What's up with the weird pronunciation of the word divisive by the media? Has it been changed?

Grassrunner wrote:

They are all saying the word with divisive with the middle "i" pronounced like in the word visceral.

Here is the correct pronunciation according to the official sources I've checked:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/divisive

"Divisive" came after "division", so it makes sense to keep that parent word pronunciation pattern. So that is the proper pronunciation.

If it was pronounced " de vyez iv" (with a long 'e' after the d, and a long 'i' in the middle syllable), then one would expect it related to "devise", which would make it an entirely different word, standing for some behavior pattern of devising things. But, using "di" instead of "de" changes it just a tiny bit to allow misusage, and can only be distinguished in print, and not in speech.

RyecorDone wrote:

Grassrunner wrote:

They are all saying the word with divisive with the middle "i" pronounced like in the word visceral.

Here is the correct pronunciation according to the official sources I've checked:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/divisive

"Divisive" came after "division", so it makes sense to keep that parent word pronunciation pattern. So that is the proper pronunciation.

If it was pronounced " de vyez iv" (with a long 'e' after the d, and a long 'i' in the middle syllable), then one would expect it related to "devise", which would make it an entirely different word, standing for some behavior pattern of devising things. But, using "di" instead of "de" changes it just a tiny bit to allow misusage, and can only be distinguished in print, and not in speech.

Pronunciation patterns don't follow the root derivation, they have to do with the amount of syllables in the word as to what gets emphasized and how the vowels are pronounced.

Think about this: The word "decisive" comes from the word "decision." Based on your rule, we should say "decisive" with a short 'i.' I think the most acceptable pronunciation is <dee-CY-sive>. Stress the penultimate syllable and give it a long vowel in this case.

I would think it's by suffix and not syllable.

-s + -ive seems to always take a long vowel..

Invasive

Adhesive

Decisive

Corrosive

Reclusive

By this pattern, divisive would then be a long i.

Because

Creation

Deletion

Demotion

Solution

all have three syllables but when it comes to I..

You have

Ignition

Cognition

And also cognitive

And, because i plus s typically results in a long sound and with a -ss a short sound, it seems that while people accept divisive with a short sounds, the only way to grammatically justify that pronunciation is to spell it divissive.

What about people on TV in the U.S. saying "an istory" instead of a history?

Or, on the flip side, when Martha Stewart used to call herbs hhhhherbs.

I was also going to comment on everyone saying, “an istoric,” instead of “a historic.” The dictionary pronunciation is: “hi-stawr-ik.” The “h” is not silent. Because the word does not start with a vowel or a vowel sound, “a” is the correct indefinite article. I think people started doing this trying to sound smart, but it’s wrong, so the joke is on them (or maybe me for caring). Obviously, there are many more important issues facing our society today, but let’s get this one right for the love of the “King’ English!”

*King’s. Yikes. “Ten points shall be deducted from Gryffindor.”

The correct pronunciation is diarrhea.

I am Europoor and here is my 2 cents.
Some languages in Europe have this word and we pronounce it "dee-vee-seev".

So somehow European pronounciation has crept up to USA.

I was taught that before a word starting with “h,” if the accent is on the second syllable (e.g. “historic”), then the preceding article should be “an.” So, “a history of architecture” or “an historic building.” Of course, if you’re Cockney then no “h” is worth pronouncing.