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Can fluent English speakers distinguish “steel”, “still” and “steal”?

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Can fluent English speakers distinguish “steel”, “still” and “steal”?

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3

Can fluent English speakers understand this sentence, the first time they hear it :

What? They still steal steel?

Can they hear a difference between the pronunciation of the words still, steal and steel?

pronunciation spoken-english

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

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asked 8 hours ago

Han Jae Sook

migrated from english.stackexchange.com 7 hours ago

This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.

add a comment | 

3

Can fluent English speakers understand this sentence, the first time they hear it :

What? They still steal steel?

Can they hear a difference between the pronunciation of the words still, steal and steel?

pronunciation spoken-english

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

10.8k55 gold badges3232 silver badges6464 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Han Jae Sook

migrated from english.stackexchange.com 7 hours ago

This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.

add a comment | 

Can fluent English speakers understand this sentence, the first time they hear it :

What? They still steal steel?

Can they hear a difference between the pronunciation of the words still, steal and steel?

pronunciation spoken-english

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

10.8k55 gold badges3232 silver badges6464 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Han Jae Sook

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

10.8k55 gold badges3232 silver badges6464 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Han Jae Sook

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

10.8k55 gold badges3232 silver badges6464 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Han Jae Sook

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

10.8k55 gold badges3232 silver badges6464 bronze badges

edited 7 hours ago

ColleenV♦

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3 Answers
3

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oldest

votes

3

Still (/stɪl/) and steel (/sti:l/) are distinguished. There is a different vowel in these two words.

Steal and Steel (/sti:l/) are homonyms and pronounced essentially the same.

But the words are, in this case easily identifed by grammar. In this sentence Steal is a verb, Steel is a noun. Steel as a verb cannot take Steal (as a noun) as its object. So there is no ambiguity in the sentence.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Steel" can be used as a verb -- "To steel oneself to make the decision". More rarely "steal" can be used a s a verb: The Big Steal was a book title not long ago. But yes, "steel" is typically a noun and "steal" a verb.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  :s/is/is functioning as/
  
  – James K
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  oops i meant "... 'steal' can be used as a noun". Sorry for any confusion.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidSiegel: Steel: to coat with said metal.
  
  – Joshua
  14 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Context is the key to understanding. If your reader or conversation partner understands you are talking about someone or something with a habit of misappropriating steel, then it is perfectly reasonable to say they still steal steel or steal steel still. If they do not have that context, they you may need to explain it.

Most native speakers of English will pronounce steal and steel identically, but differently from still. Some people in Yorkshire might pronounce all three differently, and some people in Tennessee might pronounce all three the same.

---

In all the "standard" accents with which I am familiar, steel and steal are homophones, both pronounced /stiːl/. The spelling of steal and words like team and cream among others reflects a distinction in pronunciation which was mostly lost by the 18th century in what is known as the meet-meat merger. The distinction is preserved only in some corners of Ireland and Northern England, and I would say a learner should not bother with it.

The standard pronunciation of still has a shorter vowel, thus /stɪl/. That said, many speakers of Southern, Appalachian, and African-American Englishes, and what is called Estuary English, speak with what is called the fill-feel merger. Pairs like ill and eel, hill and heal, or will and we'll are pronounced the same in those accents. Again, I would say a learner is safest sticking to the standard pronunciation in speaking.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

add a comment | 

0

I, for one, hear a significant difference between "still" and "steal" or "steel". I would call the vowel sound that I make, and typically hear, in "still" a "short-I", while I would call the vowel sound in "steal" or "steel" a "long-e". There are, I am sure, more technically correct terms for these sounds. To help clarify, to me "Still" rhymes with "hill" and "kill", while "steal" rhymes with "keel", "feel", and "conceal".

As is implied by the forgoing, to me "steal" and "steel" are homophones, with no detectable difference in sound.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

add a comment | 

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3

Still (/stɪl/) and steel (/sti:l/) are distinguished. There is a different vowel in these two words.

Steal and Steel (/sti:l/) are homonyms and pronounced essentially the same.

But the words are, in this case easily identifed by grammar. In this sentence Steal is a verb, Steel is a noun. Steel as a verb cannot take Steal (as a noun) as its object. So there is no ambiguity in the sentence.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Steel" can be used as a verb -- "To steel oneself to make the decision". More rarely "steal" can be used a s a verb: The Big Steal was a book title not long ago. But yes, "steel" is typically a noun and "steal" a verb.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  :s/is/is functioning as/
  
  – James K
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  oops i meant "... 'steal' can be used as a noun". Sorry for any confusion.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidSiegel: Steel: to coat with said metal.
  
  – Joshua
  14 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

Still (/stɪl/) and steel (/sti:l/) are distinguished. There is a different vowel in these two words.

Steal and Steel (/sti:l/) are homonyms and pronounced essentially the same.

But the words are, in this case easily identifed by grammar. In this sentence Steal is a verb, Steel is a noun. Steel as a verb cannot take Steal (as a noun) as its object. So there is no ambiguity in the sentence.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Steel" can be used as a verb -- "To steel oneself to make the decision". More rarely "steal" can be used a s a verb: The Big Steal was a book title not long ago. But yes, "steel" is typically a noun and "steal" a verb.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  :s/is/is functioning as/
  
  – James K
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  oops i meant "... 'steal' can be used as a noun". Sorry for any confusion.
  
  – David Siegel
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidSiegel: Steel: to coat with said metal.
  
  – Joshua
  14 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Still (/stɪl/) and steel (/sti:l/) are distinguished. There is a different vowel in these two words.

Steal and Steel (/sti:l/) are homonyms and pronounced essentially the same.

But the words are, in this case easily identifed by grammar. In this sentence Steal is a verb, Steel is a noun. Steel as a verb cannot take Steal (as a noun) as its object. So there is no ambiguity in the sentence.

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 7 hours ago

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

James KJames K

48.9k11 gold badge4848 silver badges120120 bronze badges

2

Context is the key to understanding. If your reader or conversation partner understands you are talking about someone or something with a habit of misappropriating steel, then it is perfectly reasonable to say they still steal steel or steal steel still. If they do not have that context, they you may need to explain it.

Most native speakers of English will pronounce steal and steel identically, but differently from still. Some people in Yorkshire might pronounce all three differently, and some people in Tennessee might pronounce all three the same.

---

In all the "standard" accents with which I am familiar, steel and steal are homophones, both pronounced /stiːl/. The spelling of steal and words like team and cream among others reflects a distinction in pronunciation which was mostly lost by the 18th century in what is known as the meet-meat merger. The distinction is preserved only in some corners of Ireland and Northern England, and I would say a learner should not bother with it.

The standard pronunciation of still has a shorter vowel, thus /stɪl/. That said, many speakers of Southern, Appalachian, and African-American Englishes, and what is called Estuary English, speak with what is called the fill-feel merger. Pairs like ill and eel, hill and heal, or will and we'll are pronounced the same in those accents. Again, I would say a learner is safest sticking to the standard pronunciation in speaking.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

add a comment | 

2

Context is the key to understanding. If your reader or conversation partner understands you are talking about someone or something with a habit of misappropriating steel, then it is perfectly reasonable to say they still steal steel or steal steel still. If they do not have that context, they you may need to explain it.

Most native speakers of English will pronounce steal and steel identically, but differently from still. Some people in Yorkshire might pronounce all three differently, and some people in Tennessee might pronounce all three the same.

---

In all the "standard" accents with which I am familiar, steel and steal are homophones, both pronounced /stiːl/. The spelling of steal and words like team and cream among others reflects a distinction in pronunciation which was mostly lost by the 18th century in what is known as the meet-meat merger. The distinction is preserved only in some corners of Ireland and Northern England, and I would say a learner should not bother with it.

The standard pronunciation of still has a shorter vowel, thus /stɪl/. That said, many speakers of Southern, Appalachian, and African-American Englishes, and what is called Estuary English, speak with what is called the fill-feel merger. Pairs like ill and eel, hill and heal, or will and we'll are pronounced the same in those accents. Again, I would say a learner is safest sticking to the standard pronunciation in speaking.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

add a comment | 

Context is the key to understanding. If your reader or conversation partner understands you are talking about someone or something with a habit of misappropriating steel, then it is perfectly reasonable to say they still steal steel or steal steel still. If they do not have that context, they you may need to explain it.

Most native speakers of English will pronounce steal and steel identically, but differently from still. Some people in Yorkshire might pronounce all three differently, and some people in Tennessee might pronounce all three the same.

---

In all the "standard" accents with which I am familiar, steel and steal are homophones, both pronounced /stiːl/. The spelling of steal and words like team and cream among others reflects a distinction in pronunciation which was mostly lost by the 18th century in what is known as the meet-meat merger. The distinction is preserved only in some corners of Ireland and Northern England, and I would say a learner should not bother with it.

The standard pronunciation of still has a shorter vowel, thus /stɪl/. That said, many speakers of Southern, Appalachian, and African-American Englishes, and what is called Estuary English, speak with what is called the fill-feel merger. Pairs like ill and eel, hill and heal, or will and we'll are pronounced the same in those accents. Again, I would say a learner is safest sticking to the standard pronunciation in speaking.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

chosterchoster

15.4k3636 silver badges6969 bronze badges

0

I, for one, hear a significant difference between "still" and "steal" or "steel". I would call the vowel sound that I make, and typically hear, in "still" a "short-I", while I would call the vowel sound in "steal" or "steel" a "long-e". There are, I am sure, more technically correct terms for these sounds. To help clarify, to me "Still" rhymes with "hill" and "kill", while "steal" rhymes with "keel", "feel", and "conceal".

As is implied by the forgoing, to me "steal" and "steel" are homophones, with no detectable difference in sound.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

add a comment | 

0

I, for one, hear a significant difference between "still" and "steal" or "steel". I would call the vowel sound that I make, and typically hear, in "still" a "short-I", while I would call the vowel sound in "steal" or "steel" a "long-e". There are, I am sure, more technically correct terms for these sounds. To help clarify, to me "Still" rhymes with "hill" and "kill", while "steal" rhymes with "keel", "feel", and "conceal".

As is implied by the forgoing, to me "steal" and "steel" are homophones, with no detectable difference in sound.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

add a comment | 

I, for one, hear a significant difference between "still" and "steal" or "steel". I would call the vowel sound that I make, and typically hear, in "still" a "short-I", while I would call the vowel sound in "steal" or "steel" a "long-e". There are, I am sure, more technically correct terms for these sounds. To help clarify, to me "Still" rhymes with "hill" and "kill", while "steal" rhymes with "keel", "feel", and "conceal".

As is implied by the forgoing, to me "steal" and "steel" are homophones, with no detectable difference in sound.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

David SiegelDavid Siegel

11.5k1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges