Segmental rules

Segmental rules

Segmental rules govern how individual speech sounds (segments = consonants and vowels) behave in specific linguistic environments

R-dropping

/r/ must be dropped in all non-prevocalic environments (in British English)

R-insertion

1. word-final R is pronounced when the immediately following word begins with a vowel

2. this r is in prevocalic position, serving as a link between the two words (linking R)

3. Intrusive R - speakers of British English often insert an /r/ even when the word doesn’t end in the letter R

Breaking

1. Breaking (pre-R-breaking) only affects tense vowels.

• Plain - tense never stand before R and broken tense always stand before R = they are in complementary distribution

• It is a phonological process where a single vowel splits into a diphthong or triphthong—often acquiring a glide (like /j/ or /w/) or an extra vowel sound

• Does not happen in American English

Broadening

1. It is a phonological process where a vowel lengthening, it becomes more open in certain phonetic environments

2. the length of the broad vowel compensates for the loss of the r – compensatory lengthening

3. It typically affects lax vowels

4. Operation is blocked:

• The Carrot rule - broadening doesn’t apply if the stressed lax vowel is followed by double r which is followed by a pronounced vowel within the word

5. It even works without R sometimes (ask, palm, banana)

Yod-dropping

1. It is a phonological phenomenon in which the /j/ sound is omitted in certain consonant clusters

2. obligatory yod dropping: must take place after palatals (/ʧ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ/), after /r/, and after consonant + /l/

3. optional yod dropping: may take place after “lone /l/”, so an /l/ that is nor preceded by a consonant, and after /s, z/ - widespread in the present day British English

Vowel Shift

1. It is a systematic change in the pronunciation of vowel sounds in a language over time, often affecting multiple vowels in a chain reaction

2. It can be either historical or dialectal

Structure Dependence

1. A fundamental principle in syntax and morphology stating that grammatical rules (e.g., affixation, movement) operate on hierarchical structures (phrases, clauses) rather than linear sequences of words

2. Rules are sensitive to syntactic categories (e.g., nouns, verbs) and phrase boundaries, not just word order

Strong and Weak affixes

1. Strong- boundary affixes:

• Create a clear break between the affix and root

• Often stress-neutral (do not shift word stress)

• Attach to whole words (not stems)

2. Weak-boundary affixes:

• Merge closely with the root, often altering its phonology

• May trigger stress shifts or sound changes

• Attach to stems (not always independent words)

• Cause vowel alternation