"alexander stolbov"
astolbo-@... wrote:
original article:
http://www.egroups.com/group/cybalist/?start=934
> A question to English native-speakers: don't you pronounce actually a
variant of
> 'back i' when saying words containing the SHI combination (shiver,
shin, shit
> etc.)? (Of course, if your SH is really a hard [sh], not a soft
[shch]).
>
> Alexander
Alexander, it's really funny that you asked it. You see, I am not a
_native_
speaker of English, but I have a pretty good ear for foreign sounds
(usually). However, when I first came to the United States I found out
there was a problem with the way I pronounced a certain vowel - when I
asked my friends for a "_sheet_ of paper" (eg.: to write down a phone
number) it sounded like I was asking for a "_shit_ of paper". Still
makes us laugh every time we remember it!
Anyway, no, it's not the same sound (cf. Piotr's explanation).
Gene