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Re: Rosalind
I don't say them the same way, either. The first pronunciation on this list is how I pronounce it:
http://forvo.com/word/ross/#enAs for box, third pronunciation down, the one from Ireland:
http://forvo.com/word/box/#en
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The "box" sounds from the US all seem to be more like "BAX". I'm from the US but I thought the vowel I use for "box" was still definitely an "o" and not an "a" sound... like, for "bax" my mouth would open wider, but for "box" it's like making an "a" sound but with an "o" shaped mouth. I wouldn't have thought my way of saying Ross and box were different, but now that I think about it I say Ross with more of an "a" sound and box closer to "bawks" (but I don't think "aw" is the right way to put it either). I still say Ross with an o-ish sound (it's not RAHSS or RAS or whatever-- those are like big-mouthed vowels and I still use a smaller o-shaped mouth) but it's smaller and more o-ish for box, I guess.
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I wish we all knew the International Phonetic Alphabet to more easily explain what we mean in situations like these!
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Why I use Forvo.:-D
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Oh. I guess Ross is not as good an example of what I meant, then, as box is. I can't distinguish my "Ross" sound from my "box" or "rocks" sound. The pronunciation of Ross you've linked sounds like it rhymes the way I'd say "demitasse," not "boss."Whatever, they're awfully close, and distinct from the O in Rose and that is all I wanted to know.
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