Hints on pronunciation for foreigners

[RedHedd]

I got this from another board I frequent. With all the spelling and grammar things I'm seeing here, making threads almost impossible to read, I thought I'd post this. No flames, please; I'm just tired of not being able to understand what the writers are trying to say.

I take it you already know
of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead-it's said like bed, not bead.
For goodness sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat.
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for pear and bear.
And then there's dose and rose and lose
Just look them up--and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward.
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go, then thwart and cart.
Come, come I've hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,
I'd mastered it when I was five!

[Karen]

That's great! And some folks wonder why English is so difficult for newcomers to the language!

[cloverfdx]

Thats great thanks for sharing :).

[Taz_Zoee]

Wow, when you look at it broken down like that, it really is a confusing language.

[Randi]

Good one!

I have no doubt I make the odd mistake (or more), but then, I don't mind being corrected - in fact I'd prefer that! ;) We all still have a lot to learn!

[mina'smomma]

Good one!

I have no doubt I make the odd mistake (or more), but then, I don't mind being corrected - in fact I'd prefer that! ;) We all still have a lot to learn!


I agree with Randi. If I'm not sure if I'm saying something right or spelling it right I appreciate being corrected because if not how else am I going to learn for next time.

[Catsnclay]

I have always heard that the English language is the hardest to learn.


Good thing I know it or I would be in big trouble!! I took a little French & Spanish in school (waaay back when :rolleyes: ) but only know some words or bad phrases......nothing that I could carry on a conversation with, nor listen to a conversation and understand!!!

Don't worry, we all still get things mixed up once in a while, too!!

[jenluckenbach]

I think I am tongue tied just LOOKING at that poem!! :eek:

[carole]

I just wanted to point out one thing, with the spelling, please note that NZer's, Australians and British people spell our words differently than Americans, e.g Color, and our way colour, so sometimes we are not making spelling mistakes,just thought it worth a mention. cheers. :)

[G535]

Americanized spelling is definitely frowned upon down here yet some of our advertising people use it all the time. "color" always looks to me as if someone left out the "u".

English is the hardest language to learn for those whose native language it isn't. :)

[cassiesmom]

My mom tutored a young woman who was not a native English speaker - I'd never realized the complexities of the English language until my mom took the tutors' course and started working with this young woman. They worked together for several months, English isn't easy.

[cali]

please note that NZer's, Australians and British people spell our words differently than Americans, e.g Color, and our way colour, so sometimes we are not making spelling mistakes,just thought it worth a mention. cheers

pssttt.. Canadians are included here as well.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I have always heard that the English language is the hardest to learn !!

Sorry, but I don't agree with this! I've learned 4 languages so far( Dutch, French, English and German), and in my opinion English was far the easiest one! I think that the most difficult one is German!

[carole]

Sorry Cali, thanks for that info, i did not know canadians had our way of spelling, see you learn something new everyday, i actually think the way americans spell like it sounds is way easier, pity we could not all adapt to that way, then english would be so much easier to learn for other people. :)