Get him! Get them!

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Kooyeen

#469039 Sat, 26 Jan 08 01:48 PM

Hi,
I often have a hard time distinguishing betwen him and them (when they are 'im and 'em respectively).

Get 'im!
Get 'em!

I often understand from the context. The fact is that 'im should have a vowel like in pin, and 'em a vowel like in pun. But since they both come before a nasal sound (m, n), there's that shift that makes all reduced vowels before them sound like the vowel in pin. - (Ex: stay-shun ---> stay-shin # an orange ---> in orange).
So I often hear "Get 'em" sound like "Get 'im".

Is it just me? Thanks Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,973)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Vowels

Doll

#469053 Sat, 26 Jan 08 02:15 PM

No you are not alone. Same thing happens to me too but it is just a matter of practice. Well, my situation may be a bit worse. I hear "Charlie" as "Johnny". Smile [:)]

Doll

Joined on Sat, Mar 10 2007

Turkey

Senior Member (2,519)

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Kooyeen

#469423 Sun, 27 Jan 08 05:11 PM

Doll wrote:
Well, my situation may be a bit worse. I hear "Charlie" as "Johnny".

LOL! I mishear lyrics all the time, for example... so yeah, I might hear Charlie instead of Johnny too, sometimes. Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

CalifJim

#469522 Sun, 27 Jan 08 10:57 PM

To me they're the same. Geddum. Nevertheless, I suppose in slower speech him is a little more like im. In your place I wouldn't strain myself trying to produce a lot of difference between um.

CJ