Can you pronounce the English word there’dn’t’ve?

there’dn’t’ve · 4:35 · Video: Tom Scott · Watch at the source

In short: Explore the linguistic nightmare of extreme contraction. This video examines the complex mechanics of how English words shrink and merge through the lens of a nearly unpronounceable construction.

The video delves into the structural difficulty of the contraction 'there’dn’t’ve', a sequence that pushes the limits of English pronunciation. It connects these linguistic phenomena to the study of clitics and auxiliary reduction, referencing foundational linguistic research such as Arnold M. Zwicky's 1970 work on how auxiliary verbs are reduced in English.

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