Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Mar 13th 2012, 8:28 am
#46
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Mar 13th 2012, 8:34 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Oswaldtwistle and Penistone.
Mar 13th 2012, 8:36 am
#48
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
I think you are correct Dorothy but as the English language has evolved it's more common to say 'a hotel' now (keeping the 'h') for words where the 'h' is dropped like, heir, heirloom, hour you keep the 'an'. Wonder if US people say 'an 'erb'?? That would sound really weird!
My daughter's boss is French and she said he has the most beautiful accent.
Mar 13th 2012, 8:50 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
I think you are correct Dorothy but as the English language has evolved it's more common to say 'a hotel' now (keeping the 'h') for words where the 'h' is dropped like, heir, heirloom, hour you keep the 'an'. Wonder if US people say 'an 'erb'?? That would sound really weird!
An erb...I guess so if you were talking about one. I just had to quiz hubby about it...Hmm..."Parsley is an erb that grows in the garden." Well, we wouldn't say a erb, or an herb...
I did ask for the Herb turkey breast at Coles last week. Guess there's no hope for me now...
They're going to confiscate my Canadian passport for that one.
Last edited by Japonica; Mar 13th 2012 at 8:53 am.
Mar 13th 2012, 9:00 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
This time round I have been fixated on the way they pronounce "years". It's almost like "yes", perhaps "yees" at best
It should sound broadly like "ears" with a "y", and I don't think they would pronounce the former as "ees". Or would they?
Was talking to a lovely French girl here the other day, she said "You must be Eenglish, no? You are only zee second person I 'ave met 'ere who I can understand!"
It should sound broadly like "ears" with a "y", and I don't think they would pronounce the former as "ees". Or would they?
Was talking to a lovely French girl here the other day, she said "You must be Eenglish, no? You are only zee second person I 'ave met 'ere who I can understand!"
Mar 13th 2012, 9:01 am
#51
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
You mean the [y] as in high front rounded vowel...some of us can do it. Have German or French to thank for it though. German especially. If you're a lazy English speaker and decide to substitute [u] for [y], you get entirely different words in some cases, and some quizzical looks from the person you're speaking with.
According to Wikipedia, the Scots can say it
Mar 13th 2012, 9:03 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Try these for good measure
Bourgougnague
Villemoustaussou
Last edited by elice_in_oz; Mar 13th 2012 at 9:13 am.
Mar 13th 2012, 9:05 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
This time round I have been fixated on the way they pronounce "years". It's almost like "yes", perhaps "yees" at best
It should sound broadly like "ears" with a "y", and I don't think they would pronounce the former as "ees". Or would they?
Was talking to a lovely French girl here the other day, she said "You must be Eenglish, no? You are only zee second person I 'ave met 'ere who I can understand!"
It should sound broadly like "ears" with a "y", and I don't think they would pronounce the former as "ees". Or would they?
Was talking to a lovely French girl here the other day, she said "You must be Eenglish, no? You are only zee second person I 'ave met 'ere who I can understand!"
In my lovely country, a lot of people say ear, year and hear/here in exactly the same way, can be confusing....
Mar 13th 2012, 9:17 am
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I reckon I'd do a better job with those names than you of my name any day
Mar 13th 2012, 9:50 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
when i had my first job in Oz as a secretary in a solicitors office, they called memo's ''meemo's''. It took me ages to work out what they were on about.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
Dayboo also bugs the crap out of me, as well as newsreaders who say "an 'istoric', instead of 'a historic', talk about making it difficult for yourself.
No.
They say root on the weather channel. The flood water ad - Don't drive through flood water... find another root (route). So it can be done.
Last edited by Alfresco; Mar 13th 2012 at 9:52 am.
Mar 13th 2012, 10:29 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
Mar 13th 2012, 11:09 am
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Re: Debut pronunciation drives me mad!
The Canadian version of "herb" for my province is "erb." Apparently it drives British expats bonkers...there was a thread on it a while back in the Canadian forum.
An erb...I guess so if you were talking about one. I just had to quiz hubby about it...Hmm..."Parsley is an erb that grows in the garden." Well, we wouldn't say a erb, or an herb...
I did ask for the Herb turkey breast at Coles last week. Guess there's no hope for me now... They're going to confiscate my Canadian passport for that one.
An erb...I guess so if you were talking about one. I just had to quiz hubby about it...Hmm..."Parsley is an erb that grows in the garden." Well, we wouldn't say a erb, or an herb...
I did ask for the Herb turkey breast at Coles last week. Guess there's no hope for me now...
They're going to confiscate my Canadian passport for that one.