Yesterday I straightened out a little basket that sits on my computer desk and found a note that I put in there months ago. It was a little list of phrases that I use all the time. I became aware that I wasn't articulating the words at all well. And neither do a lot of people.
We sort of develop this slur and blur over words and phrases that we use often. It probably gives fits to people who are not native English speakers. "Excuse me madam, what did you just say?" And if we were honest, we would have to answer... "I hardly know myself!"
Examples:
Prolly.
Otherwise known as 'probably'. This is a word that you see actually spelled and used just like this all over the place recently. I found it amusing when I first saw it, because it more accurately reflects how we say it most of the time. Though if you REALLY listen to yourself, the 'L' sound is barely perceptible.
Iz.
Or more closely written... eye-z. Meaning 'I was'. Though here again, you could faintly recognize some very abbreviated form of a 'w' in there. Like a scoche of salt. Barely there.
Mizewell.
Might as well. And here I am noticing a trend. There's a softening of the slurred consonant into something that is only hinted at.
I-mun-ah.
I'm going to. This one is quite close to exactly how it is pronounced informally.
Eyez gunna.
I was going to... This is starting to be embarrassing to admit that I often talk like this.
And finally, in memory of Sunny, something I often said to her when I wanted her to follow me somewhere...
Mon Sun.
Which properly spoken, should have been, "Come on Sunny." She however never corrected my pronunciation and almost always heeded the command. She was cool that way.
Okay, that is everything on my little bit of paper. Now I can throw it away and not clutter up my tidied up basket with it any more.
Conquering the clutter. One post-it at a time. :-)
