... Page 2 >
T H E   S O U N D
To Be or Not to Be
  • The A sound in words like water or want is a short A like in cat or hat. Water rhymes with batter, want rhymes with can't, etc.
  • The long I in words like Fine, Mine, I, Buy, My, is pronounced Uh-ee: Fun-een, Muh-ee, Uh-ee, Buh-ee, Muh-ee
  • The sounds O, U, OU, OW are drawn out.
    Cup = Coop
    House = Hu-oose
    Down = Duh-oon
  • Drop the final G on words ending in ing.
    Say: Speakin', Walkin', Drinkin'.
  • The -ed sound at the end of words is hard.
    Say: Kiss-ed, Talk-ed, Bak-ed
  • Do not turn S into SH sound unless the word has an H in it. The S sound remains soft.
    Surely = Soorly
    Musician = Mu-si-see-an
    Passion = Pa-see-un
  • Do not turn T into a CH sound. T sound remains hard.
    Righteous = Righ-tee-us
    Pasture = Pas-toor

Use the word Be in place of Is, Am & Are:
  • I be most please with my new shirt.
  • Her voice be like tinkling bells.
  • They be a jolly crew of revelers

How Do You Do It?
Use the word Do frequently
  • I do have a goodly horse.
  • We do make the finest jewelry in all the shire.
If I Were Thee and
You Where Me...

Use Me, You, and Thee after Verbs:
  • I do have me the most marvelous story to tell.
  • I will sit me down and wait for thee.
  • Come you with me and I will guide you.
  • Come thee with me and I will be thy guide.
DANGER! DANGER!
Beware of contractions:
  • DO NOT USE modern contractions:
    Don't, Can't, Won't, Ain't
  • DO USE Elizabethan contractions:
    'tis (it is), 'twas (it was), 'twill (it will), 'twould (it would)
  • Drop it! Elizabethans tend to drop the letter V in certain words: Over = O'er, Even = E'er, Have = Ha' (Hay)

You
Thee
How To Cheat
Use to show respect.
Use with: the Queen, the Nobels, your Boss, your Parents, Horses
Use with loved ones and lessors.
Use with: Customers, Friends, Family, Employees, Childern
Use Thee and Thou with everyone.

Thou is the subject of a sentence like you, thou preforms the action.

"Thou art most truly welcome here within, good mistress"
"Art thou thirsty, kind sir?"
Thee is usually the object of a sentence, Thee receives the action, it is used when you mean to say: Of you, For you, With you, By you, or To you.

"I do thank thee fair lass."
"Wounderous fine crafts for thee"

"We do have fine ales for thee"
"I would a word with thee sirrah."
Thy and Thine are used to show possession and are used in place of your and yours:

"Do not forget thy cap, child"
"Take thy leave sirrah"

"I am lost in the beauty of thine eyes"
"Hold thy tongue, cousin, now be not the time"
... Page 2 >