Do you say “to” or do you say “tuh”?
Two.
I don’t say things like "fit-n-ta.
If “to” is immediately followed by “the”, I say it “to” with a long o sound. Otherwise it’s “tuh”. For example:
I’m going to the store.
I’m going tuh work.
I never noticed that about myself until I said those sentences (and others) out loud so I could answer your question. How odd.
Huh, I say “tuh” almost all of the time. What lazy diction I have. Have to get to work on that.
I pronounce it “phlEEEb”
… 2
The normal pronunciation of “to” is /tə/. It doesn’t sound like “two” or “too.”
There are some exceptional circumstances. For example, to emphasize contrast:
(On the phone)
A: Did you say you’re coming from the park right now?
B: No, I said I’m going TO (/tu:/) the park.
A: Oh, I see.
tuh
Unless I am angry. I enunciate things properly when I am angry.
I think most of the time I’m about halfway in between those. Not totally enunciated, but not really slurred over, either. And it does depend on what follows it.
About halfway between the two.
Unlike Obama, who very definitely says “tuh.”
My pronunciation is /tə/, except that I just noticed that the t becomes voiced (aka /d/) whenever the sound before it is voiced. Never thought about it that way before.
two
Do you mean your normal pronunciation, or actually the normal pronunciation? I assume you mean the former because the pronunciation you give isn’t the first listed in the dictionary, it’s “tu” just as it is for too and two (and probably tu as well, but I don’t have an online spanish dictionary link handy).
Anyway, I say “tu” for all three (four) words; I’ve only rarely in-person heard someone say “tuh” and not be mocking something. I’m much more lazy about A being “a” or “uh” by turns.
I always say “tuh”, except for emphasis, as previously mentioned. “Two be or not two be” just sounds weird coming out of my mouth.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
No, you don’t have to. You’d sound absolutely alien if you always said the word the same way as “two”, just as if you always rhymed “a” with “day” and “the” with “bee”. guizot is basically correct. Everyone who thinks otherwise is being misled by orthography, hasn’t actually meticulously listened to or transcribed candid speech of theirs, etc.; “to” has an emphatic pronunciation homophonous to “two” (this being its citation form), but the vast majority of employments are in a reduced form (aka, weak form).
both. just depends how fast I’m talking at the time.
I pronounce it “tә”, unless it comes at the end of the sentence, when I pronounce it “too”. (e.g., “he wants me to go **tә **the store, but I don’t want too.”)
I forgot about this. I do the same thing.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
In my accent, the “normal” pronunciations of “to”, “too” and “two” are the same.
I think usually [tә], but of course in some environments and under some conditions, [tu]. And sometimes the [t] turns into a voiced tap intervocalically as in ['traj.ɾə.fajnd.mi] (= “try to find me” said quickly).