http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aConsonantsSearch results for 'tag:Consonants' matching tag 'Consonants'en-USXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/WaasTrickyAcronym/lxxql/post.htm#992268Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:36:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:992268gleb_chebrikoffHello, Vladimir, this combination has not yet been codified in major pronunciation dictionaries, perhaps due to the narrowness of its use outside technical areas; therefore, we should resort to analogy. Thus, acronyms of a similar type (featuring consonant + vowel + vowel + consonant ), including WAAC and WAAF, are pronounced as follows: WAAC ( Women's Army Auxiliary Corps) - WAAF ( Women's Auxiliary Air Force) - , from which it stems that a possible pronunciation of the combination in question is , although it is still unclear whether this term has transcended the boundaries of a mere abbreviation and become a real acronym. Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoffhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/UsPassport/lkjdw/post.htm#970532Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:41:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970532avangiThe word "us" is pronounced differently than "U.S." "U.S" is pronounced as if it began with "y," like "you - ess." Therefore, it's treated as a word beginning with a consonant, when deciding whether to use "a" or "an." an umbrella (an apple) vowels a yankee (a ball) consonantshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Alliterations/ljncv/post.htm#966935Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:13:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:966935califjimOr molecular mysteries, bond-breaking, and energy equations, although the last case is unusual because alliteration, strictly speaking, applies only to initial consonants. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WordsWithoutConsonants/ljcqc/post.htm#963807Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:18:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:963807grammar geekThe clue listed only the vowels. It was up to the contestants to figure out which state had those vowels in that order. AIE would be M ai n e IIIA would be V i rg i n ia EEEE is Tennessee I don't know which ones they listed, but apparently EEEE was one of them.http://www.englishforums.com/English/English/lgdjx/post.htm#949310Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:14:46 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:949310mister micawberYou do not need to double the last consonant of such verbs before adding -ed or -ing.http://www.englishforums.com/English/English/lgdjx/post.htmWed, 21 Oct 2009 20:19:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:949243anonymousWhat do you know about words that ends with doulble consonant l ?http://www.englishforums.com/English/Moonlighting5/lvldz/post.htm#948469Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:54:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:948469kooyeenI think I hear 'Sunday' there.You must ...on Sunday.(maybe) Hmm, it might be "Sunday", yes. Here comes a BIG problem that I've been wondering about for ages... And I'd like to find out more on this phenomenon soon.The problem is, I can sometimes hear different things, depending on what I expect to hear... and sometimes I find that it is possible to hear two different things at the same time. At first, I understood something like this: He woss kown drowned on sunday => He works kind of drowned on sunday??? I have no idea. But if I listen again and again focusing on certain sounds, a strange thing happens. And I can hear the first word in three different ways: He woss... You woss... Here wass... He,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheArticleAOrAn/lzxhc/post.htm#947481Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:36:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:947481gleb_chebrikoffDear friend, A history, a UFO are correct. You assumption about a history and an MBE are also quite right. You should pay attention to the way the initial sound of a word is pronounced, and not to the way it is represented graphically. Thus, if h is silent at the beginning of the word, as in heir and hour , an should be used before it. History , on the other hand, begins which /h/, which is a consonant sound. Therefore, you are supposed to use a . Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoffhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/An/lzrmj/post.htm#943510Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:27:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:943510califjimNo. Some words that begin with a vowel are pronounced as if they begin with a consonant. In these cases, an is not used, but a . a European ( y oor-o-pean) a one-time chance ( w un time) CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SOrEsInSimplePresent/lvqlb/post.htm#943212Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:20:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:943212philipFor the third person singular, use s . It's pronunciation will depend on what comes before it: voiced consonant or vowel /z/; unvoiced consonant /s/. animals, cows; pets For a word ending in /s/ or /z/ sound , use es (unless the spelling of the word ends in e : then just s . This gives a schwa sound +/z/. basses ; (phases) Sounds difficult? Not really. The spelling is simply a reflection of the natural pronunciation. Welcome to the forums, Mo.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DarkLInAmericanEnglish/vbgqv/post.htm#943185Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:47:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:943185anonymous- the "l" in "lee" is a clear L : we find it before vowels and /j/. - the "l" in "bell" is a dark one : we find it in all other cases (end of word, before a consonant). However, it is said that in American english the dark L only exists. It is the problem I raise in my "mémoire" this year : books say that L is always dark in American but in practice, not every american speaker pronounce it as well. For example, in adverbs ending in -ly ( beautifully ), the L is not pronounced dark by an american. Now, the question is : are there some phonological cases in which the dark L can become clear and which are they or is it only a question about geography ? If you have some things to share with...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Pronunciation/lvlnk/post.htm#942875Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:47:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:942875raindoctorThere are two issues: (1) heuristics used in phonics (2) phonetics g: /g/, /dʒ/ c: /k/, /s/ /k/ is voiceless, whereas its counterpart /g/ is voiced. /s/ is voicelss; /dʒ/ is voiced. Velar consonants get softened (or voiced) before front vowels esp in derived-words: cf. electric vs electricity Given this background knowledge, what is your concern?http://www.englishforums.com/English/Contraction/2/cqrgr/Post.htm#931888Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:02:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:931888kooyeenI don't fully understand what a contraction is. So if I put an 's, 'll, 'd, 've, etc after any word does it make it a contraction? Only in spoken English. But in written English, some contractions are not usually written that way, even if they are likely to be read as contracted. I would have seen it (can be read as I'd've seen it , but it's never written that way) However, I don't think you can contract whatever you want as long as it makes sense. Some contractions might sound odd in some dialects. Ann Cook, in American Accent Training gives examples like The dogs'll've eaten the bones = The dogs will have eaten the bones ...but for some reason I don't like to contract...http://www.englishforums.com/English/PluralOfSSes/2/zqhzz/Post.htm#924898Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:44:07 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:924898anonymousTrue, Anonymous! Pluralized acronyms should not use apostrophes. As an experienced English Tutor/Mentor, apostrophes are used in possession of & in contractions (i.e., Jane's cat won't eat fish.) To place an apostrophe after an acronym or initialized words before the s , for instance, IOU's, would then cause the pluralized IOU to mean "IOU is" or "IOU possesses X" instead of IOUs as a plural (i.e., Jane owes you hundreds of IOUs!). Additionally, I always disliked the "PSS" or "P.SS" or "PPS" as a note to add an additional PS. Therefore, I've always used XPs, because, essentially it is an "Extra Postscript." Further, I've always written the s in "Ps" as a lowercase consonant since Postscript (or the Latin postscrīptum) is a single...http://www.englishforums.com/English/PossesiveAndPluralNouns/lbvbv/post.htm#924834Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:04:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:924834mister micawberJust like you do many other words ending in consonant + y: army's armies armies'http://www.englishforums.com/English/CanDescribeSchwaSound/lrmgn/post.htm#922406Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:58:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:922406philipshort 'the' (before a consonant sound) French le Oddly e nough, a large p e r centage of unstressed English vow e ls "reduce to schwa" in rap i d speech, including those underlined here. It varies, depending on the person, dialect, speed and other factors of stress in the context.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConsonatNouns/lrljn/post.htm#922390Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:45:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:922390mister micawberThese are consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z. These are vowels: a, e, i, o, u.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIaAConsnent/lrhgc/post.htm#920893Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:27:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920893cliveHi, Do you know what a vowel is? A consonant is a letter that is not a vowel. Plese note the correct spelling of the word. Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920169Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:46:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920169mister micawberwhen U is pronounced as "you", then the consonant rule applies, and when the U sounds like "uh", then the vowel rule applies. That is right. It is an observation of sound change in word flow, not a rule of grammar.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920083Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:54:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920083anonymousWhat about The United States (of America)? Thuh or Thee? Some say that when U is pronounced as "you", then the consonant rule applies, and when the U sounds like "uh", then the vowel rule applies. Is this a grammatical rule, or a regional variation, or a misunderstanding?http://www.englishforums.com/English/PronunciationOfWork/kqddz/post.htm#919807Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:03:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:919807califjimI would pronounce it anglicized. FUR - mee. The basic rule is that er, ir, and ur are all pronounced the same when followed by a consonant. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Spelling/kqjpn/post.htm#916765Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:55:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:916765mister micawberThere is no rule for the vague situation (or rather, no situation) which you have presented. Did you have something specific in mind, as for instance before verb endings -ed and -ing ? In this case double the consonant to maintain the short vowel sound: war / warred / warring stir / stirred / stirringhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/LiteracyHomework/kqwqw/post.htmThu, 24 Sep 2009 19:22:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:916410anonymousWhich double consonants are never found in any wordshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#916304Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:16:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:916304anonymousThe pronouciation of "the" depends on if it preceeds a vowel or a consonant. You say "thee" in front of vowels and thuh in front of consonants. You never EVER say thuh in front of a vowel sound! So it is: The apple is pronounced "Thee a pple" The question is pronounced "Thuh q uestion"... Thee e xample Thuh m achine Thee u mbrella Thuh t ablehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HasAnyoneTriedHogeCourseEffortless-English/6/zgkjw/Post.htm#915964Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:03:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:915964elena_osullivanAJ Hoge's "effortless english" is a waste of money. I made the mistake of buying it for a friend who doesn't speak much English and she doesn't even use it. I don't blame her because it takes a lot of effort to learn with it, and there are much, much better materials available on the internet for free. My friend watched some of his videos wherein he sells his MP3's and she thought she found the magic answer thanks to AJ. He's a good salesman but a very mediocre teacher.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Unenglish/kxrxh/post.htm#913678Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:44:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:913678kooyeenIf vowels in a language are few,then it is hard to understand that language. and as I said "Because the consonants are mostly pronounced loose that makes it hard to recognise the words." No, because "few vowels" means there are "few phonemes" to recognize, and that means the difference between each phoneme (call them "syllables" if you want) is smaller. That means you are less likely to mistake a syllable or a sound with another. As a stupid example, consider the western alpabet: abcdefghijklm... there are only 26 symbols for the letters. Now consider the Chinese writing system, where there are more than 4,000 symbols. Which is easier to read? That's why a language with less phonemes is...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Unenglish/kxrxh/post.htm#913161Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:05:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:913161coloradayOh,I was almost sleeping when I wrote this last night and the diversion happened.I meant to say: If vowels in a language are few,then it is hard to understand that language. and as I said "Because the consonants are mostly pronounced loose that makes it hard to recognise the words."http://www.englishforums.com/English/Unenglish/kxrxh/post.htm#912197Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:47:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:912197coloradayYou mean that it has a few vowels but I think the less vowels are in a language,the less hard it is to hear that language.Because the consonants are mostly pronounced loose that makes it hard to recognise the words. What do you think? Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/LongAndShortVowelSounds/knxwp/post.htm#903295Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:07:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:903295kooyeenIt depends what you mean by long and short vowels. I only know the definition based on the real length, and in that case "bang" would have a long vowel because the vowel is followed by a voiced consonant. But the distinction between long and short vowels is not always made in some dialects... I don't know.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowSpeakEnglishAccent/2/pdnl/Post.htm#893136Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:04:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:893136raindoctorGuys! Enough of arguing how to get rid of accent :p now let's talk about how to be able to speak english with an accent :p So, what are you waiting for?! START POSTING NOW! :p lol If one can 'systematically' learn to rid of accent, then foregin accents can be learnt systematically as well. 1. Learn the intonation of the target language 2. Learn how english words get mapped to the phones of the target language. I know how indian languages map: for instance, ambivalent gets mapped as am-bi-va-le-nt, with va being vay. 3. The target language may not have the phonemes that English has: so, find them and replace with the target phonemes. For instance, a ɪ becoming ʌɪ; dental fricative becoming a dental stop. 3. Look whether...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GrammarQuestion/klwbk/post.htm#891685Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:34:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:891685grammar geek"the break even point analysis is all right if you have a one product business"?. Just pay extra attention to this point a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a car, a stare, a dog, a cat ... an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an e lephant, an o rphan , an a pple , an i pod .. YoungBuddy, it would be "a one-product business." The a/an choice depend on the letter, but on the pronunciation of that letter. "One" sounds like "wun" so it takes "a" not "an." an open-book test, a one-trick pony a unicorn, an umbrella. You need to khttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GrammarQuestion/klwbk/post.htm#891639Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:42:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:891639youngbuddy"the break even point analysis is all right if you have a one product business"?. Just pay extra attention to this point  a  + singular noun beginning with a consonant:  a  car, a stare, a dog, a cat ... an  + singular noun beginning with a vowel:   an   e lephant,  an o rphan ,  an   a pple , an i pod ..http://www.englishforums.com/English/Pronunciation/kknwv/post.htm#891218Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:57:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:891218raindoctorWhat's your point? I made an implicit point: it is not cognitively productive to remember pronounciation for every word. What learners should be taught: a set of heuristics to find possible pronunciations for a word. Mastery of phonetics (or how to produce bilabial fricative, etc) does not help much. English phonology helps. Since it is a 3-syllable word, it can have two variations: stress-unstressed-stressed; unstressed-stressed-unstressed. When a syllable gets stressed, it usually attracts consonants to the onset as well as the coda; it also allows for consonant clustering (wis-'con-sin vs. wi-'scon-sin). Suffixes also give a clue on where stress falls (for instance, one can predict where primary stress falls in...http://www.englishforums.com/English/English/kgdjm/post.htm#891155Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:52:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:891155dokterjokkebrokI don't recommend that site for any one. It is full of crap when it comes to AmE. Use either M-W and reference.com dude in AmE = 'dud Notice the yod-dropping, that is, no /j/ (in IPA) after alveolar consonants. What do you mean? I think it isn't all that bad for a free pronunciation dictionary. Certainly not when it comes to the pronunciation of 'dude', which I checked for dissimilarities with my CEPD17. I found none. So could you please elaborate on that? Because I don't see any objection against using this site. Or perhaps give me a few examples of inaccuracies that you've found. Regards Dokterjokkebrokhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AnYearVsAYear/2/cjknp/Post.htm#890821Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:58:15 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:890821anonymousRule "an" is used before words beginning with a vowel "sound" since "hour" is pronounced with a silent h => its pronunciation is beginning with a vowel just like in "our" Therefore, an hour is correct a hour is wrong the pronunciation of "year" is not as same as that of "ear", the pronunciation of "year" begins with a consonant Therefore, a year is correct an year is wrong so next time you feel any confusion, just look for the pronunciation of the word If the pronunciation of a word begins with a vowel "sound", then it should have "an" before it otherwise a "a"http://www.englishforums.com/English/English/kgdjm/post.htm#889940Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:47:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:889940raindoctorI don't recommend that site for any one. It is full of crap when it comes to AmE. Use either M-W and reference.com dude in AmE = 'dud Notice the yod-dropping, that is, no /j/ (in IPA) after alveolar consonants.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SurnamePronunciation/kjdbn/post.htm#889932Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:42:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:889932raindoctorThe consonant cluster kj is not permitted in english. Since it is not in the middle of a word, k becomes silent. ˈdʒɑs is how you pronounce it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/UnreleasedFinalConsonants/3/vmvpr/Post.htm#887076Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:57:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:887076califjimall final stops in AmE are unreleased? To varying degrees, yes. t most of all is unreleased when utterance final. Then p , k , d , b , and g in approximately that order. The nasals are not stops, so don't worry about those. You can pronounce them fully. As to combinations, I would release the final consonants, but with little or no aspiration. ( gasp, act , etc.) CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/UnreleasedFinalConsonants/3/vmvpr/Post.htm#886322Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:15:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:886322ilrrr-nSo, I'm I to understand that all final stops in AmE are unreleased? /p/, /t/, /k/, as in nap, hat, hack? and their voiced counterparts /b/, /d/, /g/, as in nab, had, hag? And let's not forget the nasals, /n/, /m/, /ng/, pen, gem, king? How about if they are preceded by another consonant sound, as in gasp, camp, help, act, aft, walked, raised, bathed, etc.?http://www.englishforums.com/English/SilentLetters/2/jjmwl/Post.htm#883859Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:27:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:883859kooyeenMaybe the muscles in our lips, tongues, and throats get so used to certain patterns of motion that we just can't break the speech habits that we developed at an early age. Yes, but if someone practices hard enough, and they are also a bit "talented" (singers, actors, etc might be part of this category), they will be able to improve their accent and sound "native", at least some or most of the time (100% native 100% of the time is much harder). That's what I believe, but most people are not willing to "train hard enough", because in the end, unless you are a voice actor or something, it's not worth it. Some people are content with a bad accent as long as they make themselves understood, others...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ArticleUsage/kjpvd/post.htm#883842Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:17:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:883842califjimThe choice of a or an is not based on the initial written letter. It is based on the initial sound. You have to listen to sounds, not look at letters, to decide. The most common examples are with words that start with the "y" sound, regarded as a consonant. a yacht : This is easy because the "y" sound is represented in writing by the letter "y". a European : This is less easy because the "y" sound is represented in writing by the letter "e". It sounds as if it were "Yuropean". a unit : This is a case where the "y" sound occurs as part of the pronunciation of "u" -- "yoo". It sounds as if it were "yoonit". Less common are words that...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Spelling/kwgdp/post.htmWed, 26 Aug 2009 23:58:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:876314anonymousis goldfish a double consonant? what about carriage?http://www.englishforums.com/English/Help/kwzlm/post.htm#876227Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:36:46 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:876227ferdisMy solution is equally valid, if a bit contrived: vowels are listed once and consonants are repeated; hence, the 'N' should be repeated.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AnHotel/kwdqc/post.htm#875722Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:04:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:875722begaePhilip is right. An i s used before the words that begins with a vowel , A goes before all words that begin with consonants.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HydrodynamicHydrodynamic/jmczx/post.htm#870792Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:48:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:870792anonymousUsing “a” and “an” Before Words Raphael asks: When should I use “a” and when should I use “an” before the different words? For example, should I say “a hour” or “an hour?” I stumble over this everytime and dont’t know if I’m getting it right, as I’m not speaking and writing English natively. The Rule The rule states that “a” should be used before words that begin with consonants (e.g., b, c ,d) while “an” should be used before words that begin with vowels (e.g., a,e,i). Notice, however, that the usage is determined by the pronunciation and not by the spelling, as many people wrongly assume. You should say, therefore, “an hour” (because hour begins with a vowel sound) and “a history” (because history begins with a consonant...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheSInSpain/kgjxh/post.htm#868258Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:14:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:868258tanitWhen do the Spaniards pronounce the s like th? I know at the end of words and the "z" as well. But, is there a rule about vowels or consonants with the "s"? You could ask this question at Foro De Espanol , EF's Spanish "sister" website.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheSInSpain/kgjxh/post.htmTue, 18 Aug 2009 19:16:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:867534anonymousWhen do the Spaniards pronounce the s like th? I know at the end of words and the "z" as well. But, is there a rule about vowels or consonants with the "s"?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ALedVAnLed/kgggr/post.htm#866629Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:17:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:866629anonymousI use "an LED." When you see it written out, whoever wrote it saw the consonant "L" in "LED" and followed the rule of "a" before consonant sounds. For example, the words lion, lamb, lobster. Say them aloud and you use the "L" consonant sound. So, it would be a lion, a lamb, a lobster. But when you say LED aloud, it sounds like "ELL EE DEE." That's because it is an acronym and you pronounce the letters comprising the acronym rather than saying it as a word. That vowel sound when you pronounce "L" as "ELL" dictates that "an" that comes before it in LED. Think of words that start with that "E" THEN "L" sound. For example,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ALedVAnLed/kgggr/post.htm#866611Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:59:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:866611infinikYankee, thanks for your clarification. I got this another related question. Does acronym exempt from this "an LED" rule? Do we always try to pronounce an acronym before we precede it with an "a" or "an"? Like RayH's reply, or take this example: We are operating on an LASIK machine. (If we pronounce L-A-S-I-K) We are operating on a LASIK machine. (If we pronounce as one word beginning with a consonant sound)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ALedVAnLed/kgggr/post.htm#866557Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:04:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:866557yankeeI've never heard anyone pronounce LED (as in LED display ) the same way they pronounce "led". I'd say it's more likely a case of people not thinking about what they are writing. People get into the habit of using "a" when writing words that begin with a consonant, and they sometimes do that even though they would say it differently. The same sort of thing happens with words such as "unique". Even though native speakers would automatically say "a unique design", people sometimes accidentally write "an unique design" simply because they're not paying close enough attention and the typing of "an" before an letter that is a vowel is automatic. It may also...