Random observation about pronunciation of certain English contractions

[firecat]

Disclaimer: I don't know the right linguistic terms for various sounds.

Lately I’ve been noticing people pronouncing contractions that end in “dn’t” (didn't, shouldn't, wouldn't) with a schwa-ish vowel sound between ‘d’ and ‘n’. I use something more like a little grunt.

-Have you noticed this?
-I mostly don’t actually talk to anyone these days, so I’m noticing this in shows I watch. Maybe it’s something actors are told to do to make their speech clearer?
-Has this been a thing all along and I just didn't notice until recently?

Here is a link with some Americans pronouncing "didn't". The clip from Azaleabud is doing what I'm talking about:
https://forvo.com/word/didn't/

On this page the pronunciations by Azaleabud and Kae4 are downvoted. I've definitely heard those pronunciations by native speakers of English, so I'm wondering what it means that they're downvoted. Maybe that they're less close to someone's idea of standard pronunciation?

Comments

[radiantfracture]

I use something more like a little grunt.

You're maybe using a glottal stop: ʔ

Very old linguistics minor FTW

[kalmn]

Might be a tap, if it's the same sound as in "mitten".

[radiantfracture]

Taps and flaps! I miss linguistics.

[firecat]

I love linguistics but I've had no formal training. So far the vocabulary to describe pronunciation simply *will not stick* in my brain.

[alexcat]

I am often hearing the full on glottal stop in contractions... it seems to be a fashion these days.

[feuervogel]

you mean like /ˈdɪ.ʔnt/?

What azaleabud is saying sounds like /ˈdɪ.dɛnt/ to me.

[alexcat]

It does... and lots of people where I live say it that way so it doesn't sound odd to me at all.

[firecat]

I'm much more familiar with /ˈdɪ.ʔnt/ but recently started noticing /ˈdɪ.dɛnt/
(Which doesn't mean /ˈdɪ.dɛnt/ is new.)

[beaq]

Oh, that. No, I've been noticing it a LOT, rising in frequency just after the "shtr" pronunciation of "strength" (frex) was firmly established.

I wonder if, rather than being taught, it's a variation that's no longer being untaught?

I also wonder if it isn't a sort of re-formalization of ... shit, I used to have the IPA for the the one with the glottal stop at the *end* of the word, but I have to make it up b/c no brain. So /ˈdɪ.dɛʔ/ -> /ˈdɪ.dɛnt/ ?

[firecat]

Really interesting theories. I haven't heard "shtrength" myself.

/ˈdɪ.dɛʔ/
Is that what kae4 in the forvo link is saying?

[beaq]

The recording is kind of fuzzy and cut-off, so it's hard to say. It sounds like they're *aiming* that way? They might just not be vocalizing the "nt" as much as Azaleabud - so there's kind of an "n" in there? Here, I'll see if I can make one.

[beaq]

I've tried that recording multiple times now, and it comes out sounding like kae4's, so I guess so. I'm closing nothing but the back of my tongue at the end of that word. It's not how I normally would pronounce it now, but the girls on the playground (who I would have classed as mean and uneducated at the time) said it that way. Especially at the end of a sentence when they could have dragged out the vowel and hit the glottal with a dismissive huff.

[firecat]

That's really interesting.

I added one too, but it sounds just like TomCatMD's to me.