Show TAKE MY WORD FOR IT By Frank Colby Q Why did that certain radio see OO producer keep saying for the name Susan on a recent radio theater broadcast L. L. L A A. A. A He and many other broadcasters broadcasters broadcasters broad broad- casters take the dictionaries an and d Hollywood diction teachers teacher s too seriously The pronunciation tion see OO see OO n is a too pre cise else and exaggerated way o of f pronouncing the u as yoo We Ve are arc also hearing de OO ee 00 ee for Dewey and lee 00 lee OO iss fo for r Lewis Now it Is true truc that Merriam Merria m Websters Webster's does give the u th the thelong thelong me e long sound yoo in Susan Dewey Lewis and in hundreds hundred s of such words as suit suicide lute dude news But and thiis this thi s is very important Webster Webster's ss s does not state that the oo 00 sound in such names and wordis words word s is Incorrect On the contrary in paragraph h page LII LIT of the pronunciation tion section Websters Webster's points point S Sout out quite correctly that oo 00 is widely used in America b by bythe bythe y the educated This is confirmed by the extremely extremely extremely ex ex- accurate and realistic c Pronouncing Dictionary by Kenyon Kenyon Kenyon Ken Ken- yon and Knott which lists as a S first choice soot for suit i cide for suicide loot for lute etc The American College dictionary dictionary dic die another realistic new net v dictionary gives complete sanction sanction sanc sane tion to the oo 00 sound in such suc h words as student studio news new s nude duty tune tunc etc Soot I is the only pronunciation shown show m for suit also loot for lute lut e uh SOOM for assume pree ZOOM for presume soo to for r sue for jute per SOO for super lood de for delude e nate loo for illuminate e Released by Bell Syndicate Inc |