It'd and love'd etc.

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Balkenende

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Hi,

I know 'it'd' is pronounced as two syllables.

But am I right in assuming 'love'd' (love would or love had) is pronounced as one syllable. This in connection with poetry-metre/rhythm.

Thank you,
Joost
 

Barb_D

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It'd (never written, by the way,e xcept perhaps as dialogue) would sound like "it-id."

If you wanted to say something like "love had come, and love had gone" it would sound like "luvvid come and luvvid gone."

It would still be two syllables for me.
 

billmcd

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Hi,

I know 'it'd' is pronounced as two syllables.

But am I right in assuming 'love'd' (love would or love had) is pronounced as one syllable. This in connection with poetry-metre/rhythm.

Thank you,
Joost

I wouldn't use either in contracted form in the context (or lack of context) presented, but given a possibility, certainly not one syllable. Perhaps you could provide an example of a complete sentence(s) for a more considered opinion.
 

Balkenende

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Thanks for the answers so far.

Part of the sentence is 'love'd have ended long ago'. (would have ended)
(I cannot simply rearrange words/the sentence because of a given number of syllables, the rhythm and accompanying stress etc)

I'm simply assuming it's a matter of whether or not there's a vowel at the end of the word (love - as opposed to it)
 

billmcd

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Thanks for the answers so far.

Part of the sentence is 'love'd have ended long ago'. (would have ended)
(I cannot simply rearrange words/the sentence because of a given number of syllables, the rhythm and accompanying stress etc)

I'm simply assuming it's a matter of whether or not there's a vowel at the end of the word (love - as opposed to it)

Sorry, but I would not understand in your example that "love'd" = "love would".
 

hoges

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Sorry, but I would not understand in your example that "love'd" = "love would".

I would understand it. Generally, it would be pronounced as "love id iv". No stress on the "would" or "have".

Thinking about your sentence, instead of 'love'd have" can you use "love would've"? Perhaps you need the stress on the "have" for your meter.

But to answer your question, I agree with Barb_D. It's two syllables - luvvid.
 

emsr2d2

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I would pronounce "Lov'd have ended long ago" with "Lov'd" as one syllable.

I say and write "It'd" but you're right, it has two syllables.
 

5jj

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I would pronounce "Lov'd have ended long ago" with "Lov'd" as one syllable.
I don't think I'd understand that. Would you also pronounce 'Clive'd' in 'Clive'd have done that' as one syllable?
 
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emsr2d2

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I don't think I'd understand that. Would you also pronounce 'Clive'd' in 'Clive'd have done that' as one syllable?

Yup! Only when speaking very informally, casually and really not taking care of my pronunciation and I really wouldn't say it to a non-native speaker and expect them to understand.

My mate Cathy'd have done that if she'd had time. (That's not how I would write it, but "Cathy'd" would only have two syllables.)
 
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5jj

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My mate Cathy'd done that if she'd had time. (That's not how I would write it, but "Cathy'd" would only have two syllables.)
Wouldn't that be, "My mate Cathy'd've done that"?

In any case, 'Cathy', ending in a vowel, is different from 'love' and 'Clive;, which end in a consonant.
 

emsr2d2

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Wouldn't that be, "My mate Cathy'd've done that"?

In any case, 'Cathy', ending in a vowel, is different from 'love' and 'Clive;, which end in a consonant.

Yes, I just spotted my missing word and entered it.

Anyway, yes, I would still pronounce "love'd" the same way I pronounce "loved".
 

Balkenende

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Apologies for not coming back here earlier - I had some computer trouble.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

It seems my poems are 'saved' ;) I.e. I can used 'love'd'. Although the consonant/vowel-remark seems to a very good point.

Even so...: Two other consonant examples, which I hope can also be pronounced as one syllabe:

- there will've been many rides

- he might well've been describing himself.
 

emsr2d2

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Apologies for not coming back here earlier - I had some computer trouble.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

It seems my poems are 'saved' ;) I.e. I can used 'love'd'. Although the consonant/vowel-remark seems to a very good point.

Even so...: Two other consonant examples, which I hope can also be pronounced as one syllabe:

- there will've been many rides

- he might well've been describing himself.

There is no physical way to pronounce "will've" or "well've" as one syllable. No matter how you try to shorten or clip them, they will always be the main word followed by "uh-v" (or however you write it!)
 

Balkenende

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Bummer... But thank you ;)

Lastly (I hope), what about:

to've been (in love, for instance)?
 

5jj

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to've been (in love, for instance)?
That would be two syllables for me.

I'll just remind you that none of these forms (it'd, love'd, will've, well've, to've) are acceptable in writing, except perhaps for informal dialogues.
 

Tdol

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Balkenende

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That would be two syllables for me.

I'll just remind you that none of these forms (it'd, love'd, will've, well've, to've) are acceptable in writing, except perhaps for informal dialogues.

Well, I'll only use it in poetry or film dialogue, so in creative writing.

('It'd', by the way, has an official entry in respectable on-line dictionaries)
 

5jj

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'It'd', by the way, has an official entry in respectable on-line dictionaries)
Perhaps I was a little too dismissive of It'd. However, I would still maintain that it'd only be used in written representations of dialogue. ;-)
 

Tdol

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Alright, so one 'yes', one 'no'. :)

Any more people for 'yes'?

More a maybe than a yes. I wouldn't go for an absolute no- you could pronounce it as one or two. ;-)
 
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