Mastering English Pronunciation: Sounds and Stress
Rhythm in English Speech
English speech is rhythmical, exhibiting a stress-timed rhythm at regular intervals. The unit used to measure this rhythm is called a foot.
Types of Assimilation
- Progressive Assimilation: The preceding sound influences the following sound. For example, in regular past tense verbs:
- “Moved” (voiced ending)
- “Worked” (voiceless ending)
- Regressive Assimilation: The assimilated sound precedes and is affected by the conditioning sound. Examples include:
- “Grandpa” often becomes “Graenpa”
Understanding Stress in English: Emphasis, Contrast, and Function Words
Understanding Stress in English
Emphasis, Contrast, and Correct Stress
The use of emphasis can change the focus and meaning of a sentence. For example: “Did you drive to London last week?”
Contrastive stress is used to emphasize the element that needs to be contrasted for clarity. For example: “Are you going to go outside or stay inside today?” or “Do you like this one or that one?”
Correct stress is used to correct a previous statement by giving more prominence to the correct information. For example:
Read MoreSemantic and Phonetic Analysis of English Language
1. Word Meaning: Referential and Functional Approaches
There are three concepts of word meaning. The first is connected with the sound-form of the linguistic sign, the second is the idea underlying this sound-form, and the last is the actual referent. This view of word meaning is known as the “basic triangle.” It shows that the sound-form of the linguistic sign is connected with our idea of the referent. The common feature of any referential approach is the implication that meaning is, in some
Read MoreUnderstanding English Pronunciation: Vowels, Diphthongs, and Triphthongs
Understanding the /æ/ Vowel Sound
The /æ/ sound is unrounded, front, and pronounced between half-open and open. It is halfway between the Spanish /a/ and /e/.
Quantity
Usually a short sound, /æ/ may be lengthened when followed by /b/, /d/, /g/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, or /ʤ/. For example, compare bad [bæ:d] vs. bat [bæt] or bag [bæ:g] vs. back [bæk].
Distribution
The /æ/ sound is never found at the end of a syllable, with the exception of the word baa /bæ/ in American English.
Allophones
The /æ/ sound
Read MoreSpeech Sounds: Phonetics and Phonology Explained
Phonetics and Phonology: Understanding Speech Sounds
Key Concepts in Phonetics
Phonetics is the study of the sounds of language. Phonology determines the phonemes of a language. Spelling is also an important aspect of language.
- Phoneme: The smallest linguistic unit without meaning that a speaker intends to produce. Each phoneme can have different phonetic realizations.
- Sound: The realization of phonemes. Each phoneme may have multiple realizations depending on the context. Each variation is called an
Connected Speech and Prosody in English
Connected Speech in English
When looking at the main allophones of the phonemes in English, it’s necessary to look at sounds not only in isolation but also taking into account neighboring sounds. Sounds tend to change when they come into contact with other sounds. The main phenomena of connected speech are: weak forms, assimilation, elision, liaison, gemination, and hard attack.
Function Words
Function words, like me, you, at, to, as, and than, are words that don’t have a lexical meaning. They have
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