my:
Although my is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
mother: When
a word ends in schwa /ə/ 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 ɜː eə ɪə ʊə/.
says:
The pronunciation of the word says is
a little irregular. While say is
pronounced /seɪ/, says is pronounced
/sez/.
I’m:
When unstressed, as it usually is, and immediately preceded by I, am
has the weak form /m/, which attaches to the preceding I to form the contraction I’m
/aɪm/.
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
don’t:
Although function/grammatical words are generally unstressed in English,
negative contractions such as don’t
(and didn’t, won’t, can’tshouldn’t, etc.) are usually stressed.
Although /t/ isn’t usually elided when
it is preceded by /n/ (e.g. in bent nail
/ˈbent ˈneɪl/, front door /ˈfrʌnt ˈdɔː/),
the negative contractions, because of their high frequency, are an exception
and their final /t/ can be elided before both consonants and vowels (e.g. I couldn’t say /aɪ ˈkʊdn̩ ˈseɪ/. He didn’t ask /hi ˈdɪdn̩ ˈɑːsk/.), but
not before a pause. This is much more common in the case of disyllabic negative
contractions (e.g. didn’t, doesn’t, haven’t, hasn’t, hadn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, etc.). In the case of
monosyllabic negative contractions (won’t,
can’t), elision of /t/ is only usual
in rather casual speech.
The final consonant of don’t undergoes assimilation, changing
from /n/ to /m/ because the immediately following word begins with /m/. The
consonant /n/ is articulated at the alveolar
place of articulation, while /m/ is articulated at the bilabial place of articulation. The change from /n/ to /m/ is a
change of place of articulation (not of voicing or of manner of articulation).
The place of articulation of /n/ changes from alveolar to bilabial because the following
consonant is bilabial (/m/ = a voiced bilabial nasal). 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/).
because:
Although it’s generally true that schwa /ə/ doesn’t occur in unstressed
syllables in the General British accent, there are a small number of words in
which it can be stressed and the most important of these is because. Learners needn’t be concerned
by this because there is always a non-schwa alternative in such words (/-ˈkɒz/
in the case of because) and it will
never be wrong to use it.
Note that the generalisation about schwa
not occurring in stressed syllables relates to the General British accent. In
other accents, most notably General American, there is no phonemic difference
between schwa and the strut vowel,
both of which can be pronounced with a schwa vowel quality in unstressed and
stressed syllables. This is also true of many of the accents of England and
Wales.
to:
When unstressed, as it usually is, to
has the weak form /tə/ when the immediately following word begins with a
consonant. This is true for both the preposition, e.g. Go to hell /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈhel/, and the 'to infinitive', e.g. Go to see /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈsiː/.
her: The personal pronoun her has it’s strong form here because it
is stressed (for contrast).
am: When
an auxiliary verb stands alone to represent a verb phrase, it is stressed and
has its strong form. For example: Will
you carry this home? ~ Yes, I will
/aɪ ˈwɪl/. Can you transcribe whole
sentences phonetically? ~ Yes, I can
/aɪ ˈkæn/.
My mother-in-law says
I’m effeminate. I don’t mind, because compared to her, I am.
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.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
years: The word year also has the less common variant /jɜː/.
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.
that:
When unstressed, as it usually is, that
as a conjunction or relative pronoun has the weak form /ðət/. Note that the
other uses of that do not have weak
forms and are always pronounced /ðæt/: pronoun, I know that. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt/; determiner, I know that man. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt ˈmæn/; adverb, It wasn’t that good. /ɪt ˈwɒzn̩t ˈðæt ˈɡʊd/.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
subtracts: When
/t/ is at the end of a word (more specifically, in a syllable coda) and is
immediately preceded by a consonant (except /l/ and /n/), it is commonly
elided/deleted when another consonant immediately follows (i.e. without a
pause) in another word or in a suffix.
from:
When unstressed, as it usually is, from
has the weak form /frəm/.
her:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the determiner her usually has the weak form /ɜː/, or sometimes /ə/. When her is a
pronoun (e.g. I’ve met her. /aɪv ˈmet ə/), it usually has the weak form /ə/, or
sometimes /ɜː/.
are:
When unstressed, as it usually is, are
has the weak form /ə/.
not: Despite being a
monosyllabic function/grammar word, not
is usually stressed and does not have a weak form (except when it forms
negative contractions like doesn’t, couldn’t, etc.).
they’re: When are forms a contraction with they, the contraction is pronounced /ðeə/,
which is the same pronunciation as the words their and there. In more
casual speech, they’re can be further
reduced to /ðə/.
added: The
regular -ed ending has three
pronunciations:
/ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/
/t/ after all other voiceless consonants
/d/ after vowels and all other voiced
consonants
to:
When unstressed, as it usually is, to
has the weak form /tə/ when the immediately following word begins with a
consonant. This is true for both the preposition, e.g. Go to hell /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈhel/, and the 'to infinitive', e.g. Go to see /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈsiː/.
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).
of:
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).
woman/women:
Note that although there is only one difference of spelling between woman and women, in the pronunciation there are two differences: /ˈwʊmən/ vs.
/ˈwɪmɪn/.
The years that a
woman subtracts from her age are not lost. They’re added to the ages of other
women.
there: When there has
its existential use (e.g. There's a man outside. /ðəz ə ˈmæn
ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/ There's a pen on the table. /ðəz ə ˈpen ɒn ðə ˈteɪbl̩/ There
are too many. /ðər ə ˈtuː ˈmeni/ There were two choices. /ðə
wə ˈtuː ˈʧɔɪsɪz), it is usually unstressed and has the weak form /ðə/.
When a word ends in schwa /ə/ 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 ɜː eə
ɪə ʊə/.
are:
When unstressed, as it usually is, are
has the weak form /ə/.
two:
Numbers are usually stressed and don’t have weak forms.
kinds: When /d/ is at
the end of a word (more specifically, in a syllable coda) and is immediately
preceded by a consonant, it is commonly elided/deleted when another consonant
immediately follows (i.e. without a pause) in another word or, as in this case,
in a suffix.
of:
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).
statistics: 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.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
kind
you:
When a word ends with /d/ and the immediately following word begins with /j/,
the /d/ and the /j/ can combine to form /ʤ/. This is known as coalescent
assimilation. It is most common with the high-frequency words you and your, especially when they occur with grammatical inversion, e.g. couldyou /ˈkʊʤu/, wouldyou /ˈwʊʤu/, didyour /ˈdɪʤɔː/, etc.
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).
look
up/make up: These two phrasal verbs would usually have their
main stress on the word up, but in
this joke the two phrasal verbs are contrasted and so the main stress is put on
the two elements, look and make, that are different and not on up, which is common to both phrasal
verbs.
up: The word up has no weak form.
and: When
unstressed, as it usually is, and has the weak form /ən/ or /ənd/.
Some books say that /ən/ is used before consonants and /ənd/ before vowels, but
this is not true. While both forms can be heard before consonants and vowels, /ən/
is much more common than /ənd/. Learners can safely use only /ən/ for the weak
form of and because it will never be wrong to do so.
There are two kinds
of statistics: the kind you look up and the kind you make up.
what’s:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the word is
can have three different pronunciations, depending on the final sound of the
immediately preceding word:
When the final sound of the preceding
word is /s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ/, then is has
the form /ɪz/, e.g. Chris is well /ˈkrɪs ɪz ˈwel/.
When the final sound of the preceding
word is a voiceless consonants (excluding the consonants listed above), then is has the form /s/ and forms a
contraction with the preceding word, e.g. Jack is well /ˈʤæks ˈwel/.
If the final sound of the preceding word
is voiced (i.e. a vowel or a voiced consonant (excluding the consonants listed
above)), then is has the form /z/ and
forms a contraction with the preceding word, e.g. John is well /ˈʤɒnz ˈwel/.
This is the same pattern as with
possessive s, plural s and the third person singular s.
In its various uses, the word what is usually stressed and has no weak
form.
for:
When unstressed, as it usually is, for
has the weak form /fə/.
When a word ends in schwa /ə/ 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 ɜː eə ɪə ʊə/.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
ɪf ju ˈstiːl frəm ˈwʌn ˈɔːθə | ɪts ˈpleɪʤərɪzm̩ || ɪf ju ˈstiːl frəm ˈmeni | ɪts rɪˈsɜːʧ
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
if:
Although if is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t have a weak
form.
you:
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).
from:
When unstressed, as it usually is, from has the weak form /frəm/.
one:
Numbers are usually stressed and don’t have weak forms.
it’s:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the word is
can have three different pronunciations, depending on the final sound of the
immediately preceding word:
When the final sound of the preceding
word is /s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ/, then is has
the form /ɪz/, e.g. Chris is well
/ˈkrɪs ɪz ˈwel/.
When the final sound of the preceding
word is a voiceless consonants (excluding the consonants listed above), then is has the form /s/ and forms a
contraction with the preceding word, e.g. Jack
is well /ˈʤæks ˈwel/.
If the final sound of the preceding word
is voiced (i.e. a vowel or a voiced consonant (excluding the consonants listed
above)), then is has the form /z/ and
forms a contraction with the preceding word, e.g. John is well /ˈʤɒnz ˈwel/.
plagiarism:
In the British tradition of phonetics, stresses which occur after the
primary/main stress in a word are not usually indicated in transcription
(except in compounds, e.g. post office /ˈpəʊst ˌɒfɪs/). For practical TEFL
purposes, it isn’t usually important whether they are marked or not. In the
case of the word plagiarism, however,
a transcription without a such a stress mark is a little misleading. The
transcription /ˈpleɪʤərɪzm̩/ suggests that the word contains a sequence of
schwa /ə/ plus /r/ plus an unstressed vowel and that therefore the schwa /ə/
can be elided (as it often is in memory
/ˈmemri/, factory /ˈfæktri/, corporate /ˈkɔːprət/, etc.), when in
fact the following syllable is stressed, i.e. /ˈpleɪʤəˌrɪzm̩/ and the schwa /ə/
can’t be elided.
many:
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).
research:
The traditional pronunciation of this word is /rɪˈsɜːʧ/ and the new variant is
/ˈriːsɜːʧ/. At the moment to two variants appear to be roughly equally common,
meaning that the learner can use either. Some people perhaps use /ˈriːsɜːʧ/ for
the noun and /rɪˈsɜːʧ/ for the verb, but there is no general rule and learners
needn’t follow this pattern.
If you steal from one
author, it’s plagiarism. If you steal from many, it’s research.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
wordyou: When a word ends with /d/ and
the immediately following word begins with /j/, the /d/ and the /j/ can combine
to form /ʤ/. This is known as coalescent assimilation. It is most common with
the high-frequency words you and your, especially when they occur with
grammatical inversion, e.g. couldyou /ˈkʊʤu/, wouldyou /ˈwʊʤu/, didyour
/ˈdɪʤɔː/, etc.
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).
use:
Note that the verb use /juːz/ has a
different pronunciation from the noun use
/juːs/.
when:
In all its various uses when is
usually stressed and has no weak form.
can’t:
Although function/grammatical words are generally unstressed in English,
negative contractions such as can’t
(and don’t, won’t, can’tshouldn’t, etc.) are usually stressed.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
first:
When /t/ is at the end of a word (more specifically, in a syllable coda) and is
immediately preceded by a consonant (except /l/ and /n/), it is commonly
elided/deleted when another consonant immediately follows (i.e. without a
pause) in another word or in a suffix.
of:
When a preposition is grammatically stranded, i.e. it doesn’t appear directly
before the noun phrase it relates to, it is stressed and appears in its strong
form. This is most common:
In relative clauses, e.g. the man that I looked at /ðə ˈmæn ðət aɪ
ˈlʊkt ˈæt/, the team that I played for
/ðə ˈtiːm ðət aɪ ˈpleɪd ˈfɔː/
In wh-questions, e.g. Who did you run to? /ˈhuː dɪd ju ˈrʌn
ˈtuː/, What did you dream of? /ˈwɒt dɪd
ju ˈdriːm ˈɒv/
In passive sentences, e.g. They were laughed at. /ðeɪ wə ˈlɑːft
ˈæt/, I was turned to. /aɪ wəz ˈtɜːnd
ˈtuː/
A synonym is a word
you use when you can’t spell the word you first thought of.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
first:
When /t/ is at the end of a word (more specifically, in a syllable coda) and is
immediately preceded by a consonant (except /l/ and /n/), it is commonly
elided/deleted when another consonant immediately follows (i.e. without a
pause) in another word or in a suffix.
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
wasn’t:
Although function/grammatical words are generally unstressed in English,
negative contractions such as wasn’t
(and don’t, won’t, can’tshouldn’t, etc.) are usually stressed.
Although /t/ isn’t usually elided when
it is preceded by /n/ (e.g. in bent nail
/ˈbent ˈneɪl/, front door /ˈfrʌnt ˈdɔː/),
the negative contractions, because of their high frequency, are an exception
and their final /t/ can be elided before both consonants and vowels (e.g. I couldn’t say /aɪ ˈkʊdn̩ ˈseɪ/. He didn’t ask /hi ˈdɪdn̩ ˈɑːsk/.), but
not before a pause. This is much more common in the case of disyllabic negative
contractions (e.g. didn’t, doesn’t, haven’t, hasn’t, hadn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, etc.). In the case of
monosyllabic negative contractions (won’t,
can’t), elision of /t/ is only usual
in rather casual speech.
very:
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).
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
it:
Although it is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t have a weak
form.
of:
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).
mine:
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) are usually stressed and do not have weak forms.
The first time I went skiing, I wasn’t
very good. I broke a leg. Fortunately, it wasn’t one of mine.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
trouble:
Phonemically, the final syllable of trouble
is /əl/. When this syllable is preceded by /b/, however, the schwa /ə/ isn't
pronounced. Instead the articulators move directly from the position for /b/ to
the position for /l/. This is easy to do in the case of /b/ because /b/ is
articulated with the two lips and /l/ is articulated with the tongue-tip. These
articulators can move independently of each other and so when the lips move
apart to release the /b/, the tongue tip is already in position for the /l/ and
no intervening schwa /ə/ occurs.
Note that in English, syllabic /l/ is
not a phoneme in its own right, but merely a special way of realising the
syllable /əl/. This means that when we use a special symbol [l̩] for it in
transcription, it makes our transcription non-phonemic (because we are now using
more than one symbol for each phoneme and introducing a special symbol to show
a particular phonetic detail).
with:
Although with is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
that:
When unstressed, as it usually is, that as a conjunction or relative pronoun has the weak form /ðət/. Note that the other uses of that do not have weak forms and are
always pronounced /ðæt/: pronoun, I know
that. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt/; determiner, I
know that man. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt ˈmæn/; adverb, It wasn’t that good. /ɪt ˈwɒzn̩t ˈðæt ˈɡʊd/.
even:
Phonemically, the final syllable of even
is /ən/. When this syllable is preceded by /v/, however, the schwa /ə/ often
isn't pronounced. Instead the articulators move directly from the position for
/v/ to the position for /n/. This is easy to do in the case of /v/ because /v/
is articulated with the lower lip against the upper teeth and /n/ is
articulated with the tongue-tip and side-rims (and lowered velum). These
articulators can move independently of each other and so when the /v/ is
completed and the lower lip moves away from the upper teeth, the tongue tip and
side rims (and lowered velum) are already in position for the /n/ and no
intervening schwa /ə/ occurs.
Note that in English, syllabic /n/ is
not a phoneme in its own right, but merely a special way of realising the
syllable /ən/. This means that when we use a special symbol [n̩] for it in
transcription, it makes our transcription non-phonemic (because we are now
using more than one symbol for each phoneme and introducing a special symbol to
show a particular phonetic detail).
if:
Although if is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
you:
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).
you’re:
When unstressed, as it usually is, are
combines with you to form the
contract you’re /jɔː/, which has the
same pronunciation as your. When you’re and your are unstressed, they can be pronounced /jɔː/ or with the weak
form /jə/. Learners can use the /jɔː/ pronunciation for you’re/your on all occasions because it will always be appropriate.
The same cannot be said of the weak form /jə/, however, because it will sometimes
sound too casual.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
The trouble with the
ratrace is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
always:
Certain high-frequency words have a variant without /l/ when the /l/ is
preceded by /ɔː/ and followed by another consonant, e.g. always, almost, already, alright, etc.
The variants /-wɪz/ and /-weɪz/ appear
to be roughly equally frequent in the General British (GB) accent.
people:
Phonemically, the final syllable of people
is /əl/. When this syllable is preceded by /p/, however, the schwa /ə/ isn't
pronounced. Instead the articulators move directly from the position for /p/ to
the position for /l/. This is easy to do in the case of /p/ because /p/ is
articulated with the two lips and /l/ is articulated with the tongue-tip. These
articulators can move independently of each other and so when the lips move
apart to release the /p/, the tongue tip is already in position for the /l/ and
no intervening schwa /ə/ occurs.
Note that in English, syllabic /l/ is
not a phoneme in its own right, but merely a special way of realising the
syllable /əl/. This means that when we use a special symbol [l̩] for it in
transcription, it makes our transcription non-phonemic (because we are now using
more than one symbol for each phoneme and introducing a special symbol to show
a particular phonetic detail).
to:
When unstressed, as it usually is, to
has the weak form /tə/ when the immediately following word begins with a
consonant. This is true for both the preposition, e.g. Go to hell /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈhel/, and the 'to infinitive', e.g. Go to see /ˈɡəʊ tə ˈsiː/.
when:
Although the when
is a monosyllabic function/grammatical word, it tends to be stressed and has no
weak form.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
opens:
Although the syllable /ən/ can form a syllabic consonant when preceded by /p/, this
isn’t the most common variant and learners can ignore the possibility in this
context.
The third person singular s has three
pronunciations depending on the sound at the end of the verb:
·/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 plural s, possessive s and the contraction of is.
for:
When unstressed, as it usually is, for
has the weak form /fə/.
When a word ends in schwa /ə/ 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 ɜː eə ɪə ʊə/.
his:
When unstressed, as it usually is, and not immediately preceded by a pause, his has the weak form /ɪz/. After a
pause, unstressed his is pronounced
/hɪz/ (e.g. His home is his castle.
/hɪz ˈhəʊm ɪz ɪz ˈkɑːsl̩/ His brother
took his money. /hɪz ˈbrʌðə ˈtʊk ɪz ˈmʌni/ His dog bit his nose. /hɪz ˈdɒɡ ˈbɪt ɪz ˈnəʊz).
it’s:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the word is
can have three different pronunciations, depending on the final sound of the
immediately preceding word:
·When the final sound of the preceding
word is /s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ/, then is has
the form /ɪz/, e.g. Chris is well
/ˈkrɪs ɪz ˈwel/.
·When the final sound of the preceding
word is a voiceless consonants (excluding the consonants listed above), then is has the form /s/ and forms a
contraction with the preceding word, e.g. Jack
is well /ˈʤæks ˈwel/.
·If the final sound of the preceding word
is voiced (i.e. a vowel or a voiced consonant (excluding the consonants listed
above)), then is has the form /z/ and
forms a contraction with the preceding word, e.g. John is well /ˈʤɒnz ˈwel/.
This is the same pattern as with
possessive s, plural s and the third person singular s.
either:
Both /ˈaɪðə/ and /ˈiːðə/ are common pronunciations in the General British (GB)
accent, with /ˈaɪðə/ appearing to be more frequent.
When a man opens a
car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.
[Don't worry if you find this difficult.
Don't let yourself be put off. The same phenomena will come up again and again
in these transcriptions. There'll be plenty of opportunities for them to sink
in over time. Slow and steady, a little each day, is the key to success.]
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
was:
When unstressed, as it usually is, was
has the weak form /wəz/.
so:
The word so is sometimes stressed and
sometimes unstressed. When unstressed, it occasionally has the weak form /sə/
before consonants, but /səʊ/ is always acceptable and learners can safely use
it in all unstressed contexts.
ugly:
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).
as:
When unstressed, as it usually is, as
has the weak form /əz/.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
that:
When unstressed, as it usually is, that as a conjunction or relative pronoun has the weak form /ðət/. Note that the other uses of that do not have weak forms and are
always pronounced /ðæt/: pronoun, I know
that. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt/; determiner, I
know that man. /aɪ ˈnəʊ ˈðæt ˈmæn/; adverb, It wasn’t that good. /ɪt ˈwɒzn̩t ˈðæt ˈɡʊd/.
when:
Although the interrogative pronoun when
is a monosyllabic function/grammatical word, it is usually stressed and has no
weak form. This is true of the other interrogative pronouns: which, who, where, etc.
played:
When a verb ends in a voiced sound (i.e. a vowel or a voiced consonant (except
/d/)), the regular <-ed> ending has the form /d/.
in:
Although in is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
sandpit:
When /d/ is at the end of a syllable (i.e. in a syllable coda) and is
immediately preceded by a consonant, it is commonly elided/deleted when another
consonant immediately follows (i.e. without a pause) in another word, in a
suffix or, as in this case, in the second part of a compound.
The /n/ of sand- undergoes assimilation, changing from /n/ to /m/ because once
the /d/ has been elided, the immediately following sound is /p/. The consonant
/n/ is a voiced alveolar nasal and
/m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal. The
change from /n/ to /m/ is a change of place of articulation (not of voicing or
of manner of articulation). The place of articulation of the nasal changes to bilabial
because the following consonant is bilabial (/p/ = a voiceless bilabial
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/).
cat:
The final consonant of cat undergoes
assimilation, changing from /t/ to /k/ because the immediately following word begins
with /k/. The consonant /t/ is a voiceless alveolar
plosive and /k/ is a voiceless velar
plosive. The change from /t/ to /k/ is a change of place of articulation (not
of voicing or of manner of articulation). The place of articulation of the plosive
changes to velar because the following consonant is velar (/k/ = a voiceless velar
plosive). It is usual for /t/ to change its place of articulation to that of an
immediately following consonant, becoming /k/ before velar consonants (/k/ or /ɡ/)
or /p/ before bilabial consonants (/p b m/).
In this context, the glottal
plosive/stop variant of the /t/ phoneme is also a possibility. When /t/ is at
the end of a syllable (i.e. in the syllable coda), preceded by a sonorant (i.e.
a vowel, a nasal or an approximant) and immediately followed by a consonant
(within a word in the following word), it can be realised as a glottal
plosive/stop [ʔ].
kept:
When /t/ is at the end of a syllable (more specifically, in a syllable coda)
and is immediately preceded by a consonant (except /l/ and /n/), it is commonly
elided/deleted when another consonant immediately follows (i.e. without a
pause) in another word or in a suffix.
covering:
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. Here, /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/ becomes /ˈkʌvrɪŋ/.
meː
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).
up:
The word up is usually stressed and
has no weak form.
I was so ugly as a kid that when I
played in the sandpit, the cat kept covering me up.
