Main Entry: Feb·ru·ary

Pronunciation: \ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē, ˈfe-brə-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural Feb·ru·ar·ies or Feb·ru·ar·ys

Etymology: Middle English Februarie, from Old English Februarius, from Latin, from Februa, plural, feast of purification

Date: before 12th century

: the second month of the Gregorian calendar

usage Dissimilation may occur when a word contains two identical or closely related sounds, resulting in the change or loss of one of them. This happens regularly in February, which is more often pronounced \ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē\ than \ˈfe-brə-ˌwer-ē\, though all of these variants are in frequent use and widely accepted. The \y\ heard from many speakers is not an intrusion but rather a common pronunciation of the vowel u after a consonant, as in January and annual.