Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
then and than aren't homonyms, yet people confuse them all the time.
The problem stems from not pronouncing the words properly, as well as, not knowing the meaning of each.
then and than aren't homonyms, yet people confuse them all the time.
The problem stems from not pronouncing the words properly, as well as, not knowing the meaning of each.
+1
However, there are some people who will swear that those words are pronounced identically.
I'm not about to do a site search in order to find it, but it was probably only a few months ago that we had a post from someone who was adamant that "than" and "then" are pronounced identically.
For that matter, in some parts of the Deep South, "important" is pronounced the same as "imported".
Surely that can lead to all sorts of confusion.
When I'm writing, I'm plagued with these occasionally. And I know the differences. Still happens quite frequently, and they are usually the very simple ones. I have know idea (kidding!) why. No, seriously, I don't know why I do that. Why can't my brain catch it as it is happening? Because it very nearly always catches it when I'm proofing. My theory is that my brain is just trying to get the idea down as fast as possible and doesn't register the technical details at that time--only later when I'm actually thinking in that mode.
For the record, I know I'm not the only one who has this issue. It has nothing to do with "spelling errors" or not actually knowing the differences in almost all cases. There has been only one time that I can recall where I screwed a homonym up and truthfully didn't know the difference in spelling (or at least never paid attention to it).
then and than aren't homonyms, yet people confuse them all the time.
The problem stems from not pronouncing the words properly, as well as, not knowing the meaning of each.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retriever
+1
However, there are some people who will swear that those words are pronounced identically.
They probably are pronounced the same in some of the countless dialects of English, just like pin/pen and caught/cot mergers (to name just a couple of many examples) are pronounced the same in some dialects. These are not wrong pronunciations. They're just different.
In normal conversant speech the vowels almost disappear in these words, making then sound essentially the same. I am not surprised that they spellings are confused.
Note that 'then' and 'than' derive from the same Old English root, þanne. Their similar pronunciation is deeply ingrained in the English language.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
For the record, I know I'm not the only one who has this issue. It has nothing to do with "spelling errors" or not actually knowing the differences in almost all cases.
Quite true, though a lot of people either are unaware of this fact or prefer to think otherwise.
then and than aren't homonyms, yet people confuse them all the time.
The problem stems from not pronouncing the words properly, as well as, not knowing the meaning of each.
This one bothers me, too. There is one poster here on CD who even changed than to then in a passage she quoted. Than was the correct word.
I use the pin-pen merger but then and than sound nothing alike to me.
This one bothers me, too. There is one poster here on CD who even changed than to then in a passage she quoted. Than was the correct word.
I use the pin-pen merger but then and than sound nothing alike to me.
Some people do pronounce the short a sound with more of a short e sound. I’ve heard it used by news readers. I am trying to think of another example. I don’t know of anyone who pronounces hand as hend, for example. But I know I’ve heard it.
This one bothers me, too. There is one poster here on CD who even changed than to then in a passage she quoted. Than was the correct word.
I use the pin-pen merger but then and than sound nothing alike to me.
I pronounce then and than the same, but I do spell them differently.
A woman on a cooking show kept talking about the "awmuns" she was using. You know, those teardrop shaped nuts used in awmun cookies.
I guess not all pronunciation variants result in homonyms.
I pronounce then and than the same, but I do spell them differently.
A woman on a cooking show kept talking about the "awmuns" she was using. You know, those teardrop shaped nuts used in awmun cookies.
I guess not all pronunciation variants result in homonyms.
Awmuns. Had to think half a sec about that.
Not homonyms, but how about peecahns, pecahns, pecans(short a sound).
Breath and breathe are another pair of non homonyms that people confuse when writing.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
