Zebra
From Hull AWE
Revision as of 17:13, 27 March 2007 by Wintermute (Talk | contribs)
The traditional British English pronunciation has the first syllable rhyming with 'sea' - 'ZEE-bra' /"zi:brA. The American pronunciation, which has the first syllable rhyming with 'said' or 'bed' /"zEbrA/, is becoming more common in the UK. Jones says that this is especially true of the 'zebra crossing' to help pedestrians cross roads more safely.
Older speakers prefer the traditional - and academic teachers are often older than their students.
