Tales from the Sausage Factory

ði ˈævrɪʤ ˈpiː ˈeɪʧ ˈdiː ˈθiːsɪs | ɪz ˈnʌθɪŋ bət ə ˈtrænsfɜːr əv ˈbəʊnz | frəm ˈwʌŋ ˈɡreɪvjɑːd | tu əˈnʌðə

Key at bottom of page.

Commentary

the: The symbol i represents the same vowel phoneme as the symbol iː. We use i in unstressed syllables and iː in stressed syllables. This distinction isn't very helpful for TEFL purposes and learners should simply treat the two symbols as the same. Because we are using two different symbols for one phoneme, this means our transcription isn't truly phonemic (phonemic transcription = one symbol for each phoneme).

average: When schwa /ə/ is followed by /r/ and then an unstressed syllable, the schwa /ə/ is often elided. Memory /ˈmeməri/ becomes /ˈmemri/, separate (adj.) /ˈsepərət/ becomes /ˈseprət/, etc. In the case of average, the word is so common that for most people /ˈævrɪʤ/ is probably the form they have in their mental lexicon and the form /ˈævərɪʤ/, if they occasionally use it, is caused by the influence of the spelling.

aitch: Many people pronounce this word /heɪʧ/. This variant appears to have arisen through the belief that the name of a letter should contain the sound it is most usually associated with.

but: When unstressed, as it usually is, the conjunction but has the weak form /bət/.

a: When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.

transfer: This word can also be pronunced /ˈtrɑːnsfɜː/.

When a word ends in /ɜː/ and is immediately followed (without a pause) by a word beginning with a vowel, the consonant /r/ is inserted between the vowels. This process is known as /r/-liaison and also occurs after /ɑː ɔː ə eə ɪə ʊə/.

ofː When unstressed, as it usually is, of has the weak form /əv/. When a consonant immediately follows in the next word, of can have the form /ə/. This is particularly common before /ð/ (e.g. of the, of those, of them, of this, of that) and in high-frequency phrases (e.g. a cup of tea, a bunch of grapes).

bones: Plural s has three pronunciations depending on the sound at the end of the noun:

•          /ɪz/ after /s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ/
•          /s/ after the remaining voiceless consonants
•          /z/ after vowels and the remaining voiced consonants.

The same pattern applies to third person singular s, possessive s and the contraction of is.

from: When unstressed, as it usually is, from has the weak form /frəm/.

one: The final consonant of one undergoes assimilation, changing from /n/ to /ŋ/ because the immediately following word begins with /ɡ/. The consonant /n/ is a voiced alveolar nasal and /ŋ/ is a voiced velar nasal. The change from /n/ to /ŋ/ is a change of place of articulation (not of voicing or of manner of articulation). The place of articulation of the nasal changes to velar  because the following consonant is velar (/ɡ/ = a voiced velar plosive). It is usual for /n/ to change its place of articulation to that of an immediately following consonant, becoming /ŋ/ before velar consonants (/k/ or /ɡ/) or /m/ before bilabial consonants (/p b m/).

to: The symbol u represents the same vowel phoneme as the symbol uː. We use u in unstressed syllables and uː in stressed syllables. This distinction isn't very helpful for TEFL purposes and learners should simply treat the two symbols as the same. Because we are using two different symbols for one phoneme, this means our transcription isn't truly phonemic (phonemic transcription = one symbol for each phoneme).

The average PhD thesis is nothing but a transfer of bones from one graveyard to another.