Features of Connected Speech PDF

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Introduction to English Pronunciation

Features of Connected Speech Fluent speakers of English speak very fast – around 350-450 words per minute. It is not necessary to articulate that fast until you are ready. However, it is important to be able to understand the flow of speech and the features of connected speech that facilitate rapid articulation. We can divide these features into 3 areas: linking, omission and modification.

1) Linking/Liaison a) Catenation Word-final consonant linked to following word-initial vowel e.g. pick it up (compare with put that down, where elision occurs) if words are spoken in isolation (in citation form), catenation does not occur b) Linking /r/ RP/BBC is non-rhotic. Therefore, in words such as sister, hear, car, etc., /r/ is not pronounced. However, if words ending in /r/ are followed by words beginning with vowel sounds, the /r/ is restored. e.g. Doctor Adams , sister and brother , hear it (compare with hear that) c) Intrusion: /w/, /r/ and /j/ This occurs when one word ends in a vowel sound and the next begins with one. The intrusive sound depends on the vowel at the end of the first word: final sound of first word

intrusive sound

example

/ə/ / ɑ:/

/r/

China /r/ isn’t small

/ ʊ/ /u:/ /a ʊ/ /əʊ/

/w/

blue /w/ eyes

/ ɪ/ /i:/ /e ɪ/ /aɪ/

/j/

free /j/ and easy

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Introduction to English Pronunciation

PRACTICE: Try saying the following phrases:

Saw and ran My uncle Far away Go away What do you notice? Look at the following groups of phrases and be prepared to explain what type of linking occurs:

Her English Car engine Mother and baby America and Canada Law and order You are Go of Sue always wants to eat He is They are She always takes my arm Look at the following sentence and identify where you would expect to find linking:

You are obviously unhappy about the idea of it.

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Introduction to English Pronunciation

2) Omissions Sounds can be omitted both between and within words. This is called elision. Sometimes sounds must be elided: e.g. mustn’t – the first /t/ is always elided a) Elision: consonants /t/ and /d/ are most frequently elided when they occur between consonant clusters of 3+ e.g. friendship; Christmas ; second time (compare second attempt) /h/ is elided in grammatical words (structure/function words vs. content/lexical words) when in unstressed positions e.g. It’s his birthday; Give her a call BUT elision of /h/ is stigmatised when it occurs in stressed positions e.g. I’m going home Elision is commonly used to simplify clusters including of + word initial consonant: e.g. piece of cake and in difficult to articulate consonant sequences generally: e.g. sixth (compare nichts ) b) Elision: vowels Elision affects unstressed vowel sounds, esp. schwa /ə/ in the following phonological contexts: i)

Between voiceless consonants: e.g. s(u)ppose

ii)

Between consonant + /l/, /n/ or /r/, which may then become syllabic consonants: e.g. p(o)lice (syllabic /l/); choc(o)late; reas(o)n (syllabic /n/); c(o)rrect (syllabic /r/)

iii)

Consonant + /ə/ + /r/ + weak vowel e.g. library /laɪbrɪ/; history /hɪstrɪ/

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Introduction to English Pronunciation

3) Modifications a) Contraction Involves both elision and modification – i.e. some sounds omitted, some altered: e.g. will not → won’t Some contractions are harder for learners to pronounce than non-contracted forms: e.g. wouldn’t; didn’t RP speakers here produce the /d/ and /n/ in an unbroken sequence, releasing air through the nasal cavity instead of the mouth; non-RP speakers often insert a schwa between /d/ and /n/. b) Assimilation Where sounds become similar to neighbouring sounds; in RP/BBC, assimilation mainly affects place of articulation (it can affect voicing and manner of articulation as well). Assimilation is a simple and logical process. i)

Regressive Most common type of assimilation – mainly affects /t/, /d/ and /n/, but also /s/ and /z/. Place of articulation moves closer to place of articulation of following consonant: /t/, /d/ and /n/ mainly affected by following /p/, /b/, /m/, /k/ or /g/ /s/ or /z/ mainly affected by / ʃ/ but also /j/

ii)

Progressive Mainly affects voicing of certain morphemes, i.e. plural –s, third person inflection –s, possessive –’s and regular past simple –ed: e.g. cats /s/ vs. dogs /z/; walks /s/ vs. runs /z/; Pat’s /s/ vs. Pam’s /z/; liked /t/ vs. loved /d/

iii)

Coalescent Where two sounds merge to form a new one: e.g. could you → /kʊʤə / or must you → /mʌsʧə/

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c) Weak forms Here we have to distinguish between citation forms of words (spoken in isolation) and words as they occur in the flow of connected speech: e.g. for /fɔ:/ vs. /fə/ Most weak forms are grammatical rather than lexical words There are some constraints on weak forms: i)

If the word is the last in a clause (unbound): e.g. It’s you I’m talking to

ii)

In negative auxiliaries: e.g. wasn’t

iii)

When stressed for emphasis: e.g. I said quarter to, not quarter past

iv)

When that is used as a demonstrative rather than a relative pronoun: e.g. Have you read that /ðæt/ book? vs. This is the book that /θæt/ I told you about.

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PRACTICE: What happens to the sounds in the following when they are naturally spoken?

White gloves

Red-brick

White paper

Speed boat

Ten green bottles

Red carpet

Green card

Red pepper

Ten pin bowling

Bit part

She has, has she?

Ten players

This shirt

White magic

Good boy

Brown paper

Good girl

White bread

Good morning

Green movement

The right key

Gold medal

Brown belt

Green goddess

These shells

White coffee

The table below may help you: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

When When When When When When When When

is is is is is is is is

a a a a a a a a

PRACTICE:

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/n/ a /m/? /n/ a / ŋ/? /t/ a /p/? /t/ a /k/? /d/ a /b/? /d/ a /g/? /s/ a /∫/? /z/ a /ʒ/?

Before /m/, /n/ and /p/ Before /g/ and /k/ Before /b/, /m/ and /p/ Before /g/ and /k/ Before /b/, /m/ and /p/ Before /g/ and /k/ Before /∫/ (and /j/) Before /∫/ (and /j/)

Introduction to English Pronunciation

What are the strong (citation) forms of the following words and what are their weak forms?

And Of You Me She Would Does Have Had Must A An Transcribe them using the phonemic alphabet

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An exceedingly fat friend of mine, When asked at what hour he'd dine, Replied, "At eleven, At three, five, and seven, And eight and a quarter past nine.

There was a young lady named Kite Whose speed was much faster than light. She left home one day In a relative way And returned on the previous night.

There once was a slimmer named Steen Who grew so phenomenally lean And flat, and compressed, That his back touched his chest, So that sideways he couldn't be seen.

There once was an old man of Esser, Whose knowledge grew lesser and lesser, It at last grew so small He knew nothing at all And now he's a college professor.

There was a young man of Japan Whose limericks never would scan. When they asked him, Why? He said, with a sigh, "It's because I always try to get as many words into the last line as I possibly can." [email protected]

Introduction to English Pronunciation

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. - Soft you now! The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd.

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