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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > ISLAND    

ISLAND



Vickiii
New Zealand

ISLAND
 
Ok,  people - this one drives me crazy.  Even people who have lived in english speaking countried for a long time get the pronounciation of this word wrong.  Many teachers also have trouble with it (from my observations).
 
I have got to the point where I am starting to wonder if it is just in New Zealand that we pronounce this word differently.
 
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE
 
ISLAND????
 
I can�t wait to see the feedback on this one.  I was actually corrected today - and I swear I know how to speak english - and as my country is made up of lots of islands - I use this word alot! 
 
Please help a native speaker understand how to pronounce english or how to teach other people how to pronounce this word correctly.

21 Oct 2008      





Giselle del Val
Argentina

Hi Vickii,
               The pronunciation I was taught at the Teacher Training College was without the "s" sound and a final schwa. According to the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary by Wells, there are not other possible entries for that word.
 
here you are: the phonetics script:
 
       PhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhonetic
 
 
 This is what I can tell you!!! Smile Let�s wait for some other replies.
                                               Giselle

21 Oct 2008     



Olindalima ( F )
Portugal

Hi, Vickii
hope this can help
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/island
Here you can check pronunciation, with sound, by native speakers.

21 Oct 2008     



wolfy
Chile

Vickii,

The pronounciation is as stated above.

The "s" is silent. �If you don�t understand the phonetics from Giselle, it�s like this: "I - Land". Students in Chile have real problems with silent letters like this example. "debt" is another word I keep having to correct.

Kevin Wolfenden

21 Oct 2008     



Zora
Canada

I say "eye - land" without the "s" sound. (or "I-land" but my students don�t seem to get that sometimes, so I say "i" like in "eye"... )

21 Oct 2008     



meuge
Argentina

Yeap!!!
 
I agree with Giselle! She said it clearly! 
And yes... in Spanish speaking countries silent letters are a common problem : my students find it hard not to pronounce them in ISLE, CASTLE, WHISTLE, CUPBOARD...etc
 

21 Oct 2008     



wolfy
Chile

don�t forget "though" and other similar words. �They never get those right. �

21 Oct 2008     



Giselle del Val
Argentina

By the way, now I�m really curious: HOW DO NEW ZEALANDERS PRONOUNCE IT??????�
 
       ;-) Giselle

21 Oct 2008     



Vickiii
New Zealand

Oh thank goodness (hehehe - in the general sense - not the goodnesses profi sense - who seems to have disappeared from the forum of late!)
 
Kiwi�s pronouce it correctly "I - Land" well ok - we say it "eye - lind" because we are terrible at pronouncing any vowel sounds!
 
  When I was little I would get in trouble for spelling it incorrectly all of the time.  I use to write �I live in the North iland.�  Drove my teacher nuts - but  now i can see why!!! 
 
I was starting to think i was going crazy.  People keep correcting me saying - It is pronounced "Ice- land".  When i first arrived i thought everyone was talking about the country Iceland all the time and I had trouble following the rest of the sentence. 
 
Thank you for reassuring me!  It is bad enough I can�t speak spanish properly - I would like to think I am correct in my native language!
 
Hugs from one relieved Kiwi
 
You guys are awesome.
 
so sorry to hear you are ill stextsme - I really hope you get better soon!
 
 

21 Oct 2008     



goodnesses
Algeria

Hi, Vickiii

Chile

I am still here but the fact is that we have started the school year since some weeks and things aren�t  as I expected. Some of the classes I am in charge this year showed to be much more difficult than I was expecting as far as their knowledge in English is concerned.
I have just the time to have a quick look at the forum. Just to have an idea of what going around.
For your biiiiiig problem of pronunciation, I can tell you that here in Algeria teachers and learners we say "eye-lind" just like you.
Oh Yes
Our ministry is taking pronunciation as a very very serious issue
"may want the kids to speak better than the Queen"

Regards and very happy to hearing from again

21 Oct 2008     



Vickiii
New Zealand

Good to see you are all ok Goodnesses.  Good luck getting the kids up to speed.  I have posted a real doozy for you today!

22 Oct 2008