Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Graphophonemics
Base values of graphic vowels
in Standard Southern British English (remember: these are values in stressed /'/ syllables)

Checked + Free +
Graphic Checked r-modified Free r-modified
form ˈVC# or ˈVCC ˈVr ˈVCe# or ˈV# ˈVre#

‹a› /æ/ /ɑː/ /eɪ/ /eə/

(cat) (car) (Kate) (care)

‹e› /e/ /ɜː/ /iː/ /ɪə/

(pet) (hermit) (Pete) (here)

‹i› /ɪ/ /ɜː/ /aɪ/ /aɪə/

(bid) (bird) (bide) (fire)

‹o› /ɒ/ /ɔː/ /əʊ/ /ɔː/

(dot) (nor) (note) (more)

‹u› /ʌ/ /ɜː/ /(j)uː/ /(j)ʊə/

(cut) (burn) (mute) (pure)

Main sub-rules and exceptions

1. <a> or <o> in final <alC> or <olC>
<a> → /ɔː/ if <l> + <l#, t, d, k>
/'mɔːl/ / ' tɔ ːk / /'wɔːls/ /'bɔːld/ /'fɔːlkən/ /'bɔ ːltɪk/ /ɑ:/ in GA
mall, talk, waltz, bald, falcon, Baltic…
<a> → /ɑ:/ if <l> + <m / f>
/ ' hɑːf / /'kɑːm/ /'kɑːf/ /bɑːm/
half, calm, calf, balm…
<o> → /əʊ/ if <l> + <l#, t, d, s, k>
/'rəʊl/ /'pəʊl/ /'bəʊlt/ /'təʊld/ /'gəʊld/ /'fəʊk/ /'jə ʊk/ /'məʊst/ /'həʊst/ /'pəʊst/
roll, poll, bolt, told, gold, folk, yolk, most, host, post…
NB: for both <a> and <o> in cases of final <-lk#>, the <l> is silent: walk, talk, folk, yolk…

2. “w rule” /w/ + <a> and /w/ + <ar>

<w> + <a> → [wɒ]
/'wɒtə/ /'wɒnt/ /'kwɒlɪti/ /'swɒn/ /'swɒləʊ/
water, want, quality, swan, swallow… /ɑ:/ in GA
/æk/ /æks/ /æ ŋk / /æg/
EXCEPT if the following consonant is velar: quack, wa x , wank, wag
→ regular checked VCC or VC# value.
<w> + <ar> → [wɔː]
/'wɔːt/ /'wɔːm/ /'swɔːm/ /'kwɔːtə/ /'θwɔːt/
wart, warm, swarm, quarter, thwart…
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

3. Special endings:
<-ange#> <-aste#> <-igh(t)#> <-ign#> <-ind#>
V → free value instead of checked
<a> → /eɪ/ arrange, change, derange, range, strange… AND ALSO: angel, danger
baste, chaste, haste, paste, taste, waste…
<i> → /aɪ/ high, nigh, thigh, sigh, bright, tight, fight, flight, knight, right…
align, sign, resign, assign, benign, malign…

bind, blind, kind, find, grind, mind… AND ALSO: child, climb, mild, pint, wild

4. “pull” rule <f / p / b> + <u> + <-ll / -sh / -tch>

<u> → /ʊ/
pull, bull, bush, push, butch, putsch…

5. ASK words <a> + /f, s, θ/ (+ occlusive sourde)

<a> → /ɑː/
staff, bath, class, glass, grass, pass…
/æ/ after, craft, draft, graft, raft, shaft, ask, basket, mask, task, gasp, clasp, grasp…
in GA
similar endings <-ance#> <-anch#> <-and/t#> <-ample#>
<a> → /ɑː/
advance, France, chance, dance, glance, branch, ranch, command, demand, grant,
plant, example, sample…

6. “Luick” rule
V + C + V in cases of /100/ (or earlier) stress → checked value of V
Explanation: When a monographic vowel is in stressed position in the antepenultimate
syllable or earlier in the word, it adopts its checked value if followed by a single
consonant.
/ æ / / e / /æ/ /ɪ/
ˈcharacter, ˈfederal, personˈality, riˈdiculous
This works for both derived and non-derived words. Thus, a derived word might have a
different stressed vowel from its stem:
/ eɪ / / æ / / ɪə / / e / / aɪ / / ɪ /
ˈsane → ˈsanity, ˈsphere → ˈspherical, ˈbible → ˈbiblical
HOWEVER: Many exceptions to this rule. Sometimes, isomorphism (=keeping the
same form) is stronger:
/ eɪ / / eɪ / / eə / / eə / / ɔː / / ɔː / / əʊ / / əʊ /
ˈfavor → ˈfavorite, ˈrare → ˈrarity, ˈglory → ˈglorify, ˈmotive → ˈmotivate
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

7. Special pronunciations of <o>

<o> → / ʌ/ son, front, company, monk, month, sponge, tongue, wonder, worry, come,
glove, love, other, brother...
<o> → /u:/ do, to, two, who, lose, move, prove, tomb, womb…

Unstressed vowels
1. General rules
<a, e, o, u> →/ə/ 'salad, 'amulet, 'pilot, 'corpus
<a, e, i> →/ɪ/ 'cottage, 'budget, 'stupid
<u> → / (j)ʊ / 'educate, 'circular, 'fabulous
2. In pre-tonic contexts
/iː/ /uː/ /aɪ/
V + 'V → free value of vowel re'ality, zo'ology, i ' ambic
/ə/ /ə/ /ə/
V + 'C → regular reduced value a 'mend, se 'rene, a 'tomic
/ ʌ / / ɒ / /ɑː/
V + CC → checked value um'brella, dog'matic, par'tition → (r-modification)
3. In non-final V# / VC0 contexts (cases of final <i, y> or cases of diaeresis)
/ ' sə ʊf ə/ /haɪ'iːnə/
<a> →/ə/ 'sofa, hy'ena
/'ækni/ /ˌəʊʃiˈænɪk/ /ˈhæpi/
<e, i / y > →/i/ 'acne, oce'anic, 'happy
/ˈɪnfluəns/ /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/
<u> →/u/ 'influence, situation
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Digraphs
Digraph vowels are sequences of two graphic vowels. Some of these are very common in
English and have regular values in specific graphophonemic contexts. Here are the most
common ones in their basic and r-modified values along with some frequent exceptions.
1) <ai>, <ay>, <ei>, <ey>

<ai> <ay> <ei> <ey>

/ eɪ /
claim daycare eight convey
straight stay unveil prey
maid cayman vein whey
abstain gray (GA spelling) neighbour grey (SBE spelling)

💡Compare with
free and Exceptions: /aɪ/ aisle, either, ˈParaguay, aiˈkido
free+r-modified / iː/ quay, either, conˈceive, seize, ˈseizure, ˈceiling
values of <a>
/æ/ plaid
/eɪ/ surˈveillance, veil
/e/ said, says
<ai> + <r> <ei> + <r>
/ eə /
hairdo heiress
lair theirs
affair
NB: <ayr> and <eyr> are extremely rare in English.

Exceptions: /ɪə/ weird, eyrie

2) <ea>, <ee>, <ie> (non-final)

<ea> <ee> <ie> (non-final)

/ iː/
beast between piece
breathing feel achieve
meal attendee believe
team see siege

💡Compare with
free and Exceptions: /e/ (most common) bread, breakfast, breast, breath, dead,
free+r-modified endeavor, head, heaven, jealous, measure, pleasure, spread,
values of <e>
weather.
/eə/ bear, pear, swear, wear.
/ɜː/ earn, earth, heard, pearl, search
<ea> + <r> <ee> + <r> <ie> (non-final) + <r>
/ ɪə /
appear leer fierce
dear beer pierce
hearing seer
shear engineer
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

NB: French words ending in <ier#> are usually stressed and highly regular: /ɪə/.
However, pay attention to words with non-final <ie> that result from a morphological
derivation/flexion: ladies, flier. These are cases of a final <y#> that is orthographically
adapted to <ie>.

3) <ie#>, <ye#> (final)

<ie#> <ye#>
/aɪ/
pie bye
die Skye
lie lye
tie rye

4) <oe#>, <oa> (non-final)

<oe#> <oa> (non-final)

/əʊ/
doe boast
Joe coal
toe groan
roe roach
💡Compare with
free and
free+r-modified Exceptions: /ɔː/ broad, abroad
values of <o> /ʌ/ does

<oa> + <r>
/ ɔː /
aboard, boar, hoard, roar, soar

Latin and Greek <oe> (and also <ae>)

In SBE, words of Latin and Greek origin with <oe> and also <ae> are usually pronounced as
/ iː/ amoeba, foetus, Caesar, haematoma, encyclopaedia.
Exception: / e / haemorrhage, haemorrhoid
In GA, most of these digraphs have been simplified to monographs:
/ iː/ ameba, fetus, Cesar, hematoma, encyclopedia.
→ subpoena, oenophile are still used, though.
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

5) <eu>, <eau>, <ew>, <ue#>

<eu> <eau> <ew> <ue#>

/ (j)uː /
neural beauty stew glue
euphemism beauteous few due
eulogy beautiful newt blue
euthanasia shrewd
💡Compare with
free and
free+r-modified Exceptions: <eau#> → /əʊ/ plateau, rondeau, beau, Bordeaux…
values of <u> (Words of French origin)

<eu> + <r>
/(j)ʊə/ or /(j)ɔː/
Europe, Eurovision, Eurostar…

/ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː/ /əʊˈtɜː/ /kwɑːˈfɜː/

Exceptions: <eu> + <r#> → / ɜː/ entrepreneur, auteur, coiffeur
<eu> + <se#> chartreuse, masseuse
<eu> + <x#> milieux
(Words of French origin)

6) <au>, <aw>

<au> <aw>
/ ɔː/
applause hawk
nausea gnaw
cause awkward

Exceptions: /ɒ/ because, laurel, cauliflower, sausage, Austria

/ɑ:/ aunt, laugh, draught
/əʊ/ mauve, vaudeville, ...
/aʊ/ gaucho, mauser, sauerkraut
/eɪ/ gauge

<au> + <r>
/ ɔː/
aural, dinosaur, thesaurus, aurora
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

7) <oo>

<oo>
/ uː/
bloom, bamboo, pool, spoon,
moon, cartoon

Exceptions: /ʌ/ blood, flood

/ʊ/ foot, good, hood, stood, wood, wool, cook, crook, shook
/əʊ/ brooch

<oo> + <r>
/ ɔː /
door, floor, poor, moor, spoor

Exceptions: / ʊə / poor, moor, spoor can be pronounced both ways, /ɔː/ being
more common by far these days.

8) <oi>, <oy>

<oi> <oy>
/ ɔɪ /
choice, appoint, toil boy, toy, ahoy, oyster, employ

<oir> + <r>
Cases of <oi> + <r> are rare and mostly French loanwords pronounced as /wɑː/
Exceptions: / wɑː / abattoir, bavaroise, repertoire
/ aɪə/ choir

9) <ou>, <ow>

<ou> <ow>
/aʊ/
about, hound, foul, doubt, mouse browse, owl, cow, down, now

Exceptions : / ʌ / cousin, couple, double, enough, touch, young…

/ əʊ / although, boulder, soul, mould…
/ əʊ / /m, n, l, r/ + <ow> → blow, grow, low, crow, snow…
/ uː / boule, boulevard, coup, route, you, youth
/ ɔː / bought, ought, thought
/ʊ/ could, should, would
<ou> + <r>
/ɔː/ /aʊə/
court, source, four, discourse our, hour, flour, scour
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Exceptions: / ɜː / adjourn, courtesy, journey, journal…

/ʌ/ flourish (GA: ɝː)

There are three common minimal pairs which vary in pronunciation depending on their
meaning:
<bow> /baʊ/ (v.) s'incliner vs. /bəʊ/ (n.) arc, ruban
<row> /raʊ/ (n.) dispute vs. /rəʊ/ (n., v.) rame, ramer
<sow> /saʊ/ (n.) truie vs. /səʊ/ (v.) semer

This classification of digraphs into 9 categories is based on Fournier & Girard. Manuel de transcription
phonétique de l’anglais. Ellipses (2022). Other authors might propose different categorizations and exceptions.
 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Full and reduced grammatical words

Grammatical categories Strong/stressed Weak/unstressed

forms forms

Auxiliaries am ˈæm əm / m

are ˈɑː ə

be ˈbiː bi

been ˈbiːn bɪn

do ˈduː du / də

does ˈdʌz dəz

had ˈhæd həd / əd

has ˈhæz həz / əz

have ˈhæv həv / əv

is ˈɪz ɪz / z

was ˈwɒz wəz

were ˈwɜː wə

shall ˈʃæl ʃəl / ʃl

should ˈʃʊd ʃəd / ʃd

will ˈwɪl wɪl / l

would ˈwʊd wəd / wʊd

can ˈkæn kən / kn

could ˈkʊd kəd / kʊd

must ˈmʌst məst / məs

 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Pronouns her ˈhɜː hə / ə

he ˈhiː hi / i

him ˈhɪm hɪm / ɪm

me ˈmiː mi

she ˈʃiː ʃi

them ˈðem ðəm / ðm

us ˈʌs əs

we ˈwiː wi

who ˈhuː hu / u

whom ˈhuːm huːm / hʊm

you ˈjuː ju

your ˈjɔː jə

that ˈðæt ðət

there (is) ˈðeər ˈɪz ðərɪz

there (are) ˈðeər ˈɑː ðərə

Determiners a ˈeɪ ə

an ˈæn ən

some ˈsʌm səm

such ˈsʌtʃ sətʃ

the ˈðiː ðə / ði

Conjunctions and ˈænd ənd / ən / nd / n

but ˈbʌt bət

or ˈɔː ə

as ˈæz əz

that ˈðæt ðət

than ˈðæn ðən

 Préparation Agrégation – Phonologie

Prepositions at ˈæt ət

for ˈfɔː fə

from ˈfrɒm frəm

of ˈɒv əv

per ˈpɜː pə

to ˈtuː tu / tə

as ˈæz əz