February
noun
ˈfe-brə-
How do you pronounce February?: Usage Guide
Dissimilation may occur when a word contains two identical or closely related sounds, resulting in the change or loss of one of them. This happens regularly in February, which is more often pronounced \ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē\ than \ˈfe-brə-ˌwer-ē\, though all of these variants are in frequent use and widely accepted. The \y\ heard from many speakers is not an intrusion but rather a common pronunciation of the vowel u after a consonant, as in January and annual.
Examples of February in a Sentence
Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Mar. 2025
Then, in February, a reporter at The Information sent an inquiry to Rippling that included Slack messages from inside Rippling, which the startup concluded were collected by the Deel spy, the filing says.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025
In February, The Wall Street Journal reported the Trump Justice Department opened an investigation into MA billing practices by United Healthcare, the largest Medicare Advantage insurer.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Researchers visited Dusky Sound in February to conduct a Baited Remote Underwater Video survey, or BRUV survey.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“February.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/February. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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February
noun
ˈfeb-rə-
Old English Februarius "February," from Latin Februarius "February," literally, "of Februa," from Februa "feast of cleansing"
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