Unlike
the very comprehensive page dealing with the
challenge posed by English phonetics that makes
English THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE - ever,
phonetic confusion, this Web page is
meant to be short and to the point highlighting
two (2) key unreported features of the English:
language that are go unreported in English
1. vowel reduction
2. vowel confusion
BOTH will be highlighted by one (1) 3-syllable word:
MOMENTUM.
1. MO
2. MEN
3. TUM
the syllable:challenge posed by English phonetics that makes
English THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE - ever,
phonetic confusion, this Web page is
meant to be short and to the point highlighting
two (2) key unreported features of the English:
language that are go unreported in English
1. vowel reduction
2. vowel confusion
BOTH will be highlighted by one (1) 3-syllable word:
MOMENTUM.
1. MO
2. MEN
3. TUM
THE BASIC UNIT of any word
some with a long vowel like in the world "wild" (a long
"i") or a short vowel like in the word "hit" (a short "i").
THE PROBLEM is with these 1-syllable words there is
NO WAY of knowing if the vowel is short or long UNLESS
the word ends in an "e" indicating that the vowel is long.
For example, the word "bit" takes a short-i vowel; by
adding a "silent" (dummy) "e" at the end of it, the vowel
become a long-i creating the word "bite".
vowel reduction
For those words
having MORE THAN one (1) syllable
vowel reduction comes into play that "emphasizes" the
long syllable, long because it has the long vowel while
diminishing the length of the other syllables reducing
the length of the vowels making them "short" in contrast
to the one long syllable with the only long vowel.
THE OVERALL EFFECT is an economy of speech. In this
way, a multisyllabic word is said in less time.
This is the case with the 3-syllable word, MOMENTUM.
The 1st syllable, "MO", is long and therefore carries THE
STRESS because it stands out more while the other
two (2) are short.
because the "u" is pronouced as a short "i".
NO OTHER LANGUAGE has this problem.
The only English word with a short written "u" is the word
"up".
To add to the VOWEL CONFUSION, the written "u" in such
one (1) syllable words as "cup" and "but" is a long-a.
The long-u sound is AN INCREDIBLY CONFUSING VOWEL
because it is "disguised" by the "oe" vowel combination
as in the word "shoe" which has NO WRITTEN "U" and
by the "oo" double vowel combination as in the
"tool" which, also, has NO WRITTEN "U".
This vowel is "in cognito". (Ha! Ha!)
Note, however, the "oe" vowel combination in "toe" is
a long-o: that's NOT confusing?
To add to THE VOWEL CONFUSION the double vowel
combination "oo" can be pronounced as a short-u as
in the word "good" OR as a long-u in "tool".
Note: "oo" either a short-u or long-u,
Note: but never an o-sound.
In short, the only "other" double vowel combination
is "ee" as in the word "seen".
Luckily, there are NO OTHER double vowel combi-
nations in English other than "oo".
Let's look at the "ei" vowel combination and see
just how confusing THAT can be.
In the word "either", it can be a long e-sound OR
a long i-sound with the accompanying vowel being
silent.
Note: in vowel combinations one of
Note: the two (2) vowels is pronounced.
Note: HOWEVER, when BOTH are pro-
Note: nounced as in the word "reli'able",
Note: there is a vocal break between
Note: them called the "glottal stop".
Note: The Cockney English dialect
Note: found beside the Thames
Note: River in London's east end
Note: is famous for this as this
Note: feature of English is over
Note: emphasized in their speech
Note: giving it its uniquecolour.
THE PROBLEM arises when "ei" is neither an "e" nor
an "i", but an "a", a long-a in fact, as in the word
"eight" and "weight".
That's NOT CRAZY?
It get's CRAZIER when the "w" of "weight" becomes
an "h" in "height", then, it's pronounced as a long-i.
Who knew, eh? (Ha! Ha!)
DUE TO THE "UNPREDICTABILITY" regarding the cor-
rect pronounciation of the vowel combinations, English
is clearly A NIGHTMARISH LANGUAGE.
THIS "UNPREDICTABILITY" is undeniable proof that
English is "THE" MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE to
master.
vowel reduction comes into play that "emphasizes" the
long syllable, long because it has the long vowel while
diminishing the length of the other syllables reducing
the length of the vowels making them "short" in contrast
to the one long syllable with the only long vowel.
THE OVERALL EFFECT is an economy of speech. In this
way, a multisyllabic word is said in less time.
This is the case with the 3-syllable word, MOMENTUM.
The 1st syllable, "MO", is long and therefore carries THE
STRESS because it stands out more while the other
two (2) are short.
vowel confusion
FIn the 3rd
syllable, "TUM" there is VOWEL CONFUSIONbecause the "u" is pronouced as a short "i".
NO OTHER LANGUAGE has this problem.
The only English word with a short written "u" is the word
"up".
To add to the VOWEL CONFUSION, the written "u" in such
one (1) syllable words as "cup" and "but" is a long-a.
The long-u sound is AN INCREDIBLY CONFUSING VOWEL
because it is "disguised" by the "oe" vowel combination
as in the word "shoe" which has NO WRITTEN "U" and
by the "oo" double vowel combination as in the
"tool" which, also, has NO WRITTEN "U".
This vowel is "in cognito". (Ha! Ha!)
Note, however, the "oe" vowel combination in "toe" is
a long-o: that's NOT confusing?
To add to THE VOWEL CONFUSION the double vowel
combination "oo" can be pronounced as a short-u as
in the word "good" OR as a long-u in "tool".
Note: "oo" either a short-u or long-u,
Note: but never an o-sound.
In short, the only "other" double vowel combination
is "ee" as in the word "seen".
Luckily, there are NO OTHER double vowel combi-
nations in English other than "oo".
Let's look at the "ei" vowel combination and see
just how confusing THAT can be.
In the word "either", it can be a long e-sound OR
a long i-sound with the accompanying vowel being
silent.
Note: in vowel combinations one of
Note: the two (2) vowels is pronounced.
Note: HOWEVER, when BOTH are pro-
Note: nounced as in the word "reli'able",
Note: there is a vocal break between
Note: them called the "glottal stop".
Note: The Cockney English dialect
Note: found beside the Thames
Note: River in London's east end
Note: is famous for this as this
Note: feature of English is over
Note: emphasized in their speech
Note: giving it its uniquecolour.
THE PROBLEM arises when "ei" is neither an "e" nor
an "i", but an "a", a long-a in fact, as in the word
"eight" and "weight".
That's NOT CRAZY?
It get's CRAZIER when the "w" of "weight" becomes
an "h" in "height", then, it's pronounced as a long-i.
Who knew, eh? (Ha! Ha!)
DUE TO THE "UNPREDICTABILITY" regarding the cor-
rect pronounciation of the vowel combinations, English
is clearly A NIGHTMARISH LANGUAGE.
THIS "UNPREDICTABILITY" is undeniable proof that
English is "THE" MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE to
master.