5 ms·

"Hey", /ˈheɪ/, has a dipthong /eɪ/, so é is precisely the first half of that dipthong. It may feel like it's between the “e” in “bet” and “ee” in “see”, but usi

by tombh 6mo ago

"Hey", /ˈheɪ/, has a dipthong /eɪ/, so é is precisely the first half of that dipthong. It may feel like it's between the “e” in “bet” and “ee” in “see”, but using the dipthong you don't have to guess it.

jinushaun 6mo ago
Technically true, but this concept is foreign to English speakers. English relies heavily on diphthongs and can’t separate the sounds in their head. Simplest example is probably the word “no” which is very much a diphthong. That’s why they always have such predictable accents in another language.
bloppe 6mo ago
I've been speaking French since pre-school (albeit in North America mostly) and to me é always sounds more like the English short i (as in "tip"). I'm becoming increasingly convinced that everybody on Earth but me is wrong about it.
- tombh 6mo ago
  They're extremely close! /ɪ/ literally sits next to /e/ on the vowel chart https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_diagram#/media/File%3AIPA_vowel_chart.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_diagram#/media/File%3AIP...
- m132 6mo ago
  Do you happen to be from the western US or Canada? They tend to lower the /ɪ/ monophthong (i of tip, pit, sit, etc.) there, making it sound pretty close to /e/ (French é, German eh). It's one of those things that, combined with regionalisms and other accent features, give away where you grew up :) I noticed a lot of Londoners do this too, though this is just my experience.
  - bloppe 6mo ago
    Nope, Northeast. And my French teachers spoke with a Parisian accent.
- Tyrannosaur 6mo ago
  No, you are correct. Dr Geoff Lindsey on youtube: short version: https://youtube.com/shorts/GF1gIaxnULc?si=d4jFC-rLOC5dww-8 https://youtube.com/shorts/GF1gIaxnULc?si=d4jFC-rLOC5dww-8 long version: https://youtu.be/GNpbv7hJf6c?si=xNz1UjeLY0Ch9eDv&t=366 https://youtu.be/GNpbv7hJf6c?si=xNz1UjeLY0Ch9eDv&t=366
m132 6mo ago
Only if your accent is relatively close to General American or Standard Canadian :)

by tombh 6mo ago

jinushaun 6mo ago

Technically true, but this concept is foreign to English speakers. English relies heavily on diphthongs and can’t separate the sounds in their head. Simplest example is probably the word “no” which is very much a diphthong. That’s why they always have such predictable accents in another language.

bloppe 6mo ago

I've been speaking French since pre-school (albeit in North America mostly) and to me é always sounds more like the English short i (as in "tip"). I'm becoming increasingly convinced that everybody on Earth but me is wrong about it.

tombh 6mo ago
They're extremely close! /ɪ/ literally sits next to /e/ on the vowel chart https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_diagram#/media/File%3AIPA_vowel_chart.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_diagram#/media/File%3AIP...
m132 6mo ago
Do you happen to be from the western US or Canada? They tend to lower the /ɪ/ monophthong (i of tip, pit, sit, etc.) there, making it sound pretty close to /e/ (French é, German eh). It's one of those things that, combined with regionalisms and other accent features, give away where you grew up :) I noticed a lot of Londoners do this too, though this is just my experience.
- bloppe 6mo ago
  Nope, Northeast. And my French teachers spoke with a Parisian accent.
Tyrannosaur 6mo ago
No, you are correct. Dr Geoff Lindsey on youtube: short version: https://youtube.com/shorts/GF1gIaxnULc?si=d4jFC-rLOC5dww-8 https://youtube.com/shorts/GF1gIaxnULc?si=d4jFC-rLOC5dww-8 long version: https://youtu.be/GNpbv7hJf6c?si=xNz1UjeLY0Ch9eDv&t=366 https://youtu.be/GNpbv7hJf6c?si=xNz1UjeLY0Ch9eDv&t=366

m132 6mo ago

Only if your accent is relatively close to General American or Standard Canadian :)