The pronunciation of can and could

1) Any singular subject other than I or you is third person singular. This includes he, she, and it.

2) Am Eng. Strong: I CAN go. Just stress the word. (Make it louder and longer.)

--- Did you say you can't go?
--- No. I said I CAN go.

Weak: I kin go. (I k'n go.) Pass over the word quickly, stressing the next word more.

3) I don't know British English enough to comment.

4) In this particular case, the meaning of "can have gone" is essentially "has gone". "I don't know where she has gone." The specific wording used here does not change the basic meaning very much. It adds the idea that the speaker is puzzled by the fact of her absence. It can be paraphrased by "I have no idea where she has gone.", "I cannot think of a place where she might have gone." In American English "can have" is not used as much as "could have". "... where she could have gone." is heard more often in the U.S.

In the example given, "could have killed" says that the potential for killing her was present in the situation under consideration. One possible outcome of the situation was her death (because of 'your' actions). The implication is that, although such an outcome was possible, this outcome did not actually occur.

I'm just bookmarking because I'm interested in how languages work. Carry on.

3)When spoken by an American, the a in "can't" sounds much the same as "can". When spoken by an English person the a is longer like the a in "palm" or "harm". It's sort of an 'ah' sound.

That's a pretty damn clear picture you just painted, fortune.

Good job.

Um, thanks Gus!

After thinking hard for a minute or two, other than some very slight idiomatic difference in inflection, I can't think of anything that really separates the English and American pronunciations of "couldn't".

Maybe someone knows better than me?

Let me try, fortune.

With Americans , it has the "wood", sound, such as the following sentence...

I couldn't eat another bite of that friggin' hamburger.

With the English, the sound is more like "cud", such as the following sentence....

I really couldn't believe we weren't invited in for a spot of tea and a biscuit or two

Very descriptive, Gus. How dare they refuse to invite you in for tea and bisuits! Speaking of which, now I want some tea...

Ok,I would go for the American accent.After all,that what I have learnt since childhood.Okie dokie