Phonics and pronunciations

[specialkmom]

I am using Phonics Pathways and have come across different words with odd pronunciations, IMHO.

 

develop-with the first e being a schwa, sanity with i being a schwa. Spoken and chosen with a schwa-"un" sound. (Ok, I have schwa issues. :tongue_smilie:)

dog- with an "aw" sound, but it sounds the same as short o sound. I don't get what the difference is between the o sound in hot and the o sound in dog.

[onaclairadeluna]

I am using Phonics Pathways and have come across different words with odd pronunciations, IMHO.

 

develop-with the first e being a schwa, sanity with i being a schwa. Spoken and chosen with a schwa-"un" sound. (Ok, I have schwa issues. :tongue_smilie:).

 

It's because they are not accented. Unaccented vowels often turn into a schwa sound.

 

In many parts of the country dog is pronounced dawg. My husband says git and reads hop on pop as "Git Wet, two dogs git wet". I think I might say Dawg, I am not sure...I am from NY Ariginally:) Anyhow, people's accents often defy the rules of phonics.

[Snowfall]

The schwa thing can be pretty regional and even individual, IMO. I definitely do NOT say "sanuhty". I definitely pronounce the short i sound in that word. It helps to keep in mind that the schwa sound isn't always a short u sound either, even though it's sometimes presented that way. Schwa sometimes comes out sounding like a short i, too. When I say chosen, it sounds like that e is an i, not a u. The main point of the schwa thing is that people don't pronounce those words exactly as spelled. I don't think you have to get all particular about it - just pronounce it the way YOU do and move on.

 

As far as the o in dog sounding the same as the o in hot...that's definitely regional, IMO. When you say jog and dog do they rhyme? When I say them they don't rhyme. Dog has that aw sound and jog has the same sound as hot. O says aw in lots of words where I'm from: off, on, dog, log, hog, bog, smog. Some people in other places pronounce those words differently. :)

[Crimson Wife]

It's a regional thing. Dog, jog, and hot all have the same short o sound the way I pronounce them. I also don't say schwas in any of the words you mentioned.

 

If I run across something with which I disagree when I'm teaching phonics, I just tell my kids to ignore the book :D

[Dinsfamily]

:iagree: with the other posters. Neither develop or insanity have a schwa sound for me and the o sound in dog and hot sound the same.

 

I grew up in the PNW, dh in NY (mostly) and now that my dc are growing up in TX, I can definitely hear the difference in regional pronunciations everyday in my own home. :tongue_smilie:.

[Farrar]

There was another thread like this recently where the op complained that a southern accent was making it hard to teach the differences in the short /i/ and /e/ sounds. I think there are lots of regional variations. They're not wrong - some regional variations will make spelling easier and some harder because sounds are similar or have migrated over time. I guess I figure it all evens out in the end for most accents.

[specialkmom]

Thanks for the insight and encouragement. Hate to be the only odd one. :D

 

I have just been telling him how I pronounce it, so it's good to know he won't be ruined for life, haha. I guess the regional accents would make a difference in pronunciation. Never really thought about that.