say these words to yourself out loud ~?

Question

hint
lint
mint
tint

now ... say

pint

WHY? can someone PLEASE tell me why the pronunciation is different?

Kent: >>And, how are we supposed to "say these words to yourself out loud"? Isn't "to yourself" and "out loud" opposites?<<

touche!!! that actually made me LOL!! good catch!

Answer 1

Because English is a stupid language. It is not based on logic.

Have you ever chopped a tree DOWN...only to chop it UP?
Why is CARGO transported in a ship and a SHIPMENT is transported usinga car?
When someone plays a piano, he is called a pianist. So someone who raps should be called a rapist and someone who races should be called a rascist.

Lets face it
English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple is in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quick sane takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don't fing.
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth?
If the teacher taught,
Why didn't the preacher praught.

If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways?
How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day
And as cold as hell on another

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy
Of a language where a house can burn up as
It burns down
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!

English was invented by people, not computers
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course is not a race at all)
That is why

When the starts are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
It starts
But when I wind up this poem
It ends?

Answer 2

The English language often seems to be strange.

Sometimes the differences are can by explained when you consider the etymology of those words -- i.e., how they came into existence; from what language did they come when they entered English.

Have you researched the etymology of those words?

And, how are we supposed to "say these words to yourself out loud"? Isn't "to yourself" and "out loud" opposites?

Answer 3

Pint comes from the Middle English pynte (so the "y" is pronounced).

Hint comes from the Middle English henten.

Lint comes from the Middle English variation of linnet.

Mint comes from the Greek mínthē

Answer 4

That's the english language.

Answer 5

English has lots of idiosyncrasies. Shake, shook, and shaken is right, but rake, rook and raken are wrong. My favorite idiosyncrasy is "Jiggle it a little, it'll open.

Answer 6

your brain makes you say it that way because all of the other words have that ending.....
it is cool though. there are many jokes that have to do that...(wordplay)

Answer 7

tough bough ought

good food

Welcome to English, doesn't have to make sense.

Answer 8

I don't understand how this occurs or words like

read (e)or read (ed)

crazy

Answer 9

im pretty sure its because its a metric unit of measure and you know how weird the brits are

Answer 10

Because vowels can be either short or long.