This is a little long question but can you help me with pronunciation? I don’t understand what is correct.
1) I asked Chat GPT whether the American can elide the sound /r/ as in “there were”, and it says this;
In some American English accents, particularly those associated with certain regions or dialects, the "r" sound at the end of words or syllables may be dropped or pronounced very lightly. This phenomenon is known as non-rhoticity. However, the extent to which the "r" is dropped can vary widely.
In fast casual talk, especially in certain accents like some varieties of Southern or Northeastern American English, you might hear "there were" pronounced more like "theah weh." The "r" sound at the end of "there" may be less pronounced or even omitted in these cases. However, it's important to note that accents and speech patterns can vary significantly across different regions and individual speakers.
2) Also, I asked whether they pronounce like “the” as in “there were”? And it says like this;
In fast casual American speech, especially in informal or conversational settings, it's common for the pronunciation of "the" to be reduced or even dropped in certain contexts. In phrases like "there were," the "th" sound in "the" may be less distinct or omitted, leading to a more casual and rapid pronunciation.
So, in fast casual talk, you might hear something like "there were" pronounced as "there were" (with a quick and less emphasized "th" sound) or even "there were" (with the "th" sound dropped altogether). This reduction is part of the natural evolution of spoken language in informal settings.
