# English words foreigners often get confused **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990 "2013-09-16T18:00:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/81 "2013-09-23T11:15:34Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Yes. Heck, it’s not only learners who have this problem. I watched _House MD_, and couldn’t easily tell whether his boss was Lisa Cutty or Lisa Cuddy. The way they’re pronounced by many Americans, they sound the same to me. I wasn’t sure what the name was at first either. I’ve seen Americans write “congradulations” a few times, too. Not really an answer to the OP, though. > [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > She was a fan of Pinky and the Brain. Ever hear the theme song to that show in German? It makes those mice sound a Hell of a lot more serious about their ambitions for conquest. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd4\_PIxfMmQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd4_PIxfMmQ) Pinky und der Brain is always good for some fun. I’ll raise you [Seid Bereit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC9Pkz9dPMU) - the German version of Scar’s song from The Lion King. > [@Floater](#): > > To what extent is “scotch” used for whisky in Britain anyway? It seems very American to me. Not that often in my experience, although I don’t exactly know a lot of “real” whisky-drinkers. I only really say it to distinguish it from Irish or American whiskey if I have to. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/82 "2013-09-23T11:32:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The difference in English between “shit” and “sheet” isn’t just about length, though. The vowels are slightly different themselves. The vowel in “sheet” is a close, front vowel. The vowel in “shit” is near-close, and near front. It’s a little difficult to explain, but if I say “shiiiiiiit” and “sheeeeet” (making both vowels “long,”) they are distinct words with different vowel sounds and my mouth is in a different position to make those sounds. Pulykamell, I’m surprised you are unaware that the “ee” (as in “sheet”) and “i” (as in “shit”) are very commonly (though technically incorrectly) taught as “long E sound” and “short I sound” to students of English (native-speaking children and ESL’ers). ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/83 "2013-09-23T11:37:54Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Not that often in my experience, although I don’t exactly know a lot of “real” whisky-drinkers. I only really say it to distinguish it from Irish or American whiskey if I have to. Besides, you shouldn’t just order “a whisky”. You tell the barman **which** whisky you want. To quote a sign that used to hang in one of my favourite bars: “There is no such thing as “a beer”. You don’t order “a plate of food”, do you”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/84 "2013-09-23T12:11:49Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > We’ve had thirty years of fun off a pronunciation error my husband made in high school German. He was supposed to say “turn on the headlights”- scheinwerfer. He said “schweinwerfer.”" > “oink, oink oink oink…splat.” [del]Varus[/del] Dangerosa, give me back my [del]legions[/del] keyboard ! (For non-German speakers who might not get The Funny, “Scheinwerfer” translated literally means “light thrower”. “Sch **w** einwerfer” however, would mean “pig thrower”) ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/85 "2013-09-23T12:31:17Z")
I remember someone, I even think it was here at SDMB, who related how he, in a conversation with his German grandmother, had mixed up the pronunciation of the words “shiessen” (shoot) and “scheissen” (shit). ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/86 "2013-09-23T14:01:32Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > what happened in the second half of the night after she mastered \*\*\*pornouncing \*\*\*slut? I can’t tell if this is intentional or one of the best typos ever. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/87 "2013-09-23T15:03:49Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > I remember someone, I even think it was here at SDMB, who related how he, in a conversation with his German grandmother, had mixed up the pronunciation of the words “shiessen” (shoot) and “scheissen” (shit). Oh, that reminds me. I brought this one up about six years, but here it is again: > [@](#): > > My favorite one occurred years ago. I had just moved to Europe and was calling up a German girl I used to see, planning a visit. At the end of the conversation it goes something like this: > > Her: I’m looking forward to seeing you, I can finally show you some good, old-fashioned German hostility. > > Me: Did you say “hostility”? > > Her: Yes. What, is that not the right word? > > Me: I hope not. _laugh_ Us Poles know enough about German hostility… > > _I hear sounds of her leafing through a dictionary in the background_ > > Her: Hold on, hold on…hospitality! _leafs back to check meaning of ‘hostility’_ Oh no, no, no. Why are those two words so close? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/88 "2013-09-23T15:12:25Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Yes. Heck, it’s not only learners who have this problem. I watched _House MD_, and couldn’t easily tell whether his boss was Lisa Cutty or Lisa Cuddy. The way they’re pronounced by many Americans, they sound the same to me. Hell, I’m American and the first time I saw (the brilliant) movie _Layercake_ I thought they kept talking about “the Jew” instead of “the Duke.” Of course, I see anti-Semites any time someone asks “d’you want some coffee.” (\*Annie Hall \*joke, for newbies.) ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/89 "2013-09-23T16:16:02Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Not that often in my experience, although I don’t exactly know a lot of “real” whisky-drinkers. I only really say it to distinguish it from Irish or American whiskey if I have to. > [@Floater](#): > > Besides, you shouldn’t just order “a whisky”. You tell the barman **which** whisky you want. To quote a sign that used to hang in one of my favourite bars: “There is no such thing as “a beer”. You don’t order “a plate of food”, do you”. 😉 In a pub in Britain, my homeland – on the fairly rare occasions when I want to order whisky, I do ask for “a scotch”: as Bozuit says, that eliminates Irish and American versions of the drink. The barman (assuming he doesn’t get into confusing stuff about seafood) then usually goes on to the business of “which make” – we usually speedily default to one of the cheaper, generic brands. I don’t quite know why I don’t look to see which brands they have, and state the brand name right from the first ! ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/90 "2013-09-23T16:59:19Z")
[quote=“Johanna, post:65, topic:668990”] _Non_. Hair is _cheveux_. Horses are _chevaux_. Fair enough. As you can probably tell from my first post, I wasn’t exactly at the head of that class.😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/91 "2013-09-23T17:08:24Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Pulykamell, I’m surprised you are unaware that the “ee” (as in “sheet”) and “i” (as in “shit”) are very commonly (though technically incorrectly) taught as “long E sound” and “short I sound” to students of English (native-speaking children and ESL’ers). Oh, I am well aware of that. That’s how I was taught, as well. There is confusion on one of our parts, as that distinction is the point I was making. I thought this was the conversation: **Chronos** thought Spanish had both long and short versions of their five basic vowels. I interpreted this to mean actual length, not what English speakers call “long” and “short” vowels (as when talking about foreign languages, in my experience, “long” and “short” really do refer to the lengths of the vowels, and not a change in vowel sound.) I then thought **Solved** was saying that he wished Spanish did have both long and short versions of vowels, thinking that the difference between “shit” and “sheet” would be the difference between a short Spanish “i” and a long Spanish “i” (which it isn’t.) Which brings me to my post that it’s not just about a “short i” in English being “short” and a “long i” in English being “long” in the linguistic sense, but that they have different sounds, so even if Spanish had both short and long versions of “i,” that would not necessarily help with distinguishing in English the sounds in “sheet” and “shit.” The former would be a “long i” sound in Spanish, but the latter would not be the equivalent “short i.” So perhaps I completely misunderstood the flow of the conversation, but that’s what I thought was going on, and that was the point I tried unsuccessfully to make. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/92 "2013-09-23T17:22:50Z")
As I remember it, my Argentinian friend told me that her language had only ten vowels, two versions each of A, E, I, O, and U. Whether the distinction between those versions was based on actual length, or on what English-speakers call “long” and “short”, I do not know. And of course, it is also possible that I misremember or misinterpreted what she said to begin with: It might, for instance, have been someone from a different country who said that (I tended to hang out with a bunch of international folks, and comparative linguistics was a common topic of conversation at parties). ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/93 "2013-09-23T17:40:22Z")
pulykamell cites a conversation between a native English-speaker (Polish roots?) and a German lady: " Her: I’m looking forward to seeing you, I can finally show you some good old-fashioned German hostility. Me: Did you say ‘hostility’? Her: Yes. What, is that not the right word? Me: I hope not. [laugh] Us Poles know enough about German hostility. [I hear sounds of her leafing thorough a dictionary in the background] Her: Hold on, hold on, hospitality ! [leafs back to check meaning of ‘hostility’] Oh, no, no, no. Why are those two words so close? " Reminds me of an English-speaking (British) guy / German girl conversation, which I heard about from the English-speaking party to the exchange. German girl’s English was good, but not quite flawless. The two were talking about wildlife in their respective countries. Conversation went approximately as follows: Her: And then, we have werewolves. They’re often a nuisance. Him: WEREWOLVES !? Her: Yes, werewolves. You know, little animals with black smooth fur. They burrow underground, and make big heaps of soil, and do a lot of damage to lawns. The creature in question was of course the mole, which in German is _Maulwurf_. A bit of confusion with another entity with a similar-sounding name… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/94 "2013-09-23T18:19:25Z")
Another story of a German friend at a small outing: Friend: \ What’s up there? Is that a chestnut? Friend 2: A what? A chestnut? In the sky? Friend: Yes, a chestnut, flying right there. Friend 2: I’m really, really confused. But I do see a plane. It looks like… a Cessna. \ Oh! But how the heck do you get chestnut from Cessna? I guess it’s just more common in German for ce- to be pronounced like che-. It’s not unheard of in English; after all, \*cello \*sounds like _chello_. So he spoke _chessna_, which to our ears sounded like a slightly slurred _chestnut_. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/95 "2013-09-23T18:30:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, I am well aware of that. … Wow, thanks for clarifying. You didn’t have to go to such efforts, but I appreciate it. P.S. I love that “hostility” anecdote! ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/96 "2013-09-23T19:47:11Z")
Years ago I was a maintenance guy in a hotel, I was the one who would do repairs in the rooms when the maids would notice something broken. There were only 2 maids whose english writing ability was good enough to write me a work order to describe a repair, but neither of them could really distinguish “chip” from “ship”, and other “Shh” sounds and “ch” sounds. Many a time I got a work order that said “Needs repair: There is a ship in the ceiling” or something. It was cute. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/97 "2013-09-23T19:49:38Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Yes. Heck, it’s not only learners who have this problem. I watched _House MD_, and couldn’t easily tell whether his boss was Lisa Cutty or Lisa Cuddy. The way they’re pronounced by many Americans, they sound the same to me. I would pronounce those two names exactly the same. My filipina GF told me that it sounds VERY American to pronounce “twenty” like “twenny” (the latter is how I pronounce it). I’m from Chicago, I barely pronounce any T’s, they all become D’s 99% of the time unless they’re at the start or end of the word. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/98 "2013-09-23T20:26:47Z")
> [@vontsira](#): > > Reminds me of an English-speaking (British) guy / German girl conversation, which I heard about from the English-speaking party to the exchange. German girl’s English was good, but not quite flawless. The two were talking about wildlife in their respective countries. Conversation went approximately as follows: > > Her: And then, we have werewolves. They’re often a nuisance. > > Him: WEREWOLVES !? > > Her: Yes, werewolves. You know, little animals with black smooth fur. They burrow underground, and make big heaps of soil, and do a lot of damage to lawns. > > The creature in question was of course the mole, which in German is _Maulwurf_. A bit of confusion with another entity with a similar-sounding name… I’m laughing my ass off here. I just love the “They’re often a nuisance” line. I also remember a bit of confusion on my part in reverse, when I only knew a very few words of German, and not realizing “Dickkopf” meant "stubborn/obstinate (literally, “thick head”) instead of “dickhead.” My world made a lot more sense to me once I figured that out. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/99 "2013-09-23T20:34:41Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I would pronounce those two names exactly the same. My filipina GF told me that it sounds VERY American to pronounce “twenty” like “twenny” (the latter is how I pronounce it). I’m from Chicago, I barely pronounce any T’s, they all become D’s 99% of the time unless they’re at the start or end of the word. Same here. “Cutty” and “Cuddy” are pronounced the same to me, as are “water” and “wadder” or “pedal” and “petal.” None of those pairs, however, use exactly the same sound as the usual “t” or “d” in English, instead being something called a [voiced alveolar flap/tap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_flap). ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990/100 "2013-09-23T21:56:40Z")
Slightly off topic… I remember years ago seeing Ricardo Montalban on _The Tonight Show_ with Johnny Carson. He told a story about when he was learning English, and had trouble grasping the concept that \*cold \*(meaning _chilly_) was also the word for an illness. When he had a sneezing spell, someone asked him if he was getting a cold. Thinking of the Spanish word, _constipado_, he responded , “Oh, no, I am constipated.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-foreigners-often-get-confused/668990.md?page=6)