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Pedants' corner

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Original poster

To not understand why people write "carnt"?

171 replies

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 01/04/2022 23:50

And why it's not understood that it's not a word as such but a contraction of "cannot"? I see it such a lot.

OP posts:
Oldnews · 02/04/2022 08:35

They spell it like that in my area, on Facebook- however I don't think it's because they have never been taught how to spell, or are dyslexic - there's too many spelling it that way for that to be the case. It's because that's become the "trend" of how to spell it, in the area. Same way they write "his" instead of "he's". Eg, "his such a good dog".

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 02/04/2022 08:39

I haven't seen it but I've heard it quite frequently.

I think the BBC Pronunciation Department has rather let things go. Sad

gettingolderandgrumpy · 02/04/2022 08:50

I see it all over my Facebook annoys me that adults can’t spell , people that went to school with. If primary age children can spell can’t no excuse .

PAFMO · 02/04/2022 08:52

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

I haven't seen it but I've heard it quite frequently.

I think the BBC Pronunciation Department has rather let things go. Sad

You've actually heard "can't" pronounced with /r/ in it? As a linguist, that's very interesting. Where are you?

What do you mean by the BBC Pronunciation Department?

Sux2buthen · 02/04/2022 08:52

Can you understand what they mean?
Phew I think you will be ok. Panic over

SpringsSprung · 02/04/2022 09:03

@QuebecBagnet PLEEEEEASE tell me you corrected her!??

ethelredonagoodday · 02/04/2022 09:12

It's a definite thing that I have seen on social media. I have a friend who is a marketing director and she writes it in texts etc. seriously. 🤯😳

AchillesPoirot · 02/04/2022 09:19

@gettingolderandgrumpy

I see it all over my Facebook annoys me that adults can’t spell , people that went to school with. If primary age children can spell can’t no excuse .
Such a shame you made so many errors in this judgmental nasty post isn’t it.
MadameOvary81 · 02/04/2022 09:25

This drives me round the twist, too. I moved to the NW last year and I keep seeing it in groups i've joined. Because i'm not used to it, I see it all the more, and the more I see it, the more it annoys me. Completely irrational, but hey ho. lol

Original poster
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 02/04/2022 09:38

@Christmas1988

Stop making people with dyslexia and other such things feel inferior, you wouldn’t mock someone with a physical disability.
Where have I mocked anyone? I haven't. FYI I have ADHD.
OP posts:
Thirkettle · 02/04/2022 09:39

Because a lot of people are functionally illiterate.

Original poster
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 02/04/2022 09:41

@sweetbellyhigh

A lot of people assume that the ability to spell is connected to intelligence but it's not, it's about working memory.

I have a near photographic memory so spelling is very easy for me. My son on the other hand has to see a word an average of 40 x before he can spell it. Yet in something like maths where spelling is not an issue, he is crazily ahead of his peers.

Thank you! At last a response that isn't assuming I'm taking the piss, mocking, being smug and nasty for kicks. Shame on those bullying replies!
OP posts:
AchillesPoirot · 02/04/2022 09:44

Surely you know that some people can’t spell because of a learning or processing difficulty?

I have a friend who is severely hearing impaired and has been from birth. Her spelling is not great - because she can’t hear properly and never could.

crepesncream · 02/04/2022 09:48

I see it to many times. Smile

CharityShopChic · 02/04/2022 09:51

@TheSmallAssassin

Isn't it obvious that "carnt" is the phonetic spelling for a lot of accents? I assume people are just writing what they hear/say.
Exactly.

Same reason as some Scottish people write "definately" as in some parts they pronounce the world deffin-ATE-ly and not DEFF-inn-it-ly.

Still wrong though.

MangoLipstick · 02/04/2022 09:51

I’ve never seen anyone write it like that…

Thoosa · 02/04/2022 09:52

Thank you! At last a response that isn't assuming I'm taking the piss, mocking, being smug and nasty for kicks. Shame on those bullying replies!

Oh do give over. Last night you were trying to tell me that not only had you started this unpleasant thread, you were deliberately making spelling errors on it “as a joke”.

Are you now trying to assert that isn’t mocking?

If by some miracle you didn’t intend it as mocking, can you not have the wit to reflect and see that the effect of it is mocking?

Look at your thread title. “[AIBU] To understand why people write ‘carnt’?” Can you really not see how unkind that is? That the answer is obvious? That it mocks people with difficulties?

Would you start an AIBU thread “To not understand why people limp?” or “To not understand why people wear glasses?”

You are getting harsh responses because you are the one that sounds like a bully.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 02/04/2022 09:54

@PAFMO

I am sat in the Drawing Room at the moment.

It is a silent 'R' rather like when someone nods knowingly but doesn't utter a sound.

It is in fact the BBC Pronunciation Unit not Department as I had stated.

The BBC's Pronunciation Unit. The BBC's Pronunciation Unit is part of Information and Archives. It consists of a specialist team that advises the whole of the BBC on the pronunciation of any word, name or phrase in any language.

Original poster
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 02/04/2022 09:56

Someone mentioned "discusting" upthread. I don't understand that either. I guess again it's linked to pronunciation but there's a world of difference between feeling disgust and having a discussion.

Around here some people sometimes say (and write) sempt instead of seemed. I'm not sure if that's vernacular or an old English thing.

Curious too isn't it that somewhere on Mumsnet there's a thread about words and phrases that annoy people and nobody would accuse anyone of being nasty or horrible had some of these posts appeared there?

Curiouser and curiouser....

OP posts:
AddictedToVinted · 02/04/2022 09:58

I've never seen carnt. It is not pronouned anything like that in my accent so would be a head scratcher at first.

I was a bit taken aback when I was looking at the website for a very posh expensive hotel I'm going to next week. The information about our room included the word 'draw' for drawer. Surely on a professional website you check these things?! I want to point it out to them when I check in but I'm not sure if that makes me a dick. Probably.

AddictedToVinted · 02/04/2022 10:00

The main one I really hate is brought for bought. I have tried it in my varied repertoire of impeccable Accents of the British Isles Grin and I can't make any of them sound the same except maybe cockney?

Original poster
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 02/04/2022 10:02

@AddictedToVinted

I've never seen carnt. It is not pronouned anything like that in my accent so would be a head scratcher at first.

I was a bit taken aback when I was looking at the website for a very posh expensive hotel I'm going to next week. The information about our room included the word 'draw' for drawer. Surely on a professional website you check these things?! I want to point it out to them when I check in but I'm not sure if that makes me a dick. Probably.

No I don't think it does make you look petty if you pointed it out. Things like that on Facebook are irritating but in a professional capacity just no. I would.
OP posts:
Thoosa · 02/04/2022 10:04

Curious too isn't it that somewhere on Mumsnet there's a thread about words and phrases that annoy people and nobody would accuse anyone of being nasty or horrible had some of these posts appeared there?

If you mean Pedants’ Corner, it’s more acceptable to contain your SPAG angst over there away from the main boards. They don’t tend to go in for this wide-eyed, faux-baffled “but WHY do people do X”. It’s just for indulging the pedantry itself. Most people on that board know perfectly well WHY others struggle and that’s why they politely contain their discussions over there, rather than give offence.

Original poster
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 02/04/2022 10:09

@Thoosa

Curious too isn't it that somewhere on Mumsnet there's a thread about words and phrases that annoy people and nobody would accuse anyone of being nasty or horrible had some of these posts appeared there?

If you mean Pedants’ Corner, it’s more acceptable to contain your SPAG angst over there away from the main boards. They don’t tend to go in for this wide-eyed, faux-baffled “but WHY do people do X”. It’s just for indulging the pedantry itself. Most people on that board know perfectly well WHY others struggle and that’s why they politely contain their discussions over there, rather than give offence.

I'd not heard of that thread until last night so I'm not sure it's there. It may have been on Chat. It contains posts about "Let's do this," "Can I get", "You got this" and so on, so more about annoying phrases really but people have gone on there and posted about there/their, would of/should of etc, things like that.
OP posts:
OutlookStalking · 02/04/2022 10:16

Addicted. They sound the same to me (southern accent) unless I really make an effort to pronounce. Enough that I still double check myself which is which when writing (BRought is past of BRing is what I repeat.)