find them
/ˈfaɪnðəm/
RP: /ˈfaɪnðəm/
Meaning: find them
d dropped; them→/ðəm/
Mistake: Pronouncing it as "FAINDO ZEMU" with a full d release and full [ðɛm].
Why: Katakana English preserves each letter.
Fix: The d of "find" elides before the [ð] of "them", and "them" reduces to [əm]: [ˈfaɪnəm]. Or with [ð] preserved: [ˈfaɪnˈðəm]. Both natural.
Mistake: Producing clear [d] and full [ðɛm].
Why: Korean has no [ð] and prosody preserves boundaries.
Fix: d elides before [ð], and "them" further reduces: [ˈfaɪnəm]. In fast speech, sounds like "findum" as one word.
Mistake: Producing both [d] and [ð] with Spanish weakening.
Why: Spanish has [ð] as allophone.
Fix: The d of "find" elides; "them" reduces heavily to [əm]: [ˈfaɪnəm]. Same pattern as "ask them" [ˈæskəm], "tell them" [ˈtɛləm].
"Find them" showcases the stacking of two reductions: (1) d-elision at the [nd + ð] cluster boundary, and (2) [ð]-elision on the unstressed "them" pronoun. The result is [ˈfaɪnəm] — three characters of pronunciation for four written words worth of syllables. The pattern generalizes: "send them" → [ˈsɛnəm], "tell them" → [ˈtɛləm], "give them" → [ˈɡɪvəm], "ask them" → [ˈæskəm], "get them" → [ˈɡɛɾəm]. All illustrate the systematic [ð]-elision on unstressed "them" (parallel to h-elision on unstressed him/her/his/he). Understanding this reduction is one of the highest-return listening improvements — learners who preserve full [ðɛm] often can't recognize the reduced [əm] form in fast speech and mishear the phrase entirely. The imperative use "find them!" (with stress emphasis) reverts closer to the full form because emphasis blocks reduction — a useful contrast for understanding when the reduction fires vs when it doesn't.