There's this weird thing many people do, especially from Canada, where they pronounce women (plural) as "woman", and woman (singular) as "women." As in, "This affects so many of us woman out here." Or "I know this one new women I work with at my job..."
This misuse of 'woman' as the plural seems to be the more common mistake (specifically saying "wa-minnn" with the first syllable audibly being wrong and the second one being stressed, so it's clearly the word 'woman' spoken.) I've heard female YouTubers misuse this several times in a row in the course of a couple minutes and it's so weird and annoying to hear.
It's the most bizarre thing and feels like some kind of Voight-Kampff test for aliens or AI living among us. How can so many people not know how to use "woman" and "women" properly? I hear this shit often from many native English speakers out there, but mostly from Canadians and it always irks me, especially as an ESL teacher with a Masters in the subject, because there's a clear difference in sound between the A and E.
"Wa-minn" and "whim-min" sound different enough for nobody to really confuse the two easily. It's not a "water" situation where everyone pronounces it wrong due to accents (it's actually 'wa-trr' but you'll hear "whadder" to "whorter" depending on where you're from; mostly just the British pronounce it correctly.)
It really does feel like a glitch in the Matrix for AI NPCs, aliens, or something else unnatural living among us. I even tried asking Chat GPT why so many English-speaking natives do this, and it didn't know. Best I got was this:
Language evolves constantly, and sometimes, certain grammatical errors become common in speech, even among native speakers. The misuse of "woman" and "women" you mentioned might stem from a variety of reasons:
1. Pronunciation and Speech Patterns: Sometimes, the misuse of these terms can simply be attributed to the way certain individuals pronounce words or construct sentences. If someone hears others around them speaking this way, they might adopt similar speech patterns without realizing the error.
2. Lack of Formal Education: Not everyone receives a thorough education in grammar and language usage, especially in informal settings or for individuals whose first language might not be English. This can lead to errors in speech and writing.
3. Regional Dialects and Accents: Different regions may have their own unique accents and dialects, which can influence the pronunciation and usage of words. In some cases, certain linguistic features might become more prevalent in specific regions, leading to widespread usage of non-standard forms.
4. Influence of Media and Pop Culture: Media, including television, movies, and the internet, plays a significant role in shaping language usage. If a particular misuse of language becomes common in media or popular culture, it can spread rapidly through imitation.
5. Lack of Attention to Detail: In casual speech, people may not always pay close attention to grammatical accuracy. They might prioritize conveying their message quickly and informally, leading to the unintentional misuse of words.
Overall, language is a dynamic and constantly evolving system, and variations and errors in usage are natural. However, formal communication contexts, such as professional settings or academic writing, typically require adherence to standard grammar rules.
I don't know man, but I'm just sick of hearing this pronunciation mistake so much among native English speakers. It sounds so retarded and uneducated.
there doesn't seem to be anything here