Notes for midterm ETI 117

Vowel reduction
• Vowel reduction affects the frequent monosyllabic words of English.
When stressed or read in isolation, they are pronounced in their
strong form; when they are in their usual unstressed position, in
their weak form:

Strong form Weak form

and /ænd/ /ən/
of /ɒv/ /əv/
you /ju:/ /jʊ/
would /wʊd/ /wəd/, /əd/
does /dʌz/ /dəz/
have /hæv/ /həv/, /əv/
must /mʌst/ /məst/, /məs/
Vowel reduction in contractions
Characteristics of contractions
• two single-syllable words usually combine into one
syllable
• an elision of sounds occurs

Examples:
I’m, I’ve, I’ll, I’d, he’s, she’ll, they’re, they’d, etc.
can’t, couldn’t, don’t, hasn’t, weren’t, etc.
wouldn’t’ve, couldn’t’ve, shouldn’t’ve, etc.
 Liaison /li’eɪzɒn/

• Liaison refers to the smooth linking or joining together of words in connected

speech and it’s essential for both rhythm and intonation
• CONSONANT – VOWEL / VOWEL – VOWEL

1- Say the following phrases twice, first joining, then without joining them.
Does it make a difference?
in English - Saw Ann saw? So and so
my uncle
far away
go away
 1- Liaison (linking and intrusive sounds)

• linking /r/ (British pron.) NATIVE FOCUS NOT SLL

her English vs. her Spanish

car engine vs. car seat
brother and sister

• intrusive /r/ (doesn’t exist in rhotic accents where ‘r’ is

always pronounced)

- The media (r) are to blame.

 1- Liaison (linking and intrusive sounds)

• intrusive /w/
you (w) are
go (w) off
Sue (w) always want to (w) eat

• intrusive /j/
he /j/ is
we /j/ are
she /j/ always takes my /j/ arm Y (J) ARM
Four features of liaison together
Can you identify all four of the liasion features in the
sentence below?

“You are obviously unhappy about the idea of it.”

You (w) are obviously unhappy (j) about the (j)idea (r) of it