I think "am ball ance" is AAVE maybe? I know it's not standard but "am bue lance" sounds overworked and overproper to me.

@futurebird i responded am bue lance but tbh it's more am bue lunce in my (british) accent

How do you say "ambulance" ?

"bue" here rhymes with "hue"

@futurebird As in the act of ambulating or as in an emergency vehicle? I use 2 different pronunciations

@puf @futurebird Yeah, same. That vowel sound in "lance" / "lunce" is the same as in "the" (in my Mancunian accent). Known as a "schwa", pretty sure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid_central_vowel

@futurebird everyone i've met who said it "am-ball-ance" has been black, so i think you're correct. i kinda say it "am-bue-linse" rather than "-lance"

@miblo @puf @futurebird same here the "la" rhymes with "the"

i've heard the "ball" variant in some british accents too though i reckon

@futurebird also: ambulance? how about ample ants?

How do you say "ambulance" ?

"bue" here rhymes with "hue"

@futurebird

Am' blence

Is this a California thing, dropping the middle syllable of weird words? I similarly say "Feb' Wary"

@fondoffawns

I was thinking of the loud and flashy car with the lights on.

@futurebird gotta admit, I can’t remember ever using the word in reference to ambulation.

@futurebird I think it comes out more like am byuh lance when I say it.

@mpark same. I'm trying to think of other words with a "byuh" sound in them and can only think of Björk
@futurebird

How do you say "ambulance" ?

"bue" here rhymes with "hue"

@futurebird AMB-yule-ans