Rules of Narrow Transcription

Aspiration

Aspiration [ʰ]

Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ get a puff of air when they are at the beginning of a stressed syllable or if they are word initial

Examples: pip [pʰɪp], test [tʰɛst], kick [kʰɪk].

Not after /s/ (spin [spɪn]).

Unaspiration

Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ have no aspiration when they follow /s/.

Examples: spew, stew, skew.

Devoiced voiced obstruents [̥]

Sounds written as voiced (/b, d, g, v, ð, z, ʒ/) are only partly voiced (or completely voiceless) Especially utterance-initially, at the end of an utterance or before a voiceless sound.

Examples: improve (the /v/), add two (the /d/).

Devoiced approximants [̥]

Approximants /w, r, j, l/ become (partly) voiceless after syllable-initial /p, t, k/ Right after a word-initial or stressed-syllable-initial voiceless stop (pray [pɹ̥eɪ], play [pɫ̥eɪ]).

Examples: play [pɫ̥eɪ], twin [tw̥ɪn], cue [kj̥u].

Unreleased stops [̚]

Stops are not exploded (no release burst) when they come before another stop. (oral/nasal)

Examples: apt [æp̚t], rubbed [rʌb̚d].

Glottal stop accompaniment [ʔ] or [ˀ]

In many accents, syllable-final /p, t, k/ are produced with a simultaneous glottal stop.

Examples: tip [tɪʔp], pit [pɪʔt], kick [kɪʔk].

Glottal stop replacement [ʔ]

/t/ is often completely replaced by a glottal stop before an alveolar nasal in the same word.

Example: beaten [ˈbiʔn̩].

Syllabic nasals [̩]

Nasals become syllabic (act as a vowel) at the end of a word when right after an obstruent.

Examples: leaden [ˈlɛdn̩], chasm [ˈkæzm̩].

Syllabic liquids [̩]

Liquids /l, r/ become syllabic at the end of a word when right after a consonant.

Examples: paddle [ˈpædl̩], hammer [ˈhæmɹ̩], tailor [ˈteɪlɹ̩].

Flapping / Tapping [ɾ]

Alveolar stops /t, d/ (and sometimes /nt/) become a quick voiced tap between two vowels when the second vowel is unstressed.

Examples: fatty [ˈfæɾi], data [ˈdeɪɾə], winter ≈ winner.

Dentalization [̪]

Alveolar consonants become dental when they come before a dental consonant (/θ, ð/).

Examples: eighth [eɪt̪θ], tenth [tɛn̪θ], wealth [wɛl̪θ], at this [æt̪ ðɪs].

Longer voiceless obstruents

Voiceless obstruents are longer than their voiced counterparts at the end of a syllable.

Examples: cap is longer than cab; back is longer than bag.

Any consonant is longer when it is at the very end of a phrase.

Vowel length – basic rule

A vowel is longest in an open syllable (no consonant after it), medium length before a voiced consonant, and shortest before a voiceless consonant.

Examples: sea (longest) > seed > seat (shortest)

Same pattern: sigh > side > site

Vowel length – stress effect

Vowels are longer in stressed syllables than in unstressed syllables (everything else being equal).

Example: the [oʊ] in below (stressed) is longer than the [oʊ] in billow (unstressed).

Vowel length – number of syllables

Vowels are longest in one-syllable words, shorter in two-syllable words, and shortest in words with three or more syllables.

Example: speed > speedy > speedily

Voiceless reduced vowels

A reduced (unstressed) vowel can become voiceless after a voiceless stop (and often before another voiceless stop).

Examples: potato, catastrophe, permission, tomato (the schwa can be whispered or almost silent).

Vowel nasalization [̃]

Vowels become nasalized when the syllable is closed by a nasal consonant.

Examples: man [mæ̃n], sing [sɪ̃ŋ], home [hoʊ̃m]

(The velum lowers early, so air flows through the nose during the vowel.)

Vowel retraction before dark /l/ [ɫ]

Front vowels (and some others) become noticeably retracted (pulled backward) before a syllable-final dark /l/.

Examples:

• heed vs. heel

• paid vs. pail

• pad vs. pal

In narrow transcription this can look like: peel [pʰiəɫ], pail [pʰeəɫ], pal [pʰæəɫ].

Syllable

Simple ways to detect / count syllables

1. Clap or tap method
   Say the word slowly and clap once for each vowel sound you hear.
   Examples:

   • cat → 1 clap

   • happy → 2 claps (ha-ppy)

   • banana → 3 claps (ba-na-na)

2. Chin method
   Put your hand under your chin and say the word. Each time your chin drops, it is usually a new syllable.

3. Vowel method
   Count the number of vowel sounds (not vowel letters).

   • boat has 1 vowel sound → 1 syllable

   • beautiful has 3 vowel sounds → 3 syllables

4. Syllabic consonants
   Sometimes a consonant (especially /n/, /l/, or /r/) acts as a syllable by itself (no clear vowel).
   Examples:

   • button → 2 syllables [ˈbʌʔn̩]

   • bottle → 2 syllables [ˈbɑɾɫ̩]

   • rhythm → 2 syllables [ˈɹɪðm̩]