O February, Where "R" You?

[gabriel1]

Archie Bunker stole it and stuck it in 'erl' and 'terlit'.

 

[Ramindra]

I've never been able to pronounce that first 'r' either. Makes me sound like Elmer Fudd.

Then again, I have trouble with rs in any language.

It may be hard for native English speakers but spare a thought for Thais and Chinese who sometimes have awful trouble pronouncing the letters "r" and "l". Some Thais give up with "February" and just say "month 2". I go shopping at Coles** but I cannot say the word properly even though I have spoken English as a 2nd language nearly all my life.

** A large supermarket chain in Australia

 

[gsdx]

It may be hard for native English speakers but spare a thought for Thais and Chinese who sometimes have awful trouble pronouncing the letters "r" and "l".

The 'R' sound does not exist in all languages and, if English is being learnt at an older age, the people may not be able to learn how to create that sound. It's quite understandable.

In French, there is no 'TH' sound, which is why the French, when speaking English, substitute the 'TH' with a 'D' or a 'Z'. It's simply the closest they can get to the sound.

Victor Borge once joked about Danish not having the 'TH' sound either and, when he was learning English, he had a lot of trouble learning how to create that sound. He said, "I never know how far to take it."

 

[treanir]

^ I just can't say the 'r' properly in any language, including Dutch. And that also goes for the rolling r. Speech therapy didn't work.

 

[evil_danger]

The British have moved the "R" in February to the end of "idea".

They seem to think that's a good idear.

That really depends on what part of Britain your referring to.

Where I'm from the south west (Bristol), we add R's in places it shouldn't be and Kinda force the ones that already exist.

For example 'water' would have the emphasis on the 'er'

But you get places where the R's aren’t said at all, so 'water' would have a 'uh' sound at the end.

There’s no right or wrong about it, its perfectly natural and isn't sloppy English, its simply something that happens over time with any language.

 

[gsdx]

Aitches are my downfall, either dropping them or placing them where they're not needed.

I 'ear 'urricanes 'ardly hever 'appen in 'artfort, ereford, and 'ampshire.

 

[gsdx]

By Jove you've got it.

Yeah, but I still don't understand why the rayne in Spayne stays maynely in the playne.

 

[Soyboy]

Never thought of that before. As I sit here and repeat the word February over and over... I can't for the life of me really remember exactly how I pronounce it.

 

[dr_beat]

I've never been able to pronounce that first 'r' either. Makes me sound like Elmer Fudd.

Then again, I have trouble with rs in any language.

So, then, uhm, how do you pronounce your screen name?

 

[kevbo]

He probably says it like tweanah