5.11 Prefixes

Prefixes

There are a number of prefixes that are commonly mispronounced. Those that are most abused are those that include a re - or de - and sometimes be -. A common rule to remember is that words like renew and reassure are pronounced as ri(ree) because they are a reiteration of the original. To renew means to make new again, and to reassure means that one will be assured once more. A word such as repose , which means to lie quiet and calm, is pronounced as | rɪpoʋz | (rihpoz) because one is not "posing" again. The same is then applied to words like deliver, which is pronounced | dɪlɪvə | (dihlihver) because it is not the surgical removal of one's liver. "When Thou tookest upon Thee to de liver man," if wrongly pronounced, takes on an entirely different meaning. Not only should these words not receive a long ee | i | sound, but the prefix is not stressed. Directors will find that when the prefix is properly pronounced, the word stress is automatically better and the music will flow more easily.

Y (when final)—The final y should be pronounced | ɪ | as in the word hill , not as | i | in the word me . This pronunciation will also help the musical flow by again not giving added emphasis to a syllable that should not be stressed. When the final y is prolonged by the music, as it often is, it should still be pronounced as | ɪ |.