How do you pronounce "worsted" ? Do you hear an R ?

[Bird's One View]

I have read on the internets that we get the term "worsted" from the name of a town ... a town with an non rhotic accent ... and it is pronounced with the R silent ... "woosted" or "wuhsted".

Do any rhotic english speakers pronounce that R? Or do you defer to the word's origin in a non rhotic land and omit to say it, as with the first and second Rs in "Worcestershire sauce" ?

 

[Orsini]

Originally Posted by Bird's One View

I have read on the internets that we get the term "worsted" from the name of a town ... a town with an non rhotic accent ... and it is pronounced with the R silent ... "woosted" or "wuhsted". Do any rhotic english speakers pronounce that R? Or do you defer to the word's origin in a non rhotic land and omit to say it, as with the first and second Rs in "Worcestershire sauce" ?
According to this, the r is silent. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/worsted Fancy that...

 

[CharlestonBows]

Webster has it either way

... lets call the whole thing off.

 

[Orsini]

Originally Posted by CharlestonBows

Webster has it either way ... lets call the whole thing off.
Hummm. Which way would have more cachet?

 

[blueoakleyz]

r silent? BS

it's wirst-ted

 

[lizmasc]

Hmm, these online dictionary sites with a bunch of advertising, I don't know, I'm probably going to believe in something more credible. I'm not sure how this is pronounced though

 

[Britalian]

Phonetically, pronunciation of the 'r' sound is more down to regional accent.

 

[Tangfastic]

Wikipedia supports this for what its worth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worstead. The 'r' probably should be silent, assuming that's how the name of the village is pronounced...

 

[ManofKent]

I would say it's pronounced but with minimal emphasis - not quite silent, but barely there...