Re: USAGE: syllables
| From: | Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...> |
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| Date: | Friday, June 13, 2003, 18:02 |
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On Fri, Jun 13, 2003 at 10:14:10AM -0400, Steg Belsky wrote:
>
> Me, seventh grade:
> "But 'Charles' has two syllables!"
> Teacher:
> "No, it's just one."
> Me:
> "What do you mean? [tSa] [rl=z], two syllables."
> Teacher:
> "That just means you have a Brooklyn accent."
Funny, I have nothing approaching a Brooklyn accent, but "Charles" is
nevertheless two syllables. Not [tSa] [rl=z], though; the 'a' is
first of all [A] and secondly definitely colored by the 'r', so it's
[tSA`] [r\l=z]. Possibly even with an ambisyllabic 'r'.
> ...who also got in trouble in an earlier grade for pointing out that
> "our" can be homophonous with both "hour" and "are/'R'", depending on
> whether you're pronouncing it [&wr=] or [a:r].
That's an odd thing to get in trouble for; I mean, it's true. Why do you
get in trouble for pointing out the truth? If my child got in trouble
for something like that I would arrange very quickly to have an, uhm,
"earnest discussion" with his teacher . . .
-Mark