Why do people write "Hellooo" instead of "Heeello" to show a prolonged sound?

Question

I'm not a native English speaker, so I don't know what to search for on Google and similar. In chats I often read words like 'helloooo', or 'sureeee'. And as I understood it, it's meant to mimic the sound of the spoken prolonging of the word. But I always wonder why people don't write it like: 'suuuure' or 'heeello', as this at least is how it sounds to me. Is it a personal matter of habit? And if so, why is it that most people seem to use the first form?

Answer 1

Hellooooo there! You're right: those spellings are meant to mimic the spoken prolonging of words. You wouldn't write "Hellllllllo" or "Heeeeeeello" because the end of the word, that "o" sound, is what lingers. It's hard to explain, as a lot of it just comes with practice. Try hearing the word in your head as you write it and paying attention to where your voice lingers. I wouldn't worry about it too much, though! Even if you do use a less common version, people will probably understand what you mean.