ANSWERS: 2
  • They say that English is the most difficult language to learn but hearing dialects of Chinese or Vietnamese, I am not so sure of that. There are some English words I have always thought must be difficult for people who do not know the language to grasp. Like "READ" - depending on how you say it, it could be present tense or past tense. And then the past tense version of "read" also sounds like "red" - could be very confusing to someone trying to learn.
  • I take it you already know Of tough and bough and cough and dough? Others may stumble but not you, On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through? Well done! And now you wish, perhaps, To learn of less familiar traps? Beware or heard, a dreadful word That looks like beard and sounds like bird, And dead: it’s said like bed, not bead – For goodness’ sake don’t call it “deed”! Watch out for meat and great and threat (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt). A moth is not a moth in mother Nor both in bother, broth in brother, And here is not a match for there Nor dear and fear for bear and pear, And then there’s does and rose and lose – Just look them up – and go and choose, And cork and work and card and ward, And font and front and word and sword, And do and go and thwart and cart – Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start! A dreadful language? Man alive, I’d mastered it when I was five

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy