Phonetics

Why Portuguese Sounds Like Russian to Some

Ever listened to European Portuguese and felt a strange sense of déjà vu, thinking it sounds a bit like Russian?…

2 weeks ago

Vocal Fry: A Generational Sound Change in Progress

That low, creaky sound known as vocal fry has become a source of intense cultural debate, often dismissed as a…

2 weeks ago

The Phonetics of a Whisper: An Acoustic Anomaly

Whispering is more than just quiet talking; it's a unique acoustic phenomenon where the vocal folds don't vibrate at all.…

2 weeks ago

The Vowel’s Shadow: Parasitic Vowels

Have you ever wondered why some non-native speakers say "espeak" for "speak"? This isn't just an error, but a linguistic…

2 weeks ago

When ‘S’ Became ‘R’: The Story of Rhotacism

Ever wondered why the Latin word for 'honor' is honos but its other forms use the stem honor-? This isn't…

2 weeks ago

The Sound That Separates Scottish and Irish Gaelic

They were once a single language spoken across Ireland and Scotland, but a crucial phonetic split sent them down different…

2 weeks ago

How Dogs Bark Around the World

Why does an English-speaking dog say "woof" while a Japanese dog says "wan wan"? The answer isn't in the dog,…

2 weeks ago

How to Read a Phonetic Transcription

What do all those weird symbols in a dictionary entry mean? This beginner's guide to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)…

2 weeks ago

The Sound of ‘Th’: A Rare Phoneme

The "th" sounds in "think" and "that" feel utterly ordinary to English speakers, but they are linguistic superstars on the…

2 weeks ago

The Problem with Voice-to-Text

Ever dictated a simple message only to have your phone produce utter nonsense? The frustration is real, but the reasons…

2 weeks ago

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