| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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7. Pronunciation Challenges: Confusions and Controversy
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| § 72. either |
The usual pronunciation in American English is ( ´th r), with a long e sound. According to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the pronunciation ( ´thr), with a long i, is used mostly by well-educated speakers in urban areas of the Northeast, and is often considered affected by others. Almost the opposite is true in British English, however, where (´thr) is more common. Both pronunciations have been recognized by English dictionaries since the 18th century. The same variation occurs in neither. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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