Phonetics & Phonology

Online Practice 1
1. Now
2. Maybe
3. Look
4. Retreat
5. Retreat
6. Electronic
7. Smooth
8. Apple
9. Feel
10. Pleasure
11. Cinematography

[na
u
:]
[my:bi]
1

[lk]
[ritrit]
2

[rtrit]
3

[lktr

nk]
4

[smu:]
[pl] or [pl]
5

[fi:l]
[p
h
l:r] or [p
h
l:r]
[s

mt
h
grfi]
6



1
Why is /e/ diphthongized here? Because its syllable is under primary stress.

2
Why is there not a schwa in the first syllable? Because that syllable has
secondary stress (the final syllable has primary). Under secondary stress, a vowel
sound is not completely reduced to a schwa (see word #5 for comparison).

3
What is [t] doing there? This is an effect of palatalization (see your book or notes). I
know the symbols arent quite touching each other, but this is the closest I can get to the
affricate when typing.

4
Why isnt // lengthened? Check out the words syllable structure. Remember that
CV-syllables are preferred. Then, compare the syllables you found with the rule for
vowel-lengthening.

5
Why is /p/ not aspirated? /p/ becomes aspirated [p
h
] in the onset of a primary
stressed syllable. Here, it is in the onset of an unstressed syllable, so plain [p]
appears.

6
Why is /t/ not flapped, since its between vowels? The rule is a tad more complicated,
unfortunately. /t/ is aspirated in the onset of a stressed syllable (like /p/). It is flapped
between vowels when it follows a stressed syllable ( l padded [p
h
d].
2 [Type the document title]





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