Please help me with my pronunciation problems about words with dark Ls like rule, school, silver, also, call etc.

Question

L as a dark one is supposed to be pronounced by hitting the palate with the tip of the tongue. However, I have noticed that some native speakers (especially American ones) sometimes seem to leave it out. For example, some people pronounce the word "all" simply as "awe". The same goes for some other words like "cold" and "bubble"; they are sometimes pronounced as "code" and "bub-oh". Is this a correct way of pronunciation? Do I always have to have my tongue touching the palate even if the L is at the end of a word?Also, I find it a little bit difficult to pronounce "silver", "well" (as an interjection), "school", "always", "also" and "wolf" etc. in fast speech. And meanwhile, I've found a lot of people (not necessarily native speakers) who pronounce "school" like "schu:-ou", "silver" like "si-over" and "wolf" like"wu-ouf" or "wouf", which can sound nearly the same as the original word. Is it something about accents and dialects and is it technically acceptable? Have got kind of confused lately.Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Ziqiu ****For example, some people pronounce the word "all" simply as "awe". The same goes for some other words like "cold" and "bubble"; they are sometimes pronounced as "code" and "bub-oh". Is this a correct way of pronunciation?

I have not noticed this. It is not correct. Maybe it just sounds that way to you because you are not used to hearing that sound?

Ziqiu ****Do I always have to have my tongue touching the palate even if the L is at the end of a word?

It doesn't have to be high up on the palate. I touch the area just above my teeth (but not the teeth) and draw the back of the tongue upward and back into the throat a little, as if to stop the flow of air a little. That makes the dark quality of "dark L".

Ziqiu ****Also, I find it a little bit difficult to pronounce "silver", "well" (as an interjection), "school", "always", "also" and "wolf" etc. in fast speech.

Of course in fast speech, the time you touch your tongue against that area above your teeth will be a very short time. It's a quick movement in that case. Of those you mention, the only ones I hear often with an omitted L are 'always' and 'wolf'. I can accept the omitted L in 'always', but it always sounds wrong to my ear in 'wolf'.

Ziqiu ****I've found a lot of people (not necessarily native speakers) who pronounce "school" like "schu:-ou", "silver" like "si-over" and "wolf" like"wu-ouf" or "wouf"

This happens almost exclusively for Chinese speakers of English. There is a tendency to replace L sounds with O-like sounds.

Ziqiu ****is it technically acceptable?

It is not acceptable in that it is a foreign accent, of course. On the other hand, a great many people for whom English is a second language are understood even though they may have a foreign accent.

CJ

Please help me with my pronunciation problems about words with dark Ls like rule, school, silver, also, call etc.

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