Heaven: 2021 Proof Americans and Brits speak a different language

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  • BroJames wrote: »
    Ibiza. Often pronounced by Brits as Eye-beetha

    I think it's the way that this pronunciation seems so proud of knowing that (Castilian*) Spanish Z is a 'th' but then mangles the initial vowel in a way that only an Anglophone could that grates.

    *not the native dialect in Ibiza...
  • Talking about Bowie, the singer not the bloke with the big knife at The Alamo, I hear they've discovered previously unseen footage of concerts from a major Middle Eastern tour.

    Ziggy played Qatar.

    I'll get me coat ...
  • On the vowel thing, coming from South Wales my 'oo' pronunciation is the same as in southern English English - that is without the very long extended 'oo' you get in parts of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Lancashire - 'boook', 'coook' etc.

    The only exception is 'tooth', where the 'oo' sounds rather shorter than would be usual in 'standard' English or RP. It sort of rhymes with the 'u' in 'but' - but it doesn't sound like the 'u' in London or South Eastern English speech. Nor does it sound like the Northern English 'u'.

    It's more like the Welsh 'w' when used as a vowel - KarlLB as a student of the Welsh language - who knows a lot more Welsh than I do - will know what I mean.

    I don't know how to explain this anomaly and not everyone from the South Wales valleys does it. But 'tuth' it is rather than 'tooth' with a long 'oo'.

    No idea why that should be the case nor why we didn't do the same with the vowel sound in 'foot' or 'boot' etc.

    I'm not saying it's entirely a South Walian thing but on a number of occasions people, including Roger McGough the poet, have asked me how I pronounce those things we use to bite with in order to see whether it fits their expectations of how I'd say it.

    I did not disappoint.
  • The only exception is 'tooth', where the 'oo' sounds rather shorter than would be usual in 'standard' English or RP. It sort of rhymes with the 'u' in 'but' - but it doesn't sound like the 'u' in London or South Eastern English speech. Nor does it sound like the Northern English 'u'.
    I know a guy from Cardiff and he is the same. I think he also pronounces "roof" with that same vowel, different from both boot and foot. Can you confirm @Gamma Gamaliel ?

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