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!

[Dale]

Do English speaking people understand each other?
@irmamar: I have been places in the US where I have trouble understanding english speaking people. Some of them speak fast...some slow...some with heavy local accents...and even some regional words than have no meaning to me. Its all very fascinating. Then I go into the midwest where I understand every word that is said but I have no clue what the guy is talking about...

[irmamar]

Thanks, Dale, for your input. Your last sentence is very interesting.

[Cloudgazer]

Within the US, my experience is similar to Dale's. And I can understand what's said on Canadian or British media broadcasts at close to the same level as for US broadcasts. One set of common English speakers I can have real difficulty understanding are those from India. I've worked with many and would often ask them to repeat themselves. By contrast, they rarely asked the same of me, but that could be for a variety of reasons like etiquette, etc.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Cloudgazer

One set of common English speakers I can have real difficulty understanding are those from India. .

Once recently in England I phoned the train timetable helpline to ask about trains to London. These helplines are usually based in India, and on this occasion I was actually unable to find a train nor find out the price of a ticket because the person at the other end spoke with an accent I just could not understand. I tried three times, each time talking to a different person, but no success. Unless you are used to hearing that accent, it is very difficult.

[hermit]

Right - I recently spoke on the telephone with someone with a Hindi accent from India, and I commented that his English was very clear.

He said, quite matter-of factly, "Well, we speak English in India.". Well,
some much better than others - telephone conversations are particularly
difficult with strong accents and dialects, since one does not have the
advantage of "lip-reading".

I spoke recently with a lady in Glasgow, Scotland, while placing an order for a book from Harper-Collins, and found my limits - barely understood
a word that she said, and it was definitely English she was speaking. (I'm
sure you'd have had no problem, Perikles...)

[poli]

The rhythm of Indian English is different, The stressed syllable is often the
third to last syllable instead the the usual second to last syllable. A good Indian English accent sounds charming to me.

[wafflestomp]

I have a friend whose parents are English and he says it like "Haitch".

It does get hard for us Americans with English people. It's not the accents really, but the vocabulary. The use of "chips" for French fries, is a good example. Chips to us has a totally different meaning. Or the use of "fag" for a cigarette

[JPablo]

And what are you gonna tell me about the Aussie's ways of speaking, mates?

(Or South Africans for that matter...)

(I had a friend who was able to speak "perfect" British English and then switch to a Pakistani accent... he was just hilarious... but interestingly enough I was able to understand him... I guess due to the fact that he was using a simple language, and I would stop him every time I couldn't get something...)

(I was used to the "Germanglish, Itinglish, Spanglish, Frenchglish spoken in Europe... and when I first arrived to California I had quite a hard time to get what the 733H were they talking about!

[chimichanga]

Regional dialects in the UK can be very difficult to understand. Even for native speakers. I sometimes struggle to understand someone with a very broad Newcastle or Glaswegian accent for example.

[JPablo]

I believe you!