NOTES ON ENGLISH PHONETICS

(Introductory - Corrective Course)

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T

U V W X Y Z

Phonetics is a branch of linguistics which deals with the investigation of the sound means of the language from the point of view of their articulation, acoustic qualities and semantics.

The phoneme is the smallest linguistic unit which is capable of differentiating the meaning and the grammar forms of words.

Phonemes are elements of the language. The number of them is quite definite for every separate language. In British English there are 44 phonemes, 20 vowel phonemes and 24 consonant ones. In speech they manifest themselves in form of phonemic variants or allop hones.

The allophone is a material representation of the phoneme in speech. They appear in connected speech as a result of assimilation or reduction, or due to individual speech habits. The number of allophones in a language is unlimited.

Phonetic transcription and its typesPhonetic transcription is a sort of phonetic alphabet, a system of symbols in which

every phoneme is supposed to have its own symbol. It helps in learning a foreign language. It is possible to speak about three types of phonetic transcription.

1. The International phonetic transcription. It was introduced by the International Phonetic Association in 1887. But the science of phonetics has been considerably developed since then. And drawbacks of that system are quite evident; it suggests the same symbols for different phonemes: [i: - i], [); -o], [ u: - u ], [d'-ifcl, which gives the wrong impression that those phonemes differ only in duration ( length).

2. The phonemic transcription (broad). In phonemic transcription every phoneme is given an individual symbol, the number of which is 44 (according to the number of phonemes in British English). It introduces four more symbols: 111 for | i J, /1/7 for [If], It)I for [j)]> /A-7 for jT:]. Words and sentences transcribed with the help of this phonetic script are placed between the slanting brackets, e.g. /pa:t/. This type of transcription is used in studying English as a speciality.

3. The allophonic transcription (narrow). In this type of transcription every allophone has either a special symbol or a diacritical mark. It is used in doing research work in the field o f phonetics.

The English Vowel SystemThe vowel is a speech sound in the production of which the air stream coming out of

the lungs meets no obstruction on its way.The English vowel system consists of 2« vowel phonemes. According to the stability

o f articulation we distinguish 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs.According to the duration we distinguish long and short vowel phonemes.

The monophthong is a vowel in the production of which the organs of speech do not change their position throughout the whole duration of the vowel.

/B/, /01':/, /W/ / Ul / j /31/

/ D // A /v/t /de/,/1 // 6 / ” / Q /

The diphthong is a monophonemic combination of two vo.wel elements with gliding articulation. The first stressed element is called the nucleus, the second one is called the glide. According !o the type of glide they are grouped into:/1 / gliding diphthongs, ? d l / /€ 1 / / / 0 1 /IVI gliding diphthongs, / g / j / / 2 / j /

W gliding diphthongs, / £ / / / l / a /

Vowels in Four Types of Syllables

Letters The first syllable type

(open)

The second syllable type

(closed)

The third syllable type (vowel + r)

The fourth syllable type (vowel + re)

Afate / e i /mate 7 C'J / fat / W

matfar / a /car

fare A a /care '

O note . sofa

not . doctor U / r / * A

more / i 1 / before /

E theme , ■ Peter ' 1 ' /

met . pen /

mercy / ? rher / 5 ' / here / r a /

seriousU tube / j U : /

blue ' / u /CUP / / summer ' '

turn , _ Thursday 7 pure / I T 0 /cure ;

Ifine / 4 1 / time / 0 - 1 /

fin ,, , pin ' ■ / girl A '/

fir / J ' / I I d / d J 3 /Y

type / i -my / c i f /

myth , system ' 1 1

myrtle A y / d J » /

Graphical Rules

I I Iis represented in spelling by:1. the letters “i, y” in closed stressed syllables - myth, syllable, sit, window.2. the letters “y, ey” in unstressed syllables - money, trolley, city, baby3. the letters “ai, ay” in unstressed syllables - holiday, portrait, fountain, mountain4 . tire letter “e” in prefixes - begin, decide.

Rare spellings: busy, build, biscuit, foreign, women.

/ i: /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “e” in open and historically open syllables - be, he, meter, these, theme.2. the letters “ee” - meet, see, feel, tree.

“ea” - meat, sea, peace.“ie” - piece, field, believe.“ei” - ceiling, receive.

Rare spelling: people, key, breathe, wreath.

is represented in spelling by:1. the letter” a” in closed syllables - lad, glad.

Note: A number o f disyllabic & trisyllabic words with the letter “a” in an open syllable fall under this rule - palate, family, cavity.

le iis represented in spelling by:1. the letter “e” in closed syllables - bet, better.2. the digraph “ea” before “d” - bread, head.

“th” - breath, weather.Irregular readings: friend, deaf, heavy, measure, pleasure, pleasant, health, wealth,

meant, weapon, breakfast, sweat, sweater.Rare spellings: any, many, bury, says, said.

/ a /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “a” in prefixes and articles - about, asleep, a big city2. the suffixes “er” - teacher

“or” - doctor “ar” - collar “our” - neighbour “ous” - famous

3 . the letters “a, o, u” in unstressed syllables (hard reduction) - sofa, autumn, atom.

It>lis represented in spelling by:1. the letter “o” in closed stressed syllables - not, office, hot.2. the digraph”wa” - was, want, except “water”3. the letter combination “qua” - quality, quantity.Rare spelling: because, cough, knowledge, sausage.

I A /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “ u” in closed stressed syllables - hurry, uncle, consult.2. the letter “o” followed by “m” - come, some

“n” - son, ton“v” - love, glove, oven“th” - mother, other.

3 . the digraph “ou” followed by “gh” - enough, tough“bl(e)” - trouble, double & *■“pl(e)” - couple

Remember: “ou” + other consonants - country, touch, courage, young, cousin, Southern.

Rare and irregular spellings: blood, flood, worry.

I U Iis represented in spelling by:1. the digraph “oo” followed by “k” - book, look.2. the letter “u” after ”p, b, f ’ - pull, bull, full.

Exception: but, bus, butter, pulse, fun.

Rare spelling: could, should, would, bouquet, women, bosom, wolf. Irregular spellings: good, food, wood, stood.

/sr/is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “a” in open stressed syllables - take, make.2. the letters “ai” and “ay” in stressed position - main, plain, may, play.3. the letters “ei” and “ey” - vein, neighbour, grey, they.4 . the letter “a” followed by “nge” and “ste” - range, change, haste, paste.

Irregular reading: key, height

tanis represented in spelling by:1. the letters “i, y” in open stressed syllables - tie, pie, try, final.2. the digraph “igh” followed by “t” - light, night.3. the letter “i” followed by “id”- child, wild.

“nd” - kind, blind.Irregular readings: wind Irregular spelling: either, neither.

1011is represented in spelling by:1. the digraphs “ol” boil, oil, join, poison

“oy” loy, joy, employment.

13 VIis represented in spoiling by:1. the letter ”o” in upon syllables - go, home, moment.2. the letter “ <>” followed by “ 11” - poll, roll

“Id” - old, told “st” - most, post.

3 . the letter “ o' in word-final unstressed position - hero, photo, potato.4 . the letters “ini' - boat, road.5. the letters “ow” in word-final position - low, show, know, window, tomorrow.

Exceptions: now, how, cow, row, brow.Irregular spellings: shoulder,poultry, mould, soul, own, brooch.

Id VIis represented in spelling by:1. (he digraph “ou” - South, thousand, moulh.2. the digraph “ow” in the medial position - town, towel, brown, crowd.

Irregular spellings: now, cow, how, vow, bow, brow, allow, bough,plough, drought.

i Q lis represented in spelling by:1. the digraph “ar” - cart, party2. the letter “a” followed by “ss” - pass, grass

“st” - past, fast “sk” - ask, basket

sp” - grasp, clasp “ft” - after, craft “th” - path, father.

3. the letter ”a” followed by “lm” - calm, palm“ I f ’ - half, calf (the letter “ 1” is mute here)

4 . the suffixes “ance” and “and” - France, glance, demand, command.Rare spellings: aunt, laughter, clerk, sergeant, heart, hearth, drama, aria, tomato,

banana, vase, moustache.l u: I

is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “u” in open syllables - tune, mute /ju:/It sounds /u: / preceded by “j, r, 1” - June, rule, blue, true.

2. the digraphs “eu”, “ew” /ju:/ - feudal, neutral, few, newbut: Jew, crew, flew /u:/

3. the digraph “ui” - suit, fruit, cruise.4. the digraph “oo” in all positions except when followed by “k” or “r” - moon, soon.5 . the digraph “ou” in words of French origin - soup, route, youth, wound, you.

Rare spelling: shoe, beauty, queue, who, whom, whose, two.

10:/is represented in spelling by:1. the letters “or” ( the third syllable type) - port, sport.2. the letters “oor” - floor, door

“our” - your, course “oar” - board, roar.

3. the letter “a” followed by “11” and “1 + cons.” - all, tall, salt, chalk.4 . the letters “au” and ”aw” - autumn, author, law, saw, lawn.5. the letter combinations “ought” - ought, thought. f A .

“aught” - caught, taught.6. the letters “war” - warm, ward.

Irregular reading: our, sour, flower, poor.

13:1is represented in spelling by:1. the letters “er”- term, service.

“ir” - bird, fir.“ur” - turn, fur, nurse.“yr” -myrtle.

Note: the third syllable type.

2. the digraph “ear” + cons. - earth, heard.3. the letters “wor” - work, word.

Rare spellings: journey, journalist, were, colonel.

/ ia /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter combinations “ere” - here, severe

“ear” - hear, dear “eer” - cheer, deer.

2. the letter combination “ier” - pier, cashier.3. the letter “e” followed by “r” + vowel - era, hero, period, serious.

Rare spellings: theory, museum, theatre, idea, beard, real

i& a iis represented in spelling by:1. the letter combinations “are” - care, fare, prepare.

“air” - chair, air, hair.2. the letter ”a” followed by “r” + vowel - vary, Mary, parents, variant.

Irregular spellings: are /a:/, to bear, to wear, to tear, to swear, pear, where, there.

1031is represented in spelling by:1. the combination “ure” - cure, pure, sure.2. by the letter “ u” followed by “r” +vowel - j 1117, fury, during.

Irregular spellings: poor, moor, tour(ist), Europe

The English Consonant System The consonant is a speech sound in the production of which the air stream coming out

of the lungs lias to overcome a certain obstruction on its way.The English consonant system consists of 24 consonant phonemes.

/p , b / ' / f , v / /m /f / n / / /n / / } // i j / /&'*//. /W , /,''/ /h/, /f/

• A ’ . z - / J

/ M / / . , /

/ i j Graphical rules

/ k /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter”k” - keep, kitchen, kind.2. the letter “c” before “a, o, u “ - cat, cut, coat

before consonants - cry, class in final position - sync, music.

3 . the digraph “ck” - sick, back, buckwheat (only after short vowels)! digraph qu” when stressed - question, queen

hen unstressed - conquer, unique.

10 /is represented in spelling by J1. the letter “g” before a, o, u and cons. - gave, good, gun, grammar.

Irregular readings: give, got, get, girl, finger, begin.2. the digraph ”gu” - language.

is represented in spelling by:1. the letter combination “sh” - shoe, she.2. the letter “c” and the letter combination “ci” - official, ancient, social, special.3. the suffixes “tion”, “sion”, “ssion” - expression, proposition, excursion, examination.

Rare spellings: Asia, Russia, fascist, anxious, sugar, sure

/ s /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter ”s” - best, test.2. the letter “c” before e, i, y - cent, cycle

/ w /is represented in spelling by:1. the letter “w” - was, want2. the letter combination “wh” + any vowel, but ”o” - what, wheat.

IK]!is represented in spelling by:1. the letter combination “ng” - sing, thing, reading.2. the letter combination ”nk” and “nc” - ink, think, uncle.

/is represented in spelling by:1. the letter combination “ch” and “tch” - church, bench, kitchen..2. the suffix “ture” / xj / - nature, culture, literature.

Irregular spellings: fortune, century, question,

ich jis represented in spelling by: J1. the letter “g” before “e, i, y” - vegetables, huge, gin, gyps}', Egypt.2. the letter combination “dg(e)” - edge, judge, budget.3. the letter “j ” in word-initial position before vowels - just, Jack, joke

Rare spellings: suggest, soldier.

/ f /