this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2025
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It’s called a dictionary, and they’ve been doing it for literally years at this point.
You can live your life to the fullest even if you don't know phonetic alphabet
You don't need to. The Free Dictionary has buttons on every word that speak the word in either US or UK English
Cool, my book doesn't have that though!
Better call the hotline then!
Can you, though? Can you really?
A is for Alpha
B is for Balthazor
C is for Cappa
D is for Daphne
E is for Ether
F is for Alfalfa
The pronunciation guide of a dictionary is pretty fuckin esoteric at this point.
I was educated in the 80s and they still didn't teach us how to pronounce words using the dictionary.
Same with the 80s. My Gramma who was a school teacher in 1933 taught me out of a 100 yr old dictionary. In all the times I've moved, I've managed to hold onto that huge, leather-bound book.
Wholesome :)
I rejected those lessons after they dropped this on my desk:
/ə/
Still won't help if your locality uses a different pronunciation.
*literally hundreds of years
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/00335634209380758?needAccess=true
oh man, asking a kid in this era to look something up in the dictionary is quite the challenge.
In this book? why? why not just look it up online?
BECAUSE GODDAMNIT REASONS AND SHIT
The dictionary is now online and often includes an audio recording of the word or phrase of interest. Online is not always better than physical, but this is one of the cases where it is likely better. If you're suggesting a less convenient method of doing something, it makes sense to request a reason. In this case I have to agree with the kids.
Knowing the international phonetic alphabet is still sometimes useful, when you have a word without an audio pronunciation or trying to transcribe a particular pronunciation
reasons and shit: Today's generation - fortunately in many ways - hasn't developed the skills needed to look something up. While you can mirror wikipedia and we generally always have access mostly - it's still a valuable skill. ESPECIALLY now that AI is crufting up search results rapidly.
Now, if you're visiting a dedicated dictionary site, well then you just have to deal with ads and cruft. None of that in Websters dead tree edition.
Do these always justify a trip to the bookshelf? Nah. But it is a useful thing to do a few times a month so they have experience seeking sources of information that aren't digital.