Pronouncing Wisconsin

[Scot LaFaive]

That about sums up what I was wondering, thanks.

Scot


>From: "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: Pronouncing Wisconsin
>Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:59:30 -0800
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: Pronouncing Wisconsin
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>On Dec 21, 2006, at 9:37 AM, Scot LaFaive wrote:
>
> > I've noticed lately that many commercials played in Wisconsin seem
> > to have
> > people clearly pronouncing the /k/ sound in the second syllable,
> > and it
> > sounds odd to me. From what I gather from 31 years in Wisconsin, it
> > seems
> > that natives generally don't clearly pronounce the /k/; I think we
> > tend to
> > voice it as /g/, but I may be wrong in my analysis (my ears don't
> > distinguish so well, the lazy fools). Just curious if anyone else has
> > noticed this or can confirm or correct me.
>
>this one comes up here from time to time.  the short version is:
>
>"Wisconsin" is usually pronounced by natives of the state with an
>unaccented first syllable, but by outsiders with a tertiary accent on
>the first syllable.  the accentual difference yields a difference in
>syllable-division.  with unaccented first syllable, the s is
>syllabified as part of the second syllable: Wi.scon.sin; the k is
>then unaspirated (as in "skin"), which you might be hearing as
>voicing.  with an accent on the first syllable, the s can be (though
>it doesn't have to be) syllabified as the offset of that syllable:
>Wis.con.sin; if so, the k is aspirated and will be heard as a clear k.
>
>arnold
>
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>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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