I need a new roof. I've been advised to replace my tar and gravel roof with a modified bitumen roof.

Question:
Which of the following most closely resembles the way you pronounce "bitumen" (the highly viscous, black, sticky liquid that is entirely soluble in carbon disulfide)?

Choices:
bye-TOO-men
bit-TOO-men
BIT-too-men
BIT-uh-min

 

But actually more like

BI (as in bit) chew mun

What Bob said - that is, none of the pronunciations suggested.

As Bob and Richard. Since there's no "none of the above" choice, I've not voted.

quote:

"none of the above"

Interesting. I've only heard it pronounced two ways in the U.S., and I'm wondering if there is a regional difference. So the common British pronunciation is roughly BI (as in bit) chew mun ?

Exactly so

Interesting. I've never heard it pronounced with a "chew."

quote:

Interesting. I've never heard it pronounced with a "chew."

Purists would complain about this pronunciation, but nevertheless most normal apeakers would slur the "tu" sound into a "chew" sound in words containing "tu" in a unstressed position.

"BIT-yu-men" would be considered rather affected - even though it is probably more accurate.

I've heard two pronunciations: bye-TOO-mun, which is how I would pronounce it, and bit-uh-min, with approximately equal stress on each syllable. The second is the only pronunciation I've heard from contractors in California.