why do Americans say mom instead of English people say mum what is the point?
2007-11-20 07:33:28 · 14 answers · asked by laura 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Cuz mum sounds like bum so I like mom better.
2007-11-20 07:41:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
We English round our short "o" sound but pronounce the short "u" either as a vowel somewhat like the one in "moon" but shorter or as a sort of short "a" type sound. The Americans often don't round their short "o", and pronounce the short "u" the same as the first "o" in "economic" or the last "a" in "Carla", so when they write the word English people tend to write "mum", they write "mom", but we all pronounce it the same. It's just spelt differently because of the way we pronounce other words.
Some people say and write "mam" instead, in the Midlands and North of England, for the same reason.
2007-11-20 18:40:44 · answer #2 · answered by grayure 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Americans? I think you mean English speaking citizens from the USA.
Phonetically, it would be difficult to differentiate. Why make a problem over a word like this when some people don't know the difference between a truck and a lorry?
2007-11-20 18:14:45 · answer #3 · answered by cymry3jones 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we're actually saying the same word its just a difference of accents. They way americans pronounce it, it sounds like "mom." There are a lot of words in english which the british and americans spell and/or pronounce differently. colour v. color. realize v. realise. There are also many words which have different meanings in each culture.
2007-11-20 15:38:36 · answer #4 · answered by anonymous 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
They just pronounce it differently.No big. Anyone can say mom or mum . It`s your choice how you say it. Some of them say mom some say mum.It`s not only Americans .
2007-11-20 16:04:32 · answer #5 · answered by ruebratz 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
mom-short for mommy
mum-short for mummy
Its all in the pronunciation.
American English is different from British English
We say color, they say colour.
2007-11-20 15:38:49 · answer #6 · answered by Higgy Baby 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Mommy is pronounced Maamy in the US.
Mom is not pronounced to rhyme with Tom but as maam to rhyme with calm.
It's just a dialect... there are many of them..in parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire they pronounce mum as moom.
Here in Wales it's mam...to rhyme with Sam.
2007-11-20 15:55:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
in america a mum is a plant and most moms wouldnt want to be called a plant
2007-11-20 15:44:56 · answer #8 · answered by fresh_horses_7 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The two groups of people speak different dialects. That's all there is to it.
2007-11-20 15:42:32 · answer #9 · answered by Rain Dear 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
They say it with an accent so they spell it with one
2007-11-20 15:39:22 · answer #10 · answered by silkin_storm 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋