• disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

    “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo” is a grammatically correct sentence in English that is often presented as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs through lexical ambiguity. It has been discussed in literature in various forms since 1967, when it appeared in Dmitri Borgmann’s Beyond Language: Adventures in Word and Thought.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo

  • Matriks404@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    That’s why everyone learning English should also learn basic IPA to be able to read phonetic transcription and pronounce words correctly.

    Just knowing the symbols for all English vowels/consonants is fine, no need to study IPA more than that, unless you find it interesting, like me.

    I recommend reading this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_phonology.

    Just look up consonant and vowel charts here, you don’t need to study the details unless you really need to. Especially given that this article is full of linguistic jargon, and you probably won’t be able to understand any of this unless you have elementary knowledge of phonetics/phonology.