from Jennifer...... >I don't think there is any such thing as "standard" >English, since there are so many regional variations
Of course I agree Jennifer but if I want to check a word I always start at the Oxford dictionary and temper it with the nationality of the composer. That's just my preference. That's why I put the inverted commas around the word. >(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!
You mean as an "eh " vowel I presume? (air)
> 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.
But Jennifer if you close the word 'thorough' into 'thah.row', it will rhyme with 'burrow' where-as had we been adventurous enough as to try 'thah.ruff' and made the 'uff' almost silent as in 'enough' : ) we'd have 'thah.ra' which would not rhyme with 'burrow' but 'burra'. Of course if anyone was to set 'thorough' in music you'd be stuck with the 'ah' and 'oh' vowels in your form or 'ah' and 'ah' in mine depending on whether it was Australian or American or Canadian.
Where does your Australian friend come from? I'm originally from Queensland and my NSW friends regard my speech form as somewhat affected because they like to think of Queenslanders as Australia's deep North. There is quite a difference state to state, every bit as much as from the US to Canada. The only time I've failed in recognising a Canadian accent from an American one the Canadian girl had spent considerable time in the US.
Regards Reg.
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