1: What 2 words are spelled the same except that one has a silent letter yet are not pronounced the same?
2: What 2 words are spelled the same except that one has a silent letter yet are pronounced the same?
3 What word is pronounced with a missing letter in the spelling?
2: What 2 words are spelled the same except that one has a silent letter yet are pronounced the same?
traffic and traffick
net and nett (Brit)
mat, matt and matte (Brit??)
night and knight
rein and reign
AJ
Image of a Chrysler K car in traffic: https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1982-dodge-400.jpg?resize=600%2C380
Image of a Chrysler K car in traffic:
The car is parked, not in traffic. Just pointing it out.
I've seen in used many times in reference to the modern slave trade: "human trafficking". I've no clue if it is an American, British or ESL style of writing.
I've seen in used many times in reference to the modern slave trade: "human trafficking". I've no clue if it is an American, British or ESL style of writing.
Looking at the on-line version of the main American English dictionary, Merriam Webster, the 'k' is only used where a post-fix is added (trafficked, trafficking, trafficker). No idea if this is limited to American English.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic
No, it seems to apply to British English too. But there is evidence of usage of traffick, written that way to emphasise the modern-slavery meaning. I guess it might become common enough for adoption by dictionaries in another decade or two.
AJ
I'm quirky, but I'd use 'traffick' if I was referring to human trafficking; traffic if I was referring to network or road congestion/loads.
E.g.
"Scumbags who traffick in young girls"
"I was sitting in traffic"
But that's me, and I do weird things (compared to 'standard' English (whatever the heck that is, as there are at least three major variations — US/UK/SubContinent).
A quick browse, and of the first three results for 'traffick' without a suffix, two were by EU officials and one by a US university. ;-)
AJ
I believe that "traffick" is only used when "traffic" is appended by "ing" or "ed". That keeps the "c" from being pronounced as an "s".
I believe that "traffick" is only used when "traffic" is appended by "ing" or "ed".
Also "er".
1: What 2 words are spelled the same except that one has a silent letter yet are not pronounced the same?
If you overlook the accent, knee and nee ;-)
3 What word is pronounced with a missing letter in the spelling?
This is probably very localised but I was brought up to pronounce 'ought' as 'yort' rather than 'ort'.
AJ
If you overlook the accent, knee and nee ;-)
This should be for #2 because they are pronounced the same.
This is probably very localised but I was brought up to pronounce 'ought' as 'yort' rather than 'ort'.
I would say very localized. But you are close as the word I was thinking of has a missing r but still pronounced like it's there. I just gave it away.
If you overlook the accent, knee and nee ;-)
This should be for #2 because they are pronounced the same.
I would pronounce 'nee' as 'nay', and my dictionary confirms it.
Perhaps the American pronunciation is different.
AJ
I would pronounce 'nee' as 'nay', and my dictionary confirms it.
In my defense the dictionary also has that little mark above the first e of nee but no mark in knee. Without that mark how would you know the second e makes the first one a long E?
I would pronounce 'nee' as 'nay', and my dictionary confirms it.
If you want the reader to read 'nay' you should write 'nay' and not 'nee'. I don't care what the dictionary says, a non-native English reader would read it just like it's written. Especially since both words have a different meaning.
We Brits like to preserve a little more of the French origins of words than our American cousins, hence blond (m) and blonde (f) despite English not generally not supporting genders on adjectives. And chaise longue rather than chaise lounge. Ne (m), nee (f) with an acute accent over the (first) e means a person's name at birth, although it's almost always used in the feminine form to denote a woman's maiden name.
AJ
We Brits like to preserve a little more of the French origins of words than our American cousins, hence blond (m) and blonde (f) despite English not generally not supporting genders on adjectives.
I thought Americans do that as well. The blond boy and the blonde girl.
I thought Americans do that as well. The blond boy and the blonde girl.
From what I've read on SOL, I think that's probably a minority.
AJ
From what I've read on SOL, I think that's probably a minority.
I may be a minority of one, but I make sure and get that right.
From what I've read on SOL, I think that's probably a minority.
You can never go by what you read on SOL. From Grammar Girl:
The word originally came into English from Old French, where it has masculine and feminine forms. As an English noun, it kept those two forms; thus, a blond is a fair-haired male, and a blonde is a fair-haired female.
When you're using the word as an adjective, "blond" is the more common spelling and can be used for men or women, especially in the United States; however, "blonde" can also be used to describe a woman with fair hair, as in "Go ask the blonde woman at table 2 if she wants pepper on her salad."
You can never go by what you read on SOL.
I meant that usage on SOL probably reflects American usage in general.
Unfortunately I can't test it using search - both "blond " and "blonde " get 'more than 1000 files'.
AJ
Unfortunately I can't test it using search - both "blond " and "blonde " get 'more than 1000 files'.
Too bad we can't make a SOL corpus for Google's ngram viewer.
1: What 2 words are spelled the same except that one has a silent letter yet are not pronounced the same?
Who can turn a can into a cane?
Who can turn a pan into a pane?
It's not too hard to see it's Silent E
Who can turn a cub into a cube?
Who can turn a tub into a tube?
It's elementary for Silent E
He took a pin and turned it into a pine
He took a twin and turned him into twine
Who can turn a cap into a cape?
Who can turn a tap into a tape?
A little glob becomes a globe instantly
If you just add Silent E
He turned a dam, alakazam, into a dame
But my friend Sam stayed just the same
Who can turn a man into a mane
Who can turn a van into a vane
A little hug becomes huge instantly
Don't add W, don't add X
And don't add Y or Z
Just add Silent E!
— Tom Lehrer, "Silent E"
Who can turn a can into a cane?
Who can turn a pan into a pane?
It's not too hard to see it's Silent E
Who can turn a cub into a cube?
Who can turn a tub into a tube?
It's elementary for Silent E
While a vowel may be silent it is used to change how another vowel sounds. In every case you site it changes the first vowel a short vowel to a long vowel.
I am talking about consonants that does nothing to any other letter but for some reason is used.
While a vowel may be silent it is used to change how another vowel sounds. In every case you site it changes the first vowel a short vowel to a long vowel.
I am talking about consonants that does nothing to any other letter but for some reason is used.
That's not the question you asked. As Mr. Lehrer points out, there are many, many answers to the question you actually asked.
Here's one for you: What two words are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and have different meanings?
(There are lots of answers to this one, too, but the pair I have in mind here is site/cite.)
What two words are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and have different meanings?
led/lead
That's not the question you asked. As Mr. Lehrer points out, there are many, many answers to the question you actually asked.
I am sorry if I assumed most people would understand I meant consonants since silent vowels would be to easy. my bad.
What two words are pronounced the same, but sthatpelled differently, and have different meanings?
Why ask a question that is easy to answer? Where is the fun in that?
I need to fix the third question thou.
What is a word that has a missing consonant when spelled and replaces a consonant when spoken?
I am sorry if I assumed most people would understand I meant consonants since silent vowels would be to easy. my bad.
How about know/now, then?
Here's one for you: What two words are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and have different meanings?
For Americans, 'bidder' and 'bitter'.
There are many words in English—such as metal and medal, bleating and bleeding, or bitter and bidder—where t and d are often pronounced the same. In these words, however, it is not the case that t is being pronounced as d. Rather, the tricksters known as t and d are here being pronounced as a third sound, commonly known as a flap or tap and created when the tongue makes contact with another point in the mouth when sounding out a consonant. The flap that we may hear in a word like bleating is not the same sound as the final consonant in bleat, but it is also not the same as the final consonant in bleed. The flap occurs between vowels with the first being in a stressed syllable, so we do not hear the flap in words like attack, since the vowel following the t is in a stressed syllable.
(Merriam-Webster)
AJ
There are many words in English—such as metal and medal, bleating and bleeding, or bitter and bidder—where t and d are often pronounced the same.
That may be true in some accents, but I, and everyone I know, would pronounce these pairs differently.
That may be true in some accents, but I, and everyone I know, would pronounce these pairs differently.
I agree. The Nun at school would smack your hand with the ruler if you did that.
Interesting.
Merriam and Webster, reseachers into cross-Atlantic dating and myself are all aware of the phenomenon, but it seems average American males are not only unaware they're doing it but they can't discern their peers doing it.
I wonder why that might be.
AJ
Coincidentally, I read a report a few weeks ago that American women favoured British men romantically because of their ability to enunciate 't' correctly.
And further coincidence, Taylor Swift is going through a succession of British boyfriends ;-)
AJ
Here's one for you: What two words are pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and have different meanings?
Compliment and complement
Discreet and discrete
Their and there
Among others.
Fun English:
He took a bow after scoring a bullseye with his bow which was made from a bough.
He took a bow after scoring a bullseye with his bow which was made from a bough.
While I admit I am no English major I always thought you needed a second vowel to make the first vowel long but here you have 2 words spelled the same with only one vowel and yet one has a short vowel and the other a long vowel and a third word that has a second vowel yet the first vowel is short.
...while tied with a bowling around hin while standing on the bow in the bow of a boat.
He took a bow after scoring a bullseye with his bow which was made from a bough.
After Edgar Burroughs rows with his wife, he always rows across the lake to calm himself.
AJ
It may be wrong, but in every word ending in "mb" the "b" is silent.
That's simply dumb. :P
3 What word is pronounced with a missing letter in the spelling?
The name Doherty is pronounced Dockerty.
The name Doherty is pronounced Dockerty.
I think it's more complicated than that - the 'h' is pronounced like the 'ch' in 'loch'. English doesn't have an exact equivalent (although Russian does) so it often gets anglicised to a 'k' sound.
AJ
For Q1, I can't see where someone mentioned 'read' and 'read' as present and past participles. Both definitely pronounced differently, yet spelled (spelt) the same.
Same for 'lead' and 'lead', though in Australian English I have almost always seen 'led' as the pp.
I can't see where someone mentioned 'read' and 'read'
Sorry,that was me - also mentioned red (colour), but went back to the questions, didn't think they really fit as answers and couldn't make them fit, and didn't have any thoughts on Q3, so deleted the post. You must have looked in the very few minutes they were up!
and didn't have any thoughts on Q3
Here is a hint, when spoken a "R" replaces a "L" even thou there is no "R" in the spelling.
For Q1, I can't see where someone mentioned 'read' and 'read' as present and past participles. Both definitely pronounced differently, yet spelled (spelt) the same.
Those were discussed in another thread.
More fun with English:
through
though
cough
rough
'ough' has gone rogue (and there are more examples where ough is not the ending). And let's not forget the alternate spelling 'hiccough' for 'hiccup' (both pronounced as 'hiccup').
