# Do these words have the same sound? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2015, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429 "2015-06-13T10:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/21 "2015-06-13T15:17:10Z")
You guys think _this_ is a crappy question? You should see some of the exams Thais are given. One famous example from the 1990s went something like: 1. What do you say when you greet your friend? A. Hello. B. Hi. C. Goodbye. D. How are you? And when it was pointed out that more than one of those could be a valid answer, criticism was dismissed out of hand because it came from foreigners. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/22 "2015-06-13T16:07:04Z")
It’s A for me as well. From Philly, FWIW… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/23 "2015-06-13T18:40:31Z")
Yes, **Reza** , tell us about the context of this silly test. Is it intended for native-English-speaking grade school children? Or for ESL grade school children? Or for ESL adults? It’s really a stupid question on several levels. First, it’s not clear what the question is asking (it doesn’t actually say if it’s looking for the word with a different “u” sound). Second, it seems to be testing for a knowledge of some profoundly petty triviality. Third, it fails to consider that there is no perfectly “correct” accepted pronunciation. Was this test made by the same geniuses who gave us “The Pineapple and the Hare” test? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/24 "2015-06-13T20:01:07Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > I would’ve picked A. I say rool, ews, chew, jewse This is my answer too. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/25 "2015-06-13T21:13:17Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > This is my answer too. Mine too. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/26 "2015-06-13T22:18:08Z")
It’s a horrible question. First off, those words are not pronounced the same way in different accents. Second, no matter what the accent, they all contain the same vowel, /u/. It’s just that, in some accents, it’s possible one or more words would add a /j/ sound in front of the /u/. If I had to guess at the answer they wanted, I would say B use, since “use” will _always_ have the /j/ sound in front of it. It still would be incorrect, however. (And I think the context makes the sounds clear enough, even if you don’t know IPA.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/27 "2015-06-13T23:28:39Z")
I think I may have broken the code. In certain British accents I can hear the following in my head: A- rule - “Roo-ill” B- use - “Yoo-iss” (as a noun) C- chew - “Chew” (And that’s why it was supposedly the correct answer.) D- juice - “Joo-iss” I’m sure that’s the answer and the person writing the test was on a particular British dialect. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/28 "2015-06-13T23:32:44Z")
Double post. And “\*of \*a particular British dialect.” ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/29 "2015-06-14T04:50:46Z")
They all sound like the same vowel to me. Rool Yoos Choo Joos ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/30 "2015-06-14T04:53:33Z")
I’d say B. To me it has a “you” sound and the others have an “ooh” sound. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/31 "2015-06-17T03:57:06Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I would say to this have this question, on a paper-based exam, _ **indicates extremely poor test-design, and a lack of program oversight** _. > > No printed word has ANY sound. Words on a page do not make sounds. Sounds happen only when people speak (or when speech is synthesized). Exactly. The question cannot be answered until the test-taker _ **hears** _ the words. > > It’s a ridiculous test item, and highly unprofessional. **Reza** , could you tell us a little of the program in which this test is being administered? Yes, this test is from exam paper, high school, second year, in a non-English speaking country. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429/32 "2015-06-17T04:04:15Z")
Thanks everybody in the house for your answers. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-these-words-have-the-same-sound/722429.md?page=1)