> For me a rhyme of 'thorough' with 'burrow' > or 'furrow' highlights the problem. I base my > observations on > CNN, Fox as well as Discovery and National > Geographic. > Australian English and I think "Standard" English > would rhyme > more with "burra" and 'furra".
I don't think there is any such thing as "standard" English, since there are so many regional variations.
> My feeling is that in attempting > to do justice to the spelling of the word, some > users, news > readers in particular, create verbal nightmares. > This could carry > across into singing also where we hear undue stress > on words endings.
I think it depends also on how the composer has set the ending. I hate it when they put it at the beginning of a bar and expect you to hold it forever (a recent experience with Malotte's Lord's Prayer comes to mind - a - meeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnn. Took me forever to figure out how to sustain that vowel!
> A rhyme with 'burrow' strikes me as an attempt to > feel good about having accommodated the spelling of > the > 'ough' part of 'thorough', in which case I'd have to > ask you > how you pronounce 'rough'. : ) "Ruff", I hope? > I'd also suggest that your particular rhyme with > 'burrow' > does in fact attempt to pronounce the "gh". >
Yep, rough = ruff for me. But since I don't rhyme rough with thorough, I would suggest that the way I pronounce the ending of the word isn't an attempt to pronounce the "gh" (or I would end it with a "f" sound), but more of a variation in how I pronounce vowels from you. I have an Australian friend, and we have had many discussions on how differently we pronounce words, and most of the differences are vowel sounds.
> While we're here, the "ing" ending is another > example. I feel we have all heard the two problems. > One of > undue emphasis and the other of a totally missing > "G", but > what about the other tendency of pronouncing it as > "eene". ---snip--- > every day I hear news > readers cummene > and goeene as if it was the accepted form
ROFL! We spent quite a bit of time in my lyric diction class trying to figure out how to pronounce ng. My other favorite is a final -er or -or. "Our Fatherrrrrrr...". I definitely prefer using a dialect that drops the final "r" sound in singing (unless it's pop music, sometimes) - "Our Fatha" is much nicer sounding in singing, and easier technically!
> Sorry but hearing about how the Electoral College > represents the > "more worthy voters" was just too much.
Just want to clarify that I am Canadian :o). No Electoral College here, although I have been enjoying the opportunity to learn more about the political system of my US neighbors the past few days.
Jennifer
_______________________________________________________
|