Discussion Forum
This is a forum to discuss the gray areas of the English language for which you would not find answers easily in dictionaries or other reference books.
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Latest Posts : Misc
I thought you could put /s/ on a copy of a signed letter to indicate the original had been signed. Right or wrong?
Can anyone tell me why the second ‘a’ in Canada and Canadian is pronounced differently?
I’m English/British and I and from England/Britain.
Surely it should either be Can-a-da & Can-a-dian or Can-ay-da & Can-ay-dian...
My guess is it has something to do with the French influence, but I would love to know for sure.
Here in the UK our language has been heavily influenced over the years, including by the French and it has always interested where these things start or change.
I was in empty space in an elevator one day when it occurred to me that it’s actually “pains-taking”, the taking of pains to do something thoroughly. I’d never thought about it before.
But it’s too hard to pronounce “painz-taking”, because the “z” sound must be voiced; whereas the unvoiced “s” combines easily with the “t” to make “-staking”, so that’s what we say. That’s my theory, but BrE might be different. Is it?
Why does the Western media have so many different spellings for some Arabic terms?
eg:
1. hezbollah hesbollah hizbullah hizbollah hisbollah
2. ayatollah ayatullah
I’m having a custom item made to indicate when our home was established. The year will be the year my husband and I were married and started our family. My issue is I’m not sure how our name should appear. Here is the text.
The (LAST NAME)
Est. 2008
Our last name is Myers. Please help! I’m not sure if it should be possessive (ownership of the home/family) or plural (for the people).
At the clinic I was directed to the “subwait area” and left to ponder my fate. I did wonder whether this should be sub-wait and how fully portable “sub” has become as a preposition and/or prefix, when attached to a Germanic-rooted word. What other words are there where “sub” is used as an English word, apart from phrases like “sub judice” and “sub” as a short form of “substitute” eg in sport “he was subbed off”?
Can you please comment on a trend that I have noticed recently. More and more people seem to be pronouncing words that contain the letters “str” as if they were written “shtr”. Strong sounds like shtrong, strange sounds like shtrange, and so on. I have noticed even my favorite NPR journalists mispronouncing these words. I first noticed this pronunciation in one of Michelle Obama’s early speeches. I’d appreciate any insight that you might have.
I have always believed, probably in common with most Scots, that the pronunciation of “gill” varies depending on whether one is referring to the organ of respiration in fishes and other water-breathing animals ( /ɡɪl/ ), or a measure of liquid (/dʒɪl/ ), or even one of the many other variations of the word. I was therefore somewhat surprised recently when watching an episode of QI to hear the erstwhile Stephen Fry and his guests use /ɡɪl/ for both the fishy organ and the liquid measure..
Does anyone know if there are rules governing the pronunciation of “a”? It’s either “AYE” or “UH”, depending on the word following. My preference is dictated by how it sounds and how it flows off the tongue, but I have never been able to establish if actual rules exist.
Americans and Australians tend to use “AYE” all the time and sometime it just sounds ridiculous, like...”Aye man driving aye car stopped at aye traffic light”
What diacritic would I use over the word YANA to accent the first a as an “ah” (short o) sound. It is pronounced Yahna. Thanks!
Latest Comments
Why Asian English Speakers Are Hard to Understand
- jessicaalex
- May 12, 2024, 6:31pm
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Why Asian English Speakers Are Hard to Understand
- jessicaalex
- May 12, 2024, 6:30pm
Professors may evaluate students based on their participation in class discussions, group activities, presentations, and workshops. Participation assessments consider students' engagement, contributions to discussions, critical analysis of topics, and ability to collaborate with peers.Homework assignments are practice tasks designed to reinforce learning do my assignment for me of class. They can include readings, exercises, online quizzes, and problem-solving tasks. Homework assessments evaluate students' understanding of material, ability to apply concepts, and completion of assigned tasks.
Is there a grammar of spoken English?
- elizabethwilliams_7
- May 8, 2024, 6:32am
The conversation is about three ideas on how grammar works in spoken English. The first idea says that spoken English doesn't really have a proper grammar, but this view isn't taken too seriously because it's based on old thinking that only written language has grammar. The second idea thinks that spoken English follows the same grammar as written English, just with some differences in how often certain things are used. The third idea believes that spoken English does have its own grammar, different from written English, and it's about how conversation naturally flows and creates its own rules.
Why Asian English Speakers Are Hard to Understand
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- May 7, 2024, 1:33pm
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Why Asian English Speakers Are Hard to Understand
- pacejeremy
- May 7, 2024, 1:33pm
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“Bring” vs. “Take” differences in UK and American English
- alexanderdaniel
- May 3, 2024, 5:08am
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“Bring” vs. “Take” differences in UK and American English
- alexanderdaniel
- May 3, 2024, 5:07am
In the modern educational landscape, students face numerous challenges when it comes to academic writing tasks. From complex academic demands to tight deadlines, everything makes the writing task difficult for students. The increasing academic pressure and higher expectations pose challenges for students and make their journey stressful. To overcome the writing challenges, students prefer professional assistance from experts. Getting guidance from assignment helper is the right choice for students to overcome the writing challenges. Getting support from professional experts students can access various advantages and features for the academic project.
data is vs. data are
- user116187
- May 2, 2024, 10:34am
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"badly miscalculated" — double negatives?
- Faraon23
- May 1, 2024, 12:53am
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Why Don’t We Abolish Irregular Verbs and Nouns?
The idea of getting rid of irregular verbs and nouns to make language learning easier, especially for young kids and people learning English as a second language, sounds tempting. But language isn't just about rules; it's also about history and culture. Irregularities in language reflect how it has evolved over time, and they add depth and character to communication. Trying to force big changes on a language might not go down well with people who value tradition and the unique quirks of their language. Instead of ditching irregularities completely, maybe we could focus on explaining them better and using new teaching methods to make language learning more accessible for everyone.