| Comment | I'm not familiar with 'router' in the computer sense, but I wouldn't expect it to be pronounced in any way other than /raut'r/ in AE. Partly because it looks just like the tool sense, which is more familiar to more people, and which can only be pronounced as in 'rout'; and partly because it also looks like 'outer,' 'pouter,' 'shouter,' etc. And partly because otherwise there's a risk of confusion with 'rooter,' as in Roto-.
Could the verb 'route' be /raut/ more often than the noun in AE? That's just a guess, but somehow the noun seems more variable to me.
The noun does vary widely within AE, as was said in the earlier thread. 'Route 66' may be a special case, probably usually pronounced /ruut/ because that's how it was in the original, or so I imagine. But most other highways, and the word in general ('Which route would you take?'), are indeed /ruut/ in parts of the North and East and /raut/ in much of the rest of America (including where I'm from). At least, I would guess that that's how it breaks down, but it's just a guess.
@Greenhorn: Tastes differ, and you're entitled to yours. But you probably won't like the sound of words like 'lingerie,' 'bouillon,' 'cul-de-sac,' or 'hors d'oeuvres' either. *g*
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