One of the hot topics last week on the vastavox listserv was the intrusive “SH” sound that is finding its way into the “str” consonant cluster. For example, a word like street is now often pronounced as “SHtreet.” Other words like “straight”, “strut” and “question” were highlighted as having the intrusive “SH” sound as well. This phenomenon is being observed mostly in younger speakers in North America, but is considered a growing trend.
Naturally there were strong opinions about how the voice trainer should best approach this new trend in speech. A consensus was formed that no one should be criticized for including this sound in their speech, but it is important that one know whether or not they are creating this sound naturally, especially actors. Furthermore, when it comes to character development, choosing to use or not to use the intrusive “SH” should be a choice and not left to chance.
What do you say, Street or SHtreet?