English is the easiest language in pronounciation?

Shuimo   Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:25 pm GMT
Apart from yr mother tongue, don't you think English is the easiest language in pronounciation, without any difficult or horrible sounds to pronounce, like the thrilling /r/ or /rr/ or uvilar /r/, or even gutteral sounds?
Guest   Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:33 pm GMT
Since English is my mother tongue, I agree that it is easy to pronounce.
Skippy   Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:12 am GMT
I've heard English is actually kind of tough; the /r/, retroflex-colored vowels, our voiced and voiceless 'th', the two pronunciations of 'h' (as in 'hot' and 'huge')... That's just off the top of my head.
Edward Teach   Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:45 am GMT
Many Thai students struggle greatly with English pronounciation, I doubt its the easiest language to pronounce overall but its just better than other languages.
weyt   Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:55 am GMT
It may be easy to be understood in English but when was the list time you met a foreigner with a good accent? Most have atrocious accents, it's just that we're so used to it we don't notice any more.
boz   Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:48 am GMT
English is one of the most difficult languages to pronounce, with many sounds unique to it.
You mention the R but the English R does seem to be very difficult (and the American R IS horrible) judging by the number of people who can't pronounce it properly.
And why would guttural sounds be "difficult"??
Trimac20   Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:04 pm GMT
From the perspective of any native speaker the sounds inherent in their language sound natural to them. We might take the fact we can say 'th' with no trouble for granted, but for say a speaker of Thai (ironic how Thai is pronounced 'tai' innit? lol) it's probably as hard for them as it is for us to utter the 'guttal' sound with a natural level of fluency.
Shuimo   Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:58 pm GMT
<<Guest Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:33 pm GMT
Since English is my mother tongue, I agree that it is easy to pronounce. <<

If it is yr mother tongue, it is no point saying it is easy for you!

>>Skippy Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:12 am GMT
I've heard English is actually kind of tough; the /r/, retroflex-colored vowels, our voiced and voiceless 'th', the two pronunciations of 'h' (as in 'hot' and 'huge')... That's just off the top of my head. >>

Perhaps to a small tiny number of certain people or certain nations, that might be the case!
AS Shuimo observes, no English sounds are difficult to Chinese speakers of English, yet I heard that the Japanese are struggling miserably with the sound /r/. I don't know why that can be the case!


>>Edward Teach Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:45 am GMT
Many Thai students struggle greatly with English pronounciation, I doubt its the easiest language to pronounce overall but its just better than other languages. <<


Maybe it is only the Thailanders' prob!
English pronounciation is really infinitely more easier than other languages!


<<weyt Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:55 am GMT
It may be easy to be understood in English but when was the list time you met a foreigner with a good accent? Most have atrocious accents, it's just that we're so used to it we don't notice any more. >>
Perhaps you should hear foreingers speak Mandarin Chinese!
It is such an enormous enjoyment admist such semantic sufferings, though I do appreciate their courage or thick face to speak my mother tongue!


>>boz Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:48 am GMT
English is one of the most difficult languages to pronounce, with many sounds unique to it.
You mention the R but the English R does seem to be very difficult (and the American R IS horrible) judging by the number of people who can't pronounce it properly.
And why would guttural sounds be "difficult"?? >>

/r/ in English is just a piece of cake to the Chinese at least, since /r/ in Chinese and English are roughly the same sound! I assure you!
I hear some guttural sounds in Arabic, it just fightens me off! I mean the sound effect! It already sends Shuimo off to even imitate the sounds!


>>Trimac20 Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:04 pm GMT
From the perspective of any native speaker the sounds inherent in their language sound natural to them. We might take the fact we can say 'th' with no trouble for granted, but for say a speaker of Thai (ironic how Thai is pronounced 'tai' innit? lol) it's probably as hard for them as it is for us to utter the 'guttal' sound with a natural level of fluency. <<

I agree!
But easy or difficult is a relative thing!
When things are grouped together, there is always the superlative to be made!
Sth being the most easy or most difficult is of course a matter of comparison among a given field put for evaluation!
Edward Teach   Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:26 am GMT
You raise a good point. There are several aspects of Thai language that cause them great difficulty when using other languages. One of the most common is words ending in 's'.

In Thai language no words end with this sound and so most Thai people simply miss this sound out.

If you are called 'James' then you better get used to being called 'Jame' while you are over here.
Antimooner K. T.   Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:14 am GMT
No, I think Japanese is the easiest language to pronounce.
Clever guy   Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:03 am GMT
Spanish, Greek, Japanese, Italian or even German and Russian are more phonetic than English.

Almost all languages have at least rules of pronuntiation, but not English.

For example, a lot of students in Europe study Spanish in European Union. After studying English, Spanish is for them a piece of cake (except the verbs).

That's the same when Chinese study English and Japanese. The difference is amazing. They CAN pronounce Japanese.
Caspian   Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:09 pm GMT
<< no English sounds are difficult to Chinese speakers of English >>

I've never met a Chinese person who can pronounce the English phonemes perfectly. Words like 'fire' and 'file' seem to be very difficult for them - and despite the fact that you say the 'r' sound is easy, a lot of Chinese people pronounce it as a cross between an English 'r' sound and a French 'j' sound. Like in Chinese.
Shuimo   Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:12 pm GMT
Caspian Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:09 pm GMT
<< no English sounds are difficult to Chinese speakers of English >>

I've never met a Chinese person who can pronounce the English phonemes perfectly. Words like 'fire' and 'file' seem to be very difficult for them - and despite the fact that you say the 'r' sound is easy, a lot of Chinese people pronounce it as a cross between an English 'r' sound and a French 'j' sound. Like in Chinese.
=======================

R you joking?
Or you yrself are just among the lower working class people whose only opportunities to meet any Chinese are in poorly-paid Chinese restaurants?

Shuimo myself know many many perfect speakers of English with perfect pronounciation!

Yet I have never met any westerners, englanders included, who are able to pronounce Chinese characters perfectly with proper tone!
Chinese tones are just the insurmountable mountain for western learners of Chinese! Poor thing!
Shuimo   Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:13 pm GMT
Oh, one key word missed!
Shuimo myself know many many perfect Chinese speakers of English with perfect pronounciation!
Guest   Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:23 pm GMT
I sure hope your pronunciation is better than your grammar. Something tells me you do it on purpose, though... Your mistakes are too inconsistent to be real.