What's "wrong" and "right" in language.

       When we ponder what's "right" and "wrong" in language, we have to consider things like this:

       "Properly" speaking, "education" "should" be pronounced [EHD-you-KAY-shn].  Only trouble is, when you put syllables together in connected speech, those syllables influence one another. And when you are putting the tip of the tongue on the upper gum ridge to say [d], you are already anticipating the move toward the position for the letter "u" made high in the back of the mouth, which takes you  THROUGH the position for [zh] as in "azure."

       The sound  that comes out is neither [d] nor [zh] but a splicing of the two as in the sound we usually find spelled with the letter "j."  As in "judge."  [d] + [zh] = [j].

       There's no "j" in "education," but there IS.