in the syllable preceding the stress weak or strong...

LLCM20AN English Phonetics

Week 5: Weak syllables (continued), some more

spelling-pronunciation rules

T. Kamiyama, Université de Marne-la-Vallée

2007-2008

3. Weak or strong vowel?

Unstressed syllables with strong

vowels

3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 3

Weak or strong vowel?

• Not all unstressed syllables have weak

vowels: there are some unstressed syllables

with strong vowels.


In the syllable preceding the stress

• Usually unstressed (o!Oo…).

• Strong vowel before two consonants:

‘Albania’ /æl!be"ni#/, ‘umbrella’ /$m!brel#/,

‘dogmatic’ /d%&!mæt"k/, ‘fragmental’ /fræ&!mentl '/

• Weak vowel before one consonant:

‘America’ /#!mer"k#/, ‘dramatic’ /dr#!mæt"k/,

‘parade’ /p#!re"d/, ‘necessity’ /n#!ses"ti/, ‘majestic’

/m#!d(est"k/, ‘solidity’ /s#!l"d#ti/,


In the syllable preceding the stress

• Usually unstressed (o!Oo…).

• Strong vowel before two consonants:

• Weak vowel before one consonant:

• Exceptions:

‘admit’ /#d!m"t/, ‘concise’ /k#n!sa"s/ (inseparableprefixes)

• Exceptions to these exceptions:

‘outstanding’ /a)t!stænd"*/, ‘translate’ /trænz!le"t/(digraph) (two consonants)


In unstressed syllables between

stresses (secondary and primary)

• Unstressed (-Oo!Oo…).

• Weak vowel even before two consonants:

‘volunteer’ /-v%l#n!t"#/, ‘characteristic’

/-kær#kt#!rst"k/, (‘information’ /-"nf#!me".n ''/)


Further weakening of weak syllables

• In some words, a word-medial weak syllablehas entirely disappeared:

‘business’ /!b"zn#s/, ‘colonel’ /!k+,nl '/

• or may disappear:

‘comfortable’ /!k$mft#bl '/ or /!k$mf#t#bl '/,‘generous’ /!d(enr#s/ or /!d(en#r#s/,

‘interest’ /!"ntr#st/ or /!"nt#rest/,

‘family’ /!fæmli/ or /!fæm#li/,‘deliberate’ (adj.) /d"!l"br#t/ or /d"!l"b#r#t/.

4. Weak vowels in some suffixes


Weak vowels in some suffixes

Dauer (1993) 3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 10


Dauer (1993)



Dauer (1993)

LLCM20AN English Phonetics

Class 4: Some more spelling-pronunciation rules

for stressed syllables in polysyllabic words

Vowel letters

• <a>

• <e>

• , <y>

• <o>

• 

1. Basic ‘long’ and ‘short’

pronunciations of vowels letters

in monosyllabic words (revision)


‘Long’ and ‘short’ pronunciations

• ‘Long’ < />, as the

name of the letter.

• <a/> /e"/• <e/> /i,/• <i0, y/> /a"/• <o/> /#)/

• /(j)u,/

• ‘Short’ < 1>

• <a1> /æ/

• <e1> /e/

• <i2, y1> /"/• <o1> /%/

• <u1> /$/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 16

 /ju,/ or /u,/?• Basically,

• /u,/ after /r/ /l/ /./ /t./ /d(/

• /ju,/ in all the other cases.

• (but /su,t/ is becoming dominant)

• (cf. value /!vælju,/)

‘Long’ < /> word-finally

• (<a!> /e"/ as in <a/> /a"/)– /#$/ as in <spa> /sp3,/, <bra> /br3,/

• <e!> /i$/ as in <me/> /mi,/• <i%, y!> /a"/ as in <hi0> /ha"/, <cry/> /ka"/• <o!> /&'/ as in <so/> /s#)/, <&o/> /&#)/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <flu/> /flu,/, <Peru/> /p#!ru,/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 18

‘Long’ < /> word-finally with a final

‘silent’ <e>

• <i%, y!> /a"/ as in <pi 0e> /pa"/, <ry/e> /ra"/• <o!> /&'/ as in <to/e> /t#)/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <cu/e> /kju,/


‘Short’ < 1> when followed by one or

more word-final consonant letter(s)

• <a(> /æ/ as in <ha1t> /hæt/

• <e(> /e/ as in <pe 1t> /pet/

• <i), y(> /"/ as in <ki 2t> /k"t/, <&y 1m> /d("m/

• <o(> /*/ as in <ho1p> /h%p/

• <u(> /+/ as in <cu1t> /k$t/


 /)/ in some very common words

• /'/ as in <put> /p)t/,

<push> /p)./, <pull> /p)ll/,

<full> /f)l/, <bull> /b)l/,

<bush> /b)./

‘Long’ < /> when followed by a

consonant letter + word-final ‘silent’

<e>

• <a!> /e"/ as in <ha/te> /he"t/

• <e!> /i$/ as in <Pe/te> /pi,t/

• <i%, y!> /a"/ as in <ki0te> /ka"t/, <ty/pe> /ta"p/

• <o!> /&'/ as in <ho/pe> /h#)p/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <cu/te> /kju,t/


But not in some very common words,

many ending in <-ve>, <-me>, <-ne>

• <a(> /æ/ as in <ha1ve> /hæv/

• <i)> /a"/ as in <li 2ve> /l"v/ (cf. <li 0ve> adj.)

• <o(> /*/ as in <&o1ne> /&%n/

• <o> /+/: <some>, <above>, <come>, <none>

• <o> /u$/: <move>

2. ‘Long’ and ‘short’ pronunciations

of vowels letters in polysyllabic

words 1:

word-final stressed syllable


2.1. ‘Long’ < /> in <VCe>: vowel letter

followed by one consonant and a slient <e>

• <a!> /e"/ as in <deba!te>, <para !de>

• <e!> /i$/ as in <extre !me>, <comple !te>

• <i%, y!> /a"/ as in <advi %ce>, <poli%te>

• <o!> /&'/ as in <remo !te>, <provo !ke>

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <amu!se>, <produ!ce>

• N.B. This is often the case in unstressedsyllables.

• <a!> /e"/ as in <fema !le> /!fi,me"l/• <e!> /i$/ as in <concre !te> (n.) /!k%*kri,t/• <i%, y!> /a"/ as in <paradi%se> /!pær#da"s/

• <o!> /&'/ as in <anecdo !te> /!æn"kd#)t/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <attitu!de> /!æt"tju,d/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 26



• Exceptions:

• <a> /#$/ as in <promenade>, <façade>

• /i$/ as in <machine>, <magazine>,

<routine>, <sardine>, <police>, <presti&e>,

<fati&ue>, <unique>, <technique>, etc.

• <o> /+/ as in <come>, <some>, <done>, …

• <o> /u$/ as in <prove>, <improve>, …


‘Long’ < /> when followed by one

consonant letter + suffixes <ing> <ed>

<es> <er> <est>

• <a!> /e"/ as in <la/ter> /!le"t#/, <la /test> /!le"t"st/• <e!> /i$/ as in <dele /tes> /d"!li,ts/, <dele /ted>

/d"!li,t"d/, <dele /tin&> /d"!li,t"*/

• <i%> /a"/ as in <ki /tes> /!ka"ts/

• <o!> /&'/ as in <ho/pes> /!h#)ps/, <ho/ped>

/!h#)pt/, <ho/pin&> /!h#)p"*/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <produ /cer> /pr#!dju,s#/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 28


consonant letter + suffixes <ing> <ed>

<es> <er> <est>• <ar !> /e&/ as in <ca/res> /ke#z/, <ca/red> /ke#d/,

<ca/rin&> /!ke#r"*/

• <er !> /"&/

• <ir !> /a"&/ as in <hir /es> /!ha"#z/, <hir /ed> /!ha"#d/,

<hir /in&> /!ha"#r"*/

• <or !> /,$/ as in <bor /es> /b4,z/, <bor /ed> /b4,d/,

<bor /in&> /!b4,r"*/

• <ur !> /(j)'&/ /(j),$/ as in <cur/in&> /!kj)#r"*/ /!kj4,r"*/

consonant letter + word-final <y>

• <a!> /e"/ as in <la/dy> /!le"di/

• <e!> /i$/ as in <Ely> /i,li/

• <i%> /a"/ as in <ti 0ny> /!ta"ni/

• <o!> /&'/ as in <co/zy> /!k#)zi/

• <u!> /(j)u$/ as in <du /ty> /!dju,ti/

• N.B. <stu 1dy> /!st$di/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 30

2.2. ‘Short’ < 1> in <VC>: vowel letter

followed by one ore more consonants

• <a(> /æ/ as in <cana (l>, <ada (pt>, <atta (ck>

• <e(> /e/ as in <atte(mpt>, <corre(ct>

• <i(, y(> /"/ as in <admi(t>, <disti(nct>

• <o (> /*/ as in <ado(pt>

• <u(> /+/ as in <abru(pt>, <distru(st>


‘Short’ < 1> when followed by two

consonant letters (or more) + suffixes

<ing> <ed> <es> <er> <est>

• <a(> /æ/ as in <fa 1tter> /!fæt#/, <fa 1ttest> /!fæt"st/• <e(> /e/ as in <fe 1tches> /!fet."z/, <fe 1tched>

/!fet.t/, <fe 1tchin&> /!fet."*/

• <i)> /"/ as in <bi 2&&er> /!b"&#/, <bi1&&est> /!b"&"st/• <o(> /*/ as in <ho1pped> /h%pt/, <ho1ppin&>

/!h%p"*/

• <u(> /+/ as in <cu1tter> /!k$t#/, <cu1ttin&> /!k$t"*/3/03/2008 T. Kamiyama LLCM20AN English Phonetics 2007-2008 Week 5 32

‘Short’ < 1> when followed by two

consonant letters (or more) + suffixes

<ing> <ed> <es> <er> <est>• <ar (> /#$/ as in <har 1der> /!h3,d#/, <har 1dest> /!h3,d"st/• <er (> /-$/ as in <er1red> /+,d/, <er 1rin&> /!+,r"*/

• <ir )> /-$/ as in <stir 2red> /st+,d/, <stir1rin&> /!st+,r"*/

•

• <ur (> /-$/ as in <occur1red> /#!k+,d/, <occur1rin&>

/#!k+,r"*/

• N.B. <u(> /+/ in <hu1rry> /!h$ri/

2.3. ‘Short’ < 1> in <VCCe>: vowel

letter followed by two consonants and a

silent <e>

• <a(> /æ/ as in <ba (d&e>, <expa (nse>

• <e(> /e/ as in <se(nse>, <twe(lve>

• <i(, y(> /"/ as in <bri (d&e>, <ecli (pse>

• <o (> /*/ as in <respo (nse>, <invo(lve>

• <u(> /+/ as in <pu(lse>, <convu(lse>


2.3. ‘Short’ < 1> in <VCCe>: vowel

letter followed by two consonants and a

silent <e>

• Exceptions:

• <a!> /e"/ as in <ra!n&e>, <stra !n&e> (<-

ange>), <ha!ste>, <ta!ste> (<-aste>)

in the syllable preceding the stress weak or strong...

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