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Re: USAGE: syllables

From:Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
Date:Friday, June 13, 2003, 18:02
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