Ask a Question

(Create a thread)
Go Back   Spanish language learning forums > Spanish & English Languages > Grammar


Is there a way in spanish to make the sound "ih"

 

This is the place for questions about conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax and other grammar questions for English or Spanish.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 09, 2014, 09:55 PM
cb4 cb4 is offline
Ruby
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 42
cb4 is on a distinguished road
Is there a way in spanish to make the sound "ih"

I may not be spelling it correctly phonetically, but I mean the sound the letter "I" makes in the word "in". Because I believe "in" in spanish would sound like "een", and "en" would sound like the English "aye-n". Is there a way to make that sound?
Reply With Quote
   
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
  #2  
Old July 09, 2014, 10:28 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,299
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
The 'i' in the English word 'in' doesn't exist in Spanish. We call it the short 'i' sound.

When a Spanish speaker is learning English, they will pronounce the word 'in' as if it were spelled 'een'. This is the 'i' in the English word 'machine'.

I didn't understand what you were trying to say about 'en'. This is both an English word and a Spanish word. Both are pronounced basically the same way.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old July 09, 2014, 11:07 PM
cb4 cb4 is offline
Ruby
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 42
cb4 is on a distinguished road
But isn't the spanish "e" the same sound as the English "a" in the word "bane"? Therefore wouldn't i"en" sound like "aine" in spanish more than "ehn"?

As far as the I, how would a spanish person spell a word that sounds like the spanish "vindictive"? In spanish, that word would sound like "veendeective", right ?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old July 09, 2014, 11:58 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,299
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
The Spanish 'e' is not the same as the English 'a' in 'bane'. That 'a' is a diphthong, which is close to the Spanish 'ei' is 'seis'. Here is the IPA pronunciation of 'bane' - /beɪn/.

If you remove the second vowel, you get the pronunciation of the Spanish 'e'. Again, the English word 'en' and the Spanish word 'en' sound basically the same. Don't let that extra /ɪ/ vowel slip in.

Since a Spanish speaker cannot say the short i sound, 'vindictive' is pronounced as if it were spelled 'veendeecteev'.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old July 10, 2014, 11:55 AM
chileno's Avatar
chileno chileno is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Las Vegas, USA
Posts: 7,863
Native Language: Castellano
chileno is on a distinguished road
That sound exists in Spanish. You just have to dig in deeper to get get it.

Ask any Hispanic adolescent, where the answer is a yes, and most likely that i will sound like the one on "in"

__________________
Para tener enemigos no hace falta declarar una guerra; solo basta decir lo que se piensa.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old July 10, 2014, 04:37 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,299
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
@chileno: According to every reference I've ever seen on the subject, the Spanish language has five pure vowels.
The short i sound in American English is not one of them.

I'm not saying that the short i sound cannot be learned by a native speaker of Spanish. I'm only stating that it doesn't naturally occur in the Spanish language.

Any deviation from the five vowel sounds that Spanish embraces is simply that - a deviation.

The original poster was asking if there's a way to make the short i sound in Spanish. The answer is no.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old July 10, 2014, 05:05 PM
AngelicaDeAlquezar's Avatar
AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
Obsidiana
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Mexico City
Posts: 9,038
Native Language: Mexican Spanish
AngelicaDeAlquezar is on a distinguished road
Sometimes the vowel sounds are more open or shorter according to the way syllables are linked, but I agree with Rusty. That short i (/ɪ/) is not a part of how we learn and pronounce vowel sounds in Spanish.

As for Chileno's suggestion, all teenagers I know would say "seh", instead of /sɪ/.
__________________
Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays...

Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; July 10, 2014 at 05:13 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old July 11, 2014, 08:57 AM
chileno's Avatar
chileno chileno is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Las Vegas, USA
Posts: 7,863
Native Language: Castellano
chileno is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar View Post
Sometimes the vowel sounds are more open or shorter according to the way syllables are linked, but I agree with Rusty. That short i (/ɪ/) is not a part of how we learn and pronounce vowel sounds in Spanish.

As for Chileno's suggestion, all teenagers I know would say "seh", instead of /sɪ/.
Correcto Angelica.

It isn't a Spanish E or a Spanish I it is a sound between both.
__________________
Para tener enemigos no hace falta declarar una guerra; solo basta decir lo que se piensa.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old July 11, 2014, 12:43 PM
AngelicaDeAlquezar's Avatar
AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
Obsidiana
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Mexico City
Posts: 9,038
Native Language: Mexican Spanish
AngelicaDeAlquezar is on a distinguished road
En realidad es una franca "e", no una semivocal, pero si tú oyes algo distinto, es tal vez por influencia de otras latitudes.
__________________
Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays...
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old July 11, 2014, 07:19 PM
chileno's Avatar
chileno chileno is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Las Vegas, USA
Posts: 7,863
Native Language: Castellano
chileno is on a distinguished road
Seguramente.

Rusty:

You cannot go by the books alone, especially with the pronunciation.

We pronounce B as V, really? Just get to Youtube and get videos from anywhere and everywhere in Latin America, listen and watch.

You'll find people that will pronounce differently those two letter, even the same person will pronounce two words which should start with one of those pronounce them differently.

It isn't even a matter of being educated.
__________________
Para tener enemigos no hace falta declarar una guerra; solo basta decir lo que se piensa.

Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; July 11, 2014 at 07:27 PM. Reason: Merged back-to-back posts.
Reply With Quote
Reply

 

Link to this thread
URL: 
HTML Link: 
BB Code: 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Site Rules

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[Russian] "Th" sound in Russian? coffeecup Other Languages 5 August 14, 2012 01:57 AM
Saying "don't make me..." Tycholiz Translations 4 April 28, 2012 08:55 PM
"Does it make him crazy?" rhetorical question wafflestomp Grammar 6 February 14, 2012 02:35 PM
Homework help regarding the words "tener", "venir", "preferir", and "querer" cwlcwlspanish Practice & Homework 8 October 08, 2011 06:20 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:55 PM.

Forum powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

X