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"Germans can’t say ’squirrel’" | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| IronFist Senior Member United States Joined 6438 days ago 663 posts - 941 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese, Korean | Message 1 of 24 10 February 2012 at 10:38pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Has anyone heard this before?
Explanation of the situation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SskKMbX6qmk&feature=related A German trying to say "Squirrel" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N95yelmVJBU&feature=related This guy comes closer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcVeI4RElGc Can you guys here who are native German speakers pronounce the English word "Squirrel?" Everyone: What words give you difficulty in your target language? Edited by IronFist on 10 February 2012 at 10:38pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Cabaire Senior Member Germany Joined 5600 days ago 725 posts - 1352 votes | Message 2 of 24 10 February 2012 at 11:05pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Although "squirrel" is a combination of sounds unknown to Germans, I do not find the word utterly difficult. So if you want to use it as a shibboleth, beware that I may be an undetectable German spy!
1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Sprachprofi Nonaglot Senior Member Germany learnlangs.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6471 days ago 2608 posts - 4866 votes Speaks: German*, English, French, Esperanto, Greek, Mandarin, Latin, Dutch, Italian Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written), Swahili, Indonesian, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese | Message 3 of 24 11 February 2012 at 12:00am | IP Logged | |||||
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No problem here, and I had a native speaker confirm that.
The issue is probably the opposite: English native speakers have a lot of trouble saying the German word for 'squirrel', which is "Eichhörnchen". 9 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| schoenewaelder Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5561 days ago 759 posts - 1197 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 4 of 24 11 February 2012 at 1:02am | IP Logged | |||||
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I think some natives, and especially children have trouble with it. I had a friend who couldn't say it, but speech defects are often cute on girls (sorry for the outrageous sexism).
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| Lucky Charms Diglot Senior Member Japan lapacifica.net Joined 6950 days ago 752 posts - 1711 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: German, Spanish | Message 5 of 24 11 February 2012 at 3:13am | IP Logged | |||||
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This is a notoriously tricky word for native Japanese speakers as well. It tends to come
out something like "skwalulu". 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| IronFist Senior Member United States Joined 6438 days ago 663 posts - 941 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese, Korean | Message 6 of 24 11 February 2012 at 8:29am | IP Logged | |||||
Whoa. Is that pronounced how it's written? Eich-hörn-chen? If so, that has at least 3 sounds that English doesn't have! 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| IronFist Senior Member United States Joined 6438 days ago 663 posts - 941 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese, Korean | Message 7 of 24 11 February 2012 at 8:30am | IP Logged | |||||
My first Japanese teacher was a native speaker and she told us she had trouble saying the name "Marilyn." Meh-ree-reen (flap Rs) 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Sprachprofi Nonaglot Senior Member Germany learnlangs.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6471 days ago 2608 posts - 4866 votes Speaks: German*, English, French, Esperanto, Greek, Mandarin, Latin, Dutch, Italian Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written), Swahili, Indonesian, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese | Message 8 of 24 11 February 2012 at 11:40am | IP Logged | |||||
Yes, pronounced as it's written. http://www.forvo.com/word/eichh%C3%B6rnchen/#de 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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