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Steven
Anyone else notice this? There's a phenomenon in English, and I can't recall where I read this, that makes English rather unique among other languages. Some may do this too, so I'm saying this is only true of English, but has anyone ever noticed this example? A non-native speak might say, "Have a good one" saying each word clearly and individually. Now, that's a perfectly good English expression, quite common, and everyone will understand it, but for some odd reason I can't describe, saying each word individually to me sounds odd, or at the least non-native. It shouldn't but normally it does. While I might read this and think nothing of it, I usually hear among natives something that sounds like, " Hav' uh gud one." And it's all sort of blended together and said rather quickly. That's just one example among many. What is this called and why is this so common a phenomenon in English? 
Feb 17, 2018 3:39 AM
Comments · 5

I think it's called "Reduction". All  languages do this, as far as I understand it.

Haven't you noticed it in German, too? Was issn das? ( = Was ist denn das?) Willste noch 'ne Runde? (= Willst du noch eine Runde) Wa' sagense da? (= Was sagen Sie da?) 

That's not dialect, that normal half-mumbled speech that Western Europeans do so well. :-)

Check out my thread "Why Is this language so hard!"....KP and others get into a long discussion about Russian reduction there. 


But yes, there is a "clear" pronunciation and a "dirty" pronunciation in English that often slightly changes the quality of the sounds, and makes understanding English harder for learners. 



February 17, 2018
It is a common phenomenon in all kinds of languages.
February 17, 2018
I was not even aware until it was pointed out to me that I do that. 'Have a good one', I don't recall the last time I used it but when asked by some of my friends to slow down, it is achievable but difficult. When talking normally my mouth works with my brain, but slowed down it is easy to lose my point because my brain gets ahead, and while waiting it thinks, oh look at the pretty flower, are we there yet? Oh another pretty flower. What was I saying, doesn't matter.
February 17, 2018

Ich glaube schon. Vergleichen wir mal "Was meinst du" was als "Was meist duh' gesprochen wird. Do vs duh. Oder "Sie" als "se". Ze vs zuh.  Hört sich völlig anders an, na ja, wenigstens für mich und als Lernende, muss man doch schon wissen, dass Du oder Sie gemeint ist, sonst ist man bei duh und zuh völlig aufgeschmissen. Das ist "a" im Englischen ziemlich ähnlich.

Beispiel:

I said,  I have A CAT, not A DOG.(betont)

I have uh cat. (unbetont)

Und was hast DU gesagt? (betont)

Na, was haste gesagt? (unbetont)

(Habe es auch nicht in meiner ersten Post anklagend gemeint...nur etwas erstaunt.) :-) 

February 17, 2018
Natürlich hab' ich dasselbe im Deutschen bemerkt. So spreche ich auch. Haste, kannste, willste, wollen'se, usw. Was issn das,  sage ich immer.  Und, willste noch'ne Runde? Aber, kann das wirklich mit dem Englischen verglichen werden? Keine Ahnung. Es kommt mir vor, daß der Gebrauch im Englischen ziemlich anders ist, aber vielleicht nicht. Es könnte sein, daß Sie recht haben. Vielen Dank. 
February 17, 2018
Steven
Language Skills
Dutch, English, German
Learning Language
Dutch