Say ph

Tell us about a time when everything seemed to be going wrong — and then, suddenly, you knew it would be alright.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us SAFETY.

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I can remember learning to say the last remaining sound I needed.

The neighbours thought it was a great joke that I said, “Ha-ha, isn’t it sunny?”

“She can’t say her efs!”

One morning I made my mind up to master it. I went out into the back garden and wandered along the concrete paths, SSSSSSSSS, SSSSSSSSSS, SSSSSSSSSS, Ph!

I rushed back indoors.

“Mummy, I can say ph!”

So I could say funny and foot, face, finger and four (although my counting may not have progressed beyond, “One, two, three…lots”).

A few days later I thought up my first joke.

My godmother’s surname was pronounced Slee and we always referred to her as Auntie Mary Slee to distinguish her from a relative.

I asked, “When is Auntie Mary Flea coming to see us again?”

My mother panicked. She didn’t realise I was having a bit of fun. She really thought I didn’t know any better!

So I could say, “ph”, but it wasn’t quite safe! (And I had to exhale to do it!)

10 thoughts on “Say ph”

I had to take speech classes in the first grade to pronounce my “R’s” correctly. Parents and friends would laugh as they made me say “Silly Wabbit. Twicks aw for kids.” Fortunately, such stages come to an end.

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suesconsideredtrifles says:

October 7, 2013 at 4:08 pm

Everyone learns differently. My son was referred to a speech therapist, but I think the only problem was that his front teeth were missing at the time!
How do you pronounce your R’s? In Britain it varies hugely from place to place. I used this in a post before I realised I needed two blogs. http://suesconsideredtrifles.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/do-you-roll-your-rs/ Sue

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- Nicole says:
  
  October 7, 2013 at 4:12 pm
  
  I actually can roll my R;’s, although we don’t around here in common speech. I think I actually pronounce them a little robustly than common 🙂
  
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- suesconsideredtrifles says:
  
  October 7, 2013 at 4:13 pm
  
  🙂
  
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