SC - OT -Pronounciation

[Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir]

Huette wrote:

>As for unvoiced L's, English has them: could
>(k[schwa]d),would, should. [Unfortunately, I have no
>access to accent marks]


I think there may be a misunderstanding here. "Unvoiced" doesn´t mean
silent. An unvoiced l is very audible and is said by blowing air instead of
using your vocal chords. This sound really does not exist in English; the
pronounciation is somewhat similar to but not identical to the
pronounciation of Welsh ll.

>I also do not like your brother's insult to Americans.

I´m quite sure he meant no offense, and since he was writing to me in
Icelandic, my translation probably was at fault if you find it insulting.
What he meant was that the average American probably does not know a
language that has this sound. Of course there are some average Americans who
know them - even some who know Icelandic. It just wasn´t likely that the
person I was attempting  to explain the pronounciation to would know such a
language. - I think my brother knows English fairly well, as he has been a
visiting scholar at the linguistics department at Harvard University and
communicates daily with American linguists.

>If I have read the easier version of your explanation
>correctly, then your son's name should be pronounced
>hj = ch as in Hanukah: a = schwa, as is sat,
>but I am confused about the i, whether it should be
>i as in it or i as in mine or i as in fir.  If I could
>hear it a couple to times, I would be able to
>pronounce it correctly.


I haven´t the faintest idea how Hanukah is pronounced, not sure I understand
the next part, the L is unvoiced (definitely not silent - almost spit out),
and i as in it is correct. You might be able to pronounce the name it if you
heard it a couple of times but most people need more practice than that,
especially for the unvoiced l.

Please don´t be offended, I think this is all a misunderstanding.

Nanna

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