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I have noticed that more and more often, young American women are saying what sounds to my ear like "think you" for "thank you". What's the explanation for that?
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<<"think you" for "thank you">>
mispronunciation
and forwarding of long 'a' to long 'e' sound
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Don't young women usually point the way towards future language change among the whole population?
If so, perhaps "ang" and "ank" will be pronounced as "ing" and "ink" all over trhe US a few dozen years. I guess this could be called the "think/thank merger".
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<<Don't young women usually point the way towards future language change among the whole population?
>>
only if *all* women do this. They do not.
The ones who don't will pass on their conservative pronunciation, and it will continue. may even drive the other mispronunciation out.
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<<I have noticed that more and more often, young American women are saying what sounds to my ear like "think you" for "thank you". What's the explanation for that?>>
I have not heard this. Perhaps they are just trying to tell you something in particular.
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You would find this in some accents - South London.
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I've not heard the think/thank merge in the US. TomF can you tell us what state you were in when you heard this? Perhaps it's a regional situation.
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I've heard it in North Dakota.
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