Petal and Pedal - Difference?

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Kooyeen

#472996 Tue, 05 Feb 08 02:08 PM

Hi,
are petal and pedal pronounced the same in AmE? I don't make any distinction between them... Thanks Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,979)

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

Zerox

#473108 Tue, 05 Feb 08 07:12 PM

Although I'm more initiated into BrE, I'd believe they sound the same as the voiced tap /t/ sounds as /d/. I believe, however, that it is possible to have a schwa sound in 'pedal' before /l/. Although, in fast speech it is probably omitted.

Zerox

Joined on Wed, May 10 2006

Full Member (259)

-It is rational that the irrational contradicts with the rational-

CalifJim

#473154 Tue, 05 Feb 08 09:10 PM

are petal and pedal pronounced the same in AmE? I don't make any distinction between them...

You're doing the right thing! Also, metal, medal, and meddle. Also ladder and latter, madder and matter, bidder and bitter, etc., whenever that following unstressed syllable is schwa plus r or l -- but not with n. satin and sadden are different.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,003)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Kooyeen

#473215 Tue, 05 Feb 08 11:46 PM

CalifJim wrote:
Also, metal, medal,

Oh, I wish I had thought of that before posting! Yeah, that's true. I didn't need to ask, LOL. It's just that when I decided to post I was thinking... Could my bike have petals?
Well, thanks a lot! Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

MrPedantic

#473217 Tue, 05 Feb 08 11:51 PM

Kooyeen wrote:

Could my bike have petals?

As in "Petal to the medal!", maybe...

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Wed, Oct 13 2004

Veteran Member (12,055)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

Kooyeen

#473222 Wed, 06 Feb 08 12:04 AM

Hi MrP,
I didn't know that idiom... thanks! Of course it's "pedal to the metal"... hehehe.

Kooyeen

Idioms

MrPedantic

#473223 Wed, 06 Feb 08 12:05 AM

(Except perhaps at a village flower show.)

MrPedantic

CalifJim

#473252 Wed, 06 Feb 08 03:40 AM

village flower show

You have it reversed. It's "Medal to the petal".

CJ

CalifJim

Learner100

#474016 Thu, 07 Feb 08 08:18 PM

Is was wondering if there is any difference between 'better' and 'bed or...' in American English. At least previously I thought that the vowel preceding the letter 'd' is longer in 'bed or', since it is followed by a voiced consonant in any English dialect. After these replies to the original post I am in doubt however. Could someone tell me if these sound the same too?

Learner100

Joined on Thu, Feb 7 2008

New Member (08)

American English, Consonants, Dialects, Difference between, Vowels

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