... the G in "strength" is NOT silent!
Lookit -- we all have our issues.
I've barely gotten over that Fergie lady singing about how "a child misses their blanket" instead of how "a child misses his or her blanket" from her 2006 pop hit (it helps that I don't have to hear that song played over and over again much any more now that we're well into a new decade) -- and I will NEVER get over the generation-ruining tautological phrasing of "it is what it is".
Anyway -- my new nails-on-a-chalkboard guaranteed cringe inducing moment that is usually accompanied by an involuntary eye twitch is when people say words like "strength" and "length" and go all silent on the 'g' (sounding like "strenth" and "lenth") instead of embracing the velar nasal sound as was intended. It makes me want to gnash my teeth (an approved silent 'g') and immediately resign from the conversation (also an acceptable silent 'g' scenario).
Side note: our world is too divided right now for me to pick a side as to whether gnu is "nu" or "ga-nu", so we'll have to table that explosive discussion until the nation enjoys more stability and folks are friendly again over on the Facebook. I mean -- they always say, "choose your battles" ... and I've chosen mine.
OR ... one thing (not "thin") at a time ...
MORE ON THE VELAR NASAL:
http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/03/06/your-new-phonetic-phriend-the-velar-nasal/
MORE ACCEPTABLE SILENT G'S:
https://www.spellzone.com/word_lists/list.cfm?wordlist=342
NO HADAR NO -- DON'T OFFER UP AN ALTERNATIVE PRONUNCIATION!:
http://theaccentsway.com/strength/
