Originally Posted By: vkn
I am keenly interested in knowing how the native speaker pronounces the word 'WRITHE'.

Being a non-native speaker, hitherto I have been pronouncing it in the normal way but I was really surprised when I happened to check it with 'Advanced Oxford Genie' (a pronunciation software)and hear it as 'RAIVE' (rhyming with 'waive' for example)


Edger Poe didn't think so, vke, he pronounced "writhe" as you do, otherwise this stanza would be less than genius and more like the sloppy soundings of Advanced Oxford Genies.

But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
___________________________________The Conqueror Worm (1836)

See?


Last edited by themilum; 06/22/2007 4:33 PM.