Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Many of these are degenerations in the pronunciation of names that originated in other languages. Sometimes a well-known namesake with the same spelling has a markedly different pronunciation. These are known as heterophonic names or heterophones (unlike heterographs , which are written differently but pronounced the same).
Many speakers of American, Canadian, Scottish and Irish English pronounce cot /ˈkɒt/ and caught /ˈkɔːt/ the same. [ k ] You may simply ignore the difference between the symbols /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ , just as you ignore the distinction between the written vowels o and au when pronouncing them.
The pronunciation system of English has undergone many changes throughout the history of the language, from the phonological system of Old English, to that of Middle English, through to that of the present day. Variation between dialects has always been significant.
Respelling non-English pronunciations into English is inadequate and misleading. If an English respelling is given for a Welsh or Māori name, not only would it be bad Welsh or Māori but the implication would be that it's the English pronunciation. Nonetheless, an ad hoc description of a non-English language word in that language is permitted.
A spelling pronunciation is the pronunciation of a word according to its spelling when this differs from a longstanding standard or traditional pronunciation. Words that are spelled with letters that were never pronounced or that were not pronounced for many generations or even hundreds of years have increasingly been pronounced as written, especially since the arrival of mandatory schooling ...
Some speakers may pronounce consonant-final English words with a strong vocalic offset, [definition needed] especially in isolated words (e.g. "dog" can be [ˈdɔɡə]). Czech /r/ is alveolar trill. There is a tendency to pronounce the trill in English and in all positions where r is written.
Pronunciation can change over time. Dictionaries may list the most commonly used forms of words, but as language changes, dictionaries change as well. At best, any guide to suggested pronunciation can reflect the preponderance of usage. A word like immediately, for example, is variously pronounced by Americans as: ihMEEdeeuhtlee; uhMEEdeeuhtlee
Words with Middle English with the /au/ diphthong generally developed to [ɒː] [verification needed] in Early Modern English (e.g. paw, daughter). However, in some of the words with the /a ~ au/ alternation, especially short words in common use, the vowel instead developed into a long A.