-less

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Thank you! I believe I do understand it now.
Y is considered a consonant if it is connected with aother vowel in the word (=> /j/ )
On the other hand, it is considered a vowel if it is pronounced as "I" or "i".

What is it if it's pronounce d as /ai/? E.g. in the words "my, sky, dry" etc.?
What about "dye"?

In those cases, it's a vowel.

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

In those cases, it's a vowel.

Can we say that it's a diphtong?

[j4mes_bond25]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Thank you! I believe I do understand it now.
Y is considered a consonant if it is connected with aother vowel in the word (=> /j/ )
On the other hand, it is considered a vowel if it is pronounced as "I" or "i".

What is it if it's pronounce d as /ai/? E.g. in the words "my, sky, dry" etc.?
What about "dye"?

That's right. It didn't quite occur to me that this was indeed the case, as well.

In the words like "my, sky, dry" ..... "y" is a "diphthong" i.e. a combination of two vowels i.e. "aI" (however, NOT "ai", since there's a difference between "I" & "i"). "I" is a unstressed short vowel, while "i" is a stressed short vowel.

As long as I'm concerned, my understanding is that in the word "dye", the letter "y" becomes the sound of diphthong such as "aI" & the last letter "e" seems "silent". However, if I'm wrong, others around could possibly enlighten me towards it.

[j4mes_bond25]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Can we say that it's a diphtong?

Indeed. It's a diphthong i.e. a combination of two vowel together.

Mind you just as "monothong" (single vowel) AND diphthong (double vowel), there's ALSO a "triphthong" (three vowel together). Some of the examples include:

MONOTHONG (includes BOTH the short & long vowel)

>> bit - bIt (short)
>> pit - pIt (short)
>> eat - i:t (long)

DIPHTHONG

>> kite - kaIt
>> bite - baIt

TRIPHTHONG

>> fire - faI@ (in British "non-rhotic" accent i.e. where "r" is NOT pronounced, but in American accent which is "rhotic" i.e. where "r" IS pronounced, it becomes "faIr" & hence remains as "diphthong")
>> hour - haU@ (in American accent, it's "haUr" & hence remains as "diphthong").

Speaking of rhotic (where "r" is pronounced) and non-rhotic (where "r" is ONLY pronounced if it get followed by a vowel sound) accent, you might be interested in knowing that:

Non-rhotic accent includes:

>> MOST of the English accent (ONLY from England & NOT the British accent, since it covers England, Scotland, & Northern Ireland)
>> Australian accent
>> New Zealand accent
>> South African accent
>> Welsh accent
>> SOME of the Indian accent
>> Singaporean accent
>> Malaysian accent

Rhotic accent includes:

>> American accent
>> Canadian accent
>> Scottish accent
>> Irish accent

[blueabell2go]

Can anyone tell me if there is much of a difference in accents within Australia? I asked an Australian this question and she said the accent was the same all over. I find it hard to believe when such great distances are involved.

[j4mes_bond25]

Originally Posted by blueabell2go

Can anyone tell me if there is much of a difference in accents within Australia? I asked an Australian this question and she said the accent was the same all over. I find it hard to believe when such great distances are involved.

If you meant in terms of the differences in Australian English's REGIONAL variation (including accent, pronunciation & vocabulary) then, I hope the following helps you:

Some variation in Australian English vocabulary between different regions. An example often cited by linguists is the variety of names given by Australians to bland, processed pork products – known in other countries as pork luncheon meat or baloney – is so great, that these words are used by linguists to ascertain not only which Australian state or territory a person is from, but also regional origin within states in some cases. For example, in South Australia (SA) this product is known as fritz, for most people in Victoria (Vic) it is stras, in most of New South Wales (NSW) it is devon, in Western Australia (WA) polony, in Queensland (Qld) windsor ("devon" is also used), in Tasmania (Tas) belgium, and so on.

Regional variation does not respect state borders, and this is shown, for example, by the fact that both Queenslanders and people from northern New South Wales say port (short for portmanteau) while people in the other states say case, school bag, backpack, rucksack and/or knapsack. In the past variation was so strong that the residents of the NSW town of Maitland would use the word port where Newcastle, some 20 kilometres away, would prefer the latter term.

There is also great variety in the names of beer glasses from one area to another. For example, a standard 285ml (10 fl.oz.) glass, in different states or regions, is known as a middy (NSW/WA/ACT), pot (Vic/Qld/Tas), handle (NT/SA), ten (SA/Tas) or schooner (SA). Such variation causes great confusion, especially since a schooner is a 425 ml (15 fl.oz.) glass in every state that uses the word except South Australia.

In NSW and Queensland swimwear is known as swimmers, cossie or togs. In most other areas the term bathers is preferred.

Another example is the word tuckshop which is used in Queensland and northern NSW to describe a food outlet on school premises; the word canteen is now more common in other areas of Australia, although tuckshop may occasionally be used in those areas as well.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Can we say that it's a diphtong?

Some people call that sound a diphthong. I call it a long I.

[j4mes_bond25]

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

Some people call that sound a diphthong. I call it a long I.

I'm terribly sorry but I beg to differ here, if I may dare doing so.

Surely there's a difference between "diphthong" and "long I".

Diphthong is a "TWO short vowels" occuring together as in: "kite, safe, paid, my, etc." but "long I" is "ONE long vowel" as it occurs in: "beat, eat, Peter, meat, etc."

[blueabell2go]

Originally Posted by j4mes_bond25

If you meant in terms of the differences in Australian English's REGIONAL variation (including accent, pronunciation & vocabulary) then, I hope the following helps you:

Some variation in Australian English vocabulary between different regions. An example often cited by linguists is the variety of names given by Australians to bland, processed pork products – known in other countries as pork luncheon meat or baloney – is so great, that these words are used by linguists to ascertain not only which Australian state or territory a person is from, but also regional origin within states in some cases. For example, in South Australia (SA) this product is known as fritz, for most people in Victoria (Vic) it is stras, in most of New South Wales (NSW) it is devon, in Western Australia (WA) polony, in Queensland (Qld) windsor ("devon" is also used), in Tasmania (Tas) belgium, and so on.

Regional variation does not respect state borders, and this is shown, for example, by the fact that both Queenslanders and people from northern New South Wales say port (short for portmanteau) while people in the other states say case, school bag, backpack, rucksack and/or knapsack. In the past variation was so strong that the residents of the NSW town of Maitland would use the word port where Newcastle, some 20 kilometres away, would prefer the latter term.

There is also great variety in the names of beer glasses from one area to another. For example, a standard 285ml (10 fl.oz.) glass, in different states or regions, is known as a middy (NSW/WA/ACT), pot (Vic/Qld/Tas), handle (NT/SA), ten (SA/Tas) or schooner (SA). Such variation causes great confusion, especially since a schooner is a 425 ml (15 fl.oz.) glass in every state that uses the word except South Australia.

In NSW and Queensland swimwear is known as swimmers, cossie or togs. In most other areas the term bathers is preferred.

Another example is the word tuckshop which is used in Queensland and northern NSW to describe a food outlet on school premises; the word canteen is now more common in other areas of Australia, although tuckshop may occasionally be used in those areas as well.

Thanks, James
I would understand the swimwear terms but as for the meat products,.
I was wondering more about the pronunciation/accent. For instance, could an Australian tell where another Australian comes from by accent alone rather than by choice of vocabulary?

[j4mes_bond25]

Originally Posted by blueabell2go

Thanks, James
I would understand the swimwear terms but as for the meat products,.
I was wondering more about the pronunciation/accent. For instance, could an Australian tell where another Australian comes from by accent alone rather than by choice of vocabulary?

Well, I'm afraid ONLY an Aussie could most probably answer that particular question of yours.

However, in my case, within Britain itself it's MORE easy for me to understand "broad" accent of say, Scotland, Ireland, Liverpudlian, Birmingham, Cockney, Midlands, etc. but if the accent isn't strong enough, i struggle to recognise it correctly. However, one can ONLY notice the difference IF & ONLY IF he's AWARE of the "difference" in first place.

Same can be said for an Aussie. If he/she knows how people from different state then listening it would make him recognise the difference. For example, if he/she lives in Western Australia & knows how a Tasmanian sound like then it'd be easier for him/her to identify an accent's Tasmanian origin.

Bearing this in mind, it'd be not quite possible for me to identify difference between North & South American accent, however, am sure someone knowing MORE about it (perhaps an American himself/herself) would find it rather easy to identify the difference more easily & it's location.

All in all, I reckon ANY Australian can notice the "difference" (if it sounds different to what his/her ears are used to hearing) but ONLY those who's little knowledge about WHAT & WHERE the difference lies, could possibly locate this "different accent" correctly.