Please indicate country in your answer.
Debra the woman’s name? Or the verb for removing a bra?
Aren’t they pronounced the same?
in the states, the de- prefix is either pronounced “dee” or just “d” without a vowel sound, and in both cases the emphasis is on the verb. whereas debra would be “deh-bruh” or “deb-ruh” with even emphasis
Dee-bra (the verb) vs Debra, the person. That’s how it sounds
Is Zeebra and animal, or a French person asking for lingerie?
je ne sais bra
Woman’s name. Deb-rah. A lot of places say it like “zeb-rah”
In Germany it’s pronounced Tsébrah. Though I have a hard time thinking about an example for our e sound. It’s like halfway between zeebra and Debra. The sound is more similar to Debra but less flat. Maybe like the second e in electricity but a little bit longer.
Zay-braah I guess, if I would try to write Dutch sounds in English spelling.
There’s a sound version available at https://webwoordenboek.nl/uitspraak/zebra
Uk, rhymes with Debra
In Italian it rhymes with Debra. Italians also feel sorry for all kids whose parents thought omitting an O would make for a good name choice.
US and I say “zehbra.” But I do this intentionally because that’s how I’ve heard South Africans say it and I figure they are correct. My wife thinks I’m pretentious. But not as pretentious as her friend who insists the pastry is pronounced “kwah-sahn.”
Pronouncing the pastry like that outside of a French sentence irritates me so much that I do as my more rural relatives used to and say “crescent roll” and stress the “cress.”
Australian here so zed-bra
Zeb-rah, as was how everyone across southern Africa says it. My partner and I always say “Debra the Zebra” after saying zebra. The places that have zebras says it like that… Maybe they know better.
In the US I don’t try and make people worry about it that much and usually use their strange word.
South African here. I pronounce it Zeh-bra . So not using the American zee.
Australia: rhymes with Debra
Zaybra
Ditto (Dutch)
Canada: I don’t know, they both seem pretty normal to me. We don’t say “zebra” too much around here. I just typed “zerba” and feel like I should say it like that next time.
Norwegian: Rhymes with Debra, provided that the B is soft. “Seh-bra”
I’m from Ireland, and I hear both used. I personally say “Zehbra” though.
Canada, rhymes with Debra. Mind you my mom was British so that may have been why I say it that way.
