Talk:Spelling pronunciation

This is an excerpt from an unpublished treatise I wrote. I have put in the IPA in a couple of examples. I'll leave it to someone else to remove the accents, should they wish. Ro Thorpe 17:13, 26 October 2007 (CDT)

As I said, there is a lot more where this came from, on individual letters and their uses in English, on the sounds and their dfferent spellings, differences between British and American - all done with my accent system, as an alternative to the IPA - though of course I'd be happy to include explanatory IPA symbols. It's a fact that many people, foreign learners and native speakers, find the IPA unhelpful and annoying (just ask User:Hayford Peirce!). Ro Thorpe 13:17, 7 November 2007 (CST)

on library, both r's get pronounced. see [1] Richard Jensen 20:35, 15 November 2007 (CST)

I can't argue with an expert, but I *still* think the first para. should read the way I first had it, maybe with some qualifiers, such as "The F in "often" and the L in "salmon" are *generally* (or some qualifier) considered mispronounced if they are heard; conversely, it is generally considered incorrect *not* to pronounce the R in February and Library." It depends, of course, on one's philosophy: I'm a Second Edition Merriam Websters International Unabridged out-and-out prescriptivist; Ro, evidently, is a Third Edition decriptivist.... Hayford Peirce 21:16, 15 November 2007 (CST)

Yes, and I have rewritten accordingly, including Richard's link. Even I, however, am somewhat shocked to hear that some pronounce the 'l' in 'salmon'. What would Salman Rushdie say? Ro Thorpe 09:30, 19 November 2007 (CST)

I have a lady friend ('Merkin) who, for the 30 years I've known her, says, "I'll have the sal-mun, please. And bring the refills on the wine off-ten." Two birds in one sentence. And, of course, there are other people that I can think of. Maybe the "sal-mun" business is more 'Merkin than Brit...." Hayford Peirce 10:11, 19 November 2007 (CST)

"footballing"

I imagine that it is v. clear to any Brit, and to *some* 'Merkins, what "footballing" refers to in the lede paragraph, but I think it's something that ought to be rewritten to ensure 100% comprehension across the boards. And, trust me on this, I knew many 'Merkans who said "Sal-mun" for the fish long, *long* before anyone had ever heard of the Indian writer.... Hayford Peirce 16:52, 1 March 2008 (CST)

Right. Appropriate (I hope) adjustments will be made. Ro Thorpe 17:48, 1 March 2008 (CST)

I could link 'footballing' to you know what & Milan to the club. What do you think? Ro Thorpe 18:12, 1 March 2008 (CST)

You mean like footballing, hehe? I think it's fine the way you've rearranged things with your examples! Hayford Peirce 18:31, 1 March 2008 (CST)

Good - Ro Thorpe 18:40, 1 March 2008 (CST)

"which" to "that"

Curses! Foiled again! Hayford Peirce 12:53, 12 March 2008 (CDT)

Candidate

Oxford 1974 says candidayt is the normal American pronunciation: if that's still so, it will have to come out. Ro Thorpe 17:10, 25 March 2008 (CDT)

I'm making a section for it & Lebanon. Ro Thorpe 19:57, 25 March 2008 (CDT) Or perhaps that's unnecessary, better to leave them out...?

Yes, they are clutter here. I'll make a link. Ro Thorpe 11:51, 26 March 2008 (CDT)

French

Thanks, Domergue, for the very interesting section. Ironically, I had just swapped Italian & Portuguese round to make it alphabetical, but I don't have the energy to realphabeticise it now. But it is very modest to put French last as many more anglophones (even today) learn French, I think, than the others.

So my pronunciation 'Auzerre' has always been wrong?! Ro Thorpe 20:34, 28 November 2010 (UTC)

You're welcome Ro. In fact, x is pronounced [z] in deuxième, dixième but [s] in Auxerre, Bruxelles, soixante. I guess it must be quite cumbersome to learn for non native speakers, you're not guilty.--Domergue Sumien 21:45, 28 November 2010 (UTC)

Well, I had all the others right! Presumably I misheard Auxerre once, and it stuck... Ro Thorpe 00:34, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

I remember once having dinner in Auxerres, (burgundy), or nearby, and corrected the sommelier on his pronunciation of the Auxerres wine we had just ordered. I had just read a brief note about the correction pronunciation, but I can't remember now whether I told him it was OX-zerres or Oh-zerres. Whatever it was, he was not pleased. Dumb American! Hayford Peirce 04:33, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

Kosovo

In Russian, according to the rules I remember reading, Kosovo would indeed be pronounced Kosova, but presumably this is not the case with Serbian. Ro Thorpe 00:37, 29 November 2010 (UTC)