Stressed /ðɛm/ — often used for emphasis or to distinguish use from mention.
Unstressed /ðəm/ — used in most situations in free variation with 'em /əm/.
(Note: 'em etymologically derives from MidEN hem, not them, but is today often treated as a form of them.)
I feel like I use 'em more often in casual speech and them in more formal or careful speech, though both forms might appear in either register in varying proportions. The rules of when I might favor the one or the other are inconsistent, I feel, though I think it has a bit to do with clarity (i.e. avoiding 'em instead of them, when 'em might be mistaken for him); and ease of articulation.
7 Comments
DoYouNot@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
A and C, but entirely dependent on context.
AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
Gimme them taters. I'll fry 'em up real good!
averagedrunk@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y
C sometimes, but other times it's closer to the- UHm.
teraflopsweat@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y
I use all 3 depending on the context
Erika2rsis@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 2y
All three.
Stressed /ðɛm/ — often used for emphasis or to distinguish use from mention.
Unstressed /ðəm/ — used in most situations in free variation with 'em /əm/.
(Note: 'em etymologically derives from MidEN hem, not them, but is today often treated as a form of them.)
I feel like I use 'em more often in casual speech and them in more formal or careful speech, though both forms might appear in either register in varying proportions. The rules of when I might favor the one or the other are inconsistent, I feel, though I think it has a bit to do with clarity (i.e. avoiding 'em instead of them, when 'em might be mistaken for him); and ease of articulation.
Crul@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
You can hear examples from native speakers (from different countries) on forvo: https://forvo.com/search/them/en
moistclump@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
Theym