Yes, English can be weird. It can be understood through tough thorough thought, though.
So thankful I could parse that without thinking on it. Can you imagine learning that shit from scratch?!
English is a pretty simple language to learn, but the pronunciation isn’t part of that simplicity. It’s especially tough to unlearn wrong pronunciations you’ve cultivated for years. In my case (for instance), sword (which I pronounced like “word”) and realm (re-alm).
sword (which I pronounced like “word”)
It’s the honesty of these worlds
Ruled by magic and mighty swords1:31 & 2:47
I think it says “honesty of these words”
It sounds that way, especially since the next line is pronounced “mighty swerds.” 😂 And that’s what I thought it was for years. But in the context of the rest of the lyrics “worlds” makes sense.
In any case, Nightwish is no stranger to misheard/pronounced lyrics.
Read and lead don’t even rhyme… Same is true for read and lead.
This cat is like on catnip
Zonked
Anyone else pronounce it as reed and leed first?
Yes.
If anyone wants to know, such words are called “heteronyms”.
Had to look up other examples. Turns out there’s a few of those. For example: tear, wind, row, sow, bound.
Ok, class is over.
Wait how else would you pronounce ‘bound’?
Bound vs bound
Sean Bean has a lot to answer for!
My stream of consciousness: “What? Reed isn’t pronounced like led. Oh there’s more here… Ohhh, red is pronounced like leed. Er, reed is pronounced like… uhhh… anyway, I get it.”
Our Strange Lingo
When the English tongue we speak.
Why is break not rhymed with freak?
Will you tell me why it’s true
We say sew but likewise few?
And the maker of the verse,
Cannot rhyme his horse with worse?
Beard is not the same as heard
Cord is different from word.
Cow is cow but low is low
Shoe is never rhymed with foe.
Think of hose, dose,and lose
And think of goose and yet with choose
Think of comb, tomb and bomb,
Doll and roll or home and some.
Since pay is rhymed with say
Why not paid with said I pray?
Think of blood, food and good.
Mould is not pronounced like could.
Wherefore done, but gone and lone -
Is there any reason known?
To sum up all, it seems to me
Sound and letters don’t agree.- Lord Cromer
“Hi guy, try some Thai high pie”
“They’re all different spellings!” - Frank Woodley
Which witch switch glitched?
This what fascinates me learning about languages. They have their own characters and quirks. Languages are the embodiment of the people’s culture and history. That said, the English language shows how messed up its history is.
English is a terrible language and I really need to get gooder at it.
*better
*gooderer
