Question
rubiccube
27 May

  • Korean
  • English (US)
  • Simplified Chinese (China)
Question about English (US)

How do you distinguish "isn't" and "is an"? When I heard these, I can't distinguish them.
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catherineajones
27 May

  • English (US)

I would say practice, first of all. It's normal to need repetition and exposure to get used to something.

"Isn't" = iz-ENT
"Is an" = iz-ANN

Tips: "Isn't" should have a hard '-t' ("tuh") sound at the end, and "Is an" should have a pause in between the words.

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zecuse
27 May

  • English (US)

Using my accent of USA English (I'm from Florida), if the words are said quickly, the easiest difference would be a 't' sound after "isn't".

If said at a slower pace, "is an" would either have a slight pause between them or extend the 'z' sound heard in "is."

It's also worth noting that "is" is commonly contracted with the word before it, which will alter the enunciation of each word.

Example sentences I'm saying, first quickly then slower to enunciate each word:
"That isn't blue."
"He is an Uber driver."
"He's an Uber driver."

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samammil
27 May

  • English (US)

Looks like you got some great answers here! Just want to add that in my experience, I don't hear "is an" very much because "is" used in this way is often combined with the word that comes before it to make "~'s", so the difference between the words "(something/it)'s an" and "isn't" is easier to hear! And generally, when I do here "~ is an" used, the "is" in the sentence has emphasis, so it really sounds like "~ IS an". When said more distinctly like that, "is an" and "isn't" sound less similar.

Also, if someone says it unclearly, I just ask "is or isn't?" People will say things a bit unclearly sometimes, so it's okay to ask! Many native speakers have to ask to hear something repeated, or ask for clarification, because English can be like that sometimes haha

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