Lecture unstressed vocalism

1Can you name three ways of

The English vowels occurring in unstressed syllables form a definite system. They may be pronounced in three different ways:

(1)A vowel of full formation may be used in an unstressed syllable;

(2)A semi-weak vowel may be used in an unstressed syllable;

(3)An unstressed vowel may undergo different types of reduc­tion.

The English language is characterized by a specific way of uttering unstressed syllables which is not typical of Russian. Practically any vowel of full formation may be used in unstressed. syllables, as in the case of:

/ ni: s - 'græ nnit: s / (niece - grand-niece);

/ fit - 'benifit/ (fit - benefit);

/ sekt - 'insekt / (sect - insect);

/ græ m - ' kilә græ m / (gramme - kilogramme);

/a: t - as'tistik / (art - artistic);

/ pot - 'ti: pt / (pot - teapot);

/ b: d - 'b1кæ b: d / (board - blackboard);

/ ful - 'spu: nful / (full - spoonful);

/ kju: - kju: teinjә s / (queue - cutaneous);

/ naun - 'prounaun / (noun - pronoun);

/ fould - 'siksfould / (fold - sixfold); etc.

Such vowels of full formation are used in all styles of pro­nunciation. Their substitution by a reduced vowel is incorrect.

A semi-weak vowel may be used in an unstressed syllable as well.

I.Ward defines a semi-weak vowel as " a vowel that lies in an intermediate position between the strong vowels and the neutral ә ". ^[3]) She gives / о / as an example for it, as in:

/ ou'bei - obei - ә bei / (obey);

/ nou’vembә - no'vembә - nә 'vembә / (November);

/ prou’test - pro'test – prә test / (protest).

The unstressed vowels in the first column are of full formation; in the second the vowels are semi-weak; in the third are reduced to the neutral vowel /ә /.

I.Ward' s definition of a semi-weak vowel seems to be incom­plete. Prof.V.A.Vassilyev's definition of a semi-weak vowel runs as follows: "... a semi-weak vowel may, therefore, be de­fined as a partially reduced vowel which is used in a more careful style of pronunciation instead of the neutral vowel used in the rapid colloquial style and instead of the corresponding vowel of full formation used in the full style". ^

G.P.Toreuyev regards semi-weak vowels as products of partial reduction. Here are some more examples of semi-weak vowels:

/ ou'mi∫ ә n - o'mi∫ n - ә mi∫ n / (omission)

/ 'inouveit - 'inoveit - 'inә veit / (innovate);

/ interou'gei∫ ә n - lntero'gei∫ n – interә 'gel∫ n / (interrogation)

/ voukæ lik - vo'kæ lik – vә kæ lik / (vocalic);

/ mein'tein - mentein – mә n'tein / (maintain);

/ ₍hmoud|i: njә s - ₍hmo'di: njә s – hmә 'di: mjә s/ (homogene­ous); etc.

A vowel in an unstressed syllable is most commonly reduced. Vowel reduction is a characteristic feature of English, Russian and some other languages. A vowel in an unstressed syllable becomes shorter, weaker and less distinct.

There are three degrees of reduction in English:

quantitative,

qualitative, and

zero.

In quantitative reduction it is the length of a vowel which is reduced, as in:

Strong forms Quantitatively reduced forms

Were

Your

Me

For

to
In qualitative reduction the quality of a sound is changed, as in the following:

Strong forms Qualitatively reduced forms

Were

Me

For

To

And

Them

Zero reduction consists in dropping out a vowel or a consonant, as in the case of:

Strong forms Reduced forms with zero reduction

Shall

Am

Him

And

From

would

Reduction la one of the phonetic changes taking place in the historical development of a language.

The moat important role in the system of unstressedvocalism in English is played by the neutral vowel phoneme / ә /, which has a number of allophones.

Vowels in stressed position usually alternate with vowels in unstressed position. Such alternation between stressed and un-streesed vowels is called vowel gradation. There are several types of vowel gradation in English. They are:

(1)Any English vowel of full formation in a stressed position may alternate with the neutral vowel:

/ 3i: - Ьь/ (-; he);

/ Эет - 6am / (them);

/ aend ■ • эг.Л / (and);

I J^1rd " J^ad/ sho..ld);

/ лр - a'pon / up - upon);

/ tui - ta / (o)i

/ " prougres - iiri'gieslv / tpvogreae - prc»isseiv>.);

/ ta'woid - " fo wad / (toward - forward), etc.

(2)The stressed /is/ alternates with the unstressed /i/i

/ ripiit - ^epi'tijn / (repeat - repetition)!

/ kam'pitt - jk.impi'tijn / (compete - competition)j

/ is'titm — " essimabl / (esteem - estimable)} etc.

(3)The stressed /в/ alternates with the unstressed /1/t

/ ik'sel - 'eke slant / (excel - excellent))

/ ri'visl - reviieijn / (reveal - revelation)}

/ invelap - •enviloup / (envelop - envelope)}

/ pripЈa - ^rops'reijn / (prepare - preparation))

/ ri'sait - ^eui'teijn / (recite - recitation);

/ dl'faln - 'definit / (define - definite); etc.

(4) The stressed /ei/ sometimes alternates with the un­stressed /i/:

/ дз1 - 'fraidl / (cay -? riday);

/ del - 'halsdi / (t.ay - holiday);

/ del - 'wenzdi / (day - Wednesday); etc.

Though the neutral vowel sound is short and indistinct it is capable of forming minimal pairs thus differentia'.in^ one word from another. The most сommon opposition is / ә - i /, though./ә - ou / is also possible. For instance:

/ 'houlә - 'houli / (holer - holey);

/ ә k'sept - iksept / (accept - ex pt);

/ ‘sli: pә - 'slis: pi / (sleeper - sleepy);

/ " a: mә - 'а: mi / (armour - army);

/ 'smoukә - 'smouki / (smoker - smoky);

/ 'ofisә z - 'fisiz / (officers - offices);

/ ' dri: mә - • dri: mi / (dreamer - dreamy);

/ ' tempә - 'tempou / (temper - tempo);

/ 'soulә - 'soulou / (solar - solo);

/ 'a: t∫ ә z - " a: t∫ iz / (archers - arches);

/ 'ti: t∫ ә z - ' tі: t∫ iz / (teachers - teaches);

/ ¹ bent∫ ә z - 'bent∫ iz / (benchers - benches);

/ vә kei∫ n – vou’kei∫ n / (vacation - vocation);

/ ә 'fekt - f'fekt / {affect - effect); etc.