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All Ears English Podcast
AEE 2466: Picky Pronunciation Part 1: Should I Use 2 or 3 Syllables?
00:20:40
Learn how to pronounce these important words
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- [00:00]
A
This is an Allers English podcast. Episode 2466. Picky pronunciation, part one. Should I use two or three syllables?
- [00:12]
B
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe. Do you sometimes hear a native speaker say three syllables in a word when you think it should be two? What's going on here? Find out with these 10 pronunciation examples. Today, your English is strong. You can hold conversations, handle meetings, even read reports. But sometimes you still hesitate before speaking, or your English feels a little too formal, not quite natural. That's the final gap. Fluency and connection. Want to know what's holding you back? Take our fluency quiz. In just two minutes, you'll discover your English level and how you can improve it. Start now@allearsenglish.com fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com flu n c y S C O R E. Hey, Aubry. How are you doing today? How's everything? Great.
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A
How are you, Lindsay?
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B
Good, good. Glad to be on the microphone today. I have a question for you, a hot take question. You ready?
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A
All right, let's hear it. Yeah.
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B
All right, so in English, do you say restaurant or do you say restaurant?
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A
Ooh, that is a good question. I feel like I say both. I think sometimes I'll say restaurant. I'm speaking quickly, and every now and then I will say restaurant. It'll. I'll make it three syllables. So this is really interesting. What about you, Lindsay?
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B
I. I almost always say. Pretty much always say restaurant. Restaurant.
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A
Restaurant.
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B
Because I'm focusing on what kind of restaurant I want to go to. You know, I'm speaking so fast, I think, oh, do we want Thai. A Thai restaurant or.
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A
Or something. I think I say restaurant two syllables more as well. But the really, the interesting question is, which is correct?
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B
Yes. Good question. We're going to find out in this episode, right, Aubrey?
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A
Exactly. This is inspired by one of our students, Jiri. Hello. Shout out to Jerry in our Q and A, who noticed on an episode of Oller's English that you and I pronounced this differently. One of us said restaurant and the other one said restaurant. Restaurant. And so he said, which is correct. I'm like, interestingly, both. Right. This is A regional dialect. You'll hear them both in the United States, at least. Neither is wrong.
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B
Yeah. I love when our listeners are listening so closely that they hear those really tiny differences. That means we're doing something right here, and so are our listeners. But, Aubrey, this is the first of a. Of a two part series, right?
- [03:23]
A
Exactly. Because today we're talking about words that could be pronounced with two or three syllables. And then in part two, we're talking about words that could be pronounced with three or four syllables. Those are longer words. And you'll definitely want to hit follow. Don't miss that one, because a few of the words we're going to cover, native speakers, do drop one of those syllables. And this is a common English learner mistake to add to pronounce all four syllables. So you'll definitely want those details.
- [03:48]
B
Yes. I love it. So let's go through a handful of words today and see, you know, if we can pronounce these with three syllables or what are the rules here?
- [03:59]
A
Okay. Yes. Yeah. And the good news is here, for a lot of words like this, both are correct. Right. Don't stress about it. It's not the end of the world. But it is interesting to know, you know, why native speakers are pronouncing these words multiple ways. So first we talked about restaurant. That's our first example. Right. We went to a great new restaurant last night. Both ways are correct. You will hear native speakers pronounce this with three syllables.
- [04:23]
B
And maybe, maybe we could pronounce that one more time the two ways. Aubry. What would be the first way that you, like you sometimes say, what's that.
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A
Sometimes with three syllables? Restaurant. Rest.
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B
Yeah.
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A
And so it's a schwa in the middle. Restaurant.
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B
And. And with two syllables. Restaurant. Restaurant. Okay, so we're really skipping the schwa sound entirely. Restaurant.
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A
Exactly. Eliminating that second syllable, making it two syllables. Restaurant.
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B
Okay.
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A
What's a little harder to spell? Because then you. You might spell it without that vowel in the middle because it looks like it should be three syllables.
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B
Oh, yeah. We're not even talking about spelling today. But a lot of these, when you do shorten it, the spelling doesn't quite work. Or you have. Yeah. This. Yeah.
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A
Okay, what's the next unexpected? All right, the next one is probably. And we will hear people shorten this to 2 SYL. When they're speaking very quickly. Right. So. But both are accepted, of course. Either he'll probably be late or he'll probably be late. This is more about how fast you're speaking.
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B
Yeah, this is the kind of word that gets. Gets all smooshed up. Right. I'll probably be there. What I say actually is. Is pro. I'll probably be there tomorrow. Right. I'll probably be there tomorrow. I skipped the B entirely.
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A
Right. That's true. That does happen a lot too. Still two syllables, but we eliminate the B as well. And it almost looks like it would be spelled P, R, O, L, L, Y. Pro.
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B
Yeah, probably, yes. Strange, right? What about different?
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A
Yeah, different. So again, you could say different. This is spelled like. It would be three syllables, most likely. And I hear that on podcast TV shows more often. I hear these squished together and turned into two syllables. Different.
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B
Right. Unless sometimes you might hear it in a song, for example, and it makes sense for the cadence of the song, the rhythm.
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A
Right, Good point. Right. Or maybe a news anchor who's trying to enunciate very clearly. They might pronounce all three syllables, but usually we would say, oh, we were on different flights, and we make it two syllables.
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B
And I think it's important to point out that when different becomes a verb, like differentiate, we don't do the same thing. So these rules, what we're telling you, the freedom you have with the two or the three syllables doesn't apply. You can't say differentiate. You have to say differentiate. We need that middle syllable, don't you think, Aubrey?
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A
A.B. with differentiate, we pronounce each syllable, but with some of the other versions of this word, like, for example, differently, we will usually make that resyllables. We won't always say differently. It would probably be differently because there's.
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B
No time at that point, as the word expands and becomes a different part of speech, there's no time to then pronounce that middle syllable. I guess.
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A
Yeah. It's interesting. So often for these words that we do drop syllables. If we're adding just ly or maybe ing, we'll often keep that syllable. But when it becomes a word with a totally different meaning, like differentiate, or we're adding more syllables, then that's true. This. The pronunciation changes.
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B
Interesting. What about family? Oh, this is a good one.
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A
Yes. Right. So some people will pronounce this three syllables family, and then a lot of people drop that third syllable and they'll say family. Family. Do you live close to your extended family?
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B
Right. And again, you hear the family more in kind of a sing songy way, I feel like when you hear songs or poems. Do you agree with that Aubry commercial?
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A
That happens a lot. Like you said, for the cadence. Right. If you're needing a certain speaking rhythm or if someone is maybe reading from a script, they might say it differently. But in general conversation, daily conversations, often this is about ease of speech, quickness of speech that we drop that syllable.
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B
Did you ever used to watch the show Family Matters?
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A
I loved Family Matters. That's a great show.
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B
Me too, Me too. It makes me think, I think they had an intro song or it was either that or step by Step with the, with Danny Tanner. Was that step by step? Did you watch that one too?
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A
Danny Tanner was Full House. Full House. Yes. We're getting all of our 80s 90s shows.
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B
Yeah, we overlap there for sure. But these are, you know, a lot of these shows that loved in the 80s were based on families. Right. You know, living in a house in San Francisco. So the intro would zoom in on the home and usually they would use the word family in the intro song. And I could see in that sing songy way saying family. Right, Family.
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A
Yes, it's interesting in the song, but then when people said the name of the show Family.
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B
Family Matter.
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A
Family Matters. Right, yeah, and I'm glad you brought that up because it gave you the chance to say the word it plural. You said families and same goes for that. You know, we don't always say families. We often will drop that middle syllable still when it's plural and say families.
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B
So as we said, as the word gets longer and more cumbersome, there's less time to pronounce that middle syllable. And I'm glad you mentioned Family Ties. That's another great one with Michael J. Fox as like a baby. Total baby, 22 year old or something. Oh my gosh.
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A
So good. I know. I watched his. There was a documentary about his life and it showed how he got that job. It's fascinating. I can't remember which stre on but if you have a chance to watch it, it's really fascinating.
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B
Really good stuff. We have to recommend our listeners to go back and watch these amazing shows from the 80s because they're a fun reflection of culture at that time, you know?
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A
Yes. But it makes me think of there just like with differentiated, there are other forms, other versions of these words like familial. And you couldn't drop that middle syllable because it's a different meaning, it's said in a different way. So we couldn't drop that and say fat familial. That wouldn't even be really difficult to even say.
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B
Okay. So we're just really talking about these shorter forms of the word, usually nouns most of the time. Okay, let's move on to the next one. Aubry.
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A
All right, the next one is every. And so really, it could be every. And sometimes people will pronounce this with three syllables, but often dropping that middle syllable will say every. He runs at least a mile every morning.
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B
Exactly. And again, in the sing song you weigh. I could hear someone say every day. Something like that. That's probably something.
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A
Need syllables in a song or a poem. Every day.
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B
Yes, exactly.
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A
Or if you want to emphasize. If you want to say, every day I do this.
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B
Yeah. But even if I emphasize that, actually if I were trying to say, hey, I do this every day, I would still honestly not. I would not use the three syllables I'd say every day. Every single day. I would use another word like single to emphasize.
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A
And definitely not regular conversation. It's always just every, ever. Right. The only time you would hear that is if someone. Every now and then with these words, because they are three syllables, someone will intentionally, for emphasis or to be funny or something, they'll be like, every time I do the. Right. They'll intentionally pronounce all three syllables for some reason. That's another good. Just like regular conversation.
- [11:24]
B
No, that's another good point, though. People do. Oh, and that's kind of trendy right now, that people. And I think it's a little condescending when people do it, but they do it. They pronounce it every syllable of a word. When they're. When they're. Do you know what I'm saying here?
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A
I know what you're saying. When normally we wouldn't in a conversation, but for some reason it's. It might be to be condescending. Yes. Like sometimes you're slowing down your speech almost to imply that the other person needs you to speak. Who knows? There could be any kind of reason.
- [11:53]
B
Yep. I was listening to Pods of America over the weekend, and I think it was Jon Favreau or one of the other hosts, it's Pretty famous, was interviewing Mark Cuban. And Mark Cuban's ideas on politics are very optimistic. Right. Because he's never been in politics. And the way that. That the co host of Positive America was talking to Cuban was doing that, it was a little condescending. It was pronouncing the syllables. And I was getting annoyed because I was like, you're a Washington insider. Listen to some different ideas, you know.
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A
Oh, that's interesting. Interesting. Part two. Interesting. Anyways, anyways, good, Stu.
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B
Listen for this, guys. In podcasts, movies, TV shows, little jingles at the beginning of a show, you'll hear it. Really interesting.
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A
What else, Aubrey?
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B
We have more though.
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A
Yes, we have a few more here. So chocolate. Right. It's just actually spelled and is three syllables. Chocolate. But rarely will you hear it that way. We almost always drop it and say chocolate.
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B
Yeah, exactly. And then camera. I rarely hear camera. Camera is what I say.
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A
Yeah, I also just say camera. It's also interesting to think about. These might be different in other English speaking countries. This is very much U.S. american pronunciation.
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B
Yes. Yes. 100. And then memory. Do we hear it any other way?
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A
I say memory to.
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B
I have no memory. Memory of that. Yeah. Is that how you would say that?
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A
Memory. You could say memory, three syllables, same plural. Memories. Or you can drop that middle syllable and say memory or memories.
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B
Yeah, yeah. It's personal pronunciation. Quirk. Right. Sometimes we do this. We all have our own way of pronouncing. And then favorite. Favorite or favorite.
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A
Right.
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B
Favorite. Just for me, it takes too long. You know, I just want a lot of it.
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A
Especially because we're talking about, you know, just regular conversations in the most. For the most part, that's when we really. We're speaking quickly. We're dropping these syllables.
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B
Yes, exactly. And then one more. What is it? Aubry?
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A
Business. Which really is three syllables. Business. But we rarely say that. We really usually pronounce this two syllables. Business. She's completing a business degree or that's.
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B
None of my business. Yeah, it's almost always the two syllables exactly.
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A
Which makes it more difficult to spell because there's that I that's basically silent. Right. Business.
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B
Exactly. English is not spelled the way it's spoken.
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A
Exactly.
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B
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- [15:47]
A
Yeah. Let's use a bunch of these. I'll start a.
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B
All right. Okay.
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A
Every time I walk in here, I still smell grandma's marinara sauce. It's probably my favorite smell.
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B
Same. That smell is a memory in itself. I can't believe this place still feels the same after all these years.
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A
It's impressive when a family owned restaurant is able to stick around so long. I think it helps that we try to keep it. Keep it authentic just with a few different touches now and then.
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B
As long as that chocolate souffle stays on the menu, I don't think we'll ever go out of business.
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A
So true. I saw someone bust out a camera and take a photo of it last night. I'm not surprised. The presentation is gorgeous. Oh.
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B
Makes me want to try it.
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A
I know, right? It sounds delicious.
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B
Yeah, right? I love it.
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A
All of them.
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B
Oh, nice. So we started with every time I walk in there. I mean, did you say every or every here? Aubry.
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A
I think I just said every. I was trying to just say these how I normally would. Right. Every time. Want. But it wouldn't be incorrect to say every time I walk in here. But that wouldn't be my personal pronunciation or from the region that I'm used to. Right. Both Arizona and the Northwest. Also, it. It is about what we hear most on podcasts, tv, movies that have the American accent. A lot of these, what we're saying. This is what native English speakers say. That's what we hear most often as well.
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B
Oh, for sure. I love it. And then you said, it's probably my favorite smell. And I know you shortened to two syllables for probably. What about favor?
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A
Yeah, I think I did find myself kind of saying favorite. Favorite.
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B
Really?
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A
Okay.
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B
Favorite. So three.
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A
As I said it, I was like, oh, it's probably my favorite smell. Yeah, I think both for that.
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B
That one feels a little more natural. Two or three in my mind.
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A
Yeah, I agree. And then you said that smell is a memory in itself. Or memory. I think you probably said it two syllables. Memory.
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B
Yeah, probably the smells of memory in itself. Memory.
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A
No, it's kind of three there.
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B
No, three. Not memory. No. Wow. It's so it's somewhere in between. It's two and a half, Aubrey. I know. It's true.
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A
It kind. Two and a half because you were sort of saying all three, but so quickly that the one almost gets assimilated. Interesting.
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B
Exactly. Two and a half is my answer.
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A
All right, that's good.
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B
Okay.
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A
And then I said, it's impressive when a family owned restaurant. So family as two syllables. And also restaurant. I definitely said there as two syllables.
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B
And then he said, I think it helps that we try to keep it authentic just with a few different touches now and then. And you could have said just with a few different touches now and then. But do you have time for it? Is the question.
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A
We're saying it quickly. Right. With the cadence of our speech. And then you said, as long as that chocolate souffle stays on the menu. This is rare that I hear anyone pronounce those three syllables. Chocolate would sound a little strange, but it's possible, right? Depending on.
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B
Right.
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A
Someone's speech, or like we said, possibly.
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B
In different English accents globally. Could be. Could be valid. Then you said, so true. I saw someone bust out a camera and take a photo of it last night. So I didn't say camera or. You didn't say camera.
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A
Right.
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B
Or did you?
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A
Nope, I said camera. I always say that's two syllables. Camera.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Chocolate, camera, and business are the three that I don't know that I've ever heard someone say with three syllables. Possibly. Right. But much more rarely.
- [19:02]
B
Yes. What should we leave our listeners with today? This has been an interesting episode. Something a little different today.
- [19:07]
A
Yes, I know pronunciation in English is really interesting, especially where there's often no right or wrong answer. Right. There are regional dialects all over from different countries and even within a country, a lot of different options. So I'm excited about this series. Right. Today you're finding out a lot of these three syllable words that we actually pronounce with two syllable words. And you'll definitely want to hit follow for the follow up with three or four syllable words.
- [19:31]
B
Yeah. And for me, I think a big takeaway here is listening for the context of where a word is placed. We've talked today about jingles at the beginning of sitcoms, songs, condescending language on a podcast. I mean, syllables can be placed and used in different ways depending on what we're trying to do. Are we just getting the message across or are we trying to rhyme or create a certain rhythm in what we're saying? So be ready to see a word appear in different places differently.
- [19:58]
A
Yes, that's such a good point. Right. And observe language as you're hearing it. Is it different in a song depending on the cadence or in just a regular conversation. Yeah, for sure.
- [20:08]
B
Yeah. Really interesting. All right. So as Aubrey said, hit the follow button for the part of this two part series. Aubrey, have a good day.
- [20:16]
A
You too. See you next time. All right, bye.
- [20:23]
B
Thanks for listening to all ears. English Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score and if you believe in connection not perfection then hit subscribe now to make sure make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time. And Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music. Limu Save yourself money today. Increase your wealth. Customize nice and save.
- [21:07]
A
We see that may have been too much feeling.
- [21:10]
B
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- [21:12]
A
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