09-16-2003, 06:06 PM
I come from the Ural mountains, that's right smack in the middle of Russia, right on the geographical Europe/Asia border.
However Russia doesn't have "dialects". More like slight accents. And when it comes to basic words like "no" everyone, anywhere, pronounces it the same.
I'll do my best to explain.
In Russian "NO" written as "HET" (i have to use english letters and all capitals since this forums doesn't recognise cyrillic letters).
Most native english speakers can't make the connection between the 'H' (Neh) and the 'E' (eh) without creating that annoying "i" or "ee" sound (like the one in "knee") inbetween the two letters, that's not supposed to be there.
They end up with "knee-yet".
*shudder*
Try to say "Neht" (with the h being silent) instead of "Neeyet".
The "E" is like the canuck "eh". Think of the difference in sound between "eep" and the question "eh?"
Ah, i got it!
Take the phrase "Net Worth" Take how you pronounce the word "Net" but now instead of making the N hard, make it soft like it is in "Needle".
Connect it with the canuck "eh".
There, now you have the correct pronounciation for "HET".
*phew* :)
The bigger problem is when my friends can't tell the difference between their pronounciation of "Niet" and my "Neht". Now that is real frustration :)
However Russia doesn't have "dialects". More like slight accents. And when it comes to basic words like "no" everyone, anywhere, pronounces it the same.
I'll do my best to explain.
In Russian "NO" written as "HET" (i have to use english letters and all capitals since this forums doesn't recognise cyrillic letters).
Most native english speakers can't make the connection between the 'H' (Neh) and the 'E' (eh) without creating that annoying "i" or "ee" sound (like the one in "knee") inbetween the two letters, that's not supposed to be there.
They end up with "knee-yet".
*shudder*
Try to say "Neht" (with the h being silent) instead of "Neeyet".
The "E" is like the canuck "eh". Think of the difference in sound between "eep" and the question "eh?"
Ah, i got it!
Take the phrase "Net Worth" Take how you pronounce the word "Net" but now instead of making the N hard, make it soft like it is in "Needle".
Connect it with the canuck "eh".
There, now you have the correct pronounciation for "HET".
*phew* :)
The bigger problem is when my friends can't tell the difference between their pronounciation of "Niet" and my "Neht". Now that is real frustration :)