How to Pronounce the Idiom Bend over Backwards American English
Today I’m going to go over the pronunciation
for the idiom to bend over backwards.
This means to do as much as you possibly
can to get your desired results.
Perhaps more than what
would be expected.
For example, let’s say I’m trying to
hire a new person to come to my firm
and I’ll do whatever it takes
to get him or her to commit.
I might say, I’ll bend over
backwards to get you here.
Or, for example, let’s say my mother
in law was visiting last weekend.
I might say, I bent over
backwards to make her happy.
It begins with the B consonant sound.
That is voiced, bb, so your
vocal cords are making noise.
Then the ‘eh’ as in ‘bed’
vowel sound: be- be-.
Nn, tongue moves up into
position for the N.
Ben-d.
Here you would either have the
D or the T consonant sound,
depending on if you’re speaking
present/future, or past.
Bend/bent.
Over begins with the ‘oh’
as in ‘no’ diphthong.
O – vv, vv, then the V consonant
sound, where the bottom lip raises
to lightly touch the bottom
of the top front teeth.
Ov, vv, and you make a sound
with the vocal cords.
Over.
You then have the schwa sound, unaccented,
with the R consonant sound, over.
Backwards begins, again, with the B sound,
bb, then the ‘aa’ as in ‘bat’ vowel.
Ba-, ba- kk.
The K consonant sound,
where the tongue goes up
and touches in the back, kk,
releasing to make that sound.
Back, back, -wards.
The W consonant sound, where the
lips form a tight circle, www,
and the schwa sound with the R
consonant sound war-, war- ds.
The D consonant sound followed by the Z
consonant sound, both voiced: dz, dz.
Backwards.
To bend over backwards.