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/.

I speak twelve languages. English is my bestest.

2 comments:

  1. I think in Australian English the ending of 'languages' and others in that family of word endings would be /ǝz/ rather than /ɪz/.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly. That's one of the interesting things about Australian English -- the lack of contrast between KIT /ɪ/ and schwa /ə/ in unstressed syllables.
      Brits like me usually make a difference between Lenin /ˈlenɪn/ and Lennon /ˈlenən/, offices /ˈɒfɪsɪz/ and officers /ˈɒfɪsəz/, and don't rhyme habit /ˈhæbɪt/ with abbot /ˈæbət/.

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