I've been trying to come up with a smart joke about tahlil falastin for some time now, but no luck. Now you've spoiled it.

Gueth I'll have to focuth on Bathar al-Athad's little problem inthtead.

So which is it? In Monty Python terms which one sounds more like Pontius Pilate ("Wewease Wodewick") than Biggus Diccus ("Thimon the Thaduthee thlayer")?

I had that kind of misplonounciation ploblem as a kid. Still have it somehow though the only thing leally noticeable is I speak slightly slowel than avelage. The ploblem is the flenillus, which littelally ties my tongue down. I've nevel been able to plonounce l's the light way in alabic ol spanish, I had to apploximate it with my cheeks lather than loll it with my tongue. Vely common among Asians, less so among meditellaneans.

What I've never understood is the Asian tendency to swap "v" and "w". I could understand if people couldn't pronounce one sound, but I hear phrases such as:

"Ve want to add walue."

And this is from people who speak English as their first language, albeit accented.

Phonetic confusion, doubtless because the W and V are not distinct in the home langauge.

Hmm, haven't heard the one about v's and w's before--although constantly heard about th's and s's and l's and r's. (I suspect we might be talking about different Asia, though....)

In non-North American usage, Asians typically refers to India subcon.

Well, in Britain, sure. In Australia, an Asian is someone from SE Asia. Depends on the relative sizes of the immigrant groups in a particular country, I suppose.