Words that you can't pronounce

Originally Posted by squirtle

Someone just called the office from a place called "Rural...." I tried to tell the person he was calling for what company he was with and I can not pronounce the work 'Rural'. No matter how hard I try, my mouth just won't cooperate

They are all laughing at me

Are there any words that you can't pronounce or am I the only one?

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I'm guessing you say something like I do from the description... roooorl? I can't say "rur-ul" without some serious effort and a couple minutes of practice.

I say "women", "Florida" in a strange way according to Ohioans, although some people from either coast would never notice. (The o is more like an a, more famously how some people say orange).

I've also always said "aminal" and "psketti" instead of spaghetti.

Anyway, that "th" sound is actually one of the rarest sounds in language (not the English language, but language in general, along with r and l) and it is unsuprising that alot of people say them differently. They don't do it to make you mad... it's actually a well-documented process in lots of languages, and which we all do to some other sounds but nobody notices. How do you say "fifth"? I have never in my life actually heard someone say "f-i-f-th"-- it's usually fith, fif, or fift. That's what speakers do to language.

Anyway, I'll get off the soapbox now. (This is actually what I spend most of my time doing this quarter... analyzing sounds in language)

Hydrangea is one I don't say correctly. Of course I have a friend who who will always ask me what that flower is. She darn well knows I don't say it right.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I'm guessing you say something like I do from the description... roooorl? I can't say "rur-ul" without some serious effort and a couple minutes of practice.

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I ended up saying it like 'roar-al'
I have been practicing and still can't say it properly

I say fif-th. Maybe I AM weird!!

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

How do you say "fifth"? I have never in my life actually heard someone say "f-i-f-th"-- it's usually fith, fif, or fift. That's what speakers do to language.

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Ummm...I actually DO say "fifth" the way it is supposed to be pronounced. Of course, I'm from the Bawstan (Boston) area and I definitly pahk my caah in the yahd, so

Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

I say fif-th. Maybe I AM weird!!

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Me too! Ive always said it that way!

Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

I say fif-th. Maybe I AM weird!!

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Seriously? Say it as slowly as possible, and see if your upper teeth actually touch your lower lip on the second f. I know you can say it that way, but its really unnatural for me. If you are touching your upper teeth to your lower lip, even when you say it normally and fast, and still following it with an actual -th- sound, can you record it and send it to me?

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Seriously? Say it as slowly as possible, and see if your upper teeth actually touch your lower lip on the second f. I know you can say it that way, but its really unnatural for me. If you are touching your upper teeth to your lower lip, even when you say it normally and fast, and still following it with an actual -th- sound, can you record it and send it to me?

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I would if I had the means to record my voice - PM me with your phone #, and I'll call you and fifth, fifth, fifth at you!

Perhaps it is my theater training, because despite the fact that I was raised speaking Bostonese, I can actually enunciate correctly when I think about it.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Seriously? Say it as slowly as possible, and see if your upper teeth actually touch your lower lip on the second f. I know you can say it that way, but its really unnatural for me. If you are touching your upper teeth to your lower lip, even when you say it normally and fast, and still following it with an actual -th- sound, can you record it and send it to me?

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Yes seriously. I have no way of recording it though. I could do a video text but that is it. My teeth touch the inside back portion of my lip both times.

I used to pronounce Hors d'Oeuvres just as it was spelled ... Horse Doovres

I thought of one the I bet more than 90% of people say wrong.

February! Feb-ru-ary I say Feb-u-ary

I'd actually need it on my computer as a sound file to analyze it... anyway, I was trying to do an example of the process (and one that works here in Ohio at least) I say fith. I guess I just chose a bad example.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I'd actually need it on my computer as a sound file to analyze it... anyway, I was trying to do an example of the process (and one that works here in Ohio at least)

I say fith. I guess I just chose a bad example.

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I am saying it over and over now. I am sure all my co-workers think i m absolutely CRAZY!

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I'd actually need it on my computer as a sound file to analyze it... anyway, I was trying to do an example of the process (and one that works here in Ohio at least)

I say fith. I guess I just chose a bad example.

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I'm serious - I'll call you and you can record my voice if you need it that badly!

Originally Posted by twstychik

I thought of one the I bet more than 90% of people say wrong.

February! Feb-ru-ary I say Feb-u-ary

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I thought that the "r" was supposed to be silent?

From answers.com: http://www.answers.com/topic/february

USAGE NOTE Although the variant pronunciation (fĕb'yū-ĕr'ē) is often censured because it doesn't reflect the spelling of the word, it is quite common in educated speech and is generally considered acceptable. The loss of the first r in this pronunciation can be accounted for by the phonological process known as dissimilation, by which similar sounds in a word tend to become less similar. In the case of February, the loss of the first r is also owing to the influence of January, which has only one r.

Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

I am saying it over and over now. I am sure all my co-workers think i m absolutely CRAZY!

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I wouldn't think you were crazy, I'd just ask if you were studying phonetics! Most of the homework for that requires saying words over and over out loud You're gonna hear someone, someday, say "fith" and you'll notice.

Originally Posted by Quill_luv

I used to pronounce Hors d'Oeuvres just as it was spelled ... Horse Doovres

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Actually i've heard a few people who thought it was pronounced like that

I can't say this cactus name: Saguaro. And I can't say "saw" without a Texas drawl, even though I don't have an accent unless I've had a couple of glasses of wine.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

That just because Americans all pronounce it wrong Kenz!

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It's actually spelled differently. In North America most often it is spelled aluminum (a-loom-in-um) and in Europe it is aluminium which is usually pronounced al-u-min-e-um.

Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

AMEN to that! I hate that made up word! My MIL uses it a lot and it drives me nuts! And when Lee found out it drove me crazy he uses it all the time. He will just randomly say that's irregarless!

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The use of irregardless is also a pet peeve of mine.

Our daughter used to have difficulty with spaghetti also - she called it fa-sketti and mushrooms were mer-shers.

As a child I couldn't say Cinnamon. I finally broke the habit in college. I still struggle with breakfast.
I get shoulder & solder confused when I talk fast. There are a few others. I generally stumble when I first meet someone and I am not comfortable with them.