Lessons in Basic English
Feb. 2nd, 2004 12:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
40cakesToday, vowels.
In English, we have the silent 'e' that helps change the pronunciation of vowels to 'long' or 'short' vowels. Examples:
Hat - a short vowel.
Hate - a long vowel. The silent 'e' at the end, only one consonant away from the a, changes its sound.
Hateration - again, a long vowel.
Dan - a short vowel.
Dane - a long vowel. again, the silent 'e' steps up to the plate.
Dancerie - a short vowel. Note that the silent 'e' is separated from the a by two consonants, and is part of a separate syllable.
So while names come from a variety of sources, and creative license is taking when naming a baby, you can still make some basic assumptions from these examples when spelling a name.
For example:
Casey - a long vowel. Can also be spelled Kasey, Kacey, K.C., whatever floats your boat, really.
Cassie - an entirely different name. Short vowel. Note the two 's' consonants between the a and the next vowel.
Thank you.
*Note - I am pulling this particular spelling lesson out of my ass. I haven't learned anything about short and long vowels since the first grade, but am really irritated by everyone from my boss to nurses to other secretaries who don't get how to spell my relatively simple name. It might be more fun if I still went by Elizabeth. I'm gonna start telling people to call for Esmerelda.
>^..^
In English, we have the silent 'e' that helps change the pronunciation of vowels to 'long' or 'short' vowels. Examples:
Hat - a short vowel.
Hate - a long vowel. The silent 'e' at the end, only one consonant away from the a, changes its sound.
Hateration - again, a long vowel.
Dan - a short vowel.
Dane - a long vowel. again, the silent 'e' steps up to the plate.
Dancerie - a short vowel. Note that the silent 'e' is separated from the a by two consonants, and is part of a separate syllable.
So while names come from a variety of sources, and creative license is taking when naming a baby, you can still make some basic assumptions from these examples when spelling a name.
For example:
Casey - a long vowel. Can also be spelled Kasey, Kacey, K.C., whatever floats your boat, really.
Cassie - an entirely different name. Short vowel. Note the two 's' consonants between the a and the next vowel.
Thank you.
*Note - I am pulling this particular spelling lesson out of my ass. I haven't learned anything about short and long vowels since the first grade, but am really irritated by everyone from my boss to nurses to other secretaries who don't get how to spell my relatively simple name. It might be more fun if I still went by Elizabeth. I'm gonna start telling people to call for Esmerelda.
>^..^
