Why People Say "FebYOUary"

Monday Jan 11th, 2021

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It just seems a little strange to some people that there's a silent "r" in the word February. The origin of the spelling is from Roman times: February because the Roman festival of purification called Februa is on the 15th of this modern day February. The correct pronunciation IS "feb-ROO-er-ee,” which many people do say. But others find it awkward to say, so they drop the “r.” But "feb-OO-er-ee" is also uncomfortable phonetically, so those people add a "y" to make it more comfortable to pronounce.

 

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