Why are put and but pronounced differently?

The difference between the initial consonant is primarily one of aspiration. In put, there is a puff of air at the release of the consonant (it is aspirated); in but, there is no such puff of air (it is unaspirated). In addition, the consonant in but may be voiced – that is, pronounced with the vocal cords vibrating.

What is difference the and the?

This is a matter of pronunciation. The definite article ‘the’ has two pronunciations, each in a different context. If the word that comes after ‘the’ begins with a vowel sound, then ‘the’ is pronounced like ði ( like ‘thi’ ).

Why is the pronounciation of ‘u’ short in English?

Accents differ not just with space,but also through time,which leaves some record today. Put and but are exceptions, as put is derived from old English potian, puten that is the reason of its pronounciation. But is derived from word butane,bitten that is why pronounciation of u is short.

What is the difference between put and putʌ?

The vowel ʌ is the sound in lots of words: cup, tub, run, etc. Put is written /pʊt/. This vowel is less common, heard in foot, took, book, could, etc. The initial /p/ is unvoiced and aspirated (extra puff of air), and the /b/ is voiced and unaspirated.

Why is the pronunciation of ‘Put’ pronounced as pʊt?

However, the pronunciation of put as /pʊt/ is an exception not explained by the general rule. It’s probably relevant that put does start with the labial consonant /p/, which seems to have affected the following vowel in the regular cases as well.

Is the spelling of “put” and “but” arbitrary?

“Put” and “but” rhymed historically if you go far enough back; this is why they are spelled similarly. In some modern accents, they still rhyme. So in this sense, the spelling is not arbitrary; nor is it particularly illogical (although it is somewhat inconvenient for people who pronounce these words differently).