How do you pronounce the word "been"?

[forrestcupp]

I'm mainly interested in how Americans pronounce the word "been", but I'm including choices for all of you non-Americans.

I'm just wondering, because everyone around here pronounces it "bin", but I've heard a lot of people on TV from California pronouncing it "bean".

Edit:
If you pronounce it "ben", just vote "bin" because they're fairly close, and that's basically what I meant. If you're from the south and you pronounce it "bee-un", vote "bin" because that's just the southern accent for pronouncing it that way.

I'm mainly wanting to know how many people pronounce it "bean", rhyming with "seen". It looks like not many from the US pronounce it that way.

[-grubby]

I thought I pronounced it "ben", but I guess I actually pronounce it "bin"

[forrestcupp]

I thought I pronounced it "ben", but I guess I actually pronounce it "bin"

:D I guess they're the same, aren't they?

[bsharp]

"bin" here.

[eternalnewbee]

I thought I pronounced it "ben", but I guess I actually pronounce it "bin"

I guess they're the same, aren't they?
Bin Hur?
So few vowels...
So many vowel sounds

[Dr Small]

I pronouce it as "ben" as in a short e.
There is a difference between "ben" and "bin", as in the difference between "entrance" and "inward" There is a distict difference between a short "e" and a short "i".

[Eisenwinter]

bin, and I'm not American.

[DrHackenbush]

This American says "ben" not "bin" and you can't go by what you hear out of California (for this or just about anything else) as representative of the USA.

[chucky chuckaluck]

in north carolina, it's a two syllable word.

[ajcham]

I can't really vote one or the other because it depends on context. Sometimes it is 'bean', others 'bin' and others still I pronounce it as 'bn' (with an indistinct vowel in between - I suppose you might lump it with 'bin'). Not American, BTW.

A few example sentences, and how my pronunciation changes between them:
Where've you bin?
Where have YOU bean? (Think annoyed parent tone - although I'm not a parent!)
What you bin up to?
I've bn looking for summat (something).

[lswest]

I'm not going to vote in the Poll, but I'm Canadian/German and I say been as bean or bin, depending on how fast I'm talking, where, or to whom.

Maybe allow selections for more than one option in the poll?

[conundrumx]

I'm from New England and have grown up hearing it as "bin." This is the way I say it.

The East (sans New York and Boston) and West coast are actually fairly similar in accents, so it's surprising to me that you heard someone (allegedly) from California say "bean."

[MikeTheC]

1. Ben;
2. Bin and Ben are not the same;
3. My native accent is "mid-west American".

[aaaantoine]

Bin. I've been pronouncing it that way all my life. Born and raised on Long Island.

[gn2]

2. Bin and Ben are not the same;


Correct.

This is a bin (http://www.brightink.com/images/RubbishBin.jpg).

This is a ben (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44458000/jpg/_44458131_xxx_lomond.jpg).

[-grubby]

I was talking about "bin" and "ben" phonetically, not objectively

[Lord DarkPat]

It depends on my accent.
If I'm putting on my native or American accent, I pronounce it similar to "bin". If British, "bean".

[gn2]

I was talking about "bin" and "ben" phonetically, not objectively

Phonetically been is neither bin nor ben.
Unless you're a resident of one of our former colonies. ;)

[Sand & Mercury]

'Bin', typical Australian accent.

[markp1989]

i normaly pronounce it bin, but it depends who im taking to. or what context.

example!

"its bean a while"

"where you bin?"

PS: from London UK

[init1]

Like "ben"

[forrestcupp]

in north carolina, it's a two syllable word.Ha, ha. I forgot about "bee-un". :)



Maybe allow selections for more than one option in the poll?
I guess for the poll, I was more interested in people who primarily say it one way or the other. You can't really tell much from a multi-choice poll.

[Giant Speck]

I am an American, and I pronounce it "ben."

[doobiest]

I think it depends on the context and my mood.

Similar to THE, being 'tha' or 'thee'

I'll say either Bin or Bean.

What have you Bin up to?

How have you Bean?

[forrestcupp]

The East (sans New York and Boston) and West coast are actually fairly similar in accents, so it's surprising to me that you heard someone (allegedly) from California say "bean."

I first started noticing it from the narrator on MythBusters. He pronounces it "bean" at least once in almost every episode. They are based in San Fransisco.

After I started noticing that guy, I began to notice a lot of actors and famous people from California pronouncing it "bean", even younger people that I wouldn't have thought would pronounce it that way.

So it got me wondering how many Americans do pronounce it that way. Evidently from this poll, not many.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

With my Texas accent none of the choices describe the way I pronounce it. There are not enough vowels. "Beeeeaan" or something like that. Pronunciation also changes depending on the sentence it is used in, and the circumstance in which it is used. It is sometimes just "Bin". For example, with a coworker it may be "Bin"; however, with a family member it may be "Beeeeaan". It seems that the more vowels used, the more affection is being expressed. "Bin" for coworkers or "Beeeeaan" for family, loved-ones, significant other, etc.
:lolflag:

[Koselara]

I'm from California, and all three sound distinctly different when I say them (I just tried each one several times to be sure):
been --> like enter
bin --> like inter
bean --> like screen

[Koselara]

After I started noticing that guy, I began to notice a lot of actors and famous people from California pronouncing it "bean", even younger people that I wouldn't have thought would pronounce it that way.

That's bizarre... I've always lived in the SF Bay Area, but assuming "bean" rhymes with cream or dream, I've never heard of anybody pronouncing "been" that way. Maybe it's one of those unusual in-crowd ways to look 'cool' for some people associated with the movie/television industries? :confused:


The East (sans New York and Boston) and West coast are actually fairly similar in accents ...
I noticed that when I visited friends in Washington D.C. several years ago, they did sound a lot like people from where I live... The difference, I learned, is that they drop letters from some words when speaking, like a less drastic version of a Southern accent. This was most obvious when we each referred to their state: I was taught to say Mary-land as it's written, but they all referred to it as something like Mrr'len.

[billgoldberg]

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/images/mr-bean.jpg

[schauerlich]

I first started noticing it from the narrator on MythBusters. He pronounces it "bean" at least once in almost every episode. They are based in San Fransisco.

The announcer is Australian. He uses a fake American accent when he does voiceovers.

I'm from northern california and I've only heard it pronounced "ben" or "bin" by 95% of the people I talk to.

[sstusick]

I'm mainly interested in how Americans pronounce the word "been", but I'm including choices for all of you non-Americans.

I'm just wondering, because everyone around here pronounces it "bin", but I've heard a lot of people on TV from California pronouncing it "bean".
None of those. I pronounce it as the name "Ben."

[blackened]

I can't really vote one or the other because it depends on context. Sometimes it is 'bean', others 'bin' and others still I pronounce it as 'bn' (with an indistinct vowel in between - I suppose you might lump it with 'bin'). Not American, BTW.

A few example sentences, and how my pronunciation changes between them:
Where've you bin?
Where have YOU bean? (Think annoyed parent tone - although I'm not a parent!)
What you bin up to?
I've bn looking for summat (something).

I second this. It's totally dependent on context. And I'm American.

[forrestcupp]

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/images/mr-bean.jpgAwesome! :guitar:


The announcer is Australian. He uses a fake American accent when he does voiceovers.
That's cool, I didn't know that. The main woman on Chuck is Australian with a fake American accent, too.

But I have noticed several people pronouncing it that way lately. Like someone else said, maybe they think it makes them look cool or intelligent when they're in a crowd. There is a lot of vanity in Hollywood.

[Giant Speck]

That's cool, I didn't know that. The main woman on Chuck is Australian with a fake American accent, too.

I remember that Diana from The 4400 also speaks with a fake American Accent, and she's Australian.

I think the only show I know of that I watch today that has an Australian with an actual Australian accent is House (Dr. Chase). However, that show stars a British actor with a fake American accent (Dr. House).

[forrestcupp]

I remember that Diana from The 4400 also speaks with a fake American Accent, and she's Australian.

I think the only show I know of that I watch today that has an Australian with an actual Australian accent is House (Dr. Chase). However, that show stars a British actor with a fake American accent (Dr. House).

I think they're taking over the industry. All of our actors are trying to be sophisticated and pronounce "been" like "bean" so we have to import foreign actors with fake accents to pronounce the words right. :D