depends if they are male or female. zeebra is for females and zeebro is for males.
post
US: "Zeebra"
I would venture a guess that countries that say "Z" as "Zee" pronounce it "zeebra" where countries that say Z as in "Zed" pronounce it zebrah like "Debra".
Except Canada, where we only do things halfway and never just pick a side on something like this: we say both “zed” and “zeebra”
In your defense, you have a significant active French community.
It's a bit like during the Norman Conquest when English started absorbing some French - it's just still ongoing for you!
Also US but I’d say most people in my area have a more noticeable down shift on the end vowel so it sounds more “zeebruh”. Debra on the otherhand would still have a crisper “a”.
Debra the woman's name? Or the verb for removing a bra?
Aren't they pronounced the same?
Is Zeebra and animal, or a French person asking for lingerie?
In Germany it's pronounced Tsébrah. Though I have a hard time thinking about an example for our e sound. It's like halfway between zeebra and Debra. The sound is more similar to Debra but less flat. Maybe like the second e in electricity but a little bit longer.
Zay-braah I guess, if I would try to write Dutch sounds in English spelling.
There's a sound version available at https://webwoordenboek.nl/uitspraak/zebra
In Italian it rhymes with Debra. Italians also feel sorry for all kids whose parents thought omitting an O would make for a good name choice.
US and I say "zehbra." But I do this intentionally because that's how I've heard South Africans say it and I figure they are correct. My wife thinks I'm pretentious. But not as pretentious as her friend who insists the pastry is pronounced "kwah-sahn."
South African here. I pronounce it Zeh-bra . So not using the American zee.
Zeb-rah, as was how everyone across southern Africa says it. My partner and I always say "Debra the Zebra" after saying zebra. The places that have zebras says it like that... Maybe they know better.
In the US I don't try and make people worry about it that much and usually use their strange word.
Canada: I don't know, they both seem pretty normal to me. We don't say "zebra" too much around here. I just typed "zerba" and feel like I should say it like that next time.
Canada, rhymes with Debra. Mind you my mom was British so that may have been why I say it that way.
Sweden: the e is more akin to the sound in the word ear, but I don't really know how to phoneticize it in English properly.
How does zeebra not ryhme with debra already? I mean, I know english pronunciation is put through a random IPA generator before being finalized, but Wiktionary gives the same exact IPA (bɹə) for the -bra part in both words. So shouldn't they be rhyming then?
in northern ireland that's "Deeebrah"
My country pronounces the "Z" portion as "Zee", but I say "Zee" or "Zed" depending on mood. The "bra" is pronounced "bruh". (North America)
all 44 comments