Hey there, stupid question of the day...
at all.
a doll.
Do you pronounce them differently? I can't make up my mind. Thanks.
at all.
a doll.
Do you pronounce them differently? I can't make up my mind. Thanks.
not a doll
"at all" is often pronounced, especially by Brits, as "a tall"--very annoying.
I forgot to mention I was referring to American English where those t's are tapped. I know the situation is different in the UK where in some dialects most t's seem to be aspirated even at the end, so that "at all" and "a tall" would sound the same... if I am not mistaken.
RayH:
Methinks thou protesteth too much, pal!
Right - you are having a conversation with your mates (or however you refer to your friends in your part of the English Speaking World) - just as we all do in the course of our daily lives. Do you speak at a normal pace? - I mean at a rate of an average number of words per minute for the average speaker of the English Language, especially as with native speakers - and without consciously thinking of making sure you clearly enunciate every vowel and consonant spot on in the right place, text book style?
I'm so sorry to admit that we Brits really are guilty of doing just what you quite rightly accuse us of doing, but to be frank with you, all we are concerned about is to make sure we can verbally communicate with each other in this truly fantastic Language of ours, making sure we are understood (even in some of our bizarre accents and dialects but among our own linguistic kindred spirits that isn't a problem at all) - and without bothering our heads too much over skipping over a letter here, or tacking one on there, all in the wrong position, but who really cares as iong as we can get the message across - it simply doesn't bother US a tall, but we are so sorry that i tannoys YOU. Snot nice for you apparently, but that's just how it is in everyday speech here in Britland, and just about everywhere else in the ESW a swell I would imagine. ;-)
Lighten up - there's enough grief and turmoil in the world right now without getting all wound up over trifling things like this.
Here - buy yourself a pint of Belhavens 90 bob and a Scotch chaser....that'll sort you out!
Methinks thou protesteth too much, pal!
Right - you are having a conversation with your mates (or however you refer to your friends in your part of the English Speaking World) - just as we all do in the course of our daily lives. Do you speak at a normal pace? - I mean at a rate of an average number of words per minute for the average speaker of the English Language, especially as with native speakers - and without consciously thinking of making sure you clearly enunciate every vowel and consonant spot on in the right place, text book style?
I'm so sorry to admit that we Brits really are guilty of doing just what you quite rightly accuse us of doing, but to be frank with you, all we are concerned about is to make sure we can verbally communicate with each other in this truly fantastic Language of ours, making sure we are understood (even in some of our bizarre accents and dialects but among our own linguistic kindred spirits that isn't a problem at all) - and without bothering our heads too much over skipping over a letter here, or tacking one on there, all in the wrong position, but who really cares as iong as we can get the message across - it simply doesn't bother US a tall, but we are so sorry that i tannoys YOU. Snot nice for you apparently, but that's just how it is in everyday speech here in Britland, and just about everywhere else in the ESW a swell I would imagine. ;-)
Lighten up - there's enough grief and turmoil in the world right now without getting all wound up over trifling things like this.
Here - buy yourself a pint of Belhavens 90 bob and a Scotch chaser....that'll sort you out!
I think my D would be much stronger in "a doll" and there would be a noticeable change in rhythm between my "a doll" and my "at all", despite my flapped T.
-Hey there, stupid question of the day...
at all.
a doll. -
In Cot Caught merged accents, ALL and DOLL rhyme, it's either
all, doll [Al, dAl] (in Atlantic Canada, and traditional Western accents) or
all, doll [Ql, dQl] (in Boston, in Pittsburgh, in the rest of Canada, and by some Western speakers).
in traditional General American, -all- has rounded [Q] vowel, while
-doll- has an unrounded [A], this distinction is still strong in NYC, NJ, in the SOuth, and some Midwestern speakers
---
Phonologically, you have ALL ~ DOLL rhyming or not
Phonetically ALL and DOLL may have rounded pronunciation due to either
1. vowel shifts (Canadian or Californian) or
2. dark L influence (L causes the rounding of the preceding vowel,
like in wolf [wQlf], pulse [pQls], welcome [wQlkm])
I have [A] in both words, just like many Californians, NovaScotians are Newfoundlanders.
at all.
a doll. -
In Cot Caught merged accents, ALL and DOLL rhyme, it's either
all, doll [Al, dAl] (in Atlantic Canada, and traditional Western accents) or
all, doll [Ql, dQl] (in Boston, in Pittsburgh, in the rest of Canada, and by some Western speakers).
in traditional General American, -all- has rounded [Q] vowel, while
-doll- has an unrounded [A], this distinction is still strong in NYC, NJ, in the SOuth, and some Midwestern speakers
---
Phonologically, you have ALL ~ DOLL rhyming or not
Phonetically ALL and DOLL may have rounded pronunciation due to either
1. vowel shifts (Canadian or Californian) or
2. dark L influence (L causes the rounding of the preceding vowel,
like in wolf [wQlf], pulse [pQls], welcome [wQlkm])
I have [A] in both words, just like many Californians, NovaScotians are Newfoundlanders.
A doll has a slight pause/break between a and doll. The rhythm is somewhat different, I can't explain it...
It's not pronounced the same in G.A.
1) vowels are different (unrounded vs. rounded)
2) consonants are different (atall has a flap, while adoll has a dental consonant)
1) vowels are different (unrounded vs. rounded)
2) consonants are different (atall has a flap, while adoll has a dental consonant)
So that d in doll doesn't seem to be flapped. I guess it's because it introduces a stressed syllable. I had forgot about that. Thanks.