Hi Vickii

Doubt is very much alive in a native speaker�s vocabulary. (in more ways than one J)

It�s not used with an article through. Except in one instance that I can think of and that is, to give somebody the benefit of the doubt in a discussion where there isn�t conclusive or convincing fact or certainty. So if you have a doubt you would say �I�m doubtful.� (I think)

It�s usually used as follows.

Disbelieving or uncertain;          I doubt that.

Undecided;       I doubt if��.

To feel sure of something is to have no doubt

For a certainty one could say without doubt. If you believed something wholeheartedly it would be without a shadow of doubt.

And uncertainty ��..I doubt whether�.  I don�t doubt that he is a good athlete but I do doubt whether he can win gold. (or) Without doubt he is a good athlete but I doubt whether he can win gold.

Very long winded, sorry.

I believe it came from the old French word duter and or the Latin word dubitare.

As for remembering the pronunciation of island, sorry no idea.

I teach (conversational) in China and here we have Chinglish. For things like �I wish you happy every day. Six is sex three is tree or free vegetable is wegetable and not pronouncing the last letter of a word, especially hard sounds. Quite lovely although hard on the ear.