Thread: Help with English pronounciation

Thank you all for these answers !

Yves

Originally Posted by xman

'Pronounciation' is NOT a word. The second 'o' is dropped and the correct word is 'pronunciation'.


X

X, "pronounciation" is closer to being a word than "voyel". If you're going to pick nits you should begin with the biggest.

One of the first things you learn in phonetics/phonology is that there really is not only one way to pronounce vowels/consonants as the dialects around the world are different. Do you want to sound like someone from Australia? The great lakes area in North America(Land of the nasal)? Southern England? Or somewhere entirely different?
But as far as I recall from my first semester, [i] is one of our cardinal vowel sounds and the one most to the front which is closed, that we as humans can pronounce.
We learned to transcribe RP and GA (Received Pronunciation and General American respectively). These two varieties of English are used all over the world by people who teach the language.
There are monophthongs and diphthongs where you use the sounds, and honestly after quite awhile of trying to find a good way to explain it, I give up. Also I'm not even sure of the original question and how far I've sidetracked.

My best advice if you really want to learn to pronounce something in a certain way is to learn enough about the basics of phonetics and then listening phonological soundbites from native speakers. Because I don't see how anyone could explain it for you properly on a forum. If they can I'm going to steal it and get rich by selling the copies.

Originally Posted by rastewart

stuff..

Alas, I am undone!

Pretty much what I was trying to say, and much earlier. I should really remember to read all posts, time permitting, in order not to waste 30 minutes thinking and looking for books.

@ quick orange: My Mom is Danish and my Dad is from Jordan and add to that Deutsch and English from school

Originally Posted by icedog

X, "pronounciation" is closer to being a word than "voyel". If you're going to pick nits you should beging with the biggest.

Okay, typo I admit it. Not the same thing as butchering the slanguage.

Butchers usually remove things whereas a chef adds to the soup so to speak. I'd call him a chef, adding spice to our lives as 'twere!*



*Please take this message with "a grain of salt"** as I honestly know almost nothing about preparing and making food(I can toast bread and make macaroni and cheese, I had to ask for exact instructions on the latter).

**pun intended

Originally Posted by Chady

@ quick orange: My Mom is Danish and my Dad is from Jordan and add to that Deutsch and English from school

Assuming that means you know 4 languages, you're well on your way to being rich by way of linguistics

I know 4 languages as well, but I doubt I'll be making much off them: English, redneck, southern, and geek. I'm working on "female", but it's tough going

Arabic is defiantly the language that I suck the most at. Was never taught it, as in school and whatnot, so no ability to read/write there and poor phonetics I'm sure =)