The Most Confusing English Mistake | "Did You Say CAN or CAN'T?"
CAN vs. CAN'T has to be one of the aspects of American pronunciation that learners find the most tricky. It can be so difficult to hear the difference! So in this lesson you will learn the difference so you can correctly identify which is being said AND even say them like a native.
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@hyugablue2342
2 жыл бұрын
JUST USE "CANNOT"
@getrektboy
2 жыл бұрын
e
@riskiwijaya5444
2 жыл бұрын
..ooooooooo to get
@agnostictheist2684
Жыл бұрын
"Can not" is simple
@aertybhujm1
Жыл бұрын
4:05 According to English dictionaries, the sound of "cannot" at 4:05 is natural to me but is actually a wrong pronunication. The correct IPA symbol for the word "cannot" is /ˈkænɒt/ or /ˈkænɑːt/, but the man in the video said it /kæ'nɑːt/ or /kæ'nɒt/. (The stress is put in the different position.) That's why I do not pay too much attention to pronunication in my teaching system because when most of my Taiwanese fellows can't properly understand the "third person singular verb plus s rule", it is meaningless to focus on those minute pronunciation details.
"can you hear me?" " *Yesn't* "
@sarbasov
2 жыл бұрын
I don't can
@carlosnoriega2000
2 жыл бұрын
Dos'nt
@mrsnoo86
2 жыл бұрын
whomst'nt'd
@toushya
2 жыл бұрын
😂😂😂😂 This is hilarious
@nicolasmelladoo9790
2 жыл бұрын
I cun't
-I can't hear you -Did you say can or can't? -I said I can't hear you This illogic killed me 🤣
@hlua7475
3 жыл бұрын
😂😂
@fabriciobrazil8625
3 жыл бұрын
haha i was thinking the same
@quynhtrang6984
3 жыл бұрын
Haha
@soulcutters375
3 жыл бұрын
This always happens to me when i speak to my friends lol
@dantewainszelbaum826
3 жыл бұрын
Hey, thx 4 the likes :)
The British pronunciation is clearer: the vowel changes between can and can’t.
@Khaledf
3 жыл бұрын
Not really.
@nevs4181
3 жыл бұрын
@@Khaledf then explain your comment
@invrited8014
3 жыл бұрын
@@nevs4181 cont, con
@chagas-8204
3 жыл бұрын
@@nevs4181 He took that guy's comment as a way to mean the British accent is better, ig.
@saeedashtiani1968
3 жыл бұрын
british buried this problem a 1000 years ago. and american brought it back
I can hear you => I cun HEAR you I can't hear you => I CAN hear you The main difference is the stressed word.
@MaestriaMentalBr
3 жыл бұрын
Holy crap man! Soooo helpfull!!! I would never get this one right 10:52 if it hadn't have been for your tip! Thank you sooooooo much! Hugs from Brazil!
@definitelyhuman4510
3 жыл бұрын
I only find this accurate when we're talking with people with British accent. It's American who's hard to understand.
@tim820313
3 жыл бұрын
Agree, also I would add that can't (US) actually is pronounced as can+"pause for t but not pronouncing t" when in a sentence.
@nyuumoon
2 жыл бұрын
Brasil aq uhuu
@RickCasse
2 жыл бұрын
But "cun" sounds like...😳
Imagine an American saying "I can put a can into a can but a can can't put me into a can"
@lovesolitude1731
3 жыл бұрын
😂😂
@yazidmo9399
3 жыл бұрын
Lol 😂😂😂
@shishinonaito
3 жыл бұрын
Because we can cancan! Because we can cancan!
@ADeeSHUPA
2 жыл бұрын
@@shishinonaito 시시のない또
@N_mm25
2 жыл бұрын
That's a good one
I’m an American who has spoken English for my entire 25 year life and I CONSTANTLY struggle with differentiating “can” and “can’t”
@ninadouglas6289
3 жыл бұрын
So I guess there’s no hope for us non native speakers…
@user-nomorenothing
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the native voice, we shall just learn the correct English, just like the Queen
@GarnetsWeb
3 жыл бұрын
Really? That's unusual. When all else fails, the person/you can just switch to "cannot."
@AirlineCommanderGame
3 жыл бұрын
I feel better now because if you can't understand the difference sometimes, what about me who am not a native?
@CHCCwords
3 жыл бұрын
Really?? So have you ever misunderstanded others?
Woman : you can hear me? Man : i can not hear you Done ☑️
@pol4171
2 жыл бұрын
Right? Simple solution
@Charlotte-pe8rw
2 жыл бұрын
That’s slow speed
@pepsi3168
2 жыл бұрын
Can you
@Sombres
2 жыл бұрын
Ah, so you *can* knot!
@chocho6766
2 жыл бұрын
@@Sombres modern solution born modern problem
Say "CANNOT" instead. Just like some circumstances, when facing some serious question, answer "Affirmative" and "Negative" instead of "Yes" and "No".
@user-pp7gb8vy3i
2 жыл бұрын
For example: "Can I go to the bathroom?" a) *you cannot* b) You can't
@lilwalker27433
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, this is gonna help me a lot
@Bella-ux4yz
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I can hear you. No, I can hear you
@justsomeguy892
2 жыл бұрын
@@user-pp7gb8vy3i try to reach me with that arm *y o u c a n n o t*
@robboss2011
2 жыл бұрын
Bro nobody fucking say negative lmao. people gonna deem u a pretentious clown if you say that
Moral of the story; don’t use contractions, if they can be hard to tell apart when spoken. So from now on, let’s encourage each other to say “cannot” 😂😂
@willcookmakeup
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed :)) I try to use it more regularly. Mainly because I’m only a few years out of Gen Z and it bothers me hahah
@PerMejdal
2 жыл бұрын
I totally agree. I am Danish, and have been speaking English with foreign students for 20 years. I learnt quickly to say "cannot" and "do not". Other advice: [1] Do not use double negatives, in some cultures (like Russian or Italian) they make the negative stronger. [2] Do not ask yes/no questions, in some cultures (mostly Asia), it is impolite to say no.
@deedeeen
2 жыл бұрын
@@PerMejdal Did you know that the double negative is formally affirmative and informally negative in English?
@mar2ck_
2 жыл бұрын
Or just enunciate better
@mikegotfredsen4857
2 жыл бұрын
@@mar2ck_ though I understand what you're getting at, I however believe that there is much more to it than just enunciation, when trying to converse with one another. We might find trouble trying to decode what is being said, due to barriers and noise, such as dialect/accent or channels of communication; for instance through a phone call. Words such as "can" and "can't" can easily be believed to be homophones, as they sound quite similar. However, this often comes down to the phonetics of your accent. For instance, in the typical American accent, the "T" by the end of a word tends to be pronounced as a glottal stop - giving it an almost "D"-like sound. As to where it might be more aspirated in the British accent. Why I pose that "cannot" might be a solution, clearing any doubt ☺️☺️
Just speak the British one ,simple and no confusion 😂
@celisdeandaeliudalberto5335
2 жыл бұрын
Con't
@Suqordia
2 жыл бұрын
i caunt hear you
@evilpotato1534
2 жыл бұрын
@@celisdeandaeliudalberto5335 it’s more like carnt
@armstrongtixid6873
2 жыл бұрын
@@Suqordia That's posh British,and no-one speaks like that.
@starkillerz6235
2 жыл бұрын
@@armstrongtixid6873 I'm from New Zealand and its said like can't with the a sounding like a 'ar'. From C'ar' so like carn't while subtly enthising the t at the end.
As an English speaker I have never even noticed this. But been in lots of situations where I've had to clarify "can or can't" to which the answer is usually "cannot"
The American "can't" is one of the most broken English pronunciations. How could something this important and common get to sound so close to its exact opposite? 🤦🏻♂
@GoodGamer360
2 жыл бұрын
My exact thoughts
@user-hk7zf1xi5n
2 жыл бұрын
agree. My first language is not English, although I learn from American movies or TV series, I still use the British can’t because the US one is so confusing 🤣
@GoodGamer360
2 жыл бұрын
@ Dude, you just explained why it is so confusing, because you need to rely in context and experience to hear it correctly, so you are saying that if you don't have a loooot of practice in USA english, you can't hear both words correctly, it is so dumb.
@ntatenarin
2 жыл бұрын
@@GoodGamer360 I'm American, so I never knew this was hard for non native speakers. What I will do now is say "cannot" if I sense confusion or if the person might be learning English, but use "can't" with native speakers.
@facundocesa4931
2 жыл бұрын
@ I don't buy it.
OMG... you pushed me back to my school days, when in my 10th board exam of mathematics, the instructor said "you can't tear the graph" (as it was provided at the last page of the copy), I thought she said, "You CAN tear it". I just torn away the graph paper to attach it with my solution in the middle of the copy, and you know what... whole class along with the instructor were stupefied seeing what I did!!! 😂😂😂 I wish I had your lessons those days. Thanks a lot Ethan 🙏
@oliviawilson485
3 жыл бұрын
😂Gosh , haha that was hilarious ! Thanks for sharing your story Ritika. I giggled a lot.
@RealNameNeverUsed
2 жыл бұрын
OMG this gave me anxiety back in the day. Our exams require to tear the attendance sheet. Although i know I can, but I always wait for other people to tear theirs first just to be safe.
As an english learner, there is also the "ty" and "teen" at the end of numbers Like ninety and nineteen
@RealNameNeverUsed
2 жыл бұрын
Teacher: Fifteen. Student: Fifty, teacher? Teacher: No. 15.
@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr
2 жыл бұрын
I used to have a lot of problems with them too, I kinda get it now though, the teen sounds are a little longer than ty sounds.
@IngvarMar
2 жыл бұрын
It's NINEty, but nineTEEN. The stress is what matters.
@voidgodxinhua
2 жыл бұрын
this is actually such a common mistake it's used as a joke in movies and shows lol
@twitchizle
2 жыл бұрын
Ninety nineteeeeeeeen
“Can you hear me?” Normal people: “I can’t hear you” Me: *“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”*
@AbeRegulus
2 жыл бұрын
UK: What's that?
@yowhatsdis
2 жыл бұрын
You said what?
@somewherefaraway3093
2 жыл бұрын
@@yowhatsdis U said *wot*
@dolce_gusto
2 жыл бұрын
What??
I live in the US and had a chemistry professor from Venezuela. That’s when I first noticed this. Hearing can or can’t in a lecture was often the difference between getting a question right or wrong on a test. I’m happy to see what’s behind it.
In American English, I have also heard about the glottal "t" in words like "eaten", "certain", "important", etc. I'm not sure if this is for every American, but I really like this sound.
@khanimfatiyeva3805
3 жыл бұрын
I guess it’s more common for California, San Francisco, New York accent
@keegandonlen4933
2 жыл бұрын
I’d say that almost all Americans use the glottal stop when speaking words like the ones you mentioned.
@elgatodelskz
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah and the word "cotton" too. It's quite interesting cause I didn't notice americans use glottal stop (I thought it was a british accent thing)
@ceebbees12345
2 жыл бұрын
ea'in cer'un impor'en' co'un
its so simple: “can you hear me?” “no”
@ninevolt3204
2 жыл бұрын
Unless you couldn't hear the question
I've more or less always been able to tell them apart. The two words just felt different somehow, and after a while it finally clicked as to why. My mother tongue is a tonal language, and I've come to realize that (as mentioned in the video), "can't" usually is said with a rising pitch and "can" is usually said normally. - I can do it. vs - I can't↗️ do it.
@user-wt8pr6zn7j
Жыл бұрын
Are you native Chinese speaker ?
American English: “I can” (“can” is regularly said quick) “I can’t” (“can’t” is said quick, but between “n” and “t” the sound is stressed) This was hard to describe, and was written before watching the whole video
The difference between "can" and "can't" is a little bit hard, I try to identify it by the context
@momoware
3 жыл бұрын
I failed the initial test in the video, but I've never had a problem with can or can't in everyday life... In fact I still suck at distinguishing single words after 7 years in the U.S.
@mostboring
2 жыл бұрын
It is for U.S accent, but not for British one
@apatheticpanda182
2 жыл бұрын
Cant sounds like it stops abruptly, its all in the pitch and the way they say it, so just practice. It even happened to me when someone said it to me, that’s just how the english language is haha
@receivedSE
2 жыл бұрын
_Received Pronunciation:_ *I can swim.* /aɪ kən ˈswɪm ‖/ *I can't swim.* /aɪ ˈkɑːnt ˈswɪm ‖/ _General American:_ *I can swim.* /aɪ kən ˈswɪm ‖/ *I can't swim.* /aɪ ˈkænt ˈswɪm ‖/
Thank so much for this fantastic lesson Ethan and I adored the little conversation that you had with Andrea.
The best ever explanation on this subject! Thank you so much, Ethan! Shared for sure.
Man, this was a really great class, thank you so much!
Most useful video I’ve seen !!! Thanks a lot ! that’s exactly what I needed today (I’ve been asking myself how to pronounce can and can’t just this morning) : you’re definitely the best !
This video was really necessary! I usually have to use the context of the phrase or situation to understand if it's can or can't.
Perfect lesson!Thanks!
This makes me feel so much better! I always thought it was my accent that prevented people from understanding me whenever I say “can’t”
That's a great conversation
This was so me with my American ex husband. I kept asking him "can or can not??" Lol I'm Indonesian btw Now I'm used to it, now I can differ when an American says can or can't.
@spiderjerusalem4009
2 жыл бұрын
tinggal suruh pakai "cannot" saja, atau sekalian "not able to" / "unable to"
Thank you so much for this lesson you guys! It was really helpful 👍🏻
This KN be the most complete class about CAN I have ever seen. I KEN thank you enough. 😄
I've never considered this issue before. Now that I think about it, I've always just gone with body language and tone to determine whether someone is using positive can or negative can't. Guess I'll keep this in mind for talking with ESL people.
I love this video. It make me feel like I'm making progress
Thank you for making the different so clear
Thank you for this! You are awesome. Easy to understand and absorb!
Wao, this lesson was so far better than I expected, Thank you Ethan for giving us the key to open the chest of English knowledge! By the way I loved the intro with the lovely Andrea
Awesome lesson, Ethan! Clear, dynamic, straightforward. All of you are so dedicated and so committed to providing these high quality content lessons that no one can hold a candle to you, guys!
@pollackmorgan3149
3 жыл бұрын
How are you doing 😊☺️👋👋
Thanks for your lesson, I’m always make mistake with “can” and “can’t” !
Thank you! I've understood!
Hello ,your videos are great! Thank you so much!✨🤩
People tend to say sorry first if they are going to say they can't do something. It would help you to determine they are going to say CAN or CAN'T
man thank you that's been my pronuncing issue since I started learning but I never managed to fix it untill now
Thanks for such a great lesson ❤️
Hi, I was born in France but speak English since I'm a teenager... Honestly, I never struggled with the two of them because of the context. Truth is, I never realized there was a difference before watching this video lol. In my case, I've always said can (kan) and can't (kent) so there's no confusion 😁
For Chinese college entrance examination’s listening test, can and can’t are usually in AmE, and we need to judge what exactly it is from the context
This is the most detailed Can and Can't lesson I've ever watched on youtube. Now I can mastering *can't* pronunciation from this video. It's great!
This is all i need!!
I’m thinking about this question for days and this pops up
Well as a learner we often face difficulties in some pronunciation ways that make us feel confusing especially the using CAN & CAN'T but now I can figure the difference out easily 😉 regards from Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 🌹
Excellent lesson ! I used to struggle to note the difference and it is way easier now. Thank you very much !
Thanks for your explanation about can and can't.😊
The difference between can and can’t often made me confused.This video is really helpful. Thank you!
I don't know how to thank u, u'r really really awesome at teaching English😍😍My endless Love from Azerbaijan to U❤🇦🇿
@RealLifeEnglish1
3 жыл бұрын
You are very welcome
@sevincbabayeva6385
3 жыл бұрын
@K Kerimli Hey!🤩👋🏻
@andreimostovoi2533
3 жыл бұрын
Try using "you" instead of "u"
@sevincbabayeva6385
3 жыл бұрын
@@andreimostovoi2533 Thanks for advice🙏I know it's informal texting language:)
@hadiseheidary8027
3 жыл бұрын
I glad to see you🌿 Men iran'n turkim
Great lesson! I always had this problem before watching this vdo.
Best video ever to explain this! Especially drop T of can't similar with can which can know it by the context
As a native english speaker, I can usually differentiate easily but I tend to have a good ear and rely on context clues. I actually thought it was so easy until I watched this video and I am amazed at how complicated it really is. Sorry people trying to learn english. Americans also tend to drop their 't's with basically everything. Mountains, the t isnt always pronounced. But that also depends on what state/region you're in. So complicated!!!
I can't wait for watching your next video
I have the same problem. Thank you!!
Obrigada ❤️❤️
This is easy to differ in daily talk.The most important thing is logic and Intonation. Can is aways used with a 'yes' , or a happy relax face voice or accent.
According to "stop T" I think you might refer to the case of Allophones called No Audible Plosion. What I want mean is you can not use it in any case, just before other plosive sounds that do not share the same place of articulation. It was just an observation. Nice video!
Awesome lesson Thank you so much
OMG, you helped me a lot. Many thanks
I think I have a bigger problem... I can’t distinguish between the British pronunciation of the words “can’t” and “c*nt”. I’m so sorry! I just wanna pronounce can’t in a British accent but I don’t wanna insult people 😭😭
@weditseronax4419
3 жыл бұрын
Same I just avoid using. Cant’t😅
@TakatoEndou
3 жыл бұрын
Hmm, well if you put the words in the right contexts and phrases, I don't think there would be many chances that the listener might confuse between these two, especially if you're speaking to a native speaker or someone who is well-versed in English.
@JfromUK_
3 жыл бұрын
My advice: Make the vowel a long sound. "C*nt" has a short vowel. I think it's one of those weird distinctions your brain gets trained to recognise if you grow up hearing the "British English short U" ("up", "under", etc). It seems a really uncommon sound outside English! Do you have the same problem with "ship" vs "sheep", by any chance? By the way, I've heard some Americans say they were trained to say the word "horror" in an altered way, so it doesn't sound like "wh*re" -- in case that helps you feel better 😅
@bixby451
3 жыл бұрын
@@JfromUK_ super helpful! Thanks 😊
@JfromUK_
3 жыл бұрын
@@bixby451 No problem 😊 English is a b*tch (not "beach") but it takes foreign learners to point out the hundreds of annoyances to me 😂
I can't wait to watch this, I'm so excited. This is going to help me, I assume, I do a lot of mistakes with saying this, I hope I'll fix it someday. BTW, thanks a ton for your channell, I really appreciate your free content. Your channell is helping other learners all around the world to enjoy English, not only studying for schools exams. :)
Siempre he preguntado esto en clase al fin gracias, thanks so much
Amazing as usual!!!
I literally never heared someone say "can't" the way you did xD it is always clear for me... I never noticed this in films and in conversation with friends/colleagues... tho it might be because I don't speak with Americans (I speak with aussies amd kiwis all the time)
@RealLifeEnglish1
2 жыл бұрын
it's possible :)
Others: confused with can-can't Me: confused with bud-baaed-bard-bowed-booed- bod-board-bored-bird-bode-buoyed -bad-bed-bared-bade -bayed -beard-bead - bid - bide-bowered - bio ed(ucation). Your vowels ɑː - ʌ - ɒ - æ - e - ə are tooo similar for me as my native language is Russian. Other Long vowels are sound too similar with short (iː - ɪ, uː - ʊ, ɔː - ɒ) or they are ɜː (it's other hard case); Diphthongs ( aʊ - əʊ - eə - ɔɪ - eɪ - aɪ- ) are quite complicated to be heard, but Triphthongs ( aʊə, aɪə ) make the situation completely crazy as they are almost incredible - it's a challenge even to pronounce them! Real "vowel orgy"!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the explanation in details. Can't appreciate enough of this video. Not only can I hear the difference better, but I also can pronounce it more correctly. Cheers! :)
OMG. Thank you sooooooooo much, I am really so happy. You guys amazing. When i watch a movie and hear a word you guys used to teach me by your videos, I feel so glad. I hope you get bigger about your channel.
Omg. I really like a lot Ethan jajaja sorry, but I love learn english with him 🥴💕
The irony here is since he’s responding to her, he *CAN* hear her but says he can’t.
@lizphlox
2 жыл бұрын
OMG YES I SAW THAT TOO LOL
Very clear and amazing video
This is really helpful, thanks.
I realized that on my first day of exchange studies at UCD, didn’t know I can’t tell the difference before.
I'll try to say it with the stop T, an If I can't I'll just say "Cannot"😂
It is useful,Thank you!
Amazing lesson, thank you very much
I've had situations where people mistake can/can't. When that happens I just say "Cannot"
This is really what i wanna know. Thanks Mr Ethan
I love this video! I finally figure out how to pronounce can and can't thank you so much!!!!
I hear these words very well: You can relax... I can't hear it: you can't relax. And you? :)
Being a Chinese student, it is actually hard for me do tell the difference
@tekashinakamura8719
3 жыл бұрын
Not only chinese students 😂😂
@siratshi455
3 жыл бұрын
It's basically a second tone for can't and first tone for can
@jesroe5842
3 жыл бұрын
Not really
@tonglu2391
3 жыл бұрын
Same, i use can and cannot, that is much more clear
Amazing class!
Most useful lesson ....thanks Ethan
Me, a native speaker not even realizing that she’s pronouncing can’t in so many different ways: 👁👄👁
@wallacesousuke1433
2 жыл бұрын
Hi, Winter A xD
@diztinger
2 жыл бұрын
@@wallacesousuke1433 😐
@AlexGigsEnjoyer
2 жыл бұрын
@@wallacesousuke1433 *Winter Z
By the way, I saw a person who pronounces either as "aither" for the first time. I know the word can be pronounced in both way but it's really rare to hear the word in that way.
@alejandrodelabarra2838
2 жыл бұрын
Some british do that.
Thanks it’s very helpful.
This video answered my question for so many years! Thank you!
@RealLifeEnglish1
3 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
I love American accent, that sounds good and so cool 😊😁
CAN comes in friendly tone, Can't in many other ways, like Liar Liar screaming I CAN'T LIE. or Police Academy: Sergeant Harris disappointedly says to Student Hooks: I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
Thank you !
Thankyou this helped me a lot
How about saying "I do not currently posses an ability to can" instead of "can't"
When I was an English teacher in Taiwan, it was hard for students to catch the difference between "can" and "can't." TIP: When you say "can", say it more like, "kun/kn"... and when you say "can't", just say it like it looks! Only "can" alone will sound like KAN 😊
realy useful lesson. I was always confused with that
Thanks so much