Commonly mispronounced words

Originally Posted by grant

The length of syllables is independent from the number of syllables.

Yes, pronunciations vary by accent, even by individual (cf. this).

By real vowel I mean a vowel that is in the RP English phonemic inventory (what else would make sense since we can't hear each-other on the intarwebs?). Two vowels together count as one if they're a dipthong, tripthong, or denote vowel length. I can see why you might think the [ea] in "nuclear" is the dipthong /ea/ and thus a single vowel, but it isn't. The [ea] in "nuclear" isn't the same as the [ea] in near, and clear. In words like near and clear the [ea] is the dipthong /ea/. However, in the case of "nuclear" the [ea] is two separate phonemes.

I've never heard the "clear" part of "nuclear" pronounced the same as the word "clear". So, if you have the means, post some samples of your pronunciation of some words with [ea] in similar environments. (Make sure to pronounce them as you would in conversation. Also, try to them in a sentence. Don't try to pronounce things slower/faster, extra clearly, or with special diction. That distorts what is produced and heard.)

Squirrel is really tricky. I'm not touching it with a ten-foot pole.

I am not a phonologist, I just play one on TV.

Kinda' crushin' on you right now.

[monster]

Would you two like a little privacy?

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by monster

Would you two like a little privacy?

I have no clue what's going on. Must've been that bit about the ten-foot pole.

[monster]

Originally Posted by grant

I have no clue what's going on. Must've been that bit about the ten-foot pole.

That or the amazing jawline

[monster]

just been reminded of:

septic and sceptic

"I'm a little septical about that" Oh really? It makes you all pus-filled?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Or inflamed and irritated.

[Mixie]

I stumbled upon this particular thread through Google, and found that the subject is right up my alley. So much even, that I registered just because I wanted to contribute. Sad, I know.

Aside from many of the common irritations already mentioned, I feel obliged to add those that have been one of my major pet peeves: the 'would of', 'could of', and 'should of' combinations.

Someone already said in an earlier post that native English speaker don't have an excuse to mix words (I think it was in relation to you're/your), with which I wholeheartedly agree. But it frightens me that someone like me has a better grasp of the English language than people who have spoken it their entire lives.

I could go on for hours (or miles, measured in posts), but I'll end here. For now.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Welcome to the Cellar, Mixie.
Not sad at all, quite a common occurrence, actually.

But it frightens me that someone like me has a better grasp of the English language than people who have spoken it their entire lives.

Non-speakers have to learn all the weird rules that people growing up with it don't need to know how to communicate. That's the object, don't forget, not to be an English expert, but to communicate.

English is a very difficult language, with all it rules, exceptions and quirks.
I'm glad I speak American instead.

btw.... squirrel ....one syllable.

[Undertoad]

Thanks for stepping in Mix. We had a user whose tag line was "Should of been a cow girl" and it drove me straight up the wall. For extra credit, she stubbornly refused to correct it after it was pointed out as wrong.

[Mixie]

*waves* Hullo.

Well, I need to focus on British (RP, to be precise) for my study, and I must say that the most confusing bit of the language is to determine which parts are British and which are American. That's bloody difficult, I can tell you.

Yes, that makes it even worse; when people have a mistake pointed out to them (with flashing signs and visual aids) and refuse to correct it. I couldn't say whether they known damn well that they're wrong but are simply too stubborn to admit it, or just don't believe that they're wrong. I also can't say which one is worse. Lol.

In this thread I saw a few words that were foreign of origin, and thus easily mispronounced. Being all to familiar with this, I also come across the other side of it - Dutch people horribly mispronouncing English words. I have to bite off my tongue to prevent myself from saying something about it, because I don't want to look like a wise-ass. But it's sooo hard.. *whine*

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Mixie

I couldn't say whether they known damn well that they're wrong but are simply too stubborn to admit it, or just don't believe that they're wrong. I also can't say which one is worse. Lol.

There is a third possibility.... they don't care. Now can you decide which is worse?

[Mixie]

How can people NOT CARE?!

[monster]

Hi Mixie.

Are you British, American, Dutch or Other?

If not Dutch, can you say gracht (?sp) properly? (canal) i.e. without taking someone's eye out with a spittle bullet?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Mixie

In this thread I saw a few words that were foreign of origin, and thus easily mispronounced. Being all to familiar with this, I also come across the other side of it - Dutch people horribly mispronouncing English words. I have to bite off my tongue to prevent myself from saying something about it, because I don't want to look like a wise-ass. But it's sooo hard.. *whine*

Greetings from southern California and welcome to the Cellar, Mixie.

Do you have any entertaining examples of this?

Oddly enough, I don't really get angry about "could of" mis-writings -- a native-speaker sort of grammatical mistake brought on by not understanding the source of the "could've" contraction, which is inevitably going to sound like "could of," but which is readily set straight in elementary school English class.

This does not necessarily help the clods who spend that class asleep.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Mixie

How can people NOT CARE?!

Easy, with the attitude that if you are correcting them, then you must know what word they were (mis)using. If you know what word they were using, then you know what they were saying and that's all that's necessary. Everything else is unimportant.

The other reason could be, if they were pronouncing a word the way their family and friends always do (local dialect) then they don't want to change and be a misfit.

Oh and just one more.....lazy, ignorant, self absorbed people that have to drop their pants every morning because the Sun emanates from their butt.


btw it's coulda, shoulda, woulda.
or
She ate all she could of her mother's homemade cherry pie.