Allophones

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

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IPA x Classic Phonemic chart
Almost all dictionaries use the e symbol for the
vowel in BED. The problem with this convention is
that e in the IPA does not stand for the vowel in
BED; it stands for a different vowel that is heard,
for example, in the German word SEELE. The
“proper” symbol for the BED-vowel is ɛ (do not
confuse with ɜ:). The same goes for eə vs. ɛə.
2.In əʳ and ɜ:ʳ, the ʳ is not pronounced in BrE,
unless the sound comes before a vowel (as in
ANSWERING, ANSWER IT). In AmE, the ʳ is always
pronounced, and the sounds are sometimes
written as ɚ and ɝ.
3.In AmE, ɑ: and ɒ are one vowel, so CALM and
COT have the same vowel. In American
transcriptions, HOT is written as hɑ:t.

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4.About 40% of Americans pronounce ɔ: the same way as ɑ:, so that CAUGHT and COT
have the same vowel. See cot-caught merger.
5.In American transcriptions, ɔ: is often written as ɒ: (e.g. LAW = lɒ:), unless it is followed
by r, in which case it remains an ɔ:.
6.In British transcriptions, oʊ is usually represented as əʊ. For some BrE speakers, oʊ is
more appropriate (they use a rounded vowel) — for others, the proper symbol is əʊ. For
American speakers, oʊ is usually more accurate.

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7.In eəʳ ɪəʳ ʊəʳ, the r is not pronounced in BrE, unless the sound comes before a vowel
(as in DEAREST, DEAR ANN). In AmE, the r is always pronounced, and the sounds are
often written as er ɪr ʊr.
8.All dictionaries use the r symbol for the first sound in RED. The problem with this
convention is that r in the IPA does not stand for the British or American R; it stands for
the “hard” R that is heard, for example, in the Spanish word REY or Italian VERO. The
“proper” symbol for the RED-consonant is ɹ. The reason r is used instead is that it’s
easier to type and read.
9.In American English, t is often pronounced as a flap t, which sounds like d or (more
accurately) like the quick, hard r heard e.g. in the Spanish word PERO. For example:
LETTER. Some dictionaries use the t ̬ symbol for the flap t.

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What is the flap t?

For example, this page does not list the regular t

(heard in this pronunciation of LETTER) and the
flap t (heard in this one) with separate symbols. It
groups them under a single symbol: t. (In other
words, it groups a number of similar sounds under
a single phoneme, for simplicity. To understand
how sounds are grouped into phonemes, read the
article on phonemic transcription.)

SZYNALSKY, Tomasz P.
http://www.antimoon.com/how/flap-t.htm

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• In American English, the /t/ phoneme can be pronounced
in several ways, depending on its position within a word
or phrase. In some positions, it can be pronounced as the
so-called flap t, which sounds like a short d or, more
precisely, like the quick, hard r sound heard in some
languages, e.g. in Spanish pero or Polish teraz.

• Here are some audio examples of words which are usually

pronounced with the flap t in American English. Variants
with the regular t are given for comparison.

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 with with
flap t normal t

letter letter

get in get in

beetle beetle

wanted wanted
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What is the phonetic symbol for the flap t?

The proper (narrow) phonetic symbol for the

alveolar tap is ɾ. In phonemic transcriptions (such
as are found in dictionaries), the flap t is
represented with the same symbol as the regular t,
since it belongs to the /t/ phoneme. Nevertheless,
some dictionaries use the t ̬ symbol (t with a small v
underneath) in American transcriptions to indicate
the places where a flap t is normally pronounced.

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When is the flap t used?

The chart below shows the positions in which speakers of General American typically pronounce  /t/  as a flap t:

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Do I have to learn to use the flap t?

No. You can have good, level 3 pronunciation

even if you never use the flap t and always
pronounce the normal t. However, if you want
to have a native-like American accent, the flap
t is essential.

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Normal phonemic transcriptions do not distinguish
between the normal t and the flap t, so you would
have to use additional symbols. For example, if you
use Antimoon’s ASCII system, you can extend it
with a symbol like /D/, which is supposed to stand
for “flap t or normal t in American English, but only
normal t in British English”.

Michal Ryszard Wojcik and I created such a system

in the 1990s. We called it the ASCII Phonetic
Alphabet, because the basic set of letters and
symbols supported by computers is called ASCII
characters. (“ASCII” is pronounced /ˈæski/.)

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pron: "letter"
A
/'leD..r/
Q
pron: "expert advice"
A
/'eksp..(r)D..d'vais/
What about words in which the t follows n? You
can do the following:

Q
pron: "ninety"
A
/'nainDi(:)/

Note: In AmE, /nD/ is pronounced as a nasalized

flap t.

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Thanks for joining
today's class.

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 Homework
Practice these sentences
for Dec 15th, 2020

https://youtu.be/PJT6vROO3eM

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