Re: [OT] American versus British spelling and pronunciation (was: Arbitrary abbreviations in phobos considered ridiculous)

2012-03-08 Thread James Miller
On 9 March 2012 01:23, Stewart Gordon  wrote:
> On 08/03/2012 11:04, Regan Heath wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:21:00 -, Derek  wrote:
>>>
>>> On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:38:08 +1100, Nick Sabalausky  wrote:
>>>
 British English may be the more "official" English, with American
 English as a mere
 variation ...
>>>
>>>
>>> In one sense, American English is often a sort of abbreviated version in
>>> which seemingly
>>> superfluous letters are omitted. But in other cases, it more accurately
>>> reflects
>>> pronunciation (colorize verses colourise).
>
>
> Indeed.  Sometimes the British spelling is more logical (judgement versus
> judgment). Sometimes the American spelling is more logical (skeptical versus
> sceptical).
>
>> In Britain (where I live) there are people to pronounce the 'u' in colour,
>> and colourise.
>> The difference is subtle, and I've found many people simply cannot hear
>> it.
>
> 
>
> I'm finding it hard to figure how someone would pronounce the "o" and "u" in
> "colour" separately.
>
> But to me, it's just the same phoneme as found in most -er and -or words.
>
> Stewart.

Being British means that I do notice the differences in pronunciation,
I've pretty much done the opposite to Reagan, gone from England to NZ.
I tend to get frustrated when I can't even correct pronunciation
because nobody can hear the difference!

--
James Miller


[OT] American versus British spelling and pronunciation (was: Arbitrary abbreviations in phobos considered ridiculous)

2012-03-08 Thread Stewart Gordon

On 08/03/2012 11:04, Regan Heath wrote:

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:21:00 -, Derek  wrote:

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:38:08 +1100, Nick Sabalausky  wrote:


British English may be the more "official" English, with American English as a 
mere
variation ...


In one sense, American English is often a sort of abbreviated version in which 
seemingly
superfluous letters are omitted. But in other cases, it more accurately reflects
pronunciation (colorize verses colourise).


Indeed.  Sometimes the British spelling is more logical (judgement versus judgment). 
Sometimes the American spelling is more logical (skeptical versus sceptical).



In Britain (where I live) there are people to pronounce the 'u' in colour, and 
colourise.
The difference is subtle, and I've found many people simply cannot hear it.



I'm finding it hard to figure how someone would pronounce the "o" and "u" in "colour" 
separately.


But to me, it's just the same phoneme as found in most -er and -or words.

Stewart.