My husband was helping one of the boys with a little project today, which involved the use of an envelope, and I noticed that he was speaking of an "ahnvelope." I usually pronounce it with an "en" rather than an "on" first syllable, but I've heard the word pronounced both ways all my life. So, scratching the itch of curiousity, I resolved to learn why the variable pronunciation. And it is:

"Envelope" was borrowed from the French, and initially was pronounced as the French word was, with the "ah" sound, like envoy, encore, ennui, ensemble, entree, entourage, and entrepreneur. That pronunciation is still considered acceptable, although it is now in the minority, as "envelope" has become anglicized.

How do you pronounce "envelope"? Has that pronunciation changed over the years? Does it differ from how your parents pronounced "envelope"?