Why don't we voice the first R in "surprise"? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 6 days ago by Nemo@slrpnk.net to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca

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What distinguishes it from the R is "surplus", for example? In both cases it's followed by a P and another semiglide.

Apologies if this pronunciation is regional to the Western Hemisphere, but I'm very curious regardless.

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[-] ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 23 points 6 days ago

We...do...?

Are you saying suh-prise? Why?

[-] MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io 8 points 6 days ago

Don’t be ridiculous. They obviously pronounce it as Sir-Pies. 🫡

[-] Nemo@slrpnk.net 4 points 6 days ago

There's a joke in Weird Al's movie UHF where someone notices a door marked "Supplies" and when they open it a bunch of ninjas jump out while yelling "Supplies!!!"

So, yeah, anyway: That's how I say it, Sup-Rise, like "supplies" but with an R.

this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2026

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