Thursday, August 26, 2004, 13:30 GMT
Some Americans dictionaries, such as the American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam Webster Dictionary, divide the pronunciation of "OR" into two kinds.
fork [fo:rk] ("faw + rk")
pork [pOurk] ("poa + rk")
short [sho:rt] ("shaw + rt")
sport [spOurt] ("spoa + rt")
But I don't realize the difference when I listen to Americans speak. And I can't find the regular pattern. So, why do American dictionaries of English make this rather "strange" distinction?
fork [fo:rk] ("faw + rk")
pork [pOurk] ("poa + rk")
short [sho:rt] ("shaw + rt")
sport [spOurt] ("spoa + rt")
But I don't realize the difference when I listen to Americans speak. And I can't find the regular pattern. So, why do American dictionaries of English make this rather "strange" distinction?