Difference between revisions of "Sounds of English"
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</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | <p><sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> Exceptions include more recent borrowings from French, e.g. garage /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ɡə <b> | + | <p><sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> Exceptions include more recent borrowings from French, e.g. garage /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ɡə <b>rɑːʒ</b></span>/ <sup style="color:darkblue;font-size:9px;">US</sup> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>ɡær</b> ɪdʒ</span>/ <sup style="color:darkblue;font-size:9px;">UK</sup>, fuselage /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>fjuː</b> sə lɑːʒ</span>/, triage, montage, etc.</p> |
<h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">e</b>/</span></h3> | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">e</b>/</span></h3> | ||
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<li>-<u>a</u>ble, -<u>i</u>ble (understand<u>a</u>ble, comf<u>or</u>t<u>a</u>ble <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup>, leg<u>i</u>ble, incred<u>i</u>ble)</li> | <li>-<u>a</u>ble, -<u>i</u>ble (understand<u>a</u>ble, comf<u>or</u>t<u>a</u>ble <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup>, leg<u>i</u>ble, incred<u>i</u>ble)</li> | ||
<li>-<u>a</u>te (in ADJ and N): <b>choc</b>ol<u>a</u>te (n.) /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>tʃɑː</b> klət</span>/, <b>corp</b>or<u>a</u>te (adj.), con<b>glom</b>er<u>a</u>te (adj.), as<b>soc</b>i<u>a</u>te (n.), etc.</li> | <li>-<u>a</u>te (in ADJ and N): <b>choc</b>ol<u>a</u>te (n.) /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>tʃɑː</b> klət</span>/, <b>corp</b>or<u>a</u>te (adj.), con<b>glom</b>er<u>a</u>te (adj.), as<b>soc</b>i<u>a</u>te (n.), etc.</li> | ||
− | <li>Some transcribe the sound of the suffix -ion as /ən/, though most dictionaries simply use "syllabic" /n/. More terminology wars... :) e.g. nation, ration, consideration, fashion /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>fæʃ</b> n</span>/, etc. </li> | + | <li>Some transcribe the sound of the suffix -ion as /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ən</span>/, though most dictionaries simply use "syllabic" /<span style="color:darkgreen;">n</span>/. More terminology wars... :) e.g. nation, ration, consideration, fashion /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>fæʃ</b> n</span>/, etc. </li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
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<li>w<u>eigh</u>, n<u>eigh</u>bour, fr<u>eigh</u>t</li> | <li>w<u>eigh</u>, n<u>eigh</u>bour, fr<u>eigh</u>t</li> | ||
<li>v<u>ei</u>n</li> | <li>v<u>ei</u>n</li> | ||
− | <li><u>a</u>viation, (un)<u>a</u>ble, <u>A</u>sia (/<span style="color:darkgreen;"> | + | <li><u>a</u>viation, (un)<u>a</u>ble, <u>A</u>sia (/<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>eɪ</b> ʒə</span>/) </li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
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<li>I, Y, 5, 9</li> | <li>I, Y, 5, 9</li> | ||
<li>r<u>i</u>ce, m<u>i</u>ce</li> | <li>r<u>i</u>ce, m<u>i</u>ce</li> | ||
− | <li>g<u>ui</u>de, q<u>ui</u>te q<u>ui</u>et /<span style="color:darkgreen;"> | + | <li>g<u>ui</u>de, q<u>ui</u>te q<u>ui</u>et /<span style="color:darkgreen;">kwɑɪt <b>kwɑɪ</b> ət</span>/, ch<u>oi</u>r /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>kwɑɪ</b> ə</span><span style="color:grey;">r</span>/</li> |
<li>k<u>i</u>nd, m<u>i</u>nd, beh<u>i</u>nd</li> | <li>k<u>i</u>nd, m<u>i</u>nd, beh<u>i</u>nd</li> | ||
<li>l<u>igh</u>t, s<u>igh</u>t, s<u>igh</u>, h<u>eigh</u>t</li> | <li>l<u>igh</u>t, s<u>igh</u>t, s<u>igh</u>, h<u>eigh</u>t</li> | ||
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<li>O, 0, (zero) | <li>O, 0, (zero) | ||
<li>cl<u>o</u>se, cl<u>othe</u>s /<span style="color:darkgreen;">kləʊ</span><span style="color:grey;">ð</span><span style="color:darkgreen;">z</span>/, ch<u>o</u>se, ch<u>o</u>sen</li> | <li>cl<u>o</u>se, cl<u>othe</u>s /<span style="color:darkgreen;">kləʊ</span><span style="color:grey;">ð</span><span style="color:darkgreen;">z</span>/, ch<u>o</u>se, ch<u>o</u>sen</li> | ||
− | <li>th<u>ough</u>, alth<u>ough</u>, thor<u>ough</u> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"> | + | <li>th<u>ough</u>, alth<u>ough</u>, thor<u>ough</u> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>θɜː</b> roʊ</span>/ <sup style="font-size:9px;">US</sup> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>θʌ</b> rə</span>/ <sup style="font-size:9px;">UK</sup>, bor<u>ough</u> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>bɜː</b> roʊ</span>/ <sup style="font-size:9px;">US</sup> /<span style="color:darkgreen;"><b>bʌ</b> rə</span>/ <sup style="font-size:9px;">UK</sup> </li> |
<li><u>ow</u>n, gr<u>ow</u>, kn<u>ow</u>n, fl<u>ow</u>n </li> | <li><u>ow</u>n, gr<u>ow</u>, kn<u>ow</u>n, fl<u>ow</u>n </li> | ||
<li>s<u>oa</u>p, f<u>oa</u>m</li> | <li>s<u>oa</u>p, f<u>oa</u>m</li> |
Revision as of 02:33, 20 September 2017
Contents
Vowels
Vowels are always voiced (which means the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made).
vaʊ əlz ər ɔːl wəz vɔɪst
Long "pure" vowels
/ɑ:/
- R, star, car, far
- father, bother US, bottle US, knowledge US
- clerk UK, bath UK, laughter UK, draught UK
/i:/
- B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, Z US
- he, she, me, we
- sea, tea, seem, feet, key
- apostrophe, Socrates, catastrophe /kə tæ strə fi/
/u:/
- 2, Q, U, W, you
- choose, use
- new, flew, grew, knew, true, blue
- to strong form only, through
/ɔː/
- 4, 40
- door, floor, shore, store
- daughter, caught, thought, fought
- law, saw, lawyer /ˈlɔː jər/
- fluorine, chlorine
/ɜː/
- first, third, 30, 30th
- shirt, clerk, certification, learn
- Some people sometimes pronounce words like sure & pure with this sound rather than ʃʊr, pjʊr, (myself included).
/ɒ/
- primarily UK. US substitutes /ɑ:/
- what UK 1
- bottle ˈbɒ tl, throttle ˈθrɒ tl
- shot, spot, lots, of UK 1, pots
- knowledge ˈnɒl ɪdʒ
US 1 = ʌ in what and of, ɑ: in the other examples.
Short vowels
/ʌ/
- 1, 100
- sun, but, mud, uncle
- son, won, brother, other, another, above
- flood, blood
- tough, rough, enough /ɪ nʌf/
/ʊ/
- Look!, a good cookbook
- put, push, pull
- woman /wʊ mən/
/ɪ/
- 6, him, this, finish, minute (n.)
- been, again
- below, behind, between, beneath, bemoan, belabor, besmirch, etc.
- women /wi min/, electric, elegance /el ɪ ɡəns/, enough /ɪ nʌf/
- -age 1, -e(d)ge /ɪdʒ/ (village, marriage, storage, baggage, luggage, mortgage /mɔː ɡɪdʒ/, college, knowledge)
1 Exceptions include more recent borrowings from French, e.g. garage /ɡə rɑːʒ/ US /ɡær ɪdʒ/ UK, fuselage /fjuː sə lɑːʒ/, triage, montage, etc.
/e/
The precise realisation of this form varies. In South Africa the sound is closer to /e/, while in the US it is closer to /ɛ/. (fête, bête, lait, aime pouvaient). Since the distinction is not considered phonemic (since the long "A" sound is realized as the diphthong /eɪ/), the standard transcription is /e/ though the sound is closer to /ɛ/ than /e/ (fée, pourrai, pouvez, aimer.)
- 7, 10, 12, F, L, M, N, S, X, Zed
- health, wedding, nephew, elementary /ˌel ɪ men tri/
- says, said
/ə/
- The most common vowel sound in English (also the most central vowel) (quite lax) uh... (French "euh" is very similar, but with rounded lips)
- around, about, above, ago, asleep, etc.
- perpetual, residual, science, electric, elegant, woman, sermon
- -ous (famous, gelatinous, disastrous)
- -er (safer, cheaper, etc.)
- -able, -ible (understandable, comfortable 1, legible, incredible)
- -ate (in ADJ and N): chocolate (n.) /tʃɑː klət/, corporate (adj.), conglomerate (adj.), associate (n.), etc.
- Some transcribe the sound of the suffix -ion as /ən/, though most dictionaries simply use "syllabic" /n/. More terminology wars... :) e.g. nation, ration, consideration, fashion /fæʃ n/, etc.
1 Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. kʌmf təbl / kʌmf ə təbl, cf. "comfy" :)
/æ/
- bad, faster, fastest, that 1
- laughter US + parts of UK, draught US + parts of UK (fr. courant d'air)
1 As a demonstrative pronoun / determiner that is pronounced /ðæt/, as a relative pronoun, that is usually pronounced /ðət/, though it may be dropped entirely.
Diphthongs
/eɪ/
- A, H, J, K, 8
- they, grey
- take, plane, fate
- main, rain, paid,
said/səd/ - day, way, say,
says/səz/ - weigh, neighbour, freight
- vein
- aviation, (un)able, Asia (/eɪ ʒə/)
/ɑɪ/
- I, Y, 5, 9
- rice, mice
- guide, quite quiet /kwɑɪt kwɑɪ ət/, choir /kwɑɪ ər/
- kind, mind, behind
- light, sight, sigh, height
- align, benign, sign
/əʊ / oʊ/
- O, 0, (zero)
- close, clothes /kləʊðz/, chose, chosen
- though, although, thorough /θɜː roʊ/ US /θʌ rə/ UK, borough /bɜː roʊ/ US /bʌ rə/ UK
- own, grow, known, flown
- soap, foam
/ɑʊ/
- 1000
- out, about, around, announce, pounce
- how, now, power, tower, town
/ɔɪ/
- noisy, oil
- toys, boys
/eə/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /er/
- there, where
- hair, pair
- share, care
- heir
/ʊə/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /ʊr/
- poor 1, tour (guide)
- sure 1, (al)lure
1 both "poor" and "sure" can be pronounced with ɔː i.e. ʃɔː, pɔː
/ɪə/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /ɪr/
- dear, near
- here
- tier
Consonants
Most consonants are paired: at each position one can make two sounds (one voiced, one unvoiced). For example:
Voiced | Unvoiced | ||
---|---|---|---|
b | big | p | pig |
v | even Stephen | f | enough phonetics |
d | stewed | t | cooked |
z | reads | s | writes |
ʒ | pleasure | ʃ | sure |
dʒ | badge, joke | tʃ | batch, choke |
g | agree | k | cake, second(s), chemistry |
- Nasal consonants — m, n, ŋ — liquids —r, l — and glides — w, j (why, yellow) — are all voiced.
- Syllabic n and l are roughly equivalent to /ən/, /əl/. (fashion, bottle)