Distribute ⁰

I don’t see the problem. Who isn’t saying them properly and how are they going wrong?

If you can access OED through your library card and go to the pronunciation section, it shows that for British English you can stress the middle or the first syllable. For U.S. English it’s only the middle syllable.

Is that what you meant?

Had a set-to with DD about paracetamol.
I pronounce it parasetamol and she says paraseetamol.

Google:-

duh-STRI-byoot distribute

kuhn-TRIB-yoot. contribute

I don't pronounce either like that. There must be something wrong with me.

Northerner English tends to stress the first syllable whereas Southern English stresses the second syllable as explained in OED entry above. They are both right. It is simply due to different regional accents. Nothing to get worked up about!

Northern English - typo

You say tomato- I say tomatoe!

loopyloo

Had a set-to with DD about paracetamol.
I pronounce it parasetamol and she says paraseetamol.

I expect the "see" pronunciation is correct as the "see" sound is also in its other name acetaminophen.

I don't know this for sure but logically it makes sense.

OK.

Why didn't I just do this:

dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/paracetamol

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202605/medium-afv6rl-screenshot-2026-05-31-at-09-02-47.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202605/medium-avo05s-screenshot-2026-05-31-at-09-04-24.png

Paracetamol

My DM called the appendages on eether eyether side of your face, your Years
It always irritated me.
And here is me trying to learn Gaelic. 😟😂

Have I correctly contributed to the discussion?

MaizieD

I don’t see the problem. Who isn’t saying them properly and how are they going wrong?

Every time it's mentioned on TV they pronounce it distra bute instead of dis Trib ute.

I'd no idea at all, until last week that there is an expected way of saying words in terms of emphasising particular parts.

I say DIS tribute.

I'm a Southerner with Northern parents if that helps!

Is it offen or often?

I think i say it either way, and I don't even care!

CONtribute does mildly irritate me, but not nearly as much as REEsearch.

And I do hope I’m not the only one who wishes the Shipping Forecast presenters would pronounce Cape Wrath to rhyme with moth, and not with American-speak math.

I usually emphasise the first syllable of distribute and I say paraSEETamol (and have heard medics say it the same way).

The one that annoys me is 'nucular' instead of 'nu-clear'.

Definitely often!

kircubbin2000: If you can't say this properly just Google it.

All is not lost. I can say 'this' properly without the need to Google 'it'.

Grannybags yes because it can't be a disTRIbution lorry. Or can it?

Now you've got me walking about muttering distribution out loud and doubting myself 😁

Grannybags

Now you've got me walking about muttering distribution out loud and doubting myself 😁

😂😂😂

kircubbin2000

MaizieD

I don’t see the problem. Who isn’t saying them properly and how are they going wrong?

Every time it's mentioned on TV they pronounce it distra bute instead of dis Trib ute.

Aaahhh. I get it. That is awful, I'd be shouting at the screen.

On the other hand, the matter of which syllable is stressed is not so serious

Though the modern tendency to say ree search drives me up the wall