Pronunciation(s) of the word "have"

Nov 07, 2010 19:47

Do you pronounce the word "have" in these two sentences differently?

* I have tomato soup
* I have to make some soup

I am specifically interested in the last consonant of the word "have" in each sentence.  Apparently some people pronounce a /v/ in the first sentence, but a /f/ in the second (as if spelled "I haff to make some soup").

What about

* I had ( Read more... )

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pne November 8 2010, 08:28:12 UTC
This, pretty much. And I always thought this distinction was standard.

Born and raised in Germany; my native English accent is something RP-like that I got from my UK-born father.

Compare also "I used two sticks" and "I used to stick", where the "used to" combination is "yooced to" while simply used" is "yoozed".

I imagine that the cause of those "special combinations" (hass to, haff to, yooced to) being pronounced differently from the identically-spelled verbs (hazz, havv, yoozed) is the same, whatever it is.

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hkitsune November 8 2010, 03:57:56 UTC
Here's the sound file version.

I *think* I unvoice the first, devoice the second (not the same as unvoiced), and unvoice the third.

I grew up in Texas but have a pretty Standard American accent as far as I can tell.

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qalanjo November 8 2010, 03:58:52 UTC
I do 1 and 3. For the second one, I say them both the same way but the sound I say isn't exactly a "d" or "t" but something in between.

(Raised and live in Minnesota)

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hkitsune November 8 2010, 04:00:42 UTC
I think we have the same voicing contrasts. The middle one isn't quite a d or a t, it's like a devoiced d or something. My mom (primary linguistic source) is from Minnesota so maybe there's something Midwestern in it.

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shanrina November 8 2010, 03:59:16 UTC
I was raised in the DC area and I do the first and third one. I don't really do the second one--it's more "had tomato soup" versus "hada make some soup," although it's still not nearly as pronounced as the first and third examples.

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xayeidemon November 8 2010, 04:01:40 UTC
Born and raised in South GA. I only do the first one. Those other two...I had no idea people pronounce those words differently.

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