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  #1  
Old 23-Feb-2009, 22:42
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Smile "Where"

I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you
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  #2  
Old 23-Feb-2009, 22:48
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Default Re: "Where"

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Originally Posted by anamicabhatta View Post
I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you
Basically, yes, but in "where" if you can put something like almost taking a short, quick breath between the "w" and "h" there is a difference.

I am not a teacher. (but should be)
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Old 23-Feb-2009, 22:52
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Default Re: "Where"

Quote:
Originally Posted by anamicabhatta View Post
I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you
In American English, yes.

Until around the middle of the twentieth century, w and wh were pronounced differently here. To make a wh sound, you blew air out of your mouth as you formed the w.

Today, it's only still used in one word, whew, which is pronounced the old way, by blowing.
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Old 23-Feb-2009, 23:37
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Default Re: "Where"

I would say yes!
In British English too. If you just say "wear" the pronounciation is very similar if not the same!

"Wear" were you born?

works for me
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Old 23-Feb-2009, 23:47
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Default Re: "Where"

They are homophonous.

Were, where, wear and ware are almost pronounced identically
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Old 24-Feb-2009, 00:52
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Default Re: "Where"

In British English;

1) They were playing football.
and
2) Where is tom?

are pronounced differently.
I dont know how to write phonetically here and am a bit rusty anyway.

but in the first the vowel sound is short. The shwa.
Whereas the second is longer. A dipthong I think.

Perhaps Im wrong though. So please correct me if I am

If anyone else can comment here, please do.
thanks
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Old 16-Mar-2009, 20:03
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Default Re: "Where"

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Originally Posted by xpert View Post
They are homophonous.

Were, where, wear and ware are almost pronounced identically
Well...

Where and wear have a long a. They rhyme with air, hair, there, and care.

Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.
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Old 18-Mar-2009, 12:24
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Default Re: "Where"

Quote:
Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.

I said ALMOST identical
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Old 19-Mar-2009, 12:52
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Default Re: "Where"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein View Post
...

Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.
In American English, maybe. In Br Eng there is distinction between "brr" [='Isn't it cold?'] and "burr" [the little green spiky thing that sticks to your trouser legs when you walk through undergrowth; also, the trace of an accent 'He's almost lost his accent, but he still has a Scottish burr'.] "Burr" has a /ɜ:/ vowel; it's not a schwa. So does 'were', though in an unstressed position it can become /ə/.

b
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Old 22-Mar-2009, 16:49
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Default Re: "Where"

Quote:
Originally Posted by xpert View Post
I said ALMOST identical
Yes, almost in the sense that two of them sound alike, so all but one do. One is pronounced differently. Let's not confuse our students - at least, not unintentionally!
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