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2 silly questions about the english language

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  • #1

    2 silly questions about the english language

    1)

    a and an

    I always know which one to use, but I dont know how I know that, there must be a rule I unconsciously know regarding that, what is the rule?

    2)

    If someone who just started learning english, and is unaware of how un-phonetic english spelling is, pronounces, for example, the s in island or the t in often, or all those u´s which are never pronounced, does it sound like a brute who doesnt know how to speak to you? or like a snob who pronounces words in a french-like way?


    ...
    I need a foot massage
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  • #2
    1) say a with words starting with a consonant. say an for words starting with a vowel. it sounds correct one way, and bad another way so good rule.

    2) that seems like pronunciation, and it probably shouldn't matter how they are pronounced.

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    • #3
      "An" is used when the following word begins with a vowel.

      There are "rules" on spelling, but English is one of the tougher languages to learn, due to the exceptions to the rules.
      Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
      "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
      He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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      • #4
        1) an is used before a word starting with a vowel. And before words starting with an H though I'm not too sure about that.

        2) They sound like someone that doesn't speak English very well. That said, I speak like a lyrical angel with utmost diction so everyone sounds brutush compared to me :P
        Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
        -Richard Dawkins

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        • #5
          IMO on 2: Mispronunciations of words yields accents, and in some cases, can be quite sexy
          Monkey!!!

          Comment

          • #6
            Like Texas drawls?
            Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
            "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
            He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

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            • #7
              -or it can make you sound stupid
              Monkey!!!

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              • #8
                Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
                "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
                He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by Starchild
                  1) an is used before a word starting with a vowel. And before words starting with an H though I'm not too sure about that.
                  If it's a silent(ish) h followed by a vowel.

                  A harbour
                  An 'arbour.
                  One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Starchild
                    1) an is used before a word starting with a vowel. And before words starting with an H though I'm not too sure about that.
                    "an" before silent "h" only

                    a house
                    an hour
                    You don't get to 300 losses without being a pretty exceptional goaltender.-- Ben Kenobi speaking of Roberto Luongo

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                    • #11
                      What's wrong with pronouncing the t in often?



                      -Arrian
                      grog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!

                      The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.

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                      • #12
                        Sounds like there's 9 more of them.
                        One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

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                        • #13
                          Ive been told to not pronounce the t in often

                          I need a foot massage

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                          • #14
                            Makes no difference. Both are common and easily understood.

                            I say offen usually mid-sentence, but will say often when I want emphasis or at a beginning of a sentence.
                            One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

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                            • #15
                              Offen? Like, "Hey you, get offen my cloud"?
                              Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
                              "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
                              He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

                              Comment

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