To be narked by tuh replacing the word to.

[TheHateIsNotGood]

We have recently put up with the overuse of 'clearly', swiftly followed by words ending in 'ing' metamorphing into words ending in 'in'.

Now the word 'to' has become 'tuh'.

Am I the only one?

YANBU - you've noticed this too
YABU - nope not noticed

‘Wuh gunna go tuh thuh zoo’ is how I’d say it , go and zoo would be a bit nasally

@SenecaFallsRedux

I think it would sound very odd and affected to fully enunciate the preposition "to" in every instance. Certainly the reduction in sound for the word has been around for a long time in all types of English (i.e. British, American, etc.)

It's similar to using "thuh" instead of the full pronunciation of "the," which is also a common feature of English.

How else can you say ‘the’? I’m possibly saying it wrong

@Cattenberg this sounds interesting “Most variants of English are stress-timed, aren’t they? Not syllable-timed like French or Spanish.”

Can you say it again, just slightly differently? I don’t understand it but I’d like to.

YABVU
English as a second language teachers spend a lot of time and effort teaching learners reduced vowels in function word (tuh /tə/ instead of /tuː/ in connected speech). If you want a new obsession try ´of’ next.

It would not sound right at all to full pronounce "to" as "too" all the time.

"Please can you give that to me"

"I've cleaned this kitchen top to bottom"

"Move over to let the people pass"

All of these would sound odd using "too" rather than "tuh" surely?

@Babyiskickingmyribs

YABVU English as a second language teachers spend a lot of time and effort teaching learners reduced vowels in function word (tuh /tə/ instead of /tuː/ in connected speech). If you want a new obsession try ´of’ next.

yeah, learnt about the 'tuh' stuff studying for my Celta 20 years ago!

@Laggartha

How else are tuh and thuh pronounced??

2 and Theee

@ThePricklySheep

Consider how you would say "the" in these sentences.

"This is the only way" (i would say thee)

"Please pass me the remote" (i would say thuh

How else can you say ‘the’?

"thuh" or "thee" Or sometimes something a bit between the two.

Like many speakers of English, I generally say "thuh" before a word beginning with a consonant, "thee" before a word beginning with a vowel. So "I am going to (or tuh) thuh store," but" I am going to thee abbey."

@SenecaFallsRedux
Yep, that’s exactly how ‘the’ pronounced ´thuh’ and ´thee’ works but it’s ‘thuh’ /ðə/ before vowel sounds not letters and /ðiː/ before consonant sounds.
So; ‘thuh’ /ðə/ one and only. (‘One’ starts with a /w/ consonant sound)
But; ´the’ ´thee’/ðiː/ only way. And ‘thee’ /ðiː/ YSL handbag.

@ThePricklySheep Wikipedia is your friend for linguistics questions: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isochrony

I blame the Northern power house.
Right...I'm off.
We're goin' t' go t't zoo.😉

How is "tuh" pronounced? To me they would just sound the same.

Tin tin tin. (For you Yorkies)

It's always t' here we don't like t' waste the u and h.

@TheQueef

@TheHateIsNotGood

Clearly I maybe the only that has noticed this quite recent development, my 2 other examples were noticed by others here too.

The change I've noticed is not about 'accents' but those that previously said "to" are now saying "tuh".

Mostly amongst high-profile figures, primarily based in London, and the (primarily London-based) Media that interviews them. I only hear it on the Telly and Radio, not in my day to day life (not in London).

In Yorkshire we all say 'tuh' and have since I can remember. It isn't new.

Beth Rigby is the Sky reporter who drops the g off ing. It's been discussed in one of the broadsheets. She's an Essex girl, and this is her native pronunciation. The consensus was that she shouldn't change her accent.

Op - wait till you notice that some dialects leave out 'to' altogether. In S.E. London, they 'go Lewisham (or Loosham)'.

The thing that bothers me is when every sentence begins with "so". Grates on my nerves...

The Great Vowel Shift was not just a one-off, language evolves constantly.

You might find this fun -- hearing how the London accent changed over the centuries, with narratives from 1346 to 2006 in the voices of succeeding generations.

[quote Babyiskickingmyribs]@ThePricklySheep Wikipedia is your friend for linguistics questions: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isochrony[/quote]
That’s brilliant, thanks!

Yes OP, people have different accents. I’m not sure why it’s taken you so long to realise.

Never heard of it.

OP I wouldn't venture to Northern England if I were you, it would clearly drive you mad!

@SenecaFallsRedux

How else can you say ‘the’?

"thuh" or "thee" Or sometimes something a bit between the two.

Like many speakers of English, I generally say "thuh" before a word beginning with a consonant, "thee" before a word beginning with a vowel. So "I am going to (or tuh) thuh store," but" I am going to thee abbey."

Oh. I’ve had a practice. I do ‘thee’ a bit. Some vowels but not others.

So ‘thuh’ isn’t incorrect when used appropriately.

@littlepattilou

Never heard of it.

You might not have heard of it, but you say it.