What does English sound like?

'So for you, and the average French person, it is just as important to listen out for the way syllables are partitioned, not only individual words'.

It's exactly what my teacher did tell us, but for me, it's not possible despite I try. I agree with the guest who's written : it's unintelligible. It sound like the half of the word always is disappearing, and it's conjecture for understand it.

Do any of yall know how the Dutch, or how a German may prenounce the word Tod(Death)?

>>Do any of yall know how the Dutch, or how a German may prenounce the word Tod(Death)?<<

In standard Hochdeutsch "Tod" would be pronounced as [t_ho:t], while in some dialects one may get things such as [t_ho:d_0] and like.

As for Dutch, in Algemeen Nederlands "dood" would be pronounced as [do:t], where [o:] may actually be slightly diphthongal (but less so than, say, English English [oU]).

To me standard British english is very rapid, American english is slower but more flat.

English is the harshest, most guttural language I've ever heard. I prefer German and Dutch better, because they sound a lot better.

It depends on who is speaking.
If it is Queen Elizabeth II, English seems to be such an easy language! So easy to understand! Music to my ears! But Cockney is disgusting!
Some years ago, I went to Arizona and I asked to myself: What language do these guys speak? Is it English? Or at least is it American English? Gee, what a terrible and unpleasant accent.
But in general, I like the way English (British, American, Canadian) sounds. It is soft and not guttural. Sorry, but the English spoken in Australia is not pleasant to my ears. I don´t like the way they pronounce the vowels.
English is the language of business and French is the perfect language for poetry.

***. It is soft and not guttural.***

But don't all those alveolar t's make it sound rather sharp?

I'm a German who has been learning English for the past 8 or so years. I think it's pointless to make blanket statements about the aesthetic qualities of 'English', since no standard form of pronunciation really exists. I wouldn't consider the working-class London and SE England accents to be particularly beautiful or melodic, but neither are they particularly unpleasant. English as spoken in England by those with a high level of education is more melodious and very pleasant on the ear. I consider Northern England accents when spoken by males to be sexy, but rather unbecoming on the females. I struggle to comprehend some Northern accents and such people might as well be talking in a foreign language as far as my understanding goes.

It's interesting to note how British pronounciation has changed over the years.

In the 1600s, Londoners pronounced the letter W as V, just in the same way that these days they pronounce "th" as "f".

So, in the 1600s - in the days of Samuel Pepys and Oliver Cromwell - "Westminster" was actually pronounced as "Vestmynster".

Also in those days "Rome" was pronounced exactly the same way as "room", and "sea" was pronounced the same as "say".

It would be interesting to step into a time machine and travel back to 17th Century London and listen to them speak.

>> So, in the 1600s - in the days of Samuel Pepys and Oliver Cromwell - "Westminster" was actually pronounced as "Vestmynster". <<

No they didn't.

>> It would be interesting to step into a time machine and travel back to 17th Century London and listen to them speak.<<

Yeah, back in those days they spoke American English. Now they've degenerated into sounding like they have mush in their mouths, and can't even say their r's properly.

English certainly sounds sibilant to (at least some) foreigners. I recall some years ago walking down a street in Athens talking English to some friends. The local youths followed us hissing to imitate our language: They were only doing this in fun. Their feelings tie in with the Byron quote which I have not traced.

What about spanish?? how does it sound?

<<English is the harshest, most guttural language I've ever heard. I prefer German and Dutch better, because they sound a lot better. >>

Oh yes. English is harsher than German... (rolling eyes)
Look if you really want to hear a guttural language... go and try Hebrew, Arabic or Quechua... Then we'll see if English still sounds harsh to you, man.

Pete

there was this girl, Pauline arguing that English is difficult to understand because all the words seem to be put together and you can't quite separate them... Well, my dear friend, you're right... but you've got a little problem there. It's not only English but almost all the languages in the world... I believe... For Every person I've heard spoke their languages in a natural way, and the sentences seemed to be groups of words, yes.
I think it's called word linking... and it's something you normally do when you speak your native language, or when you are fluent in another language, I do this when I speak my native language, Spanish, and when I speak English as well. When you are fluent or have a lot of practice on listening and speaking a language... what those blokes say, it won't sound like gibberish and you can't identify words. But it'll be like meaningful sentences which you can perfectly understand.

Pete from Peru

My husband's relatives said that when someone speaks Englis it sounds like "Wah wah wah wah". It was a friendly type of teasing though. Once I got my spanish down I teased back that Mexicans sounded like "Wah wah wah" too.