Why is it that when people say “have to” as two words it’s got a “v,” but when they run it together it’s an “f,” “hafta”? -FML *** Dear… really? FYL? Bummer. They mostly don’t say “have to” with a “v” in the first place. “I have six cows” has a “v,” or “I have […]
Part 1 (A Matter of Some Consonants) is here. Part 2 (Disemvoweled) is here. Remember several thousand words ago when somebody asked me if all languages use the same sounds? And then I went and inventoried all the sounds that English has? Now finally – FINALLY – we can use that knowledge to contrast English […]
Part 1 (A Matter of Some Consonants) is here. Alright. Vowels. Much like last time, in this part we’re going to go over how English vowels work, so that next time we can talk about what other languages do differently. (No, I haven’t forgotten the original question, and we will get there… eventually.) In the […]
Dear Language Nerd, Do all languages use the same sounds? -Sally Kimball *** Dear Sally, Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo. … ….. … All right, long answer with actual facts and stuff. But you asked for it: We make language sounds by exhaling* air and then blocking or partially blocking that airflow […]