Inspite of being misunderstood countless times since I came to the USA, I still used to think I talk English okay. Until now.
Summy realized that I just didn't know how to say some things. Hey, I realized that I don't know how to say many things.
For example, today I was talking to her about her friend Owen. She said "What?". I repeated myself. She said, "Who?". After saying it three or four times, she says, "Oh, you mean Ohwen!". It seems that I had been calling her friend an oven.
The other day, I was telling her how to spell van, when she stopped me. "Amma, say vee. Not wee."
I say, "That's what I said: Wee!"
"Not wee. Say vee."
"Wee!"
"Vvvvv... Vvvvv.... Vvvveeee!"
"Www... Www... Wheeee!"
At this she doubled over laughing. Then she realized I wasn't just kidding around, I really couldn't tell the difference between "V" and "W".
In school, an English teacher taught us how to say "W" - always start a w by rounding your mouth - and pressed on us to say "water" not "vater". So that's how I say "w", only apparently now I don't know how to say "v" anymore.
Summy was even more persistent than my English teacher and wouldn't let me go until I said it the right way. So now I know: to say "V", one has to touch the inside of the lower lip with the upper teeth.
Ve both emerged wictorious.
But I still can't really tell the difference between v and w unless I try really hard. Sometimes, while driving by myself, I find myself going "Vee. Wee. Vee. Whee." People stopped next to me at red traffic lights think either that I'm crazy, or that I'm having a lot of fun.
Actually, it's both.
2 comments:
:) my grandmom ran me through the whole vee and wee thing as a baby. i had to repeat nonstop
Very Wicked... enunciating both clearly .... sigh. looks like you have your own little grandma :)
I do have my own little grandma, and vee and wee are not my only enunciation problems.
You are lucky your grandmom taught you well :)
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