Speak Better Singlish Part 1

In an efforts to increase the awareness and promote better usage of pure Singlish (the dialect used by middle-class Singaporeans) I decided to chip in in this indispensable guide to Singlish. maybe by the time I come to Part 5, i will write in Singlish, so don't worry.

Singlish is not as complicated (complicated in Singlish would be cheem) as it looks or sounds. It lacks orthographical rules, thanks to the intellects of people who want to preserve the integrity and purity of our colonialists' tongue. As a result, local words tend to be spelt as it is pronounced. I have devised a standard that will be used throughout these lesson packs.

In Chinese, Malay, Hindi or Tamil loanwords or cognates the following convention will be used. Words of english origin will preserve the orthographical rules of English.

CONSONANTS

1. "ch" is always as in church, never as in character.
2. "g" is always as in game, never as in gentle.
3. "h" is always aspired.
4. "r" is always soft, but some people prefer a tapped "r".

VOWELS

1. "a" is long in single syllable words, as in father. Pronounced short if preceded by a stopped syllable.
2. "o" as in old.
3. "i" as in India
4. "u" as in put.
5. "ee", long "i" as in feet
6. "oo", long "u" as in foot
7. "eh" as in eh?
8. "e" as in say. On unstressed syllables pronounced "uh". Can also alter vowel sounds if placed at the back.

All diphthongs are pronounced as 1 syllable and are generally short. Syllables ending with "h" are generally lengthened, and the h is not pronounced. If you are steel confused, I include Berlitz style pronunciation guides for you.

PRACTICE TIME!

Pronounce the following words.

1. Cheem (CHEEM) complicated
2. Orredy (or-RAY-dee) already
3. Leceh (Lay-CHEH) troublesome
4. Gahmen (GAH-men) government
5. Chop (CHAWP) to stamp
6. Chope (CHOPE) to reserve
7. Pai Kia (PAI KIA) gangsterish teenager
8. Shiok (SHOKE) great; enjoyable
9. Ulu (oo-LOO) something out of the way
10. Zao (DZAU) to leave

Now you have knowledge of 10 words!

CULTURE NOTES

1. If you have ever travelled to Singapore, you may have noticed that people seem to put "lah" at the end of the sentence a lot. "Lah" is used if the speaker wants to assert his statement, or invite someone to do something.

2. People in Singapore chope (see above #6) their tables at hawker centres using a packet of tissue paper.



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Next week, on Speak Better Singlish I share on another commonly used particle "Leh" and more on the Singlish grammar.

Now I have to go and zao. See you soon!