Good evening.
I heard in my English book the word holiday, which is usually noted /’hɒlɪdeɪ/ pronounced [‘hɔ̝lɪdeɪ]. Is it frequent ?
Answer
Do I understand correctly that it was pronounced with the vowel of holy instead of the vowel of hall? If so, then — no, that is not frequent. None of the following lists it:
- http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holiday
- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holiday
- http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/holiday
- http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/holiday
That said, I think the pronunciation could work in a religious context, as a sort of compromise between holiday and holy day. (Among Jews, for example, the Yamim Noraim are sometimes called “the High Holidays”, sometimes “the High Holy Days”. Why not split the difference?)
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : pretuiol , Answer Author : ruakh
