Thread: How do you pronounce the name "Kovalev"

Originally Posted by net surfer

Well, I think it's better, faster and easier to make a recording.

Since everyone is already talking about names, I'm not gonna open a new topic to ask this.
What's the stress syllabe on the name Воронин?

Воронин

I DO HATE Popov!!! (Its my former teacher and he's a sod)

You mean it?
Maybe you want to say "sob"? Sod is a way different.

Originally Posted by Chuvak

I DO HATE Popov!!! (He is my former teacher and he's a sod)

Sod is right, if you mean that he was an asshole (technically he is a sodomite)

Originally Posted by TATY

And English L is not a hard L in Russian. Just look at how English words with L are written in Russian. Often, maybe usually with a soft sign: Noble - Ноубль

English L is probably closer to a soft Russian L than a hard one.
.

That's a very interesting point. As a matter of fact, Brits seem to palatalize "L" more than Americans. I have noticed that on more than one occasion. I am talking averages here, of course, there may be (and probably are) a lot of exceptions to this rule.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

You mean it?
Maybe you want to say "sob"? Sod is a way different.

Кароче, он был (и по видимому остался) настоящим пид*расом в прямом смысле этого слова!!!

My (Ukrainian) Russian-teachers are always saying "no, a hard 'l'" when I say 'l's.

I personally find Russian hard L closer to English W, the tongue position feels almost identical and quite different from Russian soft L or English L.

Originally Posted by laxxy

I personally find Russian hard L closer to English W, the tongue position feels almost identical and quite different from Russian soft L or English L.

The tongue position of Hard L and English W are completely different. The tongue isn't really used in W, it lies flat at the bottom of the mouth. With Hard L the tip of the tongue is up behind the top teeth.

Remember, Soft L is just Hard L but palatised.

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by laxxy

I personally find Russian hard L closer to English W, the tongue position feels almost identical and quite different from Russian soft L or English L.

The tongue position of Hard L and English W are completely different. The tongue isn't really used in W, it lies flat at the bottom of the mouth. With Hard L the tip of the tongue is up behind the top teeth.

Remember, Soft L is just Hard L but palatised.

In my case at least, the hard and soft L, unlike the other Russian consonants, are definitely NOT a palatized and non-palatized version of each other, not even close -- in particular, the tip of my tongue is down, and is in fact located pretty much in the same place as when pronouncing W.

Originally Posted by laxxy

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by laxxy

I personally find Russian hard L closer to English W, the tongue position feels almost identical and quite different from Russian soft L or English L.

The tongue position of Hard L and English W are completely different. The tongue isn't really used in W, it lies flat at the bottom of the mouth. With Hard L the tip of the tongue is up behind the top teeth.

Remember, Soft L is just Hard L but palatised.

In my case at least, the hard and soft L, unlike the other Russian consonants, are definitely NOT a palatized and non-palatized version of each other, not even close -- in particular, the tip of my tongue is down, and is in fact located pretty much in the same place as when pronouncing W.

Well you are probably saying one of them wrong :P

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by laxxy

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by laxxy

I personally find Russian hard L closer to English W, the tongue position feels almost identical and quite different from Russian soft L or English L.

The tongue position of Hard L and English W are completely different. The tongue isn't really used in W, it lies flat at the bottom of the mouth. With Hard L the tip of the tongue is up behind the top teeth.

Remember, Soft L is just Hard L but palatised.

In my case at least, the hard and soft L, unlike the other Russian consonants, are definitely NOT a palatized and non-palatized version of each other, not even close -- in particular, the tip of my tongue is down, and is in fact located pretty much in the same place as when pronouncing W.

Well you are probably saying one of them wrong :P

could be of course -- I could never pronounce the Russian R, but so far I have never heard much complaints about my L, and I'm quite sure my W is correct.

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

Originally Posted by TATY

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

'Is is' - rarely do I see this one being repeated!

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Originally Posted by TATY

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

'Is is' - rarely do I see this one being repeated!

It would be better to say:

maybe your interpretation of your tongue's position is wrong, to avoid "is is".

Originally Posted by TATY

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

I have just conducted an experiment -- I've put a thin strip of paper between my teeth, and when I am saying a word with a soft L lika "lyazhka" I feel the tip of my tongue touching it (since it moves up); on the other hand, when I am saying a word with a hard L like "lozhka" it is not touching the strip since it stays down.

Originally Posted by laxxy

Originally Posted by TATY

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

I have just conducted an experiment -- I've put a thin strip of paper between my teeth, and when I am saying a word with a soft L lika "lyazhka" I feel the tip of my tongue touching it (since it moves up); on the other hand, when I am saying a word with a hard L like "lozhka" it is not touching the strip since it stays down.

When you say a hard L the tip of the tongue is definately UP. In Phonetics an L is described as dental or alveolar approximate. Dental means touching the teeth. Alveolar means the ridge behind the top teeth. In Russian it is Alveolar.

There is no way you can produce a hard L with your tongue "staying down".

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by laxxy

Originally Posted by TATY

Well then maybe your interpretation of where your tongue is is wrong.

I have just conducted an experiment -- I've put a thin strip of paper between my teeth, and when I am saying a word with a soft L lika "lyazhka" I feel the tip of my tongue touching it (since it moves up); on the other hand, when I am saying a word with a hard L like "lozhka" it is not touching the strip since it stays down.

When you say a hard L the tip of the tongue is definately UP. In Phonetics an L is described as dental or alveolar approximate. Dental means touching the teeth. Alveolar means the ridge behind the top teeth. In Russian it is Alveolar.

There is no way you can produce a hard L with your tongue "staying down".

well maybe once I get to a microphone I can record a sample.