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Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:22 am
by thomas
Could any English speaker recommend me the best spelling for an 'invented' word that would be pronounced something like /ˈlɛvɪ/.
As I'm no expert in phonetic symbols, those phonetic symbols are just approximate. The main concern is that the first syllable sounds more like an 'e' instead of an 'ɪ', while the second one is an 'ɪ' or 'iː', instead of an 'aɪ'.
Thanks
Re: Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:29 am
by Joe
Can you give a word that it rhymes with? That would help us know exactly what you expect.
In fact you could give two rhyming words: one for the first syllable, another for the second syllable
At the moment, the way you describe it, the permutations are endless.
Re: Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:31 am
by thomas
Thanks for your reply.
The sound would be something similar to 'heavy'. I had thought of Levie.
What I definately don't want it to sound like is the brand Levi's, in neither of the syllables.
Re: Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:36 pm
by Joe
Depends a little on which syllable you want stressed in your fictitious word, but it sounds as though you need /ˈlevi/ (levy), as in the British English Macmillan dictionary:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dic ... ish/levy_1
which gives you the audio too so you can check.
"Levy" is of course a real word meaning something like a tax.
Feel free to ask again for clarification.
Re: Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:41 pm
by thomas
Joe wrote: ↑Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:36 pm
Depends a little on which syllable you want stressed in your fictitious word, but it sounds as though you need /ˈlevi/ (levy), as in the British English Macmillan dictionary:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dic ... ish/levy_1
which gives you the audio too so you can check.
"Levy" is of course a real word meaning something like a tax.
Feel free to ask again for clarification.
That was the pronunciation I was looking for, thanks. I still have doubts with the first syllable though. Couldn't it be mispronounced as an /i/ or /i:/? Would the spelling
levvy make it clearer?
Re: Phonetics suggestion
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:46 pm
by Joe
Yes, it probably would
And since it's your word you can spell it any way you like