181–190 of 341 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A word of note: In British English "color" is spelt "colour"
I'm based in the US, where it's spelled without the "u". Quite a few examples of this spelling difference - humo(u)r, behavio(u)r etc. Oh and "spelt" is "spelled". Isn't English fun! :)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Possibly a Britishism, like you say. Personally I've never heard the 'S' pronounced here. "Coo du grar" Edit : Just remembered this scene from Kill Bill where Michael Madsen says it : https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/50fcbf85-e7ca-4d07-8242-adb15db...
Hmm, maybe it's a common mistake on both sides of the pond? Here's an article discussing the same pronunciation in American English: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/22/most-commonly-mispronounced-... I think I just happened to learn that phrase in grade school, from a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook lol[1], while I was learning French and witnessing the horror that was "foie gras". So the "de gras" part just never made se…
As a non-native English speaker, the "randomness" of English pronunciation has been a source of frustration for me for many years. I realized there are two types of issues: 1. Some sounds in English don't exist in other languages and you have to learn them "from scratch". For example the "flap T" in butter. Or the particular American "r" (constrast it to the Spanish rolled r for instance). 2. Certain sounds I DID kno…
Or, if you are from New York / New Jersey, the correct pronunciation is 'budder'. :)
- bouny hunner
- innerview
- alannic ciddy
- Rocky Mounins
- haunid house
- udderly
- budder (the bagel topping)
- winner (the season)
- bidder (the taste)
- invennive
- annie-American
- bedder
- odder (the cute wadder mammal)
The inventive ways that Ts are dropped in favor of:
- Ns
- Ds
- glottal stops
- nothing at all
are legion.
I've mused about publishing a compilation of these words with dropped Ts, but it's hit-or-miss whether the other person in America who cares would buy the book.
Disappointed on the first result: "I'm not going to try to pronounce". It seems the subs need not match up with what is actually said.
The site is really smooth and great to use though.
edit: was trying to look up pronunciation of the hill named Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu[0], and very surprisingly got the error "Sorry...your query is too long!".
Something I’ve learned as someone with high proficiency in another language that I learned in adulthood (I would never say fluent, maybe “functionally” fluent): Poor pronunciation (I.e. thick accent) but good grammar is usually more forgiven by a native than great pronunciation but poor grammar. Because then you sound more native, but you sound a bit… mentally slow. I am in the latter camp. My Mandarin Chinese accent…
Sometimes grammar can give away a non-native speaker, particularly: “Show me how it looks like.” The use of how here is hard to explain, but it’s wrong. It should be “what it looks like”. This is an instant giveaway usually. But even native English speakers have weird ways of saying things. One grammatical error I hear a lot in people from the Appalachia region is the “needs done” construction. Always sounds bizarre.…
As a non-native English speaker, the "randomness" of English pronunciation has been a source of frustration for me for many years. I realized there are two types of issues: 1. Some sounds in English don't exist in other languages and you have to learn them "from scratch". For example the "flap T" in butter. Or the particular American "r" (constrast it to the Spanish rolled r for instance). 2. Certain sounds I DID kno…
There are many English dialects, and sounds (and meanings) vary, A LOT. It's up to you whether you want to try and assimilate the local dialect of where you live right now, or you want to simply understand and be understood.
There are many non-native speakers who are extremely easy to understand, even though it is clear that English is their second (or third) language. I believe the hardest part is to learn how to make sounds that do not exist in your native language (both consonants and vowels). But the good news is that there are ways to learn that. The human mouth is capable of pronouncing all human sounds, it is only a matter of practice.
The English spelling is guided by meaning, not by sound. So trying to make the sounds out of the letters will always be a frustrating endeavor, as there will never be a single rule you can follow.