A Dallas, Texas, caller says his girlfriend from a rural part of his state has an unusual way of pronouncing certain words. Email sounds like EE-mill, toenail like TOW-nell, and tell-tale like TELL-tell. These sounds are the result of a well-known...
A Dallas listener says he was confused at first when a friend from rural North Dakota reported coming home and finding a moose in his kitchen. Only later did he learn what difference the so-called Canadian raising of a vowel can make. More about...
Another riddle: Why is “O” the noisiest of all the vowels? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Noisiest Vowel” Martha, why is O the noisiest of all the vowels? The noisiest? It’s in the middle of noise? It’s in a… It’s close. Oh...
Did you learn the vowels as “a,” “e,” “i,” “o,” “u,” and sometimes “y” and “w”? A caller who was taught that in second grade was left wondering: When and where does “w” function as a vowel? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The...
