Week

1.Strong and Weak Syllables a. What do we mean by strong and weak? b.How to identify a weak syllable? 2.The vowel ‘schwa’ a. features of the vowel schwa 3. Close front and close back vowels 4. Syllabic consonants a. Syllabic l b. Syllabic n c. Syllabic ŋ d. Syllabic r

Strength and weakness is one of many features of the English syllable. What do we mean by “strong” and “weak” syllables? When we compare weak syllables with strong syllables we find that the VOWEL in weak syllables tends to be.. 1.Shorter 2. lower intensity (loudness) 3. different in quality Another way is in terms of stress: Strong syllable  stressed  has a long vowel as its peak Weak syllable  unstressed  has a short vowel as its peak

Data /deIt ϑ / The second syllable is the weak syllable… Shorter than the first Less loud Has a vowel that cannot occur in strong syllables

Weak syllables can only have one of a very small number of possible peaks 1.The vowel schwa 2.A close front unrounded vowel. In the general area of i:, I 3.A close back rounded vowel. In the general area of u:, υ

Most frequently occurring vowel. Always associated with weak syllables. In quality it is mid and central. It is not articulated with much energy. Described as lax

Weak syllable Strong syllableLetters / ə / character /kær ə kt ə / /æ/ character /kær ə kt ə / a / ə / particular /p ə t ɪ kj ə l ə / / ɑː / arms / ɑː mz/ ar / ə / Intimate / ɪ nt ɪ m ə t/ /e ɪ / ate /e ɪ t/ Adjectival endings spelt 'ate' / ə / Tomorrow /t ə m ɒ r ə ʊ / / ɒ / or / ə ʊ / Tomorrow /t ə m ɒ r ə ʊ / Spelt with 'o' / ə / Forget /f ə get/ / ɔː / Or / ɔː / Spelt with 'or'

Weak syllableStrong syllableLetters / ə / Settlement /setl ̩ m ə nt/ /e/ Settlement /setl ̩ m ə nt/ Spelt with 'e' / ə / Server /s ɜː v ə / / ɜː / Server /s ɜː v ə / Spelt with 'er' / ə / Sulphur /s ʌ lf ə / / ʌ / Sulphur /s ʌ lf ə / Spelt with 'u' / ə / Thorough /θ ʌ r ə / There are many pronunciations for the letter sequence 'ough' Spelt with 'ough' / ə / Gracious /gre ɪʃ ə s/ Might have /a ʊ / Loud /la ʊ d/ Spelt with 'ou'

Other common vowels found in weak syllables are… 1.Close front unrounded I 2.Close back rounded u

1)Final position, words spelt with ‘y’ or ‘ey’ 2)Prefix such as ‘re’, ‘pre’, ‘de’ 3)Suffixes spelt ‘ate’, ‘iou’ 4)In the following words when unstressed, “me, be, he, she, the”

Not so common Frequently found in words such as “you, to, into” When?  1. unstressed 2. Preceding a consonant “through, who”  unstressed Before another vowel within a word.

Syllables in which no vowel is found, a consonant either l, r, or a nasal stands as its peak A consonant is syllabic by a small vertical mark ( ) l, n, m, ŋ, r Read and highlight examples from the book

1.Choose Partners 2. Brainstorm Questions with Partners 3. Speak: Get Ready, Get Set, START TALKING! Rules: 1.Speak only English! 2.Keep talking! Don’t stop! 3.No dictionaries!

Bring a copy of the handout Available at the webpage…