Semester Outline Introduction to English Phonology and Phonetics 1. Phonetics and phonology: basics (& introducing transcription)
2. English consonants
Dr. Nadja Nesselhauf 3. English vowels
4. Beyond the phoneme (connected speech, suprasegmentals etc.)
5. Accents of English
English Vowels: Outline Phonetic Classification of Vowels
Phonetic criteria for the classification of vowels: 1. Classification of vowels - tongue shape (tongue height = closeness/openness + part of tongue which is highest = frontness/backness) 2. English monophthongs - lip shape (rounded vs. unrounded or spread vs. neutral vs. round) - constancy of tongue/(lip)-shape (diphthongs vs. 3. English diphthongs monophthongs) - position of velum (oral vs. nasal vowels) - duration (long vs. short)
1 Classification of Vowels: Classification of Vowels: Extreme Vowels Extreme Vowels
[i]: [u]: extremely extremely front and back and close close
Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 59 Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 59
Classification of Vowels: Classification of Vowels: Extreme Vowels Extreme Vowels
[a]: [@]: extremely extremely front and back and open open
Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 60 Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 60
2 Classification of Vowels: Classification of Vowels: Vowel Diagram Cardinal Vowels (D. Jones)
“si” “gut”
“thé” “Rose”
“même” “Sonne”
“la” “pas”
Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 61 Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 61
Classification of Vowels: Cardinal Vowels (D. Jones) Vowels in the IPA chart Source: Collins/Mees 2003, 61 2003, Collins/Mees Source:
Daniel Jones pronouncing the cardinal vowels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UIAe4p2I74
3 Alternative Vowel Chart Vowels - a Continuum… (Primary Cardinal Vowels)
George Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion
(Preface: “there are touches of [Henry] Sweet in the play”):
HIGGINS: Tired of listening to sounds?
PICKERING: Yes. It‘s a fearful strain. I rather fancied myself because I can pronounce 24 distinct vowel sounds; but your hundred and thirty beat me. I can‘t hear a bit of difference between most of them.
HIGGINS: Oh, that comes with practice. You hear no difference at first; but you keep on listening, and presently you find they‘re all as different as A from B.
Classification of Vowels: Classification of English Vowels Monophthongs vs. Diphthongs
Criteria for the classification of English vowels: monophthongs = steady state vowels diphthongs = (vowel) glides (e.g. / `H /) - constancy of tongue-shape (diphthongs vs. monophthongs or “steady-state vowels”) Source:Collins/Mees 2003, 64
- tongue shape 1) tongue height = closeness/openness 2) part of tongue which is highest = frontness/backness
4 Classification of Vowels: Classification of English Monophthongs vs. Diphthongs Monophthongs (RP) Source: Sauer 1990, Source:1990, Sauer 16 /`H / in cross-section diagram: Source:Collins/Mees 2003, 64
Classification of English Vowels: Duration of English Vowels: Duration
Allophonic quantity rules for English vowels: vowel length / duration is not a distinctive feature for English vowels Allophonic shortening: !V: / __ FC (stressed vowels are allophonically quantity (duration) and quality, however, shortened before fortis consonants) e.g. feet, leaf are correlated Allophonic lengthening: the duration of vowels is also affected by !V: / __ LC (stressed vowels are allophonically lengthened before lenis consonants) their phonetic environment (allophonic e.g. feed, leave variation)
5 Classification of English Vowels English Monophthongs (RP)
Distributional classification of English vowels: Source:1990, Sauer 16 vowels than can occur in word-final stressed open syllables (diphthongs + / h9 , @9 , t9 , N9 , 29 / “free vowels” vs. vowels that in word-final stressed syllables can occur only before consonants (all the rest) “checked vowels”
English Monophthongs (GA) English Monophthongs Source: Sauer 1990, Source:1990, Sauer 16 /h9 / • front, close • unrounded lips Question: How do the phonemes /i:/ differ phonetically in English (RP) and in German (compare for example nie and knee )?
6 English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
/H/ RP /d/
• front-central • front vowel • half close • half close – half open • unrounded lips • centralized • unrounded lips before /l/ • raised before velars • GA & mod. RP happY-tensing
English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
GA /d/ /z/
• front vowel • front vowel • half open • half open – open • unrounded lips • unrounded lips • attention! German accent: not too close!
7 English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
Task: Read the following pairs of words to your neighbour and ask U her/him to tell you whether there is a clear distinction in your / / vowel sounds: • central vowel bet – bat pen – pan • half open – kettle – cattle open head – had • unrounded lips bed – bad • spelled pet – pat and
English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
RP /@9 / GA /@9 /
• central-back • back vowel vowel • open • open • unrounded lips • unrounded lips •/@9 / far more frequent in GA than RP
8 English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
RP only: /P/ /N9 /
• back vowel • back vowel • open • half open – half close • rounded lips • rounded lips •/P/ in RP is @9 • more frequent usually / / in in RP GA • GA: mainly before /r/
English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
/T/ /t9 /
• back-central • back vowel vowel • close • half close • rounded lips • rounded lips • mirror image • mirror image of / h9 / of / H/
9 English Monophthongs English Monophthongs
/29 / Task: Read the following pairs of words to your neighbour and ask her/him to tell you whether there is • central vowel a clear distinction in your vowel sounds, in particular whether you spread your lips for the English vowel. • half close – If you speak BrE, have your neighbour check half open additionally whether there really is NO /r/ in your • unrounded pronunciation. (spread) lips! E: bird G: blöd E: heard G: Hörtest E: fern G: Fön E: curse G: köstlich
English Monophthongs Sound frequency
Frequency of vowel phonemes in conversational RP ? / / (schwa) (cf. Crystal 1995, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the • central vowel English Language, p. 239 ): • half close – half open Total: vowels: 39.2% Most frequent vowels: / ?/ 10.7% / H/ 8.3% / d/ 2.9% • unrounded lips Least frequent vowels: / H? / 0.2% / NH / 0.14% / T? / 0.06% • occurs only in unstressed syllables • most frequent of all phonemes • spelled with most vowel letters
10 English Monophthongs: Transcription Practice RP – GA Correspondences U Please transcribe the following words: GA / / cut RP / U/ ton front wonder onion sponge GA / 29 / / __ r hurry, worry stomach above company shovel oven worry body lot comment
English Monophthongs: English Monophthongs: RP – GA Correspondences RP – GA Correspondences GA / U/ cut GA / U/ cut RP / U/ RP / U/ GA / 29 / / __ r hurry, worry GA / 29 / / __ r hurry, worry
GA / @9 / father GA / @9 / father RP / @9 / RP / @9 / GA / z/ / __ e,S,r,m,l (+C) staff, bath... GA / z/ / __ e,S,r,m,l (+C) staff, bath...
GA / @9 / laundry RP / N9 / GA / N9 /
11 English Monophthongs: English Monophthongs: RP – GA Correspondences GA – RP Correspondences GA / U/ cut RP / U/ GA / 29 / / __ r hurry, worry RP / @9 / father GA / @9 / father GA / @9 / RP / @9 / RP / P/ lot GA / z/ / __ e,S,r,m,l(+C) staff, bath...
RP / N9 / laundry GA / @9 / laundry RP / N9 / GA / N9 /
RP / P/ GA / @9 / lot GA / U/ RP / U/ cut
English Diphthongs English Diphthongs
diphthongs are dynamic , they glide from a diphthongs are classified by their second start point to an end point element (the direction of movement)
RP and GA have five closing diphthongs (in which the second element is closer than the first)
RP additionally has three centring diphthongs (the second element is schwa)
12 English Diphthongs: Closing English Diphthongs: Closing
RP GA
/`H / price /`H /
/dH / face /dH / fronting
/NH / choice /NH /
/`T / house /`T / backing /?T / goat /nT / RP GA
Source: Sauer 1990, 16; Sauer 2001, 17
English Diphthongs: Closing English Diphthongs: Closing /?T / (RP) and / nT / (GA) ( boat, toast ): /`H / ( eye, mine) and /`T / ( clown, house ): - absent in German (beginners tend to replace it with German / n9 /) - contrast to German: in E. more time spent on first - allophonic variation in RP: first element further part; ends at a lower point back before /l/; compare coat – coal /`H / additionally starts further back (compare eye and Ei; mine and mein ) /dH / ( face, eight ,…): /`T / starts further front (compare clown and Clown , - absent in German (beginners tend to replace it with German / d:/) house and Haus ) - also tendency towards monophthongization in - N.B.: the shape of the a-symbol is different than GA; but not reflected in transcription for long / @9 / - N.B. Las Vegas BUT Los Angeles /dH / / z/ /NH / ( boy, employ ): - more time spent on first part
13 English Diphthongs: Transcription Practice Centring (RP)
Please transcribe the following words: The centring diphthongs in RP are: how (wie) row (Streit) /H? / ( sheer ) row (Reihe, rudern) bow (sich verbeugen, Bug) /d? / ( share ) bow (Bogen, Schleife) sow (sähen) /T? / ( sure ) sew (nähen) owl (Eule)
English Diphthongs: English Diphthongs: Centring (RP) Centring (RP) and GA Equivalents Source: Sauer 1990, Source:1990, Sauer 6
RP / d? / GA / dq / share, Mary (/ zq /)
RP / H? / GA / Hq / sheer, beard
RP / T? / GA / Tq / sure, poor
14 English Diphthongs: Centring (RP) Transcription Practice
- more movement of German centring tear (reißen) diphthongs, esp. second element much tear (Träne) lower (compare beer – Bier; sure – Schur; beard (Bart) mare - Meer ) bear (Bär) pear (Birne) - tendency towards monophthongization of /d? / and /T? / care (kümmern um)
RP: Monophthongization of Diphthongs Sound frequency
Frequency of vowel phonemes in conversational RP >Monoph- Homo- (cf. Crystal 1995, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Example Diphthong English Language, p. 239 ): thong phones Total: vowels: 39.2% sheer, beer /H? / (/ h9 /) - Most frequent vowels: / ?/ 10.7% / H/ 8.3% / d/ 2.9% Least frequent vowels: / H? / 0.2% / NH / 0.14% / T? / 0.06% share, bear /d? / /D9 / -
sure, poor /T? / /N9 / sure – shore
15 RP: Monophthongization of Triphthongs Revision Part III
- phonetic classification of vowels (tongue shape, Triph- >Diph- >Monoph- Homo- Example lip shape, constancy of tongue shape, position of thong thong thong phones velum, duration) - cardinal vowels (D. Jones); vowel chart fire /`H?`H?`H? / /`9?`9?`9? / /@9@9@9 / fire – far - distinctive features of English vowel phonemes (constancy of tongue shape, tongue shape + why player /dH?dH?dH? / /d9?d9?d9? / /D9D9D9 / layer – lair only these): employer /NH?NH?NH? / /N9?N9?N9? / - - - monophthongs vs. diphthongs - front-central-back sour /`T? / /`9?`9?`9? / /@9@9@9 / our – are - close, half close, half open, open - distributional classification of English vowels (free slower – lower /?T? / (/ ?9??9??9? /) /292929 / vs. checked vowels) slur
Revision Part III Revision Part III
- classification of 12 (RP) /11 (GA) English 1) Name the distinctive features used to describe monophthongs (on basis of position in vowel English vowels. chart, i.e. tongue shape) - classification of 8 (RP) / 5 (GA) English diphthongs (closing vs. centring in RP; closing: 2) Draw the English phonemes / T/ and / H/ in a fronting vs. backing) (labelled!) vowel chart. Which distinctive - differences RP / GA: feature(s) do they share, with respect to which inventory (GA: no / P/, no centring distinctive feature(s) do they differ (be specific!)? diphthtongs) differences in quality (/ @9 , d, ?T -nT , dH /) distribution: hurry, dance, lot, laundry 3) In what ways is / ?/ special compared to other - differences English – German: esp. absence of / z/ vowel phonemes (consider distribution and and / 29 / frequency)?
16 Revision Part III Are the following statements true or false? 1) Of the primary cardinal vowels, more are unrounded than rounded. 2) Degree of roundedness is not a distinctive feature of English vowels. 3) There are 3 nasal vowels in English. 4) Cardinal vowels must be represented in square brackets, not in slashes. 5) Phonetically, 28 different vowel sounds can be distinguished. 6) The quality of the [e] in the IPA chart is different from the quality of the English phoneme /e/. 7) The duration of English vowels is affected by their phonetic environment.
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