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  • Lecture unstressed vocalism






    Brainstorming questions

     


    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 J1rd " Jad/ 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.

     

     






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