Aug 31, 2010 20:56
13 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term

transliteration

English Other Linguistics
When little kids are learning to speak it's difficult for them to pronounce some words / sounds. In Spanish instead of saying PROPINA (tip) some would say POPINA, not because they have a speech problem, just because they are learning. Are there any sounds that are difficult for English/ American kids? And how would you show that in writing? One of the characters of the book Im translating is a little kid who thinks as an adult but who speaks like a kid who have just learned to do so. and it's really funny to read those deep thoughts because of the way he speaks
What can I do in English? Many thanks in advance.

Discussion

JaneTranslates Aug 31, 2010:
That shows up in February, too. Many adults mispronounce "library" and "February."
Stephanie Ezrol Aug 31, 2010:
I remember lieberry for library, the br was difficult.

Responses

+4
46 mins
Selected

W for R

English-speaking kids tend to have problems with r, also. W or H are frequent substitutes: wabbit for rabbit (like the cartoon character Elmer Fudd) or tahget for target. W or Y is also common for an initial L: I wike you for I like you, or yittle for little. My cousin Tommy always made us laugh; if someone said, "You're getting to be a big boy!" he would reply, "No, I yittle!"
Peer comment(s):

agree Nesrin : and f for th - I fink you're wight!
5 mins
Fank you, Neswin.
agree B D Finch : You mean that you don't pronounce target as tahget? Are you Scottish?
1 hr
I knew when I wrote it that I would get myself in trouble for that! In *my* dialect, we pronounce the R in target, but of course that's not universal. Thanks, B D Finch, and my apologies to Bostonians, etc.
agree Kim Metzger : And L for T - wallermelon
16 hrs
Very true (vewy twue), Kim. Thanks!
agree Ildiko Santana
1 day 23 hrs
Thanks much, ildiko.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
7 mins

pasghetti | aminal

for spaghetti, animal... these can lead you to some sites that might help:

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Requests for clarification and children's speech responses ...
by H Gozzard - 2008 - Cited by 1 - Related articles
... and children's speech responses: Changing `pasghetti' to `spaghetti' ... One way children improve their pronunciation of monosyllabic words is via ...
clt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/249
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Requests for Clarification and Children's Speech Responses ...
EJ813157 - Requests for Clarification and Children. ... for Clarification and Children's Speech Responses: Changing "Pasghetti" to "Spaghetti" ... Abstract: One way children improve their pronunciation of monosyllabic words is via ...
www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ813157
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Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts: Early Literacy - Google Books Result
Jeanne M. Machado - 2009 - Education - 665 pages
By 3 years of age, children's pronunciation patterns are not yet fully like those ... of letter sounds are also common, for example, aminal and pasghetti. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=1435400127...
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Pasghetti - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
Jul 14, 2009 ... This oft-made mistake among children may seem a trifling form of methatesis (another invention of Pasghetti), but had actually occurred as ...
uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pasghetti - Cached - Similar
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Jodie K. Schuller & Associates » Newsletters
Also, watch children who are still mispronouncing words (e.g. “pasgetti” for ... There are many reasons why some children have pronunciation problems. ...
www.speak4success.com/newsl.html - Cached - Similar
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Why do so many people pronounce "ask" as "aks" and am I the only ...
Dec 8, 2006 ... For example, many children say "pasghetti" before they can say ... The pronunciation of "ask" as "aks" is a West of England dialect that can ...
www.answerbag.com/q_view/98004 - Cached - Similar
Get more discussion results
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LINGUIST List 7.1048: /aks/ and /akst/ in AAVE
... of the order of two sounds as when children say "pasghetti" for spaghetti. ... First, some respondents discussed issues of ease of pronunciation and ... the tiniest of roles in the emerging literacy of African American children. ...
linguistlist.org/issues/7/7-1048.html - Cached - Similar
Peer comment(s):

agree Lynda Bogdan (X)
22 hrs
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+1
14 mins

levelade (lemonade)

When my daughter was growing up, she played with the little girl next door. Every time this child tried to say "lemonade" it came out "levelade"! She was about 5 at the time, and definitely didn't have any speech problems. It was really hard, 'tho, not to laugh in her face because it was so cute and funny sounding!
Peer comment(s):

agree Kim Metzger : And L for T - wallermelon
17 hrs
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2 hrs

lily-potter for helicopter

One that I remember my son doing. Of course it could be spelled lillipotter, but that doesn't quite have the same effect.
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1 day 20 hrs

Nucular for Nuclear

A common mispronunciation.
It seems to stem from the grouping of consonants as a syllable.
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4 days

Adolf Hitler - Adol Filther

Very often these words are somebody's name. Since it is only through consciousness that we can know anything, kids often believe that peole bear specific names according to their characters (like in cartoons).
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Reference comments

2 days 30 mins
Reference:

Dictionary of Children's Mispronounced English

You mentioned it is a book you are translating, so it might be worth investing some $14 or so into this reference material. In addition to the linguistic value, there is also the entertainment factor. :) See example below:

pan•da•cake [PAN-duh-kayk] noun.
A flat, round cake made of batter, fried on both sides on a griddle and usually topped with butter, syrup and sometimes fruit or whipped cream. Traditionally served for Breakfast, but reported by most children to be even better when served for Dinner. "Mom is making pandacakes tonight!" Has also been pronounced Pannycake.

©2009 The American Sandbox Dictionary of Children's Mispronounced English /Alvin Zamudio
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