opportYOUnity

[Benjamin Barrett]

Native speakers are known to produce differences they cannot hear, but
all three (clause included) sound identical to me. BB

On Dec 23, 2008, at 7:59 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> Disregarding that the correct pronunciation of "Claus" is 'klows"
> ("ow" as in "ouch", and "s" not "z"), I think I pronounce "Claus" and
> "claws" differently -- more "w" in "claws".  For me, "Claus" is like
> "clause".
>
> Or am I missing the fact that Ben is joshing?  (What does "klahz"
> rhyme with?)
>
> Joel
>
> At 12/23/2008 10:27 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>> But the *correct* pronunciation of Claus and claws is indeed the
>> same:
>> klahz; just ask anyone in my family. Those who would clutter the
>> English language by adding superfluous vowels are truly demonic
>> because doing so will lead to children being completely unable to
>> figure out how to read. BB
>>
>> On Dec 23, 2008, at 7:19 PM, Scot LaFaive wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> I'm beginning to *thing* the "awe-droppers" have some kind of
>>>> speech
>>> impediment to mispronounce Santa Claus.
>>>
>>> Much like the language impairment involved in the dropping of [ng]
>>> for [k]
>>> by some writers.
>>>
>>> Scot
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 12/23/08, Tom Zurinskas <truespel at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> A Bank of America commercial puts "you" in "opportYOUnity".
>>>> Interesting.
>>>>
>>>> Also, I heard today somewhere on TV - Santa Clahz (~klaaz).  Yes,
>>>> is there
>>>> no respect by these infernal "awe-droppers".  Unfortunately m-w.com
>>>> is
>>>> infected.  The word "Claus" should be spoken the same as claws.
>>>> But in
>>>> m-w.com "claws" ~klauz spoken clahs ~klaaz even though the
>>>> phonetics show
>>>> an o with a dot over it (~au in truespel) which should be ~Klauz.
>>>>
>>>> I'm beginning to thing the "awe-droppers" have some kind of speech
>>>> impediment to mispronounce Santa Claus.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org