When the English tongue we speak
Why is "break" not rhymed with "weak"?
Won't you tell me why it's true
We say "sew", but also "few"?
And the maker of a verse
Cannot rhyme his "horse" with "worse"?
"Beard" is not the same as "heard".
"Cord" is different from "word".
"Cow" is cow, but "low" is low,
"Shoe" is never rhymed with "foe".
Think of "hose" and "dose" and "lose",
And think of "goose" and yet of "choose",
Think of "comb" and "tomb" and "bomb",
"Doll" and "roll" and "home" and "some".
And since "pay" is rhymed with "say",
Why not "paid" with "said" I pray?
Think of "blood" and "food" and "good";
"Mould" is not pronounced like "could".
Why is it "done", but "gone" and "lone" --
Is there any reason known?
To sum it up, it seems to me
That sound and letters don't agree.
Just wondering:
Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one?
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English is Tough by Rick Deines, T-R staff writer
Have a hard time learning English? Here are 21 reasons why it's so tough.
1. The bandage was wound round the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he could get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the two doors to close them.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with the planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
(Now, if he could teach his sow to sew, that would really be something.)
17. The wind was too strong to wind down the sail.
(If that sail is ruined, the sailor will have o look for a sail sale.)
18. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I had a tear.
19. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend. And one more.
21. Two horns are too many to a unicorn.
Its a wonder any of us know the language.
