English is the LAST language that gets to complain about how you pronounce stuff.
Ever read an english word that you haven’t heard before? You’re pronouncing it wrong.
But this is someone complaining about an English word and how it is pronounced. Yes, it comes from another language. That is the entire reason English has a lot of examples like this.
We have a third grader, and he’s pretty good at reading. Recently he has been arguing with us about the pronunciation of some new words from his homework.
The problem is, his arguments are sound! He’s accurately following the rules he learned for sounding out words.
When this has come up in the past, all I’ve been able to do is acknowledge his argument and explain to him how English has all kinds of weird rules and exceptions, and it’s the kind of thing you remember with experience using the words. Like, there is no new rule to learn, and you don’t have to freak out about remembering all these exceptions. It will just come with time. (Because we all know there’s nothing that kids like more than olds telling them to just wait or give it time, lol)
But the point is that the person complaining isn’t complaining about the French, but about some imagined English dude who picked the pronunciation of rendezvous for fun
Fair enough. Then it must have been the same dude who decided all the other words with random pronounciations. If you find them, tell them to go fuck themself.
English is the LAST language that gets to complain about how you pronounce stuff. Ever read an english word that you haven’t heard before? You’re pronouncing it wrong.
But this is someone complaining about an English word and how it is pronounced. Yes, it comes from another language. That is the entire reason English has a lot of examples like this.
You can work it out through tough thorough thought, though.
Of all people, Gallagher made the point in the 80s. I think George Carlin also did a set about English words once.
Seriously!
We have a third grader, and he’s pretty good at reading. Recently he has been arguing with us about the pronunciation of some new words from his homework.
The problem is, his arguments are sound! He’s accurately following the rules he learned for sounding out words.
When this has come up in the past, all I’ve been able to do is acknowledge his argument and explain to him how English has all kinds of weird rules and exceptions, and it’s the kind of thing you remember with experience using the words. Like, there is no new rule to learn, and you don’t have to freak out about remembering all these exceptions. It will just come with time. (Because we all know there’s nothing that kids like more than olds telling them to just wait or give it time, lol)
“Tough” ought to be written as “tuff”
Don’t worry, with the current education policies it will be, soon.
I imagine they’d rather go further back down the literacy tree to where only the priesthood and nobility could read.
Lucky us, they’re one in the same now!
But tuff is already something else.
that was a fun fact! but I think it’s ok if one word has multiple meanings
No
yes
English is basically three languages stacked on top of each other wearing a trench coat
Even if you have heard an English word before, you’re probably still pronouncing it wrong
But the point is that the person complaining isn’t complaining about the French, but about some imagined English dude who picked the pronunciation of rendezvous for fun
Fair enough. Then it must have been the same dude who decided all the other words with random pronounciations. If you find them, tell them to go fuck themself.
I sure will!
English is * the last language that should complain; unfortunately, 54% of the US population has a literacy level below that of a 6th-grade student.
edit: typo