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You must be around some very anomalous Americans. I have never heard one from any part of the country put an "r" in "Shaw" or "dawn", and certainly the majority pronounce all those last three differently from one another.
The Americans I've met put an r in Shaw. Not that American strong r, but an r nevertheless. I usually write it as an "ah" rather than an "ar", but it's the same sound.
Would you see Shaw and shah as homonyms?
I've just been trying to do an American accent for those Nd I've scared the cat.
The Americans I've met put an r in Shaw. Not that American strong r, but an r nevertheless. I usually write it as an "ah" rather than an "ar", but it's the same sound.
Would you see Shaw and shah as homonyms?
I've just been trying to do an American accent for those and I've scared the cat.
Yes, Shaw and shah are homonyms for me.
There is no R. Perhaps that's because, although Australians pronounce a word such as "far" without an R, it's spelled with an R and psychologically they consider that there is an R there. Shaw, as spoken by an American, has the same vowel, so it seems like it must end with R also.
But to an American, "ah" and "ar" are not remotely the same sound. An American listening to an Australian say "far" hears "fahhh." No R.
Another example is the name Taylor. To an Australian, Taylor and Tayla would be two spellings of the same name. To an American, they are entirely different names.
You must be around some very anomalous Americans. I have never heard one from any part of the country put an "r" in "Shaw" or "dawn", and certainly the majority pronounce all those last three differently from one another.
I think it's a Washington State thing (which they would pronounce more like Wah-shington or Waw-shington)
I think it's a Washington State thing (which they would pronounce more like Wah-shington or Waw-shington)
Ah, some Americans do put in R in the words "wash" and "Washington." They actually say "warsh" and "Warshington" (not the British/Australian non-existent R, but a very audible one ).
But people from Washington State aren't the ones that typically do that; rather some Northeastern and Midwesterners. It's very common, or at least it was, in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.
Ah, some Americans do put in R in the words "wash" and "Washington." They actually say "warsh" and "Warshington" (not the British/Australian non-existent R, but a very audible one ).
But people from Washington State aren't the ones that typically do that; rather some Northeastern and Midwesterners. It's very common, or at least it was, in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.
Exactly. And I've heard that "warsh" for "wash" from someone in upper NY state, which borders on Ohio (I think!)
WildColonialGirl has the accent correct for Boston and New Jersey, New York. The NJ/NYers say cwaffee. I think Bostonians would say "cawfee." I say "cawfee."
I have lived in Massachusetts my entire life but I don't have a Boston/eastern Massachusetts accent. I pronounce the letter R. caR. HaRvaRd. The cutest version of the eastern New England accent has to be in Maine. They drop their "r's and they don't have that strange nasal tone that affects Boston. But they have a sort of soft spoken tone, slower, more relaxed speech--and don't you just love it when one of the old timers says, "Ayuh." That's their trademark. You talk to one of them and, as they listen, they will quietly agree, by nodding and softly repeating, "ayuh."
WildColonialGirl has the accent correct for Boston and New Jersey, New York. The NJ/NYers say cwaffee. I think Bostonians would say "cawfee." I say "cawfee."
On the West Coast, we say "cahfee" with the same vowel as "father." We don't use that rounded "aw" vowel very much out here.
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What's most annoying is how Americans add extra consonant to words like - cold isn't cold, they pronounce it -co-wold. There are so many examples of that.
Adding an extra syllable in words like "cold" is a feature of the New York and mid-Atlantic dialects. Most Americans don't do that.
I am English, born and raised in central London, but I often had to speak French when I was growing up, and still have to speak it on a regular basis.
Personally I don't think that makes any difference to the way I pronounce English words.
e.g. I don't say "I had an 'am sandwich in zat 'otel."
I asked my wife, (also born and raised in inner London), to listen to me say, "I am sure that Mr. Shaw lives by the shore."
When she had listened, I said, "Was there much difference between the way I pronounced 'sure, Shaw, and shore?'
It took her a couple of seconds to understand what I meant, but she replied that all three sounded identical to her.
The Americans I've met put an r in Shaw. Not that American strong r, but an r nevertheless. I usually write it as an "ah" rather than an "ar", but it's the same sound.
Would you see Shaw and shah as homonyms?
I've just been trying to do an American accent for those Nd I've scared the cat.
Definitely not, and we seem to have completely different ideas about what the letter "r" sounds like.
Definitely not, and we seem to have completely different ideas about what the letter "r" sounds like.
Shah="a" as in "father"
Shaw="aw" as in "saw"
Are you from the East Coast?
(I agree with you about the American vs. English R, but the fact that you distinguish those vowels makes me surmise you're from the opposite side of the country).
I suppose it depends on which part of the UK you're hearing it from as there are a huge variety of accents and pronounciations even for such a relatively small group of islands. Certainly in some areas of the north they may pronounce "sure" as "shoo-er" but Shaw and Shore as you might expect.
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