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Recent articles in The ASHA Leader about tinnitus reminded me that the word is often pronounced two different ways, TINnitus and tinNITEus. Which is it?
I consulted several dictionaries. The word "tinnitus," from the Latin tinire, means variously to ring, sound, clang, or jangle. I hoped to find the "right" pronunciation, and what I found was not clear cut. Some sources only gave tinNITEus, and others gave both TINnitus and tinNITEus, in that order.
Pronunciation, like other aspects of language, is a messy business, for language is always changing. Furthermore, there is an amazingly persistent misconception that a dictionary's order of pronunciations implies preference, that is, the first pronunciation is "preferred." Such is not the case. Rather, the order of listing reflects the frequency of use. In addition, which is more common, pronunciation may vary with region, culture, occupation, and other factors. I resign myself to there being no one correct pronunciation.
James E. Peck
Jackson, MS
jpeck@ent.umsmed.edu
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