Ive noticed.. almost every time i say "Two" in English.. they understand as "Three".

Im just wondering if i mumble or have strange accent or something because I cant actually think of a time when a Thai has understood when ive said "Two" correctly.

Usually I speak to people in Thai unless they speak English well then I use English but even educated people who speak English well can never seem to understand "Two".

To me it sounds quite different.. Two and Three - totally different sounds.

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

It's inflation. It used to be two for one. Now, it's three for two.

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

It's inflation. It used to be two for one. Now, it's three for two.

It's inflation. It used to be two for one. Now, it's three for two.

Eh????

It's inflation. It used to be two for one. Now, it's three for two.

haha

What a strange post, when I say two, they normally mistake it for 343,759,966,004,373

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

Did someone say something?

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by lovelaos

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

Google's to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by Barabbas

Gesturing with your fingers will give them a faster clue, I've had problems with all basic numbers, I finally decided to learn them in Thai as it was almost always a problem.

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

Google's to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English

My god! That is interesting! Maybe they hear 'choo' instead of 'two'??

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

Google's to the rescue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English

I'd never heard of that which surprised me since I originate from that neck of the woods. Then I scrolled to the bottom of the wikki page and saw "This page was last modified on 28 February 2013 at 02:35." - well that explains it - only existed for a couple of weeks no wonder....

one, two 333,345,535,535,523,875,333

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by Pomthai

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

If you've got a real estuary accent then English people won't understand you. Which would explain it as I've never had this problem.

Maybe it is because Thais have difficulty in pronouncing the number three, and it sounds similar to your pronunciation of two?

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by Amusements

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

I'm sorry but that definitely sounded more like 3 to me .

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

If you've got a real estuary accent then English people won't understand you. Which would explain it as I've never had this problem.

Nonsense! Estuary English is perfectly understandable, if a little coarse for most gentlemen's clubs in the City...

Reminds of a Japanese gal I met years back. No meant yes, and yes meant no.

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

As an American I have a hell of a time understanding some English accents. Face to face and one on one I can usually understand without much trouble. For myself it is about the same as understanding a Thai speaking English. Understanding over the phone can be seemingly impossible with some. Now I have a new neighbor from somewhere in England and we talk a lot between ourselves. He has maybe the most soft spoken voice I have ever encountered and there is no way I can hear his words let alone sort out his accent when he does finally project his voice. When I indicate I cannot hear him he sits up straighter, takes a deep breath and has this appearance that he will turn the volume up. Then he speaks even quieter than before. I miss about a good 50% of what he says but I always agree 100% with him on whatever it is I failed to hear. After all this rambling my point is that it could be as you say...maybe you speak too softly and do not project your voice.

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

Did someone say something?

<deleted> is an estuary accent?

estuary accent? ... isn't that when someone can talk underwater?

That's nothing

When I stop at a petrol station and ask for 'gair-so-hol' they seem to think I wanted 'ben-seen'

How in hell can they confuse those two words in their own language.

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by TommoPhysicist

That's nothing

When I stop at a petrol station and ask for 'gair-so-hol' they seem to think I wanted 'ben-seen'

How in hell can they confuse those two words in their own language.

Because it's usually not petrol pump workers language.

I'm trying to work out if there is some hidden joke or something in your post that should be funny...... never had the problem myself. Where are you from?

No hidden joke unless its on their part!. Im from south England. Got an estuary accent most people think i speak clearly maybe a bit quietly. Ill try talking louder when i say TWO

As an American I have a hell of a time understanding some English accents. Face to face and one on one I can usually understand without much trouble. For myself it is about the same as understanding a Thai speaking English. Understanding over the phone can be seemingly impossible with some. Now I have a new neighbor from somewhere in England and we talk a lot between ourselves. He has maybe the most soft spoken voice I have ever encountered and there is no way I can hear his words let alone sort out his accent when he does finally project his voice. When I indicate I cannot hear him he sits up straighter, takes a deep breath and has this appearance that he will turn the volume up. Then he speaks even quieter than before. I miss about a good 50% of what he says but I always agree 100% with him on whatever it is I failed to hear. After all this rambling my point is that it could be as you say...maybe you speak too softly and do not project your voice.

As an American I have a hell of a time understanding some English accents"

And the reverse.

Doctor doctor it hurts when I do "this"

- Well maybe you should stop doing that!

I don't know about that kind of UK accent, but some do "swallow" their T's and warp the vowels a bit. Talking with foreigners, even when trying to do so in their own language, requires greater mindfulness than when you're chatting with friends back home.

Don't worry I know a NES would think you were treating them like an idiot doing this, but you won't have that problem with most Thais.

If you thoroughly aspirate the opening T sound with a proper plosive that would blow out a candle, and lengthen the oooo vowel sound, you should be alright.

Saying the same thing again in exactly the same way, or god forbid just speaking more loudly doesn't help.

Sorry. That's the closest I can find.

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by arthurwait

Our lad is 17, goes to a farang school. Cannot count to 10.

That's nothing

When I stop at a petrol station and ask for 'gair-so-hol' they seem to think I wanted 'ben-seen'

How in hell can they confuse those two words in their own language.

You won't have that problem if you buy a dee-sen.

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by chickenslegs

Is the Op talking about arranging a meeting at 2.00 but the Thai turns up at 3.00 ?

I'm a Londoner and I say free

I'm not a Londoner, being from Cheam. When I tried that 'f' for three, Miss Jenkins hit me with a stick. That larn'd me.

PUNKTOOHAYSION

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by Slip

I'm a Londoner and I say free

Are you referring to the number of feathers on a thrush's throat ?