7 Sins of -ail, -ill,and -ell

My linguistics professor might argue that common mispronunciations of -ell, -ill, and -ail has more to do with geographical accent than lack of knowing how to actually pronounce the word correctly.  That might be true in some cases.  However, in most other cases, it seems that we {Americans} have simply become sloppy in our diction. (Ever listen to how Americans used to speak in an old black & white show? )  I argue that the issue isn't completely a regional accent issue because I listen to these kids' parents speak and they do NOT speak like this.

This appears to be true especially over the past 2 or 3 generations.  Could it be all of that "fo' shizzle my nizzle" jargon in the early 2000s? Was it perhaps because cell phone providers used to restrict the character space of texts which resulted not only in abbreviated words, such as "SRSLY", but in slurred and murmured speech as well?  Srsly, dats mssd up.

I know I've touched on many issues in the past, in my {{grammar police report}} post. This time, I'd like to approach the pronunciation issue and proper use of words ending in -ill, -ell, -ail/-ale, and even the occasional -eal.  I don't know what it is about the letter L appearing at the end of these words that makes these words so difficult, but it seems to be the common thread.


1 - "I bought this on sell."   No.  You bought it on SALE.  It's like saying the word "Say" with an "L" on the end.  SAY+L = SALE.   Sale is the noun, sell is the verb.  They are going to sell books at the sale.

2 - "He has an awesome sell boat."  No, not a SELL boat.  A SAIL boat.  ~Sigh~ Refer back to #1.  Different word, different meaning, different spelling, but same pronunciation.  SAY+L = SAIL.

3 - "He was arrested and went to gel."  I had a coworker who would always read the county bookings on her break.  Nearly every day, there was an audible gasp followed by, "Guess who just went to gel?"  It was all I could do not to ask, "Gel? Is that the name of some new hair salon?"  This is because, of course, gel is a HAIR PRODUCT.  If you are referring to the little 8x8 room with iron bars holding someone in lock-down, the word you are looking for is JAIL.  Say the name JAY and then, add the L. JAY + L.

4 - "He wanted me to bell him out."  Unless "belling" someone out means to beat them to a bloody pulp with an iron bell, the word you want is BAIL.  BELL = cast metal object used for ringing, to gain someone's attention.  BAIL = property/money given as security for someone's reappearance to the courts.   Like before, say BAY and then add the "L".   BAY + L.

5 - "It will be a year untell I get to see him again."  This word simply does NOT exist, because it would infer that you are intending to un-tell a story or un-tell a lie, or un-tell anything which has already been told.  That's just not possible.  The word is UNTIL.  And while we are on the subject, unless you are tilling a garden, till and until actually mean the same thing.  Many think that till is a shortened version of the word until.  However, till came first and then unto it came until. (See what I did there?)  In old English (after the birth of until), many wrote till as 'til.  However, that is completely unnecessary, unless you're a poet, and is additionally considered incorrect. Pronounce the 'i' in till/until like the 'i' in tip, as in "to tip the waitress."  Simply change out the 'p' with an 'l' and you've got it. TI + LL.

6 - "That dog is wagging his tell."  Okay, I suppose if the dog is playing poker and if his tail were indeed his "tell" (an unconscious action used to betray or deceive), then that would work.  But what are the chances of a poker playing dog? TAIL.  Like TAY + L. The same is true for telling a TALE.  TAY + L = TALE.

7. - "They have great dills." True story here.  I was fairly new to Utah and had only been in my new job for about a year.  Someone offered to make a sandwich run.  I asked about the deli because I hadn't heard of it before.  One of the persuading arguments was a fellow coworker's claim.  She told me, "Oh, they have great dills!"  I asked her if the dills came with every order.  (If you know me well, you know I love a great dill pickle.)  She looked at me a little strange, shook her head and said, "Yes."  When my sandwich arrived, I asked about the missing pickle.  She then said, "Oh, you didn't ask for one."  I replied, "I thought you said they came with every sandwich."  It took a minute before they all realized I thought she was saying "Dill" as in pickle.  They roared and explained she meant DEAL.  I asked, "Well, then why didn't she say DEAL?  It sounds like DILL."  They informed me lots of Utahns speak like that now, especially the younger generations. ~sigh~   DEAL = DEE + L.

I know there are many other words which people, depending on age and location, pronounce differently.  Some say PILL+OW (pillow) while others say they have a soft PELL-OW.  Some people drink MELK, while the rest of us drink MIL+K/MILK (except me, I actually can't stand the white stuff.  Phooey!)  But, I suppose those don't bother me as much because I at least know what they mean, and those pronunciations have existed much longer, so perhaps I've grown a little more tolerance.

There you have it.  Now, with all this talk of pickles, I'm off to find a great DILL!..........

Parenting Plea #427: BAN THE BABY-TALK!

Disclaimer:  I'm not a professional.  I'm just a somewhat-normal, sometimes sarcastic, individual who mostly doesn't understand what goes through some parents' heads when they say or do certain things -- and then I blog about it.

My rant for today:

PLEASE BAN THE BABY-TALK!!!!!

The sequence of how kids learn to speak looks like this:

vowel sounds ---> babbling--->1-2 words--->2-3 word phrases--->sentences--->bigger sentences.

This being said, baby-talk does NOT contribute to the normal, healthy development of baby's language.

Now, before you go and get all offended because perhaps you spoke (or speak) "baby-talk" with your own children, let's define it first.

What is baby talk?  For the purpose of this blog post, I am going to define baby talk as  the made-up, or purposefully mispronounced words (sometimes sounds like a speech impediment when it isn't), often used in high-pitched tones when directed towards babies and children. 

EXAMPLE:
Caregiver, in high-pitched voice:  "Mmmm.  Cookie.  You wike cookie?  Num-nums in tum-tums."

Okay, we all know about onomatopoeias and are probably familiar with "nom-nom-nom" as the noise someone makes while they are eating something pleasurable.  Am I totally against the word "nom" or "num"?  No...not per se.  It's just that "num-nums in tum-tums" is a bit much.

Babies start their venture by mouthing vowel sounds and then repeating certain sounds and syllables (ah-ah-ah to ma-ma-ma-ma, etc.).  This is healthy for babies.  The more we talk to babies, the better they will be able to string certain syllables together and give meaning to them.  For example, if mother repeats, every time daddy comes home, "Daddy's home!  Daddy's home!", then Baby will try to mimic her sounds, often resulting in "Da-da".  The same might be true for "bottle" turning to "bah-bah".  You get the idea.

Baby-talk is detrimental is because babies need to hear REAL words and REAL sentences, using CORRECT PRONUNCIATIONS and CORRECT GRAMMAR because they'll continue to mimic what they hear, and will further develop good language skills if we provide them an environment with positive linguistic opportunities.

How should we talk to babies?  Oh, I'm so glad you asked.  We should talk to infants and toddlers in what scientists and researchers call "Child-Directed Speech".  Like baby-talk, child-directed speech also involves the use of higher-pitched (or soothing) tones.  Unlike true baby-talk, the adult uses simple, but REAL words. (Here's where you can relax if you thought THIS was the "baby-talk" I meant.  This, however, is not true "baby-talk".  The easy way to remember is "baby-talk" is the way BABIES talk!)

Now, imagine the earlier scenario of the caretaker asking if the baby likes the cookie.  In child-directed speech, the sentence would sound something like this:

Caregiver: "Do you like that cookie?  Mmmm.  It's good, isn't it?"

Much better!  Now, for the do's and do not's.

DO - talk to them often, especially right from birth.  Babies' eyes are not yet fully developed and the closer the face-to-face time when talking, the better.

DO - read/tell lots of stories, even before they are old enough to sit up and look at pictures.  Babies LOVE to watch your facial expressions.  They also learn how to perceive various intonations by hearing you tell stories.  It's intonations that give meaning to various words and phrases.

DO - sing to them.  This has the same advantages as talking to them and telling them stories, but also has another benefit.  Sounds in the womb are very rhythmic; likewise, songs are also full of beats and patterns.  This can provide a soothing environment for babies and if the songs are sung or played often, babies will begin to identity certain repeated words or phrases, and will be more likely to mimic them.  (Why I love children's songs!)

DO NOT - rely on the TV/DVDs to teach them language.  In fact, the American Pediatric Association recommends babies not watch TV until they are at least 1 year in age (and then no more than 1 hour a day for ages 2-5 and no more than 2 hours for elementary age children).  TVs don't provide real, live, 3-dimensional experiences.  (I wasn't the greatest at enforcing this one.)

DO - use REAL words and CORRECT grammar when speaking to an infant. This is how they learn words and meanings of words -- words they will need to use in REAL society.

Case in point:  Have you ever had a 2-year-old ask you for something and you had no idea what she was saying because it sounded like a made-up language?  Once, a child in the nursery asked for her babu-bah.  I had no idea what she wanted. I tried everything to console her.  I offered her snacks, a drink, stories, puzzles, toys, etc., but she just kept calling for her babu-bah, finally getting frustrated and resorting to tears.  (The 2-year-old cried too).  When her mom came to pick her up she said, "Oh!  That's what we call her sippy cup."  I remember thinking to myself, "The child is 2.  Why not teach her to say sippy cup?"

DO NOT - use fake words/pronunciation/grammar. (I think we've covered all the reasons why already.  If you still don't get it, you should probably stop reading -- or ask someone in close proximity to slap you upside the head.)

DO NOT - CRITICIZE or DIRECTLY CORRECT if your child uses the wrong word. Instead, repeat the child's statement back to them, modeling the correct words and pronunciations.  For example --

Caregiver: "Do you like that cookie?  Mmmm.  It's good, isn't it?"
Child: (nods) "Me wike tookie. Ez good."
Caregiver:  "Yes.  I like the cookie too.  It IS good!"

Children will hear you modeling correct language and begin to self-correct (unless they have a speech or developmental issue.  But that's for another post.)  

DO NOT - be afraid to use slightly bigger words as the child grows (after they can effectively speak in sentences).  This also adds to their linguistic growth and development.  However, make sure they understand what the new word means, otherwise it's a moot point. For example, "You have to show me you're responsible before we can have pet.  Do you know what the word responsible means?"  And then go on to explain.

If you find yourself offended by this or facing the fact that you, as a caregiver, are a baby-talker, don't worry.  They have professional help for that.

Case in point: There is a little boy in my family who had a regular caregiver constantly talk baby-talk to him (for nearly 6 years).  It's taken almost 2 years (since he started school) to break him of speaking that way, thanks to professional help (teachers & therapists), persistence on the parents' part, and an "intervention" with that specific caregiver in his life. 

I don't understand why some people think kids aren't mature enough to have real conversations with real words. Contrary to their belief, it's not endearing when the child is in school and says that their lunch "taysez goo" and can they "pweeze pway with they fwenz?"  Instead it makes them appear as if they have a speech impediment or are developmentally behind (including social development).

So, do your kids a favor and  STOP THE BABY-TALK!