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For example, if I have the word "carrot," I can create a new word by appending an "s," to make "carrots." However, it takes longer to say the word "carrots" than it does to say "carrot." Are there any words where you can add a letter (to make a new word), and saying the original word takes more time than saying the new word?

Alex Jone
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  • Does pronouncing "ts" really take longer than pronouncing "t"? I'd say not. There are languages in which the sound /ts/ is represented by a single letter (for instance צ). It's probably not possibly to compare the speed of two consonants. Maybe you could narrow your question so that you're only asking about syllables. Are there any words where you can add a letter and reduce the number of syllables? – Juhasz Apr 12 '19 at 15:11
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    Carrots is still two syllables, so it's a bit of a stretch to claim that it takes longer to say. However, one example is ague (an old name for malaria, pronounced with two syllables), to which you can add letters to make plague (one syllable). – Kate Bunting Apr 12 '19 at 15:13
  • @KateBunting Interesting example, but I wonder if "plague" was pronounced with two syllables when the word ague was in common use? –  Apr 12 '19 at 15:15
  • @Juhasz - If you can start saying the carrots but stop before you say the 's' then however small the difference is, it must be longer to say the 's' than not to say it. But I agree, a change in syllables is much stronger. – Jim Apr 12 '19 at 15:25
  • I agree with the other comments that the pronunciation time between carrot and carrots is effectively the same—or too negligible in difference to be considered. It does, however, seem to take less time to say carrot's top than it does to say carrot top. Simply because you don't need to pause between the two ts (or lift your tongue) in order to distinguish the two words. – Jason Bassford Apr 12 '19 at 16:10
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    I find your "original word" and "new word" to be confusing. Adding an "-s" suffix is not creating a new word, it's turning a singular noun into plural. So, if you're asking about suffixes then that's the term you should be using. – Mari-Lou A Apr 12 '19 at 16:26
  • @Mari-LouA Word: "A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed." https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/word – Řídící Apr 12 '19 at 16:48
  • @Keepthesemind is adding an "s" onto "carrot" creating a new word? Does it have a different meaning, other than it being plural? – Mari-Lou A Apr 12 '19 at 16:52
  • @Mari-LouA Yes, 'carrot' and 'carrots' are distinct words. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word. And, indeed, 'carrots' is merely the plural of 'carrot'. I do recommend https://twitter.com/RealCarrotFacts. – Řídící Apr 12 '19 at 16:57
  • @Keepthesemind Thank you for the links, but the OP themself should be addressing my concerns unless you have been self-appointed. Thank you all the same. – Mari-Lou A Apr 12 '19 at 17:01
  • @Mari-LouA My pleasure, and OK. Apologies. Also, are you sure that 'themself' is a word? https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/themselves-or-themself :) – Řídící Apr 12 '19 at 17:07
  • This question is more the sort of thing you would expect to hear on National Public Radio's Sunday-morning puzzler than on a site about English linguistics. There are any number of possible solutions, which is not the sort of question that fits the SE format very well. The criteria for "length" and "word" are highly unclear. Adding a letter always makes a word longer in print. This is shorter to say than his because of devoicing. Two-syllable mate from South America is longer than one-syllable verb mates. Japanese sake is longer than the verb shake. This is too broad. – tchrist Apr 12 '19 at 18:06
  • I was thinking about vowel length ("go" vs. "got" for example) but tchrist put it better. A clear definition of length would help – Chris H Apr 12 '19 at 19:22

1 Answers1

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I'm going by syllables. I think that goes a long way in comparing the duration of typical pronunciations. I'm going for one-letter additions only. (There's quite a few more if you allow two or more extra letters.)

'Boa' has more syllables than 'boat'. Same for 'boa' and 'boar', 'goa' and 'goat' (thanks to user Chris H in the comments), 'goa' and 'goal', 'goa' and 'goad', 'naked' and 'snaked', 'ragged' and 'dragged', 'ague' and 'vague', 'ragged' and 'bragged', 'ave' and 'have', 'ave' and 'cave', 'ave' and 'gave', 'ave' and 'save', 'ave' and 'pave', 'ave' and 'fave', 'ave' and 'eave', 'ave' and 'wave', 'ave' and 'rave', 'ave' and 'nave', 'ave' and 'lave', 'ole' and 'sole', 'ole' and 'role', 'ole' and 'cole', 'ole' and 'mole', 'ole' and 'bole', 'ole' and 'jole', 'ole' and 'hole', 'ole' and 'pole', 'ole' and 'dole', 'ole' and 'vole', 'ole' and 'tole'.

As far as I know, 'boa'/'boat'/'boar' and 'goa'/'goat'/'goal'/'goad' are the only ones where you add the extra letter at the end to come up with a word with fewer syllables.

Somewhat disputable (depending on the preferred pronunciation or meaning of the first word): 'winged' and 'twinged', 'winged' and 'swinged', 'aged' and 'paged', 'aged' and 'raged', 'aged' and 'caged', 'aged' and 'waged', 'aged' and 'gaged'.

Řídící
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    Goa and goat is the same pattern if proper nouns count, but they probably shouldn't or there could be some examples from the strange pronunciation of some English place names – Chris H Apr 12 '19 at 16:28
  • @ChrisH 'Goa' is also a gazelle (not only a state in India). I'm adding a two of such combinations. Thanks! – Řídící Apr 12 '19 at 16:30
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    I am absolutely sure that "themself" is a bonafide word, I even wrote a well-received answer to that effect https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/216617/the-hidden-flaw-in-singular-they-what-to-do-about-reflexive-pronouns/266859#266859 – Mari-Lou A Apr 12 '19 at 17:10
  • @Mari-LouA Oops. I stand (very much) corrected! – Řídící Apr 12 '19 at 17:13
  • Now you've found that goa I'm thinking it would make a good puzzle about an animal with a name that gets simultaneously longer and shorter when the animal turns into a smaller one – Chris H Apr 12 '19 at 19:11
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    Or a tongue twister along the lines of "if your goal is to get a goa's goat, goad the goa not a goat" – Chris H Apr 12 '19 at 19:18