Unit 4 Vowel and consonant length (p.

34)

1. lengthening of vowels before consonants (p. 34)

-- vowels are longer before voiced consonants
than before voiceless consonants

A. eyes/ice rid/rip side/sight

B. I rode every day. I wrote every day.

Look at his bag. Look at his back.

C. I like the prize. I like the price.

Don't call her miss! Don't call her Ms.!

2. Lengthening of vowels at the end of sentences (p. 36)

vowel are usually longer at the end of the sentence than within one

We should go. I'll go later.

He likes to fly. He's going to fly to Texas.
Unit 5 Content words and function words (p. 40)

2. Content words (p. 41) nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs

Word stress in two syllable words

the 2nd syllable has a long vowel or ends in 2 consonants:

around, Japan, alive, afraid, refuse, succeed, machine

some exceptions:
athletes, commerce, prefect, physics, challenge

Word stress with prefixes

Important, became, conclude, uncertain, understand, response

Prefixes rarely carry primary stress

A group of English words can be used as nouns, adjectives, or verbs

first syllable stress = noun/adjective export eksprt

second syllable stress = verb form export eksprt

3. Function words (p. 41):

articles, pronouns and possessives, prepositions,
auxiliary verbs, conjunctions

Weak forms
--Allow words with less important meaning to be spoken quickly
usually the full vowel is replaced with schwa //
when standing alone, the vowels are pronounced fully
--Contractions
make quick speaking easier
the full vowel is replaced by schwa //, or nothing
--schwa // also occurs
in polysyllabic words: Scotland /skAtlnd/ cupboard /kbrd/
in prefixes: convenient /knvinjInt/ asleep /slip/
in suffixes: puncture /pNktSr/ relation /rileISn/
--Sometimes the unstressed vowel becomes /I/
goodness /gUdnIs/ women /wImIn/
p. 43, C:
We saw Jack and Jill. weak form: nd
We saw Jack and Jill. strong form: Qnd
Mary and June are sisters. Mary and June are sisters.
... weak form: nd, r strong form: Ar
5. Function words in phrases and sentences (p. 44 ff)
A. articles: a, and, the
Have a drink. Take a number.
strong form: eI weak form:

B. pronouns and possessives: you, your, he, him, her

Did you see Mike? I saw you dancing.
strong form: ju weak form: j

C. prepositions: of, to, at, for

Are you tired of working? He went to college.
strong form: v, tu weak form: v, t

D. auxiliary verbs: am, was, can

Where am I going? Was it raining?
strong form: Qm wz weak form: m wz

E. conjunctions: and, as, or

Come and see me. It's as good as gold.
strong form: Qnd Qz weak form: nd z
Unit 6 Word stress and phrasing (p. 52)

1. Word stress in sentences (p. 52)

2. Phrasing and linking (p. 53)

p 54, C:
often the final consonant in a word is followed by a word that begins with the
same sound
the sounds are not pronounced separately
the sounds are combined, or linked

Linking rules
1. Consonants plus vowel
when a word ends in a consonant and the next begins
with a vowel, the two words are usually linked
smoothly in spoken English
Examples: Comein! She'sat home. Whenisit?
2. /r/ plus vowel
--an /r/ is pronounced at the end of a word if the next
word begins with a vowel
Examples: ouruncle, at yourage, carengine

-- intrusive r (does not apply to GenAm pronunciation)

media event (in BE/RP): midir Ivent = meteor event in AE!

law and order (in BE/RP): lr nd d = lore and order in AE!

/r/ is silent in RP, English English, & Australian English

rhotic accents: American, Scottish, Irish English

RP GenAm
farm fAm fArm
more m mr
stir st str
murder md mrd r
More linking:

A /j/ sound is often added to link the following vowel sounds:

after /i/ the author /Di jaUTr/
after /eI/ ray of hope /reI jv hoUp/
after /i/ happy anniversary /hQpi jQnIvrsri/
after /I/ boy and girl /bI jend grl/
after /aI/ why is it /waI jIz It/

A /w/sound is added to link the following vowel sounds

after /u/ you are /ju wAr/
after /aU/ how old are you? /haU woUld Ar ju/
after /oU/ so interesting /soU wIntrestIN/

the pronunciation of uat the beginning of some words is/ju/

university /junIvrsIti/
unification /junIfIkeISn/
unanimous /junQnImIs/
there are no linking words in this category

We also often link over commas when reading

In tag questions: She'san intelligent woman,isn't she?
After yes and no: No,I didn't say that. Yes,Iagree.
After interjections: 0h,Iam surprised to hear that.

unpronounced plosives
to make these sounds, we release air in a sudden explosion;
when 2 of these sounds occur together,
the final consonants of the first word
and the first consonants of the second word
are pronounced together as a slightly longer consonant.

Note that it is the second plosive that is exploded.

red eye/ red dye redaI red daI

bright eyes/bright ties braIdaIz braIt taIz
top layer/top player tApleIjr tAp pleIjr
3. Phrasing and pausing (p. 55)

guidelines for determining stress:

early stress
1. When the two parts of the compound are written as one
word:
gingerbread, bookcase, teapot, fruitcake
2. When the two parts are both nouns:
roof rack, car ferry, tape recorder
3. the first part of the compound ends in -ing and is used as
a noun (gerund). The "-ing" part normally tells the function
or use of the second word:
writing pad (a pad that is used for writing)
walking stick (a stick that is used for walking)
4. When the second part of the compound is cake, juice, or
water:
Christmas cake, mineral water, orange juice

late stress
1. In compounds which are written either hyphenated or as
two words, and where the first word is an adjective or an
adverb:
good-looking, inner city

2. the first part of the compound ends in -ing, and is the

present participle form, used as an adjective or a verb:
gripping film, flying saucer

3. the first word is the name of the material or the ingredient:

ginger beer, glass bowl

stress pattern and meaning: notice how the difference in

meaning is reflected in the stress pattern:
a black board (a board that is black)
blackboard (a board for writing on in the classroom)
4. Numbers (p. 58 ff)
A. tens and teens
1. Syllable stress
a. ten numbers are always stressed on the first syllable
twenty, thirty, forty
b. The teen numbers may be stressed on either (cf 4A2)
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
B. dates (p. 58)
C. fractions (p. 59)
D. telephone numbers (p. 59)
E. addresses (p. 60)

Practice:

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more
refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he could only get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it
was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
D bQndIdZ wz waUnd raUnd D wund

D fArm wz juzd t prdus proUdus

D dmp wz soU fUl DQt It hQd t rfjuz mr

refjuz

wi mst pAlIS D poUlIS frnItSr

hi kUd lid If hi kUd oUnli get D led aUt

D soUldZr dIsaIdd t dIzrt hIz dIzrt In

D dzrt

sInts TQr Iz noU taIm laIk D prezInt hi Tt It wz

taIm t przent D prezInt

bQs wz peIntId An D hed v D beIs drm

wen SAt Qt D dv doUv Int D bUSIz

aI dId nAt bdZekt t Di AbdZekt