 CalifJim wrote: |
| I thought you were only looking for irregular verb forms. |
|
I am indeed looking for something like irregular verb forms. The comparison with bays, days, etc. is just a remark. But what is intriguing is that
says is not an irregular verb. It is formed by just adding an
s. It's just a "normal" third person singular verb. That's why I find it strange and exceptional. As a comparison, go and went sound completely different and the spelling are completely different. Could it be possible that
says was not spelt this way in the past?
It would also be interesting if we can find a "normal" plural form that sounds completely differently from the singular form.
| CalifJim wrote: |
again and against also have ai as a lax e, if that's what you want examples of. |
|
Yes. Thank you. In the past, I pronounced
again as /ə
ˈgein/, which is in fact one of the pronunciations listed in my Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary. But then I noticed that most people say /ə
ˈgen/.
| CalifJim wrote: |
And all the air combinations also have ai as a lax e. pair, hair, fair, ....
And those with aire: debonaire, millionaire, questionaire, solitaire, ... |
|
Yes, I understand that. An
r very often change the pronunciation of the preceding vowel. This is very common.