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  • This is everyday grammar.

  • I'm Alice Bryant.

  • February can be a cold month in the northeastern United States.

  • Often there are harsh winds and heavy snows.

  • But winter weather is not the Onley thing you'll find in the northeastern part of the country.

  • Another thing you might notice is how people talk.

  • For instance, I grew up in New England, where we pronounced the are in February and the tea in often.

  • Most of my friends from other places, however, do not say these words the way I dio listen to the too common American pronunciations for often often often, and the two pronunciations for February, February February.

  • These pronunciations are often the subject of friendly debate.

  • But can you guess which ones are correct?

  • The answer is this.

  • They all are both pronunciations of each word are considered acceptable and can be found in American dictionaries.

  • So why do Americans say these words differently?

  • The answer comes down to a few things.

  • What part of the country we grew up in, what dialect of American English we speak and what our personal preferences.

  • It is also true that an American may use both pronunciations of the same word, for instance, in a single conversation.

This is everyday grammar.

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