1. Introduction to English pronunciation and phonetics Lecture 4

2. Sounds in context Why doesn’t synthetic speech sound natural?
• All sounds tend to be pronounced in all words
• Stress patterns are not natural, or all words are stressed equally much
• Pauses between words tend to be of same length

3. Sounds in context
Sounds in isolation are sometimes different from sounds in words
Words in isolation are sometimes pronounced differently from words in sentences
Neighbouring sounds affect each other

4. Some important sound changes in English are...
• Assimilation
• Elision
• Strong and weak forms in connected speech (vowel reduction)
Word stress

5. Assimilation
the pronunciation of a sound is influenced by a sound that comes immediately after or before it
the sounds become more similar
can be regressive or progressive
assimilation also common in Swedish

6. Regressive assimilation
A sound is influenced by the following sound
Examples:
gunman /'gummæn/ /n/ → /m/
can be /kæm bi:/
pancake /pæŋkeık/ /n/ → /ŋ/
this shop /ðıʃ ʃɒp/ /s/ → /ʃ/
have to /hæftu:/ /v/ → /f/

7. Progressive assimilation
A sound is influenced by the previous sound
Examples:
washed /wɒʃt/ /d/ → /t/
tricks /trıks/ /z/ → /s/
ribbon /rıbm/ /n/ → /m/

8. Elision one sound is omitted (or several sounds)
common in rapid or casual speech
especially noticeable in consonant clusters
makes a word or phrase easier to pronounce

9. Elision
Examples: fifth /fıfθ/ → /fıθ/ clothes /kləʊðz/ → /kləʊz/ dustbin /dʌstbın/ → /dʌsbın/ asked /ɑːskt/ → /ɑːst/ handbag /hændbæg/ → /hæmbæg/ don’t know /'doʊnt 'noʊ/ → /də'noʊ/

10. Strong and weak forms
most function words have a strong and a weak form
closed word classes:
auxiliary verbs (e.g. do, has, can)
conjunctions (and, but, as)
prepositions (to, from, of)
determiners (the, a, some)
pronouns (him, her, them)

11. Strong forms
used at the end of sentences (but pronouns can have weak form here too)
• used for emphasis or contrast
Compare:
Have some more. vs. I’ve had some.
We must meet. Vs. Must I do this?
He’s so nice. vs. How nice he is!

12. Weak forms Characterised by: • omitted or reduced vowel to /ə/ or /ı/
• omitted or reduced /h/ initially
• omitted end consonant (esp. in and)
Examples:
Do you know him? /djə/
You and me /ən, n/
I’d love some coffee /səm/

13. Strong and weak forms strong weak
Ask her, not him. I can do it, but I won’t. I said fish and chips, not fish or chips! I know where he’s from. I said I didn’t want to! But I have told you!
Have you asked her? Can you pass the milk? I’d like fish and chips. Did you hear from him? Do you want to go? I’ve quit smoking.

14. Stress syllable = a sound unit with vowel sound at the centre
Examples:
one syllable: stress, sound, with
two syllables: unit, centre, English
one syllable in a word pronounced more strongly = stressed syllable

15. Word stress
stress is marked with a vertical line before the stressed syllable in the transcription
Examples:
England /'ıŋglənd/
sofa /'səʊfə/
machine /mə'ʃi:n/
police /pə'li:s/

16. Word stress
Words with two or three syllables are often stressed on the first syllable
Examples:
balance
menu
model
article
principle
democrat

17. Word stress
more than three syllables = normally stressed on third syllable from the end
Examples:
analysis
parenthesis
democracy
thermometer
biology

18. Word stress
words ending in suffixes = stressed on syllable before suffix (e.g.-ic, -ian,-ial, -ion)
Examples: energetic, physician, collision
a few words have two main stresses
Examples:
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen (cf. thirty, forty)
Chinese, Japanese, legalese

19. Double or single stress?
Note the difference between compounds and phrases!
Compound Phrase
a blackbird a black bird
a redneck a red neck
a French teacher a French teacher
the White House the white house

20. Regular stress shifts
words with two syllables that can be both a noun/adjective and a verb have a regular stress shift
the noun/adjective is stressed on the first syllable
the verb is stressed on the second syllable

21. Examples:
export (n) export (v)
present (n) present (v)
progress (n) progress (v)
perfect (adj) perfect (v)
conduct (n) conduct (v)
record (n) record (v)