Doug Ewell wrote:

>
> Responses to a variety of threads, none of which have anything to do
> with writing systems, so this will be the last I say on the list about
> any of 'em:
>
> (1) "Hamtramck" and "Dvořák" are both two syllables long. The little
> half-hearted schwa (not an "i" nor any other definite vowel) that
> English speakers tend to insert, because they aren't as accustomed to
> pronouncing these consonant clusters as speakers of (e.g.) Slavic
> languages are, doesn't qualify as a third syllable.

Syllables are _extremely_ important to writing systems.

If there's no third syllable in the Michigan town, why isn't it
/h&mtr&Nk/?

People I know don't have trouble with Dvor^ák.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...