In reply to:

Query: how is the name Beryl actually pronounced? I've never met anyone with that name, and the only ref. I've ever seen to pronouncing it involved the characters' gales of laughter at the pronunciation "barrel". The only alternative I can think of is something like buh-RILL.

It was only at this point in the thread that I had the faintest idea what you were all going on about. To me the first syllable in beryl is nothing like the first syllable in barrel. Don't the rest of you make any difference between, for example, bet and bat? The difference between beryl and barrel is exactly the same.


Bingley


Bingley