Why do Brits say free instead of three?

Blaxter says that the influence of London and the South East has spread southern pronunciations over the rest of the country — which is why a large minority of people in Hull and Plymouth now say "FREE" even though their parents grew up saying "THREE."

Why can't i pronounce three?

So, why is it so hard to pronounce three? The trouble lies in pronouncing two difficult sounds: 1. “TH” sound and 2. “R” sound.

Are three and free pronounced the same?

Th-fronting is the pronunciation of the English "th" as "f" or "v". When th-fronting is applied, [θ] becomes [f] (for example, three is pronounced as free) and [ð] becomes [v] (for example, bathe is pronounced as bave).

What is the difference between free and three?

Some people I know don't really see a difference, but others have claimed that there is an obvious difference. "F" is pronounced by putting your bottom lip against your top teeth and blowing air through the gap. "Th" is pronounced the same way, but with your tongue and not your bottom lip.

Can Irish people say three?

You may notice Irish people dropping the H sound from many words. This means that 'three' is often pronounced as 'tree'. Or '33 and a third' as 'turty tree and a turd'.

How to Swear Like a Brit - Anglophenia Ep 29

Why do Americans pronounce S as sh?

Linguists call this pronunciation S-retraction or S-backing, because the SH sound is made with the tongue slightly farther back inside the mouth than it is for the S sound. So you're moving the S farther back in your mouth: S-backing.

Why do I say three like free?

Why do I say three like free? Simply put, it's what happens when speakers use the sounds /f/ or /v/ instead of TH. This results in words like “thing” becoming “fing,” or “brother” becoming “bruvver” — and it can also make “three” and “free” sound identical.

What word takes 3 hours to pronounce?

The longest English word

The longest word in English has 189,819 letters and takes 3 hours to pronounce. This is a technical term for the chemical composition of titin. Titin is the largest known protein responsible for maintaining the passive elasticity of the muscles.

Why do British add R to words?

Linguists have called this phenomenon the “linking r.” Because of the tendency to pronounce an “r” when it occurs between vowel sounds, many of these same speakers go a step more and add an “r” where it doesn't belong, once again between two vowel sounds.

How do you spell 333 in English?

333 can be written as “Three Hundred Thirty-three” in words.

How do you say shut up in British slang?

What does bloody mean in British slang?

Bloody. Don't worry, it's not a violent word… it has nothing to do with “blood”.”Bloody” is a common word to give more emphasis to the sentence, mostly used as an exclamation of surprise. Something may be “bloody marvellous” or “bloody awful“. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger…

Why do Brits say no worries?

The phrase has been used widely in British English since the late 1980s, a development partly attributed to the success of Australian soap operas such as Neighbours in the United Kingdom.

What is a female called in Ireland?

“Cailín” means “girl” in the Irish language. A lot of Irish people still use this word even when speaking in English. The plural, “Cailíní,” is also commonly used, for example, “I'm meeting up with the cailíní later on.”

What does 33 mean in Ireland?

🙊 The Irish Accent: "33 & A Third" This means that 'three' is often pronounced as 'tree'. Or '33 and a third' as 'turty tree and a turd'. We get a lot of 'slagging' for dropping our 'h' in various words.

What does the term black Irish mean?

black Irish (plural black Irish) An Irish person or person of Irish descent with dark hair, eyes, and skin, sometimes (derogatory, ethnic slur, dated) with disparaging racial overtones.

How do British people say four?

Below is the UK transcription for 'four': Modern IPA: fóː Traditional IPA: fɔː 1 syllable: "FAW"

How do you say 123 in English?

We write 123 in English Words using the letters of the English alphabet. Therefore, we read 123 in English as “One hundred twenty-three.”