(“We R refusing to remain silent any longer.”)

Quick — say the name of the second month of the year.  Say it out loud.

This one separates the men from the boys, eh?

I’m troubled to report that “Feb’-yoo-ar-ee” is an acceptable, although secondary, pronunciation in at least two online dictionary sources, including Merriam-Webster (an Encyclopaedia Britannica Company).

There’s an interesting discussion of the pronunciation of February here.

At that site, we learn that the “loss” of the first “r” in the pronunciation may be the result of “dissimilation” or “haplology” — the process by which one of two similar sounds in a word is dropped or changed to avoid repetition of the sound.

Clearly then, “haplology” is, these days, pronounced “hapology.”  (Sorry about that.)

Come on guys!  This problem has nothing to do with a “process,” no matter what you want to name it.  The pronunciation of “Feb’-roo-ar-ee” as “Feb’-yoo-ar-ee” is the result of laziness, stupidity and/or ignorance.  Let’s not go all high-fallutin’ here.

I’m completely dumbfounded by Merriam-Webster on this one, who tells us the “y” sound in the “yoo” syllable is not an “intrusion,” but common as to the sound of a “u” after a consonant, “as in January and annual.”

Whoa, Nelly!  Um, maybe it’s just I, but this ain’t NO explanation at all of why the “r” disappears.

During my current fit, I read somewhere else that “it takes more energy to pronounce the first ‘r’.”  Yep, I have to take a nap whenever I pronounce it correctly.

Let’s clear this up, once and for all.  There is one correct way to pronounce this month.  Everything else is, therefore, INcorrect.

To further clear it up, ask yourself this:  What do you think when you hear someone say “libary”?  “Child” or”idiot,” right?  Either that, or they’ve been spending too much time hangin’ out in a bewery.