Buoy

How do you pronounce this word. I pronounce it ''boo-ee'', but, I've heard some people pronounce it ''boo'', the same as the word ''boo''.

I pronounce it /boi/ the same way I pronounce "boy".

Wow, Jim! That is odd to my Californian ears. I pronounce it as "boo-ee" or in French, "bu-i."

boo-ee

When people say ''buoy'' as ''boo'' or ''boy'', it just sounds like they're leaving out a syllable to me.

To me it sounds like they're adding one in when they say /bu:i(:)/ (i.e. "boo-ee"). It's all a matter of what you're used to /bu:i(:)/ sounds quite odd to my Aussie ears.

How about "buoyant", "buoyantly" and "buoyancy"? I say /boi..nt/, /boi..ntli(:)/ and /boi..nsi(:)/.

dictionary.reference.com has two different pronounciations. Boy and boo-ee. I prefer boy since boo-ee sounds too cutesy.

It's true...for "buoyant," "buoyantly" and "buoyancy" I use the 'boy' sound. It's only for "buoy" that the "oo-ee" comes into play.

I had not heard "boo-ee" for "bouy" until recently and I thought it sounded very peculiar, like "erb" for "herb".

http://www.dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=10301&dict=CALD lists both noting /bu:i(:)/ as the US pronunciation. It also says that the other words are always /boi..nt/, /boi..ntli(:)/ and /boi..nsi(:)/.

Yeah, also /e:(r)b/ (i.e. "erb") for "herb" sounds peculiar to me.

I pronounce "buoy" as "boy" like Jim and Jack Doolan. I've never heard it pronounced as "boo-ee".

Jim, Mjd has said it all for me.

"It's true...for "buoyant," "buoyantly" and "buoyancy" I use the 'boy' sound. It's only for "buoy" that the "oo-ee" comes into play."

I say "boo-ee" but "boy-ancy." I know it makes no logical sense but it sounds weird to call the thing floating in the water a "boy."