɪn/ but i have also heard of /laɪnɪn/ and /l'ənən/. So can anyone please tell me if the other 2 pronunciations are also correct? I am pretty sure they were talking about "linen" because they were talking about "Bed linen".
 

Raymott

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Hi ! I have always wondered if there are different and CORRECT pronunciations for "Linen" because of different accents. I am asking this because I have to be different countries and they all read this word differently. Usually the word is read as linen /l'ɪnɪn/ but i have also heard of /laɪnɪn/ and /l'ənən/. So can anyone please tell me if the other 2 pronunciations are also correct? I am pretty sure they were talking about "linen" because they were talking about "Bed linen".
I've never heard /laɪnɪn/. I'd call that an error.
/l'ənən/ might be heard in New Zealand.
I'd transcribe the most common pronunciation as /lɪnən/ (as Merriam-Webster does), while Oxford Dict. prefers /lɪnɪn/

PS: You'll notice that the British transcribe words like 'wicked' as /ˈwɪkɪd/, while elsewhere you'll find /wɪkəd/. This is most noticeable in the past tense verbs such as bedded, wedded, batted, pitted, etc.
 
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BobK

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...PS: You'll notice that the British transcribe words like 'wicked' as /ˈwɪkɪd/, while elsewhere you'll find /wɪkəd/. This is most noticeable in the past tense verbs such as bedded, wedded, batted, pitted, etc.

:up: This is generally true, but there's a growing tendency to use a schwa here. Tony Blair, for example used it (and impressionists emphasized the tendency - mercilessly ;-))

b
 
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