Pronouncing the first syllable in arctic properly and then switching to the t sound that begins the second syllable requires a different configuration of the mouth and tongue requires some awareness.....
A similar issue is present in the state name....
So I guess "laziness" is a factor....
Neither word is a constant presence in my vocabulary, so muscle memory is not strong enough yet.
This post was edited by tom jackson at January 30, 2018 8:49 PM MST
English pronunciation is full of so many exceptions that it is easier to say that the regular words are the exceptions.
In Australia, everyone pronounces the "c" in "arctic" and would do a double-take if they heard someone drop it.
Another example - ever since President Bush, Americans increasingly pronounce "nuclear" as "nucular."
I believe linguists do not consider these changes as mispronunciation but rather as language drift and evolution.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 30, 2018 8:48 PM MST
Thanks for pointing that out to me, Einsteinium. I know you have an excellent science background. So would you say that in the US "nucular" is the same kind of tell-tale clue as "aks" for "ask"?
I pronounce arctic with the C, but I pronounce Connecticut, the first T with a D sound- Connedicut
This post was edited by Skunky Stinkerson at February 1, 2018 12:19 AM MST
No one pronounces the second "c" in "Connecticut". It has never been pronounced that way. The Mohican word that the name comes from is "quinnitukut" and means "at the long river". There is no /k/ sound before the /t/ in that word. The extra "c" in the spelling is due to the influence of the word "connect". But it was never actually pronounced. Sometimes spellings are misleading.
"Arctic" is a different matter. Here the /kt/ sound is part of the original word and considered the proper pronunciation. Those who don't pronounce it are simplifying the cluster of three consonants /rkt/ to just /rt/. To me it sounds uneducated and lazy. No offense. :)
No offense to me. I always pronounce it 'arktic.' I was hoping you would answer this one.
This post was edited by Element 99 at January 30, 2018 8:47 PM MST
Truly insightful Nevan :) I didn't know that about Connecticut. In fact, sense I have never lived on the East Coast, (well the Florida Keys but I think that is a little different than what most people think of as the East Coast) I don't hear the pronunciation of Connecticut but rarely. The state just doesn't make an appearance in day-to-day conversations. I didn't know it came from a Mohican word. It's a poor day when you don't learn something. I must say, and please take this in the most complimentary way. I don't like to generalize but I'm going to I'm afraid. You sure are young to be so smart. I mean being "Element Smart" is scary enough but to be that smart so young is amazing. :) Big giggles. Thank you again for the little lesson about pronunciation and Connecticut. My Grammie would be proud of you! ;)
Merlin 