How do you pronounce 'roots' and 'roof'?

[philosophie_en_rose]

Poll question: How do you pronounce 'roots' and 'roof'?

[leftofthedial]

1. I wrote a song called Rt. 19

I pronounce the title "root" 19

but I pronounce the word "rout" when singing the song.

I never noticed I did it until, after I'd been performing the song for a few years, a fan asked me why I did that.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. I pronounce 'route' like 'root' (long O)...

the other pronunciation sounds kind of odd, really (but then I also think that other common pronunciations sound kind of odd--like 'data' with a short rather than long a, and 'new' and 'news' as 'noo' and 'nooz' instead of 'nyoo' and 'nyooz'). I seem to remember reading somewhere that the pronunciation of 'route' to rhyme with 'out' is more common in the southwestern US, so this is probably a regional thing.

[leftofthedial]

3. route rhyming with out is definitely common in the south

Well I left my home along the rural route
Told my paw I'm going stepping out
And get the honky tonk blues
Yeah the honky tonk blues
Well lord I got 'em
I got the ho-onky tonk blues

[ceile]

4. I pronounce "route" differently depending on how it's used.

If I ask someone "Which route did you take to get there" I pronounce it "rout". But when I'm asking about a specific road (like Route 66) I pronounce it "root". I have no idea why....maybe it's because I live in Texas (born and raised) and I'm around the grammatically challenged everyday.

[swag]

5. Rhyme with "boot" and "aloof" in my conversation. But I used to

pronounce them with a sound like the "u" in "put." I think I pronounced "creek" as "crick" back then, too.

Never did pronounce "ing" as though it rhymed with "bean," though I occasionally drop the "g" in a word like "fuckin'".

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Correctly.