Off topic: French vs English - Who said French was tougher to pronunciate?
Initiator des Themas: Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Kanada
Local time: 23:50
Mitglied (2004)
Englisch > Französisch
Nov 6, 2007

Français:
"1H58 à 2H02 : une heure cinquante-huit à deux heures deux."

Anglais:
"from two to two to two two"

Français :
"Trois sorcières regardent trois montres Swatch. Quelle sorcière regarde quelle montre Swatch ?"

Anglais:
"Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watch which Swatch watch??

Et maintenant pour les spécialistes...

Français:
"Trois sorcières suédoises et transse
... See more
Français:
"1H58 à 2H02 : une heure cinquante-huit à deux heures deux."

Anglais:
"from two to two to two two"

Français :
"Trois sorcières regardent trois montres Swatch. Quelle sorcière regarde quelle montre Swatch ?"

Anglais:
"Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watch which Swatch watch??

Et maintenant pour les spécialistes...

Français:
"Trois sorcières suédoises et transsexuelles regardent les boutons de trois montres Swatch suisses. Quelle sorcière suédoise transsexuelle regarde quel bouton de quelle montre Swatch suisse?"

Anglais (accrochez-vous):
"Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watch switches.Which Swedish switched witch watch which Swiss Swatch watch switch?"


Enjoy!
Nina Khmielnitzky

[Edited at 2007-11-06 15:26]
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Claudia Krysztofiak
Claudia Krysztofiak  Identity Verified
Deutschland
Local time: 05:50
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
That's why ... Nov 6, 2007

I am a translator and no interpreter!!!

I am still trying to get the knot out of my tongue ...


 
NancyLynn
NancyLynn
Kanada
Local time: 23:50
Mitglied (2002)
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...

Moderator dieses Forums
Comical but not quite grammatical Nov 6, 2007

There are a couple of "watch"es there that should be "watches".

Good for a party game, though!

Nancy


 
The Misha
The Misha
Local time: 23:50
Russisch > Englisch
+ ...
French is easier Nov 6, 2007

Personally, I find French pronunciation much more straightforward. Once you know the reading rules, you are all set. For the most part anyway. Plus the stress is always on the last syllable which is no small matter. English, on the other hand is a totally different kettle of fish

 
Robin Salmon (X)
Robin Salmon (X)  Identity Verified
Australien
Local time: 13:50
Deutsch > Englisch
+ ...
English spelling needs to be phoneticised Nov 6, 2007

I believe Dutch and Spanish, for example, were phoneticised in the early half of last century (cannot find exact dates in Google and I am remembering that from a long time back; I am, therefore, wide open to correction).

On the mess English pronuncitaion is currently in , see this site.

http://home.planet.nl/~blade068/languagefun/pronunciation.htm... See more
I believe Dutch and Spanish, for example, were phoneticised in the early half of last century (cannot find exact dates in Google and I am remembering that from a long time back; I am, therefore, wide open to correction).

On the mess English pronuncitaion is currently in , see this site.

http://home.planet.nl/~blade068/languagefun/pronunciation.htm

I was told there were seven different pronunciations of "ough" (though, cough, bough, tough etc.) but 14 are listed here!

For a short English togue-twister we learned in school in Scotland, try "The Leith police dismisseth us".

Just to add a thought about French, which, as a general rule, has even stress on all syllables, I get irritated when Australians put the stress on the final syllable, in "sorbet", for example.
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mediamatrix (X)
mediamatrix (X)
Local time: 23:50
Spanisch > Englisch
+ ...
Oops, ... Nov 7, 2007

Robin Salmon wrote:
...
I was told there were seven different pronunciations of "ough" (though, cough, bough, tough etc.) but 14 are listed here!


... I guess I missed a few here, then: http://www.proz.com/topic/80477

The tractor ploughed through the rough ground and a round wire wound itself around the axle. A passer-by from Slough thought he should help, coughed, then shouted: "You ought to slough the mud off it thoroughly – although you should use stout gloves to be sure you won't wound yourself with the wound-around round wire!".

MediaMatrix


 
Viktoria Gimbe
Viktoria Gimbe  Identity Verified
Kanada
Local time: 23:50
Englisch > Französisch
+ ...
I cracked up Nov 7, 2007

Thanks! This was funny - I wish there was more!

French is in fact much harder to pronounce than English, but I see what you are getting at. Sweet revenge!


 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 04:50
Russisch > Englisch
+ ...
In stillem Gedenken
Error message Nov 7, 2007

Whoever said it was wrong, he should have said "pronounced", not "pronunciated".

 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:50
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
In stillem Gedenken
Garage Nov 7, 2007

Robin Salmon wrote:

I believe Dutch and Spanish, for example, were phoneticised in the early half of last century (cannot find exact dates in Google and I am remembering that from a long time back; I am, therefore, wide open to correction).

On the mess English pronuncitaion is currently in , see this site.

http://home.planet.nl/~blade068/languagefun/pronunciation.htm

I was told there were seven different pronunciations of "ough" (though, cough, bough, tough etc.) but 14 are listed here!

For a short English togue-twister we learned in school in Scotland, try "The Leith police dismisseth us".

Just to add a thought about French, which, as a general rule, has even stress on all syllables, I get irritated when Australians put the stress on the final syllable, in "sorbet", for example.


The Americans do it with "garage", which they pronounce garAGE (quite correctly if they were speaking French) whereas in the UK it's pronounced GARage - or even garridge.
Re pronunciation, when I was learning French at school we were made to keep repeating the sentence "Le perroquet du Président est parti pour le paradis", to help us get that even stress, plus extra stress on the last syllable. I've never forgotten it.
Regards,
Jenny.


 


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French vs English - Who said French was tougher to pronunciate?






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