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[–] 27 points 4 months ago (1 child)

depends if they are male or female. zeebra is for females and zeebro is for males.

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  • [–] 20 points 4 months ago* (2 children)

    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".

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  • [–] 16 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Except Canada, where we only do things halfway and never just pick a side on something like this: we say both “zed” and “zeebra”

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    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!

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    That’s a good point and for language stuff we should prob get a pass, but I NEED people to stop using the fucking imperial system for such a random assortment of shit and just stick to metric lol

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  • [–] 14 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Debra the woman's name? Or the verb for removing a bra?

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Aren't they pronounced the same?

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    in the states, the de- prefix is either pronounced "dee" or just "d" without a vowel sound, and in both cases the emphasis is on the verb. whereas debra would be "deh-bruh" or "deb-ruh" with even emphasis

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  • [–] 13 points 4 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago

    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

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    Uk, rhymes with Debra

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    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."

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    Australian here so zed-bra

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Australia: rhymes with Debra

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    South African here. I pronounce it Zeh-bra . So not using the American zee.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    I'm from Ireland, and I hear both used. I personally say "Zehbra" though.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago*

    Norwegian: Rhymes with Debra, provided that the B is soft. "Seh-bra"

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    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.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    Canada, rhymes with Debra. Mind you my mom was British so that may have been why I say it that way.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    Zebra, pronounced like "zay-bra" in Dutch

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago
    [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    Croatian: zeh-brah.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    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?

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago*

    Ze-bra, like le in french and bra like a piece of lingerie.

    /jk

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    in northern ireland that's "Deeebrah"

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago*

    My country pronounces the "Z" portion as "Zee", but I say "Zee" or "Zed" depending on mood. The "bra" is pronounced "bruh". (North America)

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  • [+] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)
    [–] 1 point 4 months ago