I was speaking to someone a few days ago. I was referring to someone else (a male) and realized something in my speaking. I was amazed that I had never noticed this in my speech before. Now it is bugging me and I try to listen for it in others' speech, but I never am listening for it at the right time.

What I was saying was something like "I gave it to him". But I realized that what I actually said was more like "I gave it to'eem". I had never noticed that I changed the pronunciation of the word "him" to "eem" in some cases. I quickly realized that I was dropping the "h" (of course), and saying the sound "eem" to differentiate that word from the "oo" sound in the word "to".

It has bothered me since, although I know it shouldn't. It must be pretty common, since no one else has ever drawn my attention to it. I just wonder how many other examples there are like that. The obvious proper one is using the "schwa" sound when saying the word "a" before a word beginning with a consonant sound, and using "an" before a word beginning with a vowel sound (but not necessarily a vowel, of course).
(Incidentally, I am from southeastern USA.)

Welcome, ProfessorPook!
I do the same thing, and I was wondering clear up to your last sentence if maybe you live in the same part of the country that I do! My mother did that, and she was raised in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Do any of you folks from other corners do this?

I've not heard this variant before; mind you, I don't know many people from SE USA. Normally the faster pronunciation has a shorter vowel than the slower. (That's not a tautology.)

For example, she's, we've, he'll, they've are "sheez, weev, heel, dhayv" in isolation, but in my connected speech they're "shiz, wiv, hil, dhev". (I don't know how widespread this is among English dialects.)

As to alternants, do you have one with to too? I use schwa [@] before consonants and slower [tu] or faster [t@w] before vowels.

As to alternants, do you have one with to too? I use schwa [@] before consonants and slower [tu] or faster [t@w] before vowels.

To alleviate your curiosity, I find (though I had ta check), that apparently I do the same as you do with consonants, but ta ease my speech when I'm talking quickly, I only use the "oo" sound when the next word starts with the "ah" sound. Man, you people are makin' me think too much! 'Druther just talk 'n get on with it!

I don't think I would personally make "him" into "eem" but instead use "im". I think I also tend to use "oo" or "schwa" depending on what the next sound is.

I noticed a few days ago that unless I am speaking quite slowly, I tend to say "er" ("ur" or "ir") when I mean "or". Like, "Do you want orange juice er milk?"

I don't want to think about this!
It slows me down when I watch my pronunciation and my friends get bored.
Then I can't getta wurd n' ejwiz.

Welcome Professor!

Since we're on pronunciation: My mother had an odd (to me) way of pronouncing "ruin." It was neither "roon" nor "ru-in," both of which I hear frequently. Rather she slighted the u sound and pronounced the i as ee. (Forgive me for not having the appropriate terminology.) The closest I can come to describing the combination sound is that it was similar to the oi in coin, only with u instead of o. Is that a diphthong??? Anyway, I've never heard anyone else use that particular pronunciation, even those who came from the same area of Pennsylvania as she did. I'd be interested (if you can figure out what the 'ell I'm talking about) to know if it's common elsewhere.

Yi jst downt wanna her how we prinouns eur fittend vowls 'n Zild. Yi downt!

{edit} that should have been "flittend", not "fittend". Sorry to those of you it confused.

Yes, that's a diphthong ui you're describing. Old (early 20th-century) dictionaries describe ui in ruin as a diphthong, but I've never heard it. It's not a word that comes up too much anyway, so you'd have to be lucky to spot it in a 1930s film or recording; and other ui words are quite rare: bruit; intuitive.

those who came from the same area of Pennsylvania as she did.

Which area did she come from? Just curious... I don't think I've ever heard "ruin" pronounced that way.

those who came from the same area of Pennsylvania as she did. Which area did she come from?

A small town called Mt. Carmel in the east-central part of the state. Not too far from the metropolis of Danville.

It's not a word that comes up too much anyway, so you'd have to be lucky to spot it in a 1930s film or recording

NicholasW: I agree that the ui combination is not common, but I'm puzzled that you'd say ruin doesn't come up too much - and why the 1930s reference? My knowledge of language history leaves something to be desired!

> 'im, etc.

Having grown up in the Great Plains (York Nebraska) and a mother from N'Jersey, I find that in casual speech, I make all of those contractions, 'cept I say "'im" rather than "'eem". N'fak(t), aih don' think aih pernounce mor'n tu thirds uh m'letters. Bothers me, but uh jus' don' have thuh patience t'try 'n' men' m'ways. Guess I'll have to settle for percise writin'.

On the other hand, sometimes the selective contractions actually add meaning. While it may be difficult to answer the question "How long is 'tu tu tu tu tu tu?', it's not near so difficult if the critical phrase is stated casually: "tu t'tu, t'tu-tu."

If you're still having trouble parsing the phrase, it contradicts my assertion and I'll spell it out for you: "two to two, to two-two."

Lance ==)----------------

The ui diphthong is alive and well in Baltimore, where Druid Hill Park is pronounced "Droodle Park". This is not to be confused with the little tops used by Jewish children at Purim; that's a different diphthong.

and why the 1930s reference?

I just mean that it's no longer a diphthong for most people, but early 20th-century dictionaries describe it as such. I can't recall hearing it among older speakers, and the other source of old pronunciations is films, newsreels, recordings.

To hear an example you'd have to watch a lot of old film or listen to a lot of old music-hall records on the off chance that someone said ruin, Druid, intuitive, or bruit -- and clearly enough to hear the diphthong.

But I can imagine it: "We're ruined. Do you hear me, Marjorie? Rrruined!"

These days I think they're all disyllables for almost everyone: ru-in, Dru-id, etc.; with how your pronounce the -in -id syllable dependent on your dialect.

ruin, Druid, intuitive, or bruit

Thanks! One more comment: No matter how hard I try, I cannot wrap my tongue around intuitive using my mother's pronunciation of ui - it's impossible to combine with the preceding t! Never paid so much attention to the oral mechanics ... of pronunciation .