Words you can't....

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:05 am

What are some words you can't say or have trouble saying? I'm just curious.

For me, it's "drawer". I cannot for the life of me figure out how to say this word. I have struggled with it since I was a kid and was seldom made fun of for how I attempted to say it. In my advlt life it is by far the one word that I am most conscious about. I avoid saying the word at all times and I go out of my way to substitute other words to use in place of it.

For example, if someone is at my house and asks for a certain utensil in the kitchen that happens to be in a drawer I will actually get it for them so I do not have to say the word. I will also refrain from using it when referring to dressers, or filing cabinets or anything that has a drawer in it. I've even gone so far as to say, "It's in the third slidey thing from the bottom." to avoid using the word. It's not for lack of trying but I do not know how to say it, I'm not sure if it's because of the Jersey accent that I just don't hear or something subconscious. So, what words do the members of the BGSF have trouble using?

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sarah simon-rogaume
 
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Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:41 am

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:49 am

Say the word fast enough and no one will notice your pronunciation of it.

I used to have a friend who would correct people when they mispronounced a word. I finally told him, "If you knew what I was saying, then you don't need to correct me, do you?"

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Rachell Katherine
 
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Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:21 pm

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:35 am

YouTube has a series of videos about pronunciation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u7_DsTsEio
:smile:

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Kelsey Anna Farley
 
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Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:33 pm

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:37 am

Words like "coke", which end up sounding more like "cork" thanks to my mangled north-eastern accent. Also chemicals like "hydrogen" sometimes just come out as random slurring for no apparent reason. I also managed to not be able to type it let alone speak it.

As far as other people are concerned, BBC presenters' love of pronouncing "drawing" as "draw ring" drives me nuts. I have no idea why they're convinced it has an "r" in the middle.
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Erika Ellsworth
 
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Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:52 am

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:58 am

I pronounce drawer like "Hear me drawer!"

Funnily enough, last night I had a dream where I was reading in front of a bunch of people and I kept stumbling across words that I could not pronounce. I felt really bad about myself.

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leigh stewart
 
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Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:59 am

Post » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:41 am

I like how the British say Aluminum, at least Jeremy Clarkson. He seems to throw some extra letters in to the mix. Or, maybe the word is spelled different over there.

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Sanctum
 
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Post » Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:15 pm


It has another "i" at the end, "aluminium". I understand that's the preferred IUPAC(?) spelling. Possibly.
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Alexandra walker
 
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Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:50 am

Post » Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:48 pm

Yeah, it is. On this side of the pond, it's spelled and pronounced aluminum but over there in wacky Angleland, it's spelled and pronounced aluminium

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Lance Vannortwick
 
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