Do English speaking people understand each other?

[irmamar]

I've just read this article on BBC. That's very curious because I think that in Spanish there are new words that young people use, but I don't think that pronuciation changes so much (in fact I can't find any change in pronunciation). There is an interesting video, too.

[poli]

There is huge variance in pronuciation among English speakers, however
if they speak carefully they will be understood from Seattle to Mumbai.
When some regional speakers talk amongst themselves it becomes may difficult for others to understand. Some parts of Britain and USA have regional accents that are especially difficult, but most can make themselves easily understood if they need to be.

[irmamar]

Yes, but they look like being from the same place, don't they?

[Perikles]

Some of these changes in pronunciation are really annoying. Why miss-CHEEVY-ous when there are only 3 syllables and no diphthongs in the word?

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I've just read this article on BBC. That's very curious because I think that in Spanish there are new words that young people use, but I don't think that pronuciation changes so much (in fact I can't find any change in pronunciation). There is an interesting video, too.

¿Desde cuándo domina el yeísmo? Tiene un nombre, así que debe de haber sido considerado fuera de lo normal.

[Jessica]

I think so but in other states there are different words for the same things. like pop and soda...same thing for a soft drink, like Coke

[chileno]

But the same thing happens in Spanish!

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I've just read this article on BBC. That's very curious because I think that in Spanish there are new words that young people use, but I don't think that pronuciation changes so much (in fact I can't find any change in pronunciation).

I've been thinking more about this. I think it may relate to the non-phonetic nature of English. I mispronounced "epitome" for years until someone laughed at me and pointed out that it's from Greek: most likely I had only read it and never heard anyone else use it until I was 25, so I had to guess the pronunciation.

See also: Americans trying to pronounce "Leicester".

[irmamar]

El yeísmo no es de reciente creación. En la lengua árabe no existe el fonema palatal lateral /ʎ/, por lo que seguramente utilizaban el fonema palatal central /y/. La elle es muy difícil de pronunciar; para los hispanoparlantes es más difícil pronunciar la ll que la r vibrante. En el siglo X ya empezaron a verse casos esporádicos de yeísmo. En el XIV el yeísmo ya se daba en el Reino de Toledo, de donde pasó a Andalucía durante la Reconquista y, como la mayoría de los primeros conquistadores eran andaluces, el yeísmo pasó a América.

El yeísmo ya no se considera un vulgarismo o un vicio, debido precisamente a su extensión geográfica. La pronunciación de la "ll" como "y" ha pasado de ser vulgar y de poco prestigio (excepto en el idioma catalán) a ser socialmente aceptado, incluso en la lengua culta. Pero es que ya nos encontramos en el siglo XXI; han pasado once siglos desde su primera aparición.

[JPablo]

¡No, si ycha te lo desía ycho!