Difference between revisions of "Sounds of English"
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<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li><u>a</u>bout, <u>a</u>bove, <u>a</u>go</li> | <li><u>a</u>bout, <u>a</u>bove, <u>a</u>go</li> | ||
| − | <li>perpetu<u>a</u>l, residu<u>a</u>l, comf<u>or</u>t<u>a</u>ble<sup>1</sup>, sci<u>e</u>nce, <u>e</u>lectric, eleg<u>a</u>nt, wom<u>a</u>n, serm<u>o</u>n</li> | + | <li>perpetu<u>a</u>l, residu<u>a</u>l, comf<u>or</u>t<u>a</u>ble<<sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup>, sci<u>e</u>nce, <u>e</u>lectric, eleg<u>a</u>nt, wom<u>a</u>n, serm<u>o</u>n</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;">ˈfæʃn</span>/, 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;">ˈfæʃn</span>/, etc. </li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
| − | <sup>1</sup> Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ˈkʌmftəbl</span> / <span style="color:darkgreen;">'kʌmfətəbl</span> | + | <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ˈkʌmftəbl</span> / <span style="color:darkgreen;">'kʌmfətəbl</span> |
Revision as of 00:40, 19 September 2017
Vowels
Vowels are always voiced (which means the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made).
ˈvaʊəlz ər 'ɔːlwəz 'vɔɪst
Long "pure" vowels
/ɑ:/
- R, star, car, far
- father, bother, bottle
- clerk UK
/i:/
- B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, ZUS
- sea, tea, seem, feet, key
/u:/
- Q, U, W
- choose, use,
/ɜː(r)/
- first, third, 30, 30th
- shirt, clerk, certification, learn</li
- Some people sometimes pronounce words like sure & pure with this sound rather than /ʃʊr/, /pjʊr/, (myself included).
Short vowels
/ʌ/
- sun, but, mud
- son, won, 1, brother, other, another
- flood, blood
- -ous (famous, gelatinous, disastrous)
/ʊ/
- Look!, a good cookbook
- put, push, pull
- woman /wʊmən/
/ɪ/
- 6, him, this
- been, again
- women /wimin/, elegance /elɪɡəns/
/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 it is not considered phonemic (since the long "A" sound is realized as a diphthong), the standard transcription is /e/ though the sound is closer to /ɛ/ than /e/ (fée, pourrai, pouvez, aimer.)
- 7, 10, 12
/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)
- about, above, ago
- perpetual, residual, comfortable<1, science, electric, elegant, woman, sermon
- 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 /ˈfæʃn/, etc.
1 Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. ˈkʌmftəbl / 'kʌmfətəbl
