The Linguistic Structure of Modern English | Brinton & Brinton

CHAPTER 3
English Phonology, Phonotactics, and
Suprasegmentals

Exercise 3.2 Phonological Processes

1. Write the word indicated by each transcription and identify the phonological process or
change responsible for each pronunciation.
Example: Transcription Word Phonological Process
h
[əp izmənt] appeasement aspiration
a. [twuθbrʌʃ] i. [pæŋkeɪk] q. [pl̥ ʊrəl]
b. [sĩmfəni] j. [bɪlɪtḷ] r. [bɛɫoʊ]
c. [kɝɫi] k. [k̟ ɪtʃən] s. [pæn̪ θər]
d. [əphɔɪntmənt] l. [hɛl̪ θi] t. [daɪdʒɛstʃən]
e. [ræp̚ tʃər] m. [tuzdeɪ] u. [maɪɾi]
f. [pr̥ ɛri] n. [lɑ̃ndri] v. [lwɔɪtər]
g. [tɑɾər] o. [laɪtnnɪŋ] w. [ɑp̚ tɪməl]
h. [ɑk̚ təpʊs] p. [kʌtləs] x. [g̟ ɪtɑr]
y. [hɑrdņ]
2. a. Write a rule for the unreleasing of stops.
b. Write a rule for the monophthongization of [ɪu].
3. An advantage of distinctive features (discussed in Exercise 2.7) is that they enable us to
recognize natural classes of sounds, sets of sounds all sharing a certain feature or fea-
tures, for example, all sounds sharing the feature [+NASAL] or [+BACK]. Since natural
classes behave the same way in respect to phonological processes and rules as well as
nondistinctive variation, we are able to capture generalizations by the use of features.
We are often able to supply the motivating force for variants or changes as well.
Try to express the 12 rules given in the section on Phonological Processes in the text in
terms of distinctive features.
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1. Word Phonological Process

a. toothbrush labialization
b. symphony nasalization
c. curly velarization
d. appointment aspiration
e. rapture unreleased/palatalization
f. prairie devoicing
g. totter flapping
h. octopus unreleased
i. pancake velarization
j. belittle syllabic consonant
k. kitchen fronting
l. healthy dentalization
m. Tuesday monophthongization
n. laundry nasalization
o. lightning nasal release
p. cutlass lateral release
q. plural devoicing
r. bellow velarization
s. panther dentalization
t. digestion palatalization
u. might flapping
v. loiter labialization
w. optimal unreleased
x. guitar fronting
y. harden syllabic consonant

2. a. Cstop → C̚ / — Cstop, — #
b. (c) [ɪu] → [u]/ C alveolar —

3. 1. [+CONSONANTAL] → [+LABIALIZED] / —[+ROUND]

2. [+CONSONANTAL, +SONORANT] → [+SYLLABIC]/[+CONSONANTAL, –SONORANT] — #,

[+NASAL] — #

3. [+CONSONANTAL, +ANTERIOR, +CORONAL] → [+DENTALIZED]/ — [+INTERDENTAL]

4. [+SONORANT] → [–VOICE]/[–VOICE, +CONSONANTAL] —

5. [+BACK, +CONSONANT] → [–BACK, –ANTERIOR]/ — [–BACK, +VOCALIC]

6. [+VOCALIC] → [+NASALIZED]/ — [+NASAL]

7. [+VOCALIC, –BACK] → [+RETRACTED]/ — [+LATERAL]

8. [+CONSONANTAL, –CONTINUANT, –NASAL, –DELAYED RELEASE, –VOICE] →
[+ASPIRATED]/ # — [+VOCALIC, +STRESS]
9. [+LATERAL] → [+VELARIZED]/ — [+SONORANT, +CONTINUANT]

10. [+CONSONANTAL, –SONORANT, +ANTERIOR, +CORONAL] → [–ANTERIOR]/ — #[–

CONSONANTAL, –VOCALIC, +HIGH, –BACK]
11. [+VOCALIC, –TENSE] → [+REDUCED]/[–STRESS]

12. [+REDUCED} → Ø/ — #[+SONORANT, +ANTERIOR]