This tip deals with words which end in <re> where the ending is preceded by one or more consonants. The ending of such words is usually pronounced simply as ə. Here is a list of examples:
acre cadre centre lucre chancre ogre manoeuvre metre nitre sabre saltpetre sombre timbre
If there is just one consonant before the ending then the vowel preceding that consonant is pronounced as a long vowel or diphthong. So, for example, sabre is pronounced ˈseɪbə, and metre is pronounced ˈmiːtə. The word cadre is pronounced ˈkɑːdə or ˈkeɪdə. Timbre is either ˈtæmbə or ˈtɪmbə.
Oeuvre can be pronounced ˈɜːvə, ˈɜːvrə or ɜːv.
Genre has quite a few alternative pronunciations: ˈʒɒnrə, ˈʒɑːnrə, ˈʒɒ̃rə, or ˈdʒɒnrə.
2014_01_18