Talk:Silent and invisible letters in English

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Revision as of 17:24, 28 January 2013 by imported>Ro Thorpe (→‎History of pronunciation: r)
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 Definition:  English letter or letters within a particular word, which are not heard in the pronunciation of the word, but appear in the spelling—and the opposite. [d] [e]
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 Workgroup category:  Linguistics [Editors asked to check categories]
 Talk Archive:  none  English language variant:  British English

So why did I put *Wùster instead of Bertie Woòster? Because when I first saw the TV series advertised in the Radio Times, I thought it must be Woôster, as in roôster. So it wouldn't have passed múster. Ro Thorpe 02:33, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

As long as we're in a Wodehouse vein, shall we mention Psmith? -Derek Hodges

Additions

Domergue, thanks for all the nice additions. I'll be making some changes to the pronunciations to conform with the other articles in the cluster - it's only an approximate system anyway. I confess I'd never heard of bustier in either language (except of course as the comparative of busty) - I presume that's with an approx French pron - bùstièr/boòstiây? Ro Thorpe 16:52, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

It's OK Ro. I found bustier with an IPA transcription, [ˈbʌstieɪ], in my Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. In French, people say [bystje].--Domergue Sumien 14:04, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I found the pronunciations in Merriam Webster Learner's online: as you'd expect, the American has /u/, thus remaining closer to the French, the British anglicising further, as you say, to /ʌ/. Ro Thorpe 15:48, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

Is the speech of mimes...

written in silent letters?

Remember, you can cope with an annoying mime by waiting until 3 AM and playing a blank CD at full volume. Howard C. Berkowitz 01:08, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

Ro Thorpe 01:19, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
Reminds me of a cartoon I saw of the Noise Abatement Society disco playing a record of John Cage's 4'33. Peter Jackson 10:24, 7 March 2011 (UTC)

Silent h

Why delete reference to silent h in wh in normal pronunciation in England? Peter Jackson 10:02, 8 April 2011 (UTC)


History of pronunciation

In some 18th century novels, lower-class characters are made to pronounce "though" as "thofe". Would the upper-class pronunciation have been though with a guttural gh, or tho', as at present? --Martin Wyatt 19:05, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

As at present; the gh had been silent for centuries, tho' how many I can't say. Ro Thorpe 23:24, 28 January 2013 (UTC)
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