This is a doghouse/dark house

[anhnha]

I am having problem transcribing the sentence in the attached file.

The correct answer is "This is a doghouse". However, I am really confused between #1 and #2.

1. This is a doghouse.
2. This is a dark house.

Is there a way (relating to pronunciation) to know that it is "dog" not "dark" in the sentence? Thanks!

View attachment This is a dog house.mp3

Link: https://soundcloud.com/anh-80/this-is-a-doghouse

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is "dog" because that is what it sounds like.

 

[Untaught88]

I think "dog house".

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello, Mike.

How would you pronounce/read the following sentences?

1. This is the White House.
2. This is a white house.

I suspect there might be some difference in stress pattern/intonation.

 

[anhnha]

Thank you for the replies!
I am more familiar with AmE than BrE and as Piscean said the vowels are the same to me. Also, I don't have problem identifying these words when they are pronounced separately in dictionaries.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, there is a difference. In "White House" the stress is on "White". In "white house" the stress is on "house".

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't agree that the vowels in "dog" and "dark" are the same in AmE.

 

[MikeNewYork]

For me, the vowel in "dog" is closer to the vowel in "dork" than the vowel in "dark".