Phonetic Phonology (copy)

What is a Phoneme

The smallest unit of a language that distinguishes meaning

What does ‘RP’ refer to?

Received pronunciation

SESP?

Southern England Standard Pronunciation

What are the three weak vowels?

[i], [u], [ə]

What are the short vowels?

/ɪ, ʊ, ɛ, ə, æ, ʌ, ɒ/

What are the strong vowels?

/i:, u: ɜ:, ɑ: ɔ:/

What is a syllabic consonant?

When a syllable contains no vowel but consists entirely of consonants.

Stress is two syllables before suffix

[-cy, -ty, -phy, -al]

Stress is on the syllable directly before the suffix

[-tion, -sion, -ial, -ic, -ious, -ity, -ian]

Stress is on the suffix itself

[-ade, -eer, -ese]

What are the diphtongs in RP?

/əʊ, aʊ, ɪə, eə, ʊə, eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ/

She

weak /ʃi/

strong /ʃiː/

He

weak /hi/

strong /hi:/

We

weak /wi/

strong /wi:/

You

weak /ju/ /jə/

strong /ju:/

Her

weak /hə, ə/

strong /hɜː/

Us

weak /əs/

strong /ʌs/

Them

weak /ðəm/

strong /ðɛm/

That (as a relative pronoun)

weak /ðət/

strong /ðæt/

The

weak /ðə, ði/

strong /ðiː/

a / an

weak /ə/, /ən/

strong /eɪ/, /æn/

but

weak /bət/

strong /bʌt/

and

weak /ənd, ən, n/

strong /ænd/

at

weak /ət/

strong /æt/

for

weak /fə/

strong /fɔː/

from

weak /frəm/

strong /frɒm/

of

weak /əv/

strong /ɒv/

to

weak /tə, tu/

strong /tuː/

can could

weak /kən/, /kəd/

strong /kæn/, /kʊd/

have, has, had

weak /həv/, /həz/, /həd

strong /hæv/, /hæz/, /hæd/

do, does

weak /du, dʊ, də/, /dəz, dz/

strong /duː/, /dʌz/

am, are

weak /əm/, /ə/

strong /æm/, /ɑː/

was, were

weak /wəz/, /wə/

strong /wɒz/, /wɜː/

{D} morpheme /t/

after voiceless consonants except /t/

{D} morpheme /d/

after vowels and voiced consonants except /d/

{D} morpheme /ɪd/

after /t, d/

{S} morpheme /z/

after vowels and voiced consonants except /z, ʒ, dʒ/

{S} morpheme /s/

after voiceless consonants except /s, ʃ, tʃ/

{S} morpheme /ɪz/

after /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ/

Strong form:

• At the end of a sentence

• For contrast between two words

• For stress for the purpose of emphasis

• When the weak-form word is cited/quoted

T-Voicing

→ /t/ is transcribed as a voiced sound = /t̬/

/t̬/ occurs after a vowel in a stressed syllable and before another vowel: /ˈbʌt̬ər/

Rhotic Variety

AmE pronounces <r> after vowels in word-final position as well as before consonants

AmE feature /j/

No /j/ after /t, d, n/

• /ˈtuːzdeɪ/

• /nuː/

• /duː/

Vowels Compared BrE and AmE

BrE /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ | /ɑː/ | /ɜː/ | closing and centring diphthongs | /əʊ/ |

AmE /ɑː/ and /ɔː/ | If BrE /ɑː/ is followed by a voiceless fricative, then AmE /æ/ | /ɝː/ | only closing diphthongs | /oʊ/

Changes in stress BrE

adult /ˈædʌlt/ (AmE /əˈdʌlt/)

address /əˈdrɛs/ (AmE /ˈædrɛs/)

Auslautverhärtung (final obstruent devoicing)

voiced plosives, fricatives, affricates in word-final/syllable-final position are pronounced voiceless

German English

• /ɛ/ and /æ/ can be confused

• /oː/ might be used instead of /əʊ/

• /eː/ might be used instead of /eɪ, eə/

• /ʃ/ might be used instead of /ʒ/

• /tʃ/ might be used instead of /dʒ/

• /b, d, g, v, z, ʒ, dʒ/ replaced with voiceless version

• /s, z/ might be used instead of /θ, ð/

• /v/ and /w/ can be confused

Liaison

A link between sounds or words through the insertion of an additional sound, again usually for ease of pronunciation

Linking r

• r-sound appears in the spelling as letter <r> after centring diphthongs, /ə/, /ɑː/, /ɜː/

• Link between words through the articulation of a word-final /r/

• Articulated when preceded by a vowel in the same word, and followed by an initial vowel in the next word

• Is only a feature of non-rhotic varieties

Instrusive r

• No letter <r> in spelling

• r-sound used between words when no <r> is found in the spelling and the final vowel is /ə/ or /ɔː/ and the next word begins with a vowel

• Is attached to the preceding word

Instrusive j

• No letter <j> in spelling

• Can occur if a word ends with either of the following vowels: /i, iː, eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ/

• Is attached to the preceding word

Instrusive w

• Can occur if a word ends with either of the following vowels: /u, uː, aʊ, əʊ/; this is also possible within a word

• Is attached to the preceding word

Regressive Assimilation

• A consonant sound occurring at the end of a word effects the realization of the consonant sound occurring at the beginning of the following word

• Assimilation to place of articulation (not manner of articulation or voicing)

• Typically /t, d, n, s, z/ at the end of a word are affected

• Not indicated in Broad Phonetic Transcription

Progressive Assimilation

• Consonant sounds at the end of words are affected → allomorphs

• Assimilation to voicing (not place or manner of articulation)

• Is indicated in Broad phonetic transcription

Coalescence

• Merging of two phonemes to form a single new one

• Not indicated in Broad Phonetic Transcription

• /t, s/ + /j/ → /tʃ, ʃ/

• /d, z/ + /j/ → /dʒ, ʒ/

Distinction between strong and weak syllables

• All strong syllables have the characteristics of prominence in common (i.e. strong syllables are more prominent than unstressed syllables) four main factors:

  • loudness

  • length

  • pitch

  • quality

• Only strong syllables can be stressed

Syllable weight Strong

• everything except /ə, i, u/

• ɪ, ɛ æ ʌ ɒ ɑ

• Long vowels or diphthongs with our without coda

Syllable weight weak

• /ə, i, u/ as the peak and no coda

• /ə/ as the peak and a coda

Unstressed [u]

• Within a word before another vowel

• In unstressed words

Unstressed [i]

• In word-final position when the word is spelled with a finaly <y> or <ey>

• In morpheme-final prosition when the morpheme is spelled with a final <y> or <ey>

• In unstressed prefixes like re- de- pre- (when followed by a vowel)

• In suffixes spelt < -iate> < -ious> or < -ial> when they have/are pronoucned as two syllables

• In unstressed function words.

Suffixes

• the suffixes -tion and -ssion are pronounced as /ʃən/

• the suffixes -cial and -tial with /-ʃəl/

• the suffixes -cious and -xious as /-ʃəs/

Verb Noun Stress

Verb stress: to /prə’tɛst/

Noun stress: the /’prəʊtɛst/