How to pronounce "sidereal"

[JBadger]

I've spoken to a few people recently who have pronounced sidereal as sy der re-al whereas I've always said sid eeree al.

So which is right? Have I been making a [removed word] of myself in learn'd company?

[nmoushon]

I've always pronounced it side - real

[BinocularSky]

I've heard several different pronunciations but, as far as I am concerned, knowing what it means and how to apply that knowledge is vastly more important than knowing how to pronounce it.

... and anyone who either comments on or pretends not to understand what s/he perceives as a mispronunciation is most likely one of those twerps who makes an career choice of being awkward.

(On the batphone with Tapatalk)

[GlassWalker]

I get written words I've never heard spoken wrong all the time so you wont be alone. In my mind, it's "sigh deer re-al". But maybe I haven't had enough drink recently as now I'm fancying a cider ale.

[Earl]

Si-dear-re-al

[JamesF]

And if you're still worried about it, I'd suggest real cider. It won't help with the pronunciation (probably quite the opposite , but you'll stop worrying about it.

James

[Steve Ward]

http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=sidereal&submit=Submit

[Monty]

_{si·de·re·al}

Taken from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sidereal

[astrofox]

Sigh- dee- ree-al.

[BSIA Ralph]

I go with sid-ear-eal with the stress on the middle syllable. No one's laughed when I say it - which is usually the acid test!

[Laowei Tony]

According to my ever so clever phone, it's -

si·de·re·al

[sahy-deer-ee-uh l]

Origin: 1625–35; < L sīdere(us) of, belonging to the stars (sīder-, s. of sīdus star, constellation + -eus adj. suffix) + -al1

But throughout the UK you could hear almost anything. The cider does sound good though.

[K3ny0n]

Sidder - reel.

That's how I say it .

Rob.

[Stargazer_00]

Bootes is another funny. Boo oh teas?

[Monty]

Bootes is another funny. Boo oh teas?

Wife thought I was talking about footwear for the kids...

[Moonshane]

_{si·de·re·al}

Taken from http://dictionary.re...browse/sidereal

I have always thought side real but this does suggest sigh deer ee ul.

[AstroTux]

You can guess how much it confuses people if you start talking Astronomy when out in a boat fishing with the lads and lasses - "Where did you say you got that side reel from?" !!

I stick with sigh-deer-re-al.

[Moonshane]

it's the same problem as latinized specific names

howmow sapp ee ens

ho mow say pee uns

whichever, we all know what we mean.

[Star Gazer]

Isn't it pronounced "cider-time" ver similar to "beer o-clock" He he.

[steppenwolf]

As a fairly solitary imager and self taught from the start, I no doubt have a wide range of amusing pronunciations including Vega, Megrez, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse but for sidereal I pronounce is 'side-eerial'

[Peter Drew]

From what I've read, collimation takes the "Know-belle" prize for mispronunciation and spelling.

[ollypenrice]

Si-dear-re-al

Yes, or to 'punctuate' it another way, side-ear-re-al.

Olly

[Mr Spock]

sī-ˈdir-ē-əl

It's amazing how people struggle with simple pronunciations

Not half as much fun as watching them struggle with foreign words though. Like people in shops asking for croissants...

[BinocularSky]

OK, further to my comment above, it comes from the Latin "siderus" (star). The first syllable has a short vowel ("sid"). Strictly, then, I think it should be something like "sid-EER-ial" (which, being a pedantic git, is how I usually pronounce it). However, almost all experienced British astronomers I know say either "SIGH-DEER-ial" of "SIDDER-eel". But also, as I said above, nobody misunderstands any of these pronunciations unless s/he actively wants to.

I think.

[ollypenrice]

Ah, so now we move into the thorny issue of 'correct pronunciation' and then it goes off limits because it's a highly political issue! Oh yes!! Because 'received pronunciation' is nothing more than the accent of the ruling class, comrades. No it's not! Yes it is!

Mr Spock's point is a curious one because, speaking as one who lives in France and in a french speaking household, I can assure SGL that the French themselves cannot agree on the pronunciation of 'croissant.' In this neck of the woods it comes out as croissang and a dog is a chieng. But in Paris you must, especially if speaking on the TV, greet someone with a hearty 'Bonjour-er.' A mere 'Bonjour' will mark you down as the kind of rustic bumpkin who might fail to see the need for four wheel drive on the Champs Elysées.

Olly

[Mr Spock]

Ah but... we aren't talking about the differences in regional accents when pronouncing sidereal. What we are talking about is basic pronounciation. If you change the basic way a word is pronounced, you start to sound like a Two Ronnies sketch