They need someone that actually speaks American English if you're doing the American English test. I've never heard anyone pronounce "burrito" like "pareto", or "khaki" as "cocky", or "eczema" as whatever they said!
But even if they did, I still wouldn't able to pass the test. :(
14/15 is a great score. I can't seem to manage more than 11/15 on repeated attempts.
I wonder if constant spellcheck in my life has made me a bad speller? There was a time I could spell better than most people, but I did struggle with some of these. Also, I agree with Mark-I did get a few wrong because I thought they said a totally different word.
I got 13/15. Not bad for a second language. It would have been nice to get the option to hear the word used in a sentence, since eg. oeuvre isn't a word you hear on its own.
Also agree about the difficulty of hearing. Interestingly, I only had problems with one voice -- the quiet, whispery female one. I replayed her words half a dozen times and STILL had absolutely no idea what she was trying to say on two of the words. Subtracting those, I got a perfect score...but I guess that doesn't count.
11/15 on fiendish. I spelled daiquiri as "doycurie" because that's how it was pronounced and I had no idea what the word was (which most Americans pronounce DA-cuh-ree). Although to be honest I wouldn't have gotten that one anyway...
In the middle-difficulty test, one of the words was "idyll" which sounds pretty much like "idle" and "idol" without context!
I noticed that the British pronunciation of "eczema" was better than the "US" pronunciation. I wonder if they were British students faking an North American accent? (I think it is easier for Brits to do American, than vice-versa because there are just too many British accents to keep track of)
12/15. Yes, that mushmouthed Englishman is not, I'm pretty sure, even speaking British English correctly. "Bullwoop" turned out to be "bulwark," and, yes, "bootoo" turned out to be "burrito," which is not fiendishly difficult for an American to spell. Also, what on Earth is gymkhana?
Got 14/15 on fiendish. They wouldn't allow "miniscule" for "minuscule," even though dictionary.com allows it as an alternative spelling, and the only spelling for this that I ever recall seeing. As to the pronunciation, I almost gave them "operation" for "aberration"; it was sometimes that fuzzy.
Oh--and I've never personally heard "schism" as "sizm," the "preferred" pronunciation.
I got 14/15 on both difficult and fiendish. I would have been perfect at difficult if it wasn't for the idol/idle/idyll paradox -- without context, it's impossible to know which they are looking for. Still, in retrospect, a difficult spelling test wouldn't be asking how to spell idol or idle. Probably better to choose a different word, though.
They need someone that actually speaks American English if you're doing the American English test. I've never heard anyone pronounce "burrito" like "pareto", or "khaki" as "cocky", or "eczema" as whatever they said!
ReplyDeleteBut even if they did, I still wouldn't able to pass the test. :(
14/15 is a great score. I can't seem to manage more than 11/15 on repeated attempts.
I wonder if constant spellcheck in my life has made me a bad speller? There was a time I could spell better than most people, but I did struggle with some of these. Also, I agree with Mark-I did get a few wrong because I thought they said a totally different word.
ReplyDeleteGreat game - but I agree with the above - sometimes it's very hard to hear what they're saying!
ReplyDeleteAgree with the difficulty of hearing what word was being said, especially with the first syllable.
ReplyDeleteCCL
I got 13/15. Not bad for a second language. It would have been nice to get the option to hear the word used in a sentence, since eg. oeuvre isn't a word you hear on its own.
ReplyDeleteAlso agree about the difficulty of hearing. Interestingly, I only had problems with one voice -- the quiet, whispery female one. I replayed her words half a dozen times and STILL had absolutely no idea what she was trying to say on two of the words. Subtracting those, I got a perfect score...but I guess that doesn't count.
ReplyDeleteIt most of been rhinoceros that got him otherwise he would of got a perfect score.
ReplyDeleteCan I be smug - 15/15 on "tricky" - perhaps the British English one is easier.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with:
ReplyDelete- difficulty in hearing what the word was
- word used in a sentence would solve the above
11/15 on Fiendish - meh
'Oxford Dictionaries'? Really? Come on.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem to be incorrect in this context, but the main website is entitled "Oxford Dictionaries; The World's most trusted dictionaries."
Delete11/15 on fiendish. I spelled daiquiri as "doycurie" because that's how it was pronounced and I had no idea what the word was (which most Americans pronounce DA-cuh-ree). Although to be honest I wouldn't have gotten that one anyway...
ReplyDeleteIn the middle-difficulty test, one of the words was "idyll" which sounds pretty much like "idle" and "idol" without context!
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the British pronunciation of "eczema" was better than the "US" pronunciation. I wonder if they were British students faking an North American accent? (I think it is easier for Brits to do American, than vice-versa because there are just too many British accents to keep track of)
12/15. As a career B- student, I can handle that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the hearing problem. On fiendish, the one that got me was 'bhaji' which I heard as 'bargee' - but I'm British…
ReplyDelete12/15. Yes, that mushmouthed Englishman is not, I'm pretty sure, even speaking British English correctly. "Bullwoop" turned out to be "bulwark," and, yes, "bootoo" turned out to be "burrito," which is not fiendishly difficult for an American to spell. Also, what on Earth is gymkhana?
ReplyDeleteGot 14/15 on fiendish. They wouldn't allow "miniscule" for "minuscule," even though dictionary.com allows it as an alternative spelling, and the only spelling for this that I ever recall seeing. As to the pronunciation, I almost gave them "operation" for "aberration"; it was sometimes that fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteOh--and I've never personally heard "schism" as "sizm," the "preferred" pronunciation.
Lurker111
I don't think it would matter what dialect was used people would still complain! Fun test though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!
I got 14/15 on both difficult and fiendish. I would have been perfect at difficult if it wasn't for the idol/idle/idyll paradox -- without context, it's impossible to know which they are looking for. Still, in retrospect, a difficult spelling test wouldn't be asking how to spell idol or idle. Probably better to choose a different word, though.
ReplyDeleteI would have done better but spellcheck wasn't working. 13/15.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard the word "summon" spelled "salmon". What's wrong with these people?
ReplyDeleteBoy, the posters are a bunch of babies on this one. It sounded fine to me. I scored 1/15 on "fiendish". I ain't no champion, that's fer shur.
ReplyDelete