phonetics of certain words with "i"

Question

I have from time to time noticed the different pronunciations of some words like civilization and organization where the "i" phonetically sounds like "aay". It is more clear in civilization since the first two "i"s sounds normal and then the third "i" is pronounced completely different. I sadly dont have a concrete example to show up and I'm a non-native. So I'm wondering, is this just an old pronunciation? Something to do with British- or American English? Maybe more narrowly, just something to do with a (old) dialect?

LPH · Accepted Answer

You are in fact correct; the American (Gen Am) pronunciation of "organization" is as follows (Longman Pronunciation Dictionary)

/ˌɔːrg ən‿ə ˈzeɪʃ ᵊn /

The italic schwa can combine with the following n into a syllabic n, or it can be pronounced as normal schwa. The ligature indicates that the following pronunciation is also an option.

/ˌɔːrg nə ˈzeɪʃ  ᵊn /

phonetics of certain words with "i"

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