[eozoon]

English is not my first language so I wouldn't presume I know more than people at Merriam Webster - but that sounds iffy to me. Sure, I don't say deb-t, but isn't the b still there as a plosive / stop? If it were just spelt "det" I feel like it'd have a more prominent t sound.

It also seems strange to say it would have been better to get rid of it when we definitely need the b in "debit" and "debenture", isn't it better to keep the b, if just for clearer etymology?

[ncmncm]

No, there is nothing there at all. If you look on a sonograph, "debt" and "det" sound exactly identical.

Anybody who imagines English pronunciation should match spelling can't possibly know much of anything about English.

Let's not get started on how many British pronounce "drawing".

[robbedpeter]

Drawring lol. That r just magically appears after ahh or ohh, and almost everyone is shocked when you point it out.

[srcreigh]

English. Emphasis on the ish.

[pessimizer]

> If it were just spelt "det" I feel like it'd have a more prominent t sound.

If it were just spelled 'det' the vowel would start jumping around. You'd have to go 'dett' or even 'dette' in order to avoid 'deet'.

[thaumasiotes]

> If it were just spelled 'det' the vowel would start jumping around. You'd have to go 'dett' or even 'dette' in order to avoid 'deet'.

Huh? None of this makes any sense.

[frutiger]

> If it were just spelt "det" I feel like it'd have a more prominent t sound.

In other examples, the prominent “t” sounds and the vowel seems to vary based on emphasis. Compare:

1. Marriage? We only just met yesterday!

2. I’m not really sure, I think I met him four or five years ago.

[inciampati]

How are these different? What is changing?