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Humour in Phonetic Transcription
Friday, 30 March 2018
Thursday, 29 March 2018
Linguistic Research
maɪ ˈfrend hæz ə ˈbeɪbi ˈbɔɪ || aɪm rɪˈkɔːdɪŋ ˈɔːl ðə ˈnɔɪzɪz i ˈmeɪks | səʊ ˈleɪtər aɪ kən ˈɑːsk ɪm | ˈwɒt i wəz ˈseɪɪŋ
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
my:
Although my is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
baby:
The final 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).
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/.
the: When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a consonant.
noises:
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.
he:
When unstressed, as it usually is, and not immediately preceded by a pause, he has the weak form /i/. After a pause,
unstressed he is pronounced /hi/
(e.g. He knows he did it. /hi ˈnəʊz i
ˈdɪd ɪt/ He said he could. /hi ˈsed i
ˈkʊd/ He thought he was. /hi ˈθɔːt i
ˈwɒz/).
becomes:
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.
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.
later: When
a word ends in /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 eə ɜː ɔː ɪə ʊə/.
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
can:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the modal verb can has the weak from /kən/.
him:
When unstressed, as it usually is, him
has the weak form /ɪm/.
was:
When unstressed, as it usually is, was
has the weak form /wəz/.
Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Generational Change
ðə wəz ˈnəʊ rɪˈspek fə ˈjuːθ | wen ˈaɪ wəz ˈjʌŋ | ən ˈnaʊ ðət aɪm ˈəʊld | ðəz ˈnəʊ rɪˈspek fər ˈeɪʤ
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
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/.
was:
When unstressed, as it usually is, was
has the weak form /wəz/.
respect:
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.
for:
When unstressed, as it usually is, for
has the weak form /fə/.
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.
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/.
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/.
there’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.
for: When
a word ends in /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 eə ɜː ɔː ɪə ʊə/.
Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Tourism
ˈpiːpl̩ ˈtrævl̩ | tə ˈfɑːrəweɪ ˈpleɪsɪz | tə ˈwɒʧ ɪn ˈfæsəˈneɪʃn̩ | ðə ˈkaɪnd ə ˈθɪŋz | ðeɪ ɪɡˈnɔːr ət ˈhəʊm
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
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.
travel: Phonemically,
the final syllable of travel is /əl/.
When this syllable is preceded by /v/, however, the schwa /ə/ isn't usually pronounced.
Instead the articulators move directly from the position for /v/ to the
position for /l/. This is easy to do in the case of /v/ because /v/ is
articulated with the lower lip against the upper front teeth and /l/ is
articulated with the tongue-tip. These articulators can move independently of
each other and so when the lower lip moves away from the upper front teeth,
completing the /v/ sound, 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/.
faraway:
When the first element of a compound word ends in /ɑː/ and the second element
beɡins with a vowel, the consonant /r/ is inserted between the vowels. This
process is known as /r/-liaison and also occurs after /ə ɔː ɜː eə ɪə ʊə/.
places:
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.
in:
Although in is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
fascination:
Phonemically, the final syllable of temptation
is /ən/. When this syllable is preceded by /ʃ/, however, the schwa /ə/ often
isn't pronounced. Instead the articulators move directly from the position for
/ʃ/ to the position for /n/. This is relatively easy to do because /ʃ/ is a
fricative, a category of sound which involves making a very narrow stricture in
the vocal tract. It is possible, therefore, for the articulators to move from
such a position to the complete closure required for /n/ (accompanied by the
lowering of the soft palate to allow air to escape out through the nose)
without passing through the position for a vowel and thereby avoiding an
intervening schwa /ə/.
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).
the:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the definite article the has the weak form /ðə/ when the following word begins with a
consonant.
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).
things:
See ‘places’ above.
they: Although they is
a monosyllabic function/grammar word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t have
a weak form.
ignore: When
a word ends in /ɔː/ 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 eə ɜː ə ɪə ʊə/.
at:
When unstressed, as it usually is, at
has the weak form /ət/.
Monday, 26 March 2018
A Family Man
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
a:
When unstressed, as it usually is, the indefinite article a has the weak form /ə/.
father’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/.
who:
As a relative pronoun, who is usually
unstressed and can have the weak form /u/ or /hu. As an interrogative pronoun, who is usually stressed and has no weak
form (e.g. Who is it? /ˈhuː ˈɪz ɪt/ Who's asking? /ˈhuːz ˈɑːskɪŋ).
photos:
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.
in:
Although in is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
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).
where: When
a word ends in /eə/ 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 ə ɪə ʊə/.
money: 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)
used to: When ‘used to’
is used as a means of talking about the past, it is pronounced /ˈjuːst tə/
before a consonant and /ˈjuːst tu/ before a vowel. This is such a
high-frequency word combination that the final voiced consonants /zd/ of ‘used’
/juːzd/ have over time been influenced by the following voiceless consonant /t/
and themselves become voiceless, resulting in /st/. Note that this is an
unusual form of assimilation, because in English assimilation usually involves
a change of place of articulation, not voicing.
Since the /t/ of ‘used
to’ is preceded by a consonant in the same syllable and followed by another
consonant, it is usually elided and ‘used to’ pronounced /ˈjuːs tu/ or /ˈjuːs tə/.
Sunday, 25 March 2018
A Polyglot
aɪ ˈspiːk ˈtwelv ˈlæŋɡwɪʤɪz || ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ɪz maɪ ˈbestəst
Key at bottom of page.
Commentary
I:
Although I is a monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
languages:
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.
my:
Although my is monosyllabic
function/grammatical word and is usually unstressed, it doesn’t usually have a
weak form.
quickest:
The superlative can have the form /əst/, as here, or /ɪst/.
Saturday, 24 March 2018
Gossip
ˈevribədi | ʃʊd ˈhæv ət ˈliːs ˈtuː ˈfrenz || ˈwʌn tə ˈtɔːk ˈtuː | ən ˈwʌn tə ˈtɔːk əˈbaʊt
Key at bottom of page:
Commentary
Commentary
everybody:
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 every, the word is so common that for most people /ˈevri/ is
probably the form they have in their mental lexicon and the form /ˈevəri/, if
they occasionally use it, is caused by the influence of the spelling.
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).
should:
When unstressed, as it often is, the modal verb should can be pronounced /ʃʊd/ or with the weak form /ʃəd/. For the
sake of simplicity, learners can use the pronunciation /ʃʊd/ for both stressed
and unstressed should and ignore the weak form.
at:
When unstressed, as it usually is, at
has the weak form /ət/.
least:
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.
two:
Numbers are usually stressed and don’t have weak forms.
friends:
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.
one:
Numbers are usually stressed and don’t have weak forms.
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/.
to: The second occurrence
of this word is stressed because it is contrasted with about, and therefore has its strong form /tuː/.
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.
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