I have noticed that some people pronounce the phrase "How are you?" with stress on the second word--"How are ya?"--and some with stress on the third--"Hower you?" I am speaking of instances in which one is addressing the phrase to someone who has not already addressed the same phrase to oneself; if one is replying to someone who has done that, almost everyone will put the stress on the "you."
I suspect that the variation in the frequency of the use of the one or the other phrase varies not just according to the individual or the whim of the moment but also according to region. Where I grew up, in Seattle, it seemed to me that the emphasis was almost always placed on "you"; but having lived in the northeastern US, I have the impression that here it is more often placed on "are." I have also noticed that the Irish actors in the television series Father Ted always place the stress on the "are," which makes me wonder if that habit in certain regions of the US has any correspondence with historical centers of Irish immigration.
So I ask two questions: (1) When initially saying "How are you?" to someone (i.e., NOT using it in reply to someone who has addressed the phrase to you), do you usually (or always) place the stress on "are," on "you," or with pretty much equal frequency on the one or the other? And (2), assuming that you grew up speaking English, where did you grow up?
If you speak English as a foreign language, then in place of question (2) just explain how or from whom or on what model (e.g., American, British, etc.) you learned English.
I suspect that the variation in the frequency of the use of the one or the other phrase varies not just according to the individual or the whim of the moment but also according to region. Where I grew up, in Seattle, it seemed to me that the emphasis was almost always placed on "you"; but having lived in the northeastern US, I have the impression that here it is more often placed on "are." I have also noticed that the Irish actors in the television series Father Ted always place the stress on the "are," which makes me wonder if that habit in certain regions of the US has any correspondence with historical centers of Irish immigration.
So I ask two questions: (1) When initially saying "How are you?" to someone (i.e., NOT using it in reply to someone who has addressed the phrase to you), do you usually (or always) place the stress on "are," on "you," or with pretty much equal frequency on the one or the other? And (2), assuming that you grew up speaking English, where did you grow up?
If you speak English as a foreign language, then in place of question (2) just explain how or from whom or on what model (e.g., American, British, etc.) you learned English.