Why do different accents pronounce words so differently?

[classical_hero]

This is somewhat from a poem in Site Feedback, but why are their so many different ways of pronouncing certain words? The speeling is the same and yet the pronunciation is different.

 

[Arakhor]

Because there are? It's like asking how long is a piece of string? (Twice as long as half of it, incidentally.)

 

[sophie]

It depends, but normally I'd say isolation.

If it's why foreigners pronounce english words so differently it's because they are accustomed to their own language. For example in Welsh just about every word is supposed to be accented on the last syllable, which is why when Welsh people speak english, most words are accented on the last syllable.

You get the same thing when English speakers speak Spanish. They are accustomed to r's , b's , and other letters being pronounced differently than they are in the native language.

In other words, things are pronounced differently because languages are different.

 

[civ_king]

It depends, but normally I'd say isolation.

If it's why foreigners pronounce english words so differently it's because they are accustomed to their own language. For example in Welsh just about every word is supposed to be accented on the last syllable, which is why when Welsh people speak english, most words are accented on the last syllable.

You get the same thing when English speakers speak Spanish. They are accustomed to r's , b's , and other letters being pronounced differently than they are in the native language.

In other words, things are pronounced differently because languages are different.

don't forget the j's and h's!

Accents are left over from previously languages and their pronunciation, for example Wales and Scotland

 

[Danielion]

Go ahead and cringe at the sound of the following example of Dunglish!


Link to video.

There's nothing wrong with having an accent. Everyone has an accent anyway. Still, the one accent isn't as cool as the other.
Also, about that Dutchman: is he sucking up unto English desperately failing to imitate an American accent? Or is he speaking normal English with a Dutch accent? I still haven't got a clue.

 

[Perfection]

because it's cool to pronounce things differently

 

[Nomnomnom]

Saying things differently is fine except when I'm trying to get instructions from some tech support guy based in India

 

[Perfection]

It's not the Indian accent that's the problem, it's the fact that they lack the ability to converse naturally in English. If they actually knew English except just had pronunciation difficulties for certain words they would be just fine.

 

[Defiant47]

This is somewhat from a poem in Site Feedback, but why are their so many different ways of pronouncing certain words? The speeling is the same and yet the pronunciation is different.

In Romanian, pronunciation is a is as in "far", e is as in "felt", i as in "ee", o as in "for", u as in "oo"

So when I see "pig", I'm inclined to say something like "peeg".

Also, when I see mule, I feel compelled to say "moo-le". (possibly "moo-leh")

(Well, not anymore, but you get it)

 

[Earthling]

In English, it's often said that the difference between rhotic and non-rhotic accents is one of the biggest/most common/most noticeable. Certainly a difference between American Midwestern and British or other accents.

 

[Shekwan]

Because foreigners are ignorant, obviously.

 

[Danielion]

Because English is for everyone and not just for Anglophones?

 

[exhile]

Australian English or south eastern United States English gives me a chuckle when I listen to them speak.

 

[Captain Carnage]

watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JonHBGr4Og

 

[BuckyRea]

I had a friend from New Zealand in college. I noticed that his accent seemed to almost randomly reassign vowel sounds to different letters, tho that didn't seriously impede communication between us. He was semi-non-rhotic.

 

[Masada]

*Waiting for Bill3000*

 

[sophie]

*Waiting for Bill3000*

Seconded. I was thinking of adding "But this will probably get lolpwnt by Bill in a few posts", but didn't bother.

 

[Bobbtjoe]

This is somewhat from a poem in Site Feedback, but why are their so many different ways of pronouncing certain words? The speeling is the same and yet the pronunciation is different.

What poem are you refering to? I somewhat remember seeing this and damnit, I couldn't find it again.

 

[LightFang]

Well, isn't it obvious? I guess maybe not if you haven't learned another foreign language (for shame!)

Just a quick example: In French, when I see a "u", I want to pronounce it like "u"s in English, which sounds pretty similar to but is not a French "u".

 

[classical_hero]

What poem are you refering to? I somewhat remember seeing this and damnit, I couldn't find it again.

Basically the word is question is the route. Some say that is rhymes with doubt and some say that is rhymes is boot. The weird thing is that we would say rout rhymes with doubt and yet add an 'e' on the end and it some how changes the way the word is spoken in some parts of the world.