Is there a difference between すみません (sumimasen) and すいません (suimasen)?


My friend tells me one is more polite. I think they're the same. Who's right?
When can I use one or the other?




す **み** ません is the correct pronunciation, so on that count I suppose it would
be considered more polite by a very small margin. But just like in English,
people can be lazy with pronunciation, which is why you'll sometimes hear す
**い** ません. You also might run across す **ん** ません and す **ん** ま **へ** ん, but
from what I've read these are more Kansai-isms than anything else. When in
doubt, stick with the standard pronunciation, but in all cases the difference
is in pronunciation only (the meaning stays the same).




す **み** ません is the correct pronunciation, so on that count I suppose it would
be considered more polite by a very small margin. But just like in English,
people can be lazy with pronunciation, which is why you'll sometimes hear す
**い** ません. You also might run across す **ん** ません and す **ん** ま **へ** ん, but
from what I've read these are more Kansai-isms than anything else. When in
doubt, stick with the standard pronunciation, but in all cases the difference
is in pronunciation only (the meaning stays the same).

