Pronunciation, Procrastination, Fascination, Frustration

This was all inspired by the BMC alum listserv.

avalon2004 (12:17:39 PM): there's a thread about pronunciation of aaron vs erin, and nikki said aaron is pronouced airon, as opposed to ehrin. and the ehrin i understand, but airon sounds southern to me.

BeckyF342 (12:18:11 PM): really, i think i'm sort of the opposite.

BeckyF342 (12:18:36 PM): as in, aaron has the longer, more open vowel sound as far as i'm concerned, and erin the shorter, flatter one.

BeckyF342 (12:18:44 PM): except maybe that's what she said.

BeckyF342 (12:18:47 PM): i am unsure.

BeckyF342 (12:18:59 PM): i guess i do pronouce it her way.

avalon2004 (12:20:51 PM): oh... i mean, i pronounce erin that way, but i pronounce aaron like apple. i mean, the vowel sound.

BeckyF342 (12:21:39 PM): how is that different from airon?

avalon2004 (12:23:09 PM): airon is like... air-on. that's how i'm reading it. apple is like... aaaahrin. *laughs* like a in apple, that's the only way i can describe it.

BeckyF342 (12:26:03 PM): but a in apple isn't aah.

avalon2004 (12:26:17 PM): it is when i say it.

BeckyF342 (12:26:27 PM): you don't say aahh-ple. with ahh being like open your mouth and say ahh.

BeckyF342 (12:26:40 PM): do you?

BeckyF342 (12:26:45 PM): i don't think you do. *laughs*

avalon2004 (12:27:00 PM): no, no.... all right, maybe this is just in my head, but aaaaaah is screaming, like someone scared you, and ahhhhhh is open your mouth and say ahh.

avalon2004 (12:27:15 PM): and the aaaah screaming sound is the same as the a in apple.

BeckyF342 (12:27:22 PM): i think perhaps this is a wildly unproductive medium to discuss pronunciation. *laughs*

avalon2004 (12:27:30 PM): *laughs a lot* i was just thinking that.

avalon2004 (12:27:32 PM): but it's a lot of fun.

BeckyF342 (12:27:33 PM): but i think the screaming sound and the open your mouth sound are the same in my head.

BeckyF342 (12:27:38 PM): hehe.

avalon2004 (12:28:34 PM): oh... well, they're different in my head. but you understand what i'm saying about apple, right? that sound? also the same a as in advocate, or alimony.

BeckyF342 (12:31:09 PM): yes, i agree.

avalon2004 (12:31:20 PM): so, that's how i say aaron.

BeckyF342 (12:31:33 PM): me too, i think.

avalon2004 (12:31:39 PM): that same a sound +ron. or rin. depending. *laughs*

avalon2004 (12:32:24 PM): but air-on sounds southern. *laughs*

BeckyF342 (12:32:36 PM): i guess, but i don't think she meant it that way.

avalon2004 (12:32:58 PM): but why would she write it that way, then? i mean, i assume she wrote phonetically how she says it.

BeckyF342 (12:32:59 PM): because i think air-on is actually the same sound.

avalon2004 (12:33:12 PM): what? air is not the same sound as a in apple!

BeckyF342 (12:33:15 PM): air has the a of advocate, too.

avalon2004 (12:33:26 PM): *laughs* no it doesn't!

BeckyF342 (12:33:27 PM): it is for me.

BeckyF342 (12:33:43 PM): they're the same how i pronounce them, i think.

BeckyF342 (12:33:54 PM): i mean, the ai part makes it a bit different, but not really.

BeckyF342 (12:34:16 PM): wait, maybe it's a bit different.

avalon2004 (12:34:22 PM): it's a lot different.

BeckyF342 (12:34:22 PM): now i don't know how i say aaron.

BeckyF342 (12:34:25 PM): i'm confused.

avalon2004 (12:34:26 PM): *laughs*

BeckyF342 (12:34:32 PM): it's definitely not a lot different in my mouth.

BeckyF342 (12:34:51 PM): i had to like, draw out the vowels for a long time before i noticed any difference in the shape i was making.

avalon2004 (12:34:51 PM): air is the same sound as stare. which is not the same as advocate.

BeckyF342 (12:35:00 PM): it's almost the same though.

avalon2004 (12:35:07 PM): the shape isn't hugely different, no, but the sound is very different to me.

avalon2004 (12:35:17 PM): but you mesh lots of sounds that i think are distinct.

BeckyF342 (12:35:20 PM): or, it's the same to the point that in a phoneticising exercise, i would not necessarily distinguish.

BeckyF342 (12:35:29 PM): mesh?

avalon2004 (12:35:38 PM): like, you say things sound the same when they don't.

BeckyF342 (12:35:55 PM): but they do. i mean, they do when i say them.

BeckyF342 (12:36:09 PM): i guess that's my accent, or whatever.

BeckyF342 (12:36:14 PM): does anybody else do it?

BeckyF342 (12:36:50 PM): i mean, is this something that i have a specific tendency towards, or you have a specifically keen ear for, or is it something regional, not related to us as individuals?

avalon2004 (12:37:17 PM): i have no idea..but there are definitely things that you say, and you're like, these are the same, and you say them, and to me they sound different when you say them.

avalon2004 (12:37:32 PM): and now i wont' be able to think of any, probably.

BeckyF342 (12:37:38 PM): that's weird.

avalon2004 (12:38:22 PM): i mean, i do have a keen ear for sound distinction, that's why i recognize voices so easily... but it's interesting, at any rate.

BeckyF342 (12:40:48 PM): mm, i guess that makes sense.

avalon2004 (12:41:04 PM): i kind of want to put this all on my blog, it's interesting....