'The Chaos' - A poem about the difficulties of English pronunciation

The Chaos by Gerard Nolst Trent
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Here you will learn how to speak with a British English Accent.
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[@thehero8012]

This video is so British that my coffee turned into tea.

[@tablighibayans]

Haaa haaa. Nice one

[@chris_3970]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Weesperbuurt]

except that the poem was written by a Dutchman!

[@uLLlHyAJlA]

Turned into A tea. Speak proper English, youngster.

[@jordanlakra7399]

Stop lying your coffee cannot be turned into a tea😝

[@paIIIazu]

That's a masterpiece, especially in your voicework. The part "Eye, I, ay, aye" almost blowed my mayend.

[@easybim8939]

Blew

[@Itack23]

There is a good and a bad thing about this poem: Good : It makes me realize how much my pronunciation can be bettered! Bad : It makes me realize how much my pronunciation can be bettered...

[@hiamelshazly862]

*improved bettered is not a word

[@Itack23]

@@hiamelshazly862 Well, you can say that to the online english dictionaries I use then, because they do say it is x)

[@jaymaralagos4136]

This poem is a very good masterpiece for those who want to improve their pronunciation skill!I really love this poem!

[@3crhouseandlot958]

Dearest creature in creation Studying English pronunciation, I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse. I will keep you, Susy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy; Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear; Queer, fair seer, hear my prayer. Pray, console your loving poet, Make my coat look new, dear, sew it! Just compare heart, hear and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word. Sword and sward, retain and Britain (Mind the latter how it's written). Made has not the sound of bade, Say-said, pay-paid, laid but plaid. Now I surely will not plague you With such words as vague and ague, But be careful how you speak, Say: gush, bush, steak, streak, break, bleak , Previous, precious, fuchsia, via Recipe, pipe, studding-sail, choir; Woven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe. Say, expecting fraud and trickery: Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore, Branch, ranch, measles, topsails, aisles, Missiles, similes, reviles. Wholly, holly, signal, signing, Same, examining, but mining, Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far. From "desire": desirable-admirable from "admire", Lumber, plumber, bier, but brier, Topsham, brougham, renown, but known, Knowledge, done, lone, gone, none, tone, One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel. Gertrude, German, wind and wind, Beau, kind, kindred, queue, mankind, Tortoise, turquoise, chamois-leather, Reading, Reading, heathen, heather. This phonetic labyrinth Gives moss, gross, brook, brooch, ninth, plinth. Have you ever yet endeavoured To pronounce revered and severed, Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul, Peter, petrol and patrol? Billet does not end like ballet; Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mould like should and would. Banquet is not nearly parquet, Which exactly rhymes with khaki. Discount, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward, Ricocheted and crocheting, croquet? Right! Your pronunciation's OK. Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live. Is your r correct in higher? Keats asserts it rhymes Thalia. Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot, Buoyant, minute, but minute. Say abscission with precision, Now: position and transition; Would it tally with my rhyme If I mentioned paradigm? Twopence, threepence, tease are easy, But cease, crease, grease and greasy? Cornice, nice, valise, revise, Rabies, but lullabies. Of such puzzling words as nauseous, Rhyming well with cautious, tortious, You'll envelop lists, I hope, In a linen envelope. Would you like some more? You'll have it! Affidavit, David, davit. To abjure, to perjure. Sheik Does not sound like Czech but ache. Liberty, library, heave and heaven, Rachel, loch, moustache, eleven. We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed but vowed. Mark the difference, moreover, Between mover, plover, Dover. Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, Chalice, but police and lice, Camel, constable, unstable, Principle, disciple, label. Petal, penal, and canal, Wait, surmise, plait, promise, pal, Suit, suite, ruin. Circuit, conduit Rhyme with "shirk it" and "beyond it", But it is not hard to tell Why it's pall, mall, but Pall Mall. Muscle, muscular, gaol, iron, Timber, climber, bullion, lion, Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor, Ivy, privy, famous; clamour Has the a of drachm and hammer. Pussy, hussy and possess, Desert, but desert, address. Golf, wolf, countenance, lieutenants Hoist in lieu of flags left pennants. Courier, courtier, tomb, bomb, comb, Cow, but Cowper, some and home. "Solder, soldier! Blood is thicker", Quoth he, "than liqueur or liquor", Making, it is sad but true, In bravado, much ado. Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangour. Pilot, pivot, gaunt, but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand and grant. Arsenic, specific, scenic, Relic, rhetoric, hygienic. Gooseberry, goose, and close, but close, Paradise, rise, rose, and dose. Say inveigh, neigh, but inveigle, Make the latter rhyme with eagle. Mind! Meandering but mean, Valentine and magazine. And I bet you, dear, a penny, You say mani-(fold) like many, Which is wrong. Say rapier, pier, Tier (one who ties), but tier. Arch, archangel; pray, does erring Rhyme with herring or with stirring? Prison, bison, treasure trove, Treason, hover, cover, cove, Perseverance, severance. Ribald Rhymes (but piebald doesn't) with nibbled. Phaeton, paean, gnat, ghat, gnaw, Lien, psychic, shone, bone, pshaw. Don't be down, my own, but rough it, And distinguish buffet, buffet; Brood, stood, roof, rook, school, wool, boon, Worcester, Boleyn, to impugn. Say in sounds correct and sterling Hearse, hear, hearken, year and yearling. Evil, devil, mezzotint, Mind the z! (A gentle hint.) Now you need not pay attention To such sounds as I don't mention, Sounds like pores, pause, pours and paws, Rhyming with the pronoun yours; Nor are proper names included, Though I often heard, as you did, Funny rhymes to unicorn, Yes, you know them, Vaughan and Strachan. No, my maiden, coy and comely, I don't want to speak of Cholmondeley. No. Yet Froude compared with proud Is no better than McLeod. But mind trivial and vial, Tripod, menial, denial, Troll and trolley, realm and ream, Schedule, mischief, schism, and scheme. Argil, gill, Argyll, gill. Surely May be made to rhyme with Raleigh, But you're not supposed to say Piquet rhymes with sobriquet. Had this invalid invalid Worthless documents? How pallid, How uncouth he, couchant, looked, When for Portsmouth I had booked! Zeus, Thebes, Thales, Aphrodite, Paramour, enamoured, flighty, Episodes, antipodes, Acquiesce, and obsequies. Please don't monkey with the geyser, Don't peel 'taters with my razor, Rather say in accents pure: Nature, stature and mature. Pious, impious, limb, climb, glumly, Worsted, worsted, crumbly, dumbly, Conquer, conquest, vase, phase, fan, Wan, sedan and artisan. The th will surely trouble you More than r, ch or w. Say then these phonetic gems: Thomas, thyme, Theresa, Thames. Thompson, Chatham, Waltham, Streatham, There are more but I forget 'em- Wait! I've got it: Anthony, Lighten your anxiety. The archaic word albeit Does not rhyme with eight-you see it; With and forthwith, one has voice, One has not, you make your choice. Shoes, goes, does *. Now first say: finger; Then say: singer, ginger, linger. Real, zeal, mauve, gauze and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, age, Hero, heron, query, very, Parry, tarry fury, bury, Dost, lost, post, and doth, cloth, loth, Job, Job, blossom, bosom, oath. Faugh, oppugnant, keen oppugners, Bowing, bowing, banjo-tuners Holm you know, but noes, canoes, Puisne, truism, use, to use? Though the difference seems little, We say actual, but victual, Seat, sweat, chaste, caste, Leigh, eight, height, Put, nut, granite, and unite. Reefer does not rhyme with deafer, Feoffer does, and zephyr, heifer. Dull, bull, Geoffrey, George, ate, late, Hint, pint, senate, but sedate. Gaelic, Arabic, pacific, Science, conscience, scientific; Tour, but our, dour, succour, four, Gas, alas, and Arkansas. Say manoeuvre, yacht and vomit, Next omit, which differs from it Bona fide, alibi Gyrate, dowry and awry. Sea, idea, guinea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria. Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean, Doctrine, turpentine, marine. Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion with battalion, Rally with ally; yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, key, quay! Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, receiver. Never guess-it is not safe, We say calves, valves, half, but Ralf. Starry, granary, canary, Crevice, but device, and eyrie, Face, but preface, then grimace, Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass. Bass, large, target, gin, give, verging, Ought, oust, joust, and scour, but scourging; Ear, but earn; and ere and tear Do not rhyme with here but heir. Mind the o of off and often Which may be pronounced as orphan, With the sound of saw and sauce; Also soft, lost, cloth and cross. Pudding, puddle, putting. Putting? Yes: at golf it rhymes with shutting. Respite, spite, consent, resent. Liable, but Parliament. Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew, Stephen, Monkey, donkey, clerk and jerk, Asp, grasp, wasp, demesne, cork, work. A of valour, vapid vapour, S of news (compare newspaper), G of gibbet, gibbon, gist, I of antichrist and grist, Differ like diverse and divers, Rivers, strivers, shivers, fivers. Once, but nonce, toll, doll, but roll, Polish, Polish, poll and poll. Pronunciation-think of Psyche!- Is a paling, stout and spiky. Won't it make you lose your wits Writing groats and saying "grits"? It's a dark abyss or tunnel Strewn with stones like rowlock, gunwale, Islington, and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict. Don't you think so, reader, rather, Saying lather, bather, father? Finally, which rhymes with enough, Though, through, bough, cough, hough, sough, tough?? Hiccough has the sound of sup... My advice is: GIVE IT UP!

[@JimpZee]

She said "gouge" incorrectly (2:47). It's proounced /ɡaʊdʒ/ not /ɡɔːdʒ/. Gorge is a completely different word (i.e. Cheddar Gorge vs. to Gouge someone eyes out).

[@ixglocTV]

I feel vindicated.

[@MarikTheGentleDemon]

as a german i dare to say that this little masterpiece is born in hell... sometimes i wonder how you british folk manage to remember all these specific pronunciations...

[@tyan4380]

deustch ist also difficult..

[@ixglocTV]

I'm sure they don't.

[@evasuser]

Since what's written, in general, has no relation to how it's pronounced the English words should be considered as ideograms. Chinese, Japanese and Korean people are ale to communicate fine.

[@evasuser]

Elmo Chaka you are lucky, in German what's written is pronounced, compare with English.

[@reinemazidath5466]

I guess the same way you manage to remember specific german pronunciations .

[@bobdole8830]

This is the only version I have seen with a proper pronounciation AND a decen rhythm! Good job!

[@mercrediferie4095]

I'm trying to mimic this everyday. Thank you !

[@EnglishAboutYou]

Well done! Anyone thinking this is easy should have a go themselves at pronouncing the whole poem. English pronunciation can indeed be challenging, even for native speakers. I didn't realise quite how hard it was until I recorded a version of The Chaos myself. My Northern accent is a bit different than yours. I wonder how it would have sounded with Trenite's (presumably) Dutch accent?😀👍

[@lefcant]

Some errors: 'Dost' and 'doth' have the STRUT vowel, not the LOT vowel. 'Gouge' has the MOUTH diphthong, not the NORTH vowel. And 'Job' is almost certainly intended to be the biblical figure so it should have the GOAT diphthong. 'Aver' has the NURSE vowel, not the SQUARE vowel.

[@disappointedenglishman98]

Job should be the character in the Bible, pronounced "jobe". Housewife should be "huzzif", a rare word for a sewing kit (if you look in the OED you will find it). A couple of the others were mispronounced too, but overall the best version I've found on the Internet.

[@loribach534]

Outstanding work! The English language is a complete "free for all"!

[@ManabendraParui]

We have this poem in syllabus and this video helps me to mark my pronunciation a lot. Thanks ❤❤❤❤❤

[@imcalledariok3188]

When u realized u make more mistakes than u thought u did 😭😭😭English is tough man

[@allegriaram8532]

At first I tried to read them on my own and then listen to what was right and wrong but gave up at the sixth frame. The advice to give up was very helpful although I saw it much later 😂

[@osifomrygonen]

Its just perfect so helpful. i have one big problem with the R sound its even harder for me when the R is in the middle of the word and proununce for ...instance: diffrent german, stranger etc id realy like to watch a vedio about the R sound in the middle of the word you do a great job and i hope to see more and more vedio like that :)

[@ellatron]

different is pronounced "diff-rent" german is pronounced "juuh-man" stranger is pronounced "strain-jer" In most cases an R in the middle of the word is pronounced and is said quickly. American-English speakers tend to pronounce the R with more emphasis so you won't be misunderstood if you make a mistake like that, so if you're ever in doubt just pronounce the R anyway and the word will still sound fine. :)

[@ellatron]

***** a lot of us pronounce it "trich-er-ee" too :)

[@mohammadturkman7809]

I love your voice, absolutely talented

[@hariboi8840]

3:21 is not exactly as intended. "ate" should be spoken as /et/, not /eit/. That's of course no mistake, but as the intention was to make it as chaotic as possible it's a little flaw. Nonetheless, by far my favourite version! Thank you very much!

[@estebanjaasielalvarezpreci5869]

Both pronunciations are correct

[@hariboi8840]

Yes, they are, but the point of the Chaos poem is to make everything sound as confusing as possible. Hence, saying /et/ would have been the better choice.

[@captainchaos3667]

Written by a Dutchman, amazingly.

[@Weesperbuurt]

You have spelled the Dutch author’s last name incorrectly in the notes below. His name is Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870-1946). He wrote a somewhat different version originally in 1922.

[@TL5official]

Only a tiny detail at 4:41 but and should be with. Sorry for that.

[@bv3893]

Despite I don't like british accent, I think this is the sexiest accent I have ever heard

[@chriscoughlan5221]

How many versions of the chaos are out there? My version has extra lines in some verses.

[@pro369]

Well done. Briliantly pronounced

[@martinaleksandrov1234]

my left ear enjoyed

[@AtulLonkar]

amazing piece of work ! 👌👍

[@berni2905]

1:02 There shouldn't be a comma between _"poem"_ and _"and",_ right?

[@LS-kr6xd]

I think it is the "oxford comma"

[@polocupp]

Thank you for the video is very good :)

[@torreonwareng.984]

As a Filipino, I dunno what to follow tho. American or British? Well, I’m a Filipino and I will do both 🤦‍♂️🙄😅😂

[@AndromedaAlien]

My advice is give it up! Great sum up! What a good advice it is! 🤣

[@fuckdefed]

You’ve said ‘aver’ and ‘doctrine’ wrong (‘doc-tuh-reen’???)

[@user-vi1lr1xt4y]

1:35 2:08 3:30 4:02 5:04 5:41

[@muddybudgie]

Two wrong. Gouge is to gouge an eye out not a topographical element (gorge aka mini canyon) The other incorrect one was doctrine. It’s doc - trin, not doc - treen. Still haven’t found a recitation that is 100% yet.

[@Weesperbuurt]

I believe you pronounced “aver” and “wont” incorrectly

[@jamesv.5637]

ERROR at 4:41-4:42 (Dandelion with battalion?) It should have read Dandelion "AND" battalion. Nice try though

[@07Kotenok]

No sound?..

[@peterg1978]

I would dispute gauge

[@waitingforawaveintheocean7090]

It is shame that she leaved KZbin even though of quality content

[@ahmadmuslimani29]

amazing

[@pinapple_pizza]

i've given up on pronunciation rules.

[@sexbasxd7766]

I love it 😭😭😭

[@rubenrodriguezalmeida5053]

👏👏

[@SabirTV]

Do you recommend to learn this poem? or What do you recommend?

[@BritishEnglishPro]

+SabO Best No you should not learn this poem but it is a great one to read along with.

[@kdemetter]

Well, it helps me remember how certain words are pronounced. Though it also has a lot of words I'd never use.

[@VijaySharma-ru7vr]

@@kdemetter so build your vocabulary while you are at it.

[@kdemetter]

@@VijaySharma-ru7vr Sure. It's also fun

[@LILY-vm7sy]

2:09

[@user-ke1kh3if9d]

The name suits it

[@fpsmeter]

As she reads "Query does not rhyme with very" it actually sounds like it rhymes quite well.

[@tiktokes8892]

Tell these haters that you can go somewhere else . Where is the place in my heart Heart stained

[@zohlandt]

Just here for the comments of Americans: YoO pRuhnOwNst iT wRoNg! 😂

[@hamzalag2006]

Hello

[@BritishEnglishPro]

Hi

[@hamzalag2006]

thank you

[@sebastianmaldonado6055]

:3 tris porm is so exciting

[@angyechuklokesel]

😯 wow

[@awesomesauceTN234]

*insert femur breaker scream*

[@user-sp9zo3zl9m]

👍👍👍👍👍🗽👌

[@AlexanderStemkowski]

I'll be damned.

[@tiktokes8892]

This is not easy love just understand that it is a river of fire and to cross King of urdu mirza galib

[@UchihaAkber]

English : I'm hard to pronounce Arabic : 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@aleisterlavey9716]

Chinese: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@muddybudgie]

It’s not that English is physically hard to pronounce like maybe Arabic, it’s that there is no consistency or logic to the way the letters are pronounced. What rules exist have so many exceptions that they are useless.

[@UchihaAkber]

@@muddybudgie Dude my comment was 2 years ago

[@muddybudgie]

@@UchihaAkber Hi 👋 It was a great comment and it’s never too late for a reply. I agree with you. I think I’d inhale my tongue if I tried to pronounce Arabic.

[@UchihaAkber]

@@muddybudgie ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@LibraryInmate]

wonder why everyone is obsessed with English? check my vid

[@I-am-literally-za-world]

Do people actually enjoy this? I honestly hate poems.

[@aleisterlavey9716]

Jup, they do.

[@samo4003]

English pronunciation is a mess, just like the current situation in the UK. The Brits know how to royally mess things up. 😁

[@ixglocTV]

30 mistakes. Who can beat that?

[@Phonetician_]

Oh tell me 6 mistakes only

[@mrd3682]

boooooring and not that impressive of a poem, try reading this threw thyme, eye road - flu unto raze end so yew flecks yore mined, yore tauts, yore ayes - yew so mi sore end one yore hart - yew rich four clouts two flea this pair two sea yore pane, wain - shield dual thyme wit furze two aide a gangster fierce a gangster lyes - aisle taker hire end builder winks two have an spire - aisle taker feat wee flu threw thyme, father end father wee flu threw thyme, won four an otter

[@aleisterlavey9716]

I don't know the cause, but after trying to pronounce this, i feel a sudden urge for Haggis.

[@mrd3682]

It s a phonetic theme. I ve incorporated as many homophones i could

[@sharmineida4615]

GIVE UP!!!!!!

[@germianejrumohr7776]

Yes

[@germianejrumohr7776]

I hate this

[@PaoloMarzano]

L'inglese è difficile. El inglés es difícil. English is difficult. La angla lingvo estas malfacila.

[@JuliaRodrigues-wz5ml]

What's the purpose of it? 😂

[@germianejrumohr7776]

I hate this bruhhh

[@louveliajanebudias-dr4nl]

2:55

[@user-qr4xi5mu9c]

6:01