Weak & Strong Forms

First year
Department of English
College of Education
University of Thi-Qar
Lecturer
Hayder Kubashi
 Strong /Weak Syllables & Weak Forms

• English syllables are divided into two types, strong and

weak. A weak syllable tends to be:

1. shorter of lower intensity

2. and different in quality,
3. is less loud, and
4. has a vowel that can not occur in strong syllables.
 Strong /Weak Syllables & Weak Forms

-The more important thing to note is that any strong syllable will have
as its centre one of the vowel phonemes(or possibly a triphthong )but
not a Shwa .

-On the other hand , a weak syllable can only have four types of center:

1. the vowel "schwa"

2. A close front unrounded vowel in the general area of i: and i
3. A close back rounded vowel in the general area of u: and u
4. A syllabic consonant
 Strong /Weak Syllables & Weak Forms

The vowel in a weak form is usually the schwa

(ə).

Weak forms are pronounced more quickly and at lower

volume in comparison to the stressed syllables.
 The articulation of consonants

• Weak Forms: is that which is result of a word being unstressed as in normal

pronunciation of (of) in (cup of tea) and in most other grammatical words:

• Prepositions
• auxiliary verbs
• modal verbs
• Pronouns
• possessive adjectives
• Conjunctions
• articles
• The forms can be found in :

• Nouns
• main verbs
• Adjectives
• adverbs
Where are you from?
Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

 ɒ
Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Are they from Italy?
 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 ə

Are they from Italy?

ɑː
Yes, they are.
some words have two
pronunciations
a weak form

from / frəm /
are / ə /
and a strong form

from / frɒm /
are / ɑː /
the weak form is the usual
pronunciation
the weak form is the usual
pronunciation
it’s used when the word is
unstressed
the strong form is used only
when the word is stressed
the strong form is used only
when the word is stressed
eg. when it’s the last word
the vowel is simplified
(in most cases)
to ə or ɪ
prepositions weak form strong form

from frəm frɒm

to tə tuː

at ət æt

in ɪn ɪn

on ɒn ɒn
aux. verbs weak form strong form

am əm æm

are ə ɑː

have həv hæv

had həd hæd

does dəz dʌz

modal verbs weak form strong form

can kən kæn

will wɪl wɪl

would wəd wʊd

shall ʃəl ʃæl

must məst mʌst

articles weak form strong form

a ə eɪ

an ən æn

the ðə ðiː
when do weak forms become
strong?
 1.
the end of the sentence
Where are you from?
Yes, I am.
No, I’m not.
 2.
negatives
I can speak German.
 ə

I can speak German.

I can’t speak German.
 ɑː

I can’t speak German.

You aren’t listening.
I’m not listening.
the stress is always on ‘not’
even when it’s abbreviated
 3.
auxiliary or modal substitutes or
includes the main verb
I can’t speak German

but my friend can.

Do you like English coffee?

No, I don’t.
 4.
double stress for emphasis
I do like your hat!
I didn’t crash my car!
I didn’t crash my car.
I crashed hers!
look at this passage from
Charles Dickens’
A Tale of Two Cities

How many weak forms

can you find?
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it
was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it
was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of
hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all
going direct the other way—in short, the period
was so far like the present period, that some of its
noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,
for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of
comparison only.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it
was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of
hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all
going direct the other way—in short, the period
was so far like the present period, that some of its
noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,
for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of
comparison only.
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst əf times,
ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf
foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf belief, ɪt wəs thɪ
epoch əf incredulity, ɪt wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə period
wəs so far like thə present period, thət some əf ɪts
noisiest authorities insisted on ɪts being received,
fə good ə fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
comparison only.
 now find the stressed and
unstressed syllables in these
words

How many have ə or ɪ ?

ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst əf times,
ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf
foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf belief, ɪt wəs thɪ
epoch əf incredulity, ɪt wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə period
wəs so far like thə present period, thət some əf ɪts
noisiest authorities insisted on ɪts being received,
fə good ə fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
comparison only.
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst əf times,
ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf
foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf belief, ɪt wəs thɪ
epoch əf incredulity, ɪt wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə period
wəs so far like thə present period, thət some əf ɪts
noisiest authorities insisted on ɪts being received,
fə good ə fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
comparison only.
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst əf times,
ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdəm, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf
foolɪshnəss, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf bɪlief, ɪt wəs thɪ
epoch əf ɪncrədulɪtɪ, ɪt wəs thə seasən əf Light, ɪt
wəs thə seasən əf Darknəss, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə wintər əf dɪspair, wɪ had
everɪthɪng bɪfore əs, wɪ had nothɪng bɪfore əs,
wɪ wə all goɪng direct tə Heavən, wɪ wə all
goɪng direct thɪ othər way—ɪn short, thə perɪəd
wəs so far like thə presənt perɪəd, thət some əf ɪts
noisɪəst authorɪtɪs ɪnsistɪd on ɪts beɪng rɪceived,
fə good ə fə evil, ɪn thə superlətɪve dɪgree əf
cəmparɪsən onlɪ.
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst əf times,
ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdəm, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf
foolɪshnəss, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf bɪlief, ɪt wəs thɪ
epoch əf ɪncrədulɪtɪ, ɪt wəs thə seasən əf Light, ɪt
wəs thə seasən əf Darknəss, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə wintər əf dɪspair, wɪ had
everɪthɪng bɪfore əs, wɪ had nothɪng bɪfore əs,
wɪ wə all goɪng direct tə Heavən, wɪ wə all
goɪng direct thɪ othər way—ɪn short, thə perɪəd
wəs so far like thə presənt perɪəd, thət some əf ɪts
noisɪəst authorɪtɪs ɪnsistɪd on ɪts beɪng rɪceived,
fə good ə fə evil, ɪn thə superlətɪve dɪgree əf
cəmparɪsən onlɪ.
 HOMEWORK

make a list of the weak forms

that you used in your latest
writing homework