You are also forgetting that there are two main ways (and lots of subtle ways) to pronounce an "a" sound in the middle of a word with an English accent (of which there are many - and they can vary hugely even over a few miles). The biggest difference would be between a short and a long "a". A short "a" would sound a lot like "gassed" and would be more likely in areas such as the north of England. Further south, a long "a" would make it sound more like "gahst".
However, I'm sure that gassed and ghast are not homonyms (actually, more accurately I think they are homophones) in all American accents either. Didn't JFK speak with long "a"s? Maybe that's a Massachusetts thing?
yes, homophones, that's the one.
I know there are a variety of ways to pronounce both words, and with the vast number of accents here, the exact pronunciation varies, but usually people pronounce gassed and ghast identically.
On everybody's computer there is a type and say program, if you use that to pronounce both words separately they are indistinguishable.
To try it for yourself copy the following into a text document and save it as a vbs file.
Dim message, sapi
message=InputBox("Enter the text you want spoken","Speak This")
Set sapi=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
sapi.Speak message
In that case, the program is either wrong (or limited) or just doesn't have enough accents. (I can't actually get all the accents to work for some reason.) I say those two words quite differently and so would most people I know.
You always have to spell words oddly for these speech synthesis programs because they work on sounds, not necessarily knowing the correct spellings of words (or any words at all for that matter). Also, how, for example, would it distinguish between the words row and row in the following
I can row a boat.
I had a row with my wife.
It wouldn't. You'd have to misspell at least one to get the right sound.
And never try to get Microsoft Sam to say "soy". :wink.gif:
Just like you would when saying words like Ghastly or Aghast.
Like fast but with a G as EtherealOne says but this becomes regional and prone to accent.
I'm English so I'll say Aghast like "Ah-Garst" whilst an american will more likely say "Ah-Gassed"...
Liekwise i'll say "Farst"
So for me it's "Garst" while I imagine for most it'll be "Gassed"(But with more a of a T sound on the end ofcourse)
This. I say it like part of the word ghastly (gassed-ly).
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--Brandon Sanderson
I just tried to find the word. Nothing, naturally.
I found a relation to a Monster in a D&D game. A stronger version of a Ghoul.
I, however, found a related word: ghastly
An online dictionary reveals:
ghast-ly - UK [gɑːst .li] US [ˈgæst -]
so,
in the UK it should be pronounced with a (long) ɑː (as in father)
and in the US with a (short) æ (as in ...well, gassed... or cat)
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And like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the giant Screen itself, all of which we inherit shall dissolve. And, like an insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a byte behind.
An online dictionary reveals:
ghast-ly - UK [gɑːst .li] US [ˈgæst -]
so,
in the UK it should be pronounced with a ɑː (as in market)
and in the US with a æ (as in ...well, gassed)
Again, it's just too big a generalisation. There is not just one English accent. In fact, England (and the UK as a whole) is notorious for its wide and varied accents and dialogues. Seriously. Where I work (about 30 miles from my house) the accent is significantly different to the place where I live. I know plenty of English people who would not pronounce that word "with a ɑː (as in market)". In this area (NE Scotland) it would be close, but not right. In North Yorkshire (where I have a lot a friends) it would be completely wrong.
Germany has a ton of dialects. Ask me for every way to pronounce a single word and i'll punch you in the face.
Just because one CAN overcomplicate a matter doesn't mean one has to strive for it...
Overcomplication should be done for fun.
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And like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the giant Screen itself, all of which we inherit shall dissolve. And, like an insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a byte behind.
Like 'Gast', with a hard 'a' sound. I guess the pronunciation will differ between Americans and Europeans, based on their pronunciation of A's. In the same way that they pronounce **** and ass differently.
yes, homophones, that's the one.
I know there are a variety of ways to pronounce both words, and with the vast number of accents here, the exact pronunciation varies, but usually people pronounce gassed and ghast identically.
On everybody's computer there is a type and say program, if you use that to pronounce both words separately they are indistinguishable.
To try it for yourself copy the following into a text document and save it as a vbs file.
message=InputBox("Enter the text you want spoken","Speak This")
Set sapi=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
sapi.Speak message
then open it, and have fun.
sorry for the double post but this was too interesting for an edit
you misspelled "ghast" in an attempt to make it sound the way you've been saying it. That's cheating.
If you go to that site and use it honestly, you can compare the difference between how words are pronounced in various accents.
Across English accents the pronunciations vary, but within each accent, gassed and ghast sound identical.
Try it yourself
Are you from New England?
This. I say it like part of the word ghastly (gassed-ly).
Ghastly!
to rhyme with ****.
Except with less "r-rolling"
With a Swedish accent.
Does that answer your question?
--Brandon Sanderson
*Ga as in Gardener
not really at all. you must be british or dumb. its obviously pronounced G-A-R-S-T
I found a relation to a Monster in a D&D game. A stronger version of a Ghoul.
I, however, found a related word: ghastly
An online dictionary reveals:
ghast-ly - UK [gɑːst .li] US [ˈgæst -]
so,
in the UK it should be pronounced with a (long) ɑː (as in father)
and in the US with a (short) æ (as in ...well, gassed... or cat)
OR australium.... er Australian...
Map of german dialects
Germany has a ton of dialects. Ask me for every way to pronounce a single word and i'll punch you in the face.
Just because one CAN overcomplicate a matter doesn't mean one has to strive for it...
Overcomplication should be done for fun.
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Dragonator - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=141803
Sand Skiffs - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=233346
Wait.
For those saying it's "guh-hast"...do you pronounce GHOST as "guh-host"? No...we say "gost".
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