1. Talking the Talk Phonological Variation of Ebonics

2. Diphthongs are monophthongized, e.g. allen = island find = fond proud = prod oil = all First vowel is lengthened, e.g. pie /p ɑː / ride /r ɑː d/ time /t ɑː m/

3. Medial [ θ ] becomes [v], e.g. mother / ˈ m ʌ v ə r / other / ˈʌ v ə r / brother / ˈ br ʌ v ə r/ Final [ θ ] becomes [f], e.g. south = souf mouth = mouf with = wif both = bowf birth = b ɛ rf

4. Initial [ð] becomes [d], e.g. those = dose this = dis them = dem then = den The [ θ ] sound sometimes is replaced by [t], e.g. throw = /tr ə ʊ w/ tenth = /t ɛ nt/ nothing = /n ʌ tn ̩ /

5. Deletion of word-final consonants in different situations, when there is no semantic value. hand / hæn/ desk / d ɛ s/ test / t ɛ s/ left / l ɛ f/ Reduction of final consonats man / mæ ̃ / *nasalized good / g ʊ / five /fa ɪ /

6. Absence of post-vocalic [l] and [r], e.g. help = hep guard = god Final consonant cluster reduction, e.g. six = sick first = firs Deletion of final "g", e.g. walking = walkin running = runnin talking = talkin

7. Deletion of unstressed syllables; initial and medial word position only. about /ba ʊ t/ government / ˈ g ʌ vmn ̩ t/ * elision of some vowels in special cluster forms. Deletion of reduplicated syllables. Mississipi /m ɪˈ s ɪ pi/ probably / ˈ pr ɑ bli/

8. Voicing of initial single /p/ in initial unstressed syllables. pajamas /b ə ˈ d ʒ æm ə s/ potato /b ə ˈ te ɪ ro/ Metathesis of final /s/ ask /æks/ grasp /græps/

9. /r/ sound when preceded by vowel sounds is usually deleted. ( Sometimes final –er may sound as an “a” ), e.g. bigger /b ɪ g ə b ɪ g ɑ / zipper /z ɪ p ə / deer /d ɪ ə / car /k ɑ / door /do ʊ /

10. Neutralization of vowel contrasts before nasals [i] = [e ], e.g. homophonous pairs pin = pen Lynne = Len sinned = send bin = Ben Stress moved to first syllable of words police / ˈ po ʊ lis/ Detroit / ˈ ditr ɔɪ t/

11. /æ/ is raised to / ɛ / or /e/ ham /h ɛ m/ wagon /w ɛ gn ̩ / /e/ and /o/ produced as monophthongs cake /kek/ coat /kot/

12. THANKS FOR WATCHING