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I wanna know how to pronounce American can and can't correctly. When I try to say "can", people think I'm saying "can't". Thanks!
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Best way probably is just to emphasize the "n" not having a "t" after it. Perhaps rest on the "n" a little longer before stopping?
Trust me, even native speakers have to clarify themselves on this too and it sometimes isn't clear which one they're saying, especially if you say "can" too quick; I guess the glottal stop or whatever causes it to sound like there's a "t" at the end.
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"Can" usually has schwa, a weak vowel [k@n]. Try to pronounce it as if you were leaving out the vowel altogether, e.g. "I can do it" ["aI k@n "du: It]. It only takes [{] (i.e. the same vowel as in "cat") when it is especially emphasized or at the end of phrases: "
A: You can't do it.
B: Yes, I can! ["jEs aI "k{n]
"Can't" always has [{] and the "t" at the end is usually not released, or becomes a glottal stop.
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I forgot to add that for many NA speakers, the vowel in "can't" is notably raised, so my post should have read:
"Can't" always has /{/ which can be realized as [{], [E] or even [e]
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Sometimes the best way do distinguish can from can't in speech is by the level of stress.
Examples:
He can go to work today.
He can't go to work today.
The "can't" is emphasized more than the "can" in these sentences. I supose that's why the vowel in "can" becomes a swcha.
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I heard Americans saying "ken" for "can" and "caint" for "can't". They also mock at the British pronunciation saying : "I cunt hear what you're saying"
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<< I heard Americans saying "ken" for "can" and "caint" for "can't". >>
These pronunciations are stigmatized, but they do exist. They're most characteristic of rural Southern speech.
- Kef
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***They also mock at the British pronunciation saying : "I cunt hear what you're saying***
That's nowhere close to any British pronuciation I know of....Not even in Glasgow....no way. Sorry - a wee bit off beam with that one. "Cant" - yes (Northern England; "cahnt" - yes (Southern England; "caaahhhnt" - yes (Cornwall :-) - but your version? No! 'I "cannae" believe it!', as a Scottish Victor Meldrew would say.
Anyway - I intrude....this thread is all about the American way but it was Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms (or whatever) Guest who mentioned us Brits ....so I'm vindicated.
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>><< I heard Americans saying "ken" for "can" and "caint" for "can't". >>
These pronunciations are stigmatized, but they do exist. They're most characteristic of rural Southern speech.<<
Actually, "ken" (that is, /kEn/) is very, very commonly heard for "can" here in Wisconsin, such that pronouncing such with /kE{n/ is primarily found in careful speech here.
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Oh, I should also note that "can't" pronounced like "cain't" is common in AAVE as well, although I don't think it's universal.
- Kef
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can't [kAENt] can be heard in Newcastle.
They have /AE/ for /A/: grass, past, last, can't
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<<can't [kAENt] can be heard in Newcastle.
They have /AE/ for /A/: grass, past, last, can't>>
I assume by <AE> you mean X-SAMPA [{]. If so, then that is incorrect. Newcastle, along with most (all?) of Northern England, has [a] for its TRAP set, which, as you mentioned, is not distinct from the BATH set. All the words you mentioned have [a].
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I should probably also point out that /a/ is the original vowel of those words; /A:/ is a later Southern English innovation. Also, there are a few words from Middle English /a/ that have /A:/ (or the equivalent) in parts of the North: calf, half, calve, halve, rather, shan't and can't are listed in John C. Wells's *Accents of English*. These all have /{/ or the equivalent in most of the US, Scotland, and Ireland.
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''Vowel sounds are also quite unusual.
* "er" on the end of words becomes "a" (/æ/) ("father" is pronounced "fatha", both "a" sounds as in "hat").
* Many "a" sounds become more like "e" (/ɛ/): "hev" (/hɛv/) for "have" and "thet" for "that". ''
from Geordie article in Wiki
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In the chapter XII. of Peter Trudgill's ''English accents and dialects'' - Northumberland you can read:
''Again as in other northern accents, words like DANCE and DAFT have /AE/.''
Accordingly, in Longman Pronunciation Dictionary...[njukAEsl] is given as the local form.
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