Lecture 1 Phonetics as a Linguistic Science Plan

3. Modifications of the Syllabic Structure of Speech

Elision of vowels is closely connected with the process of reduction. Just as reduction, it is conditioned by the general tendency to produce the weakly stressed syllables with minimal articulatory effort.

Elision of a vowel is the leaving out of a vowel.

In English there are certain phonetic position in which the elision of a weakly stressed vowel does not affect intelligibility of speech. Moreover, instances of such elision are commonly used by RP speakers.

A.C.Gimson notes that the elision of vowels can now be observed in the following phonetic position:

1) in post-nuclear positions in the sequence Consonant+ /ə/ + /r/+ weak vowel, e.g. “preferable” /`prefrəbl/, “temperature” /`temprətə/, “territory” /ˈterItrI/, “murderer” /ˈmɜ:drə/, “nursery” /ˈnɜ:srI/, “camera” /ˈkæmrə/, robbery /ˈrɔbrI/;

2) in post-nuclear position in the sequence Consonant +weak vowel + /l/ + weak vowel, e.g. “easily” /ˈi:zlI/, “carefully” /ˈkəflI/, “novelist” /ˈnɔvlIst/, “family” /ˈfæmlI/;

3) in pre-nuclear positions, /ə/ or /I/ of the weak syllable preceding the primary stress is apt to be elided in very rapid speech, e.g. “police” /pli:s/, “terrific” /ˈtrIfIk/, “correct” /krekt/, “believe” /bli:v/, “direction” /drekn/, “phonetics” /ˈfnetIks/, “photography” /ˈftɔgrəfI/, “suppose” /spouz/, “perhaps” /præps/.

Elision of vowels may occur at word boundaries as well. The elision occurs in rapid colloquial speech when followed by linking /r/ + weak vowel,

e.g. “after a while” /ˈɑ: ftərəwaIl/,

“as a matter of fact” /æ zəˈmætrəvˈfækt/,

“father and son” /ˈfɑ:ðrənˈsʌn/.

Many words, which are usually weakly stressed in speech, are also obscured and some of the sounds that constitute them are elided. If the elided sounds are vowels or syllabic sonorants, the syllabic structure of such words is modified.

E.g. “I had” or “I would” are often pronounced as /aId/,

“it is” as /Its/,

“he will” as /hi.l/,

“he is” or “he has” /hi.z/,

“This is a fine day!” as /ðIssəˈfaIn `deI/.

4. Modifications of the Accentual Structure of Words in Speech

The accentual structure of English words is generally retained in speech. But it appears that English is a language in which a relatively high percentage of words change their accentual structure in the speech continuum under the influence of rhythm.

Modifications of the accentual structure (or shifting of stress) in English involves words that in isolation are double-stressed. In English double-stressed words may be either simple, or compound.

e.g. ˈdisaˈgree ˈafterˈnoon

ˈthirˈteen ˈwell-ˈknown

ˈsixˈteen ˈso-ˈcalled

ˈinˈcapable ˈgrey-ˈhaired

When in the speech continuum such words are preceded or followed by a strongly stressed syllable, their accentual structure is modified,

e.g. ˈthis after`noon ˈafternoon `tea

It`s ˈnine ˌthir`teen ˈthirˌteen `pence

ˈnot ˌfull-`grown a ˈfull-ˌgrown`man

Thus, in a speech continuum there can be observed a variety of phonetic phenomena, which affect the sound structure, the syllabic structure and the accentual structure of words constituting the speech continuum.

The pronunciation of one and the same word uttered in the speech continuum will not be identical if its phonetic environment and phonetic position differs. The neighbouring sounds, the rhythmic patters, the degree of prominence, the speed of utterance and other factors affect the extent of the phonetic modifications, such as accommodation, assimilation, reduction, elision, liaison and shifting of stress. This is why; the extent of these phonetic modifications varies in different styles of pronunciation: in rapid and careless colloquial style the modifications that a word may undergo are much greater than those that occur in careful styles of pronunciation.

Besides, the pronunciation of a word with special prominence in the utterance (the nucleus of the utterance) is modified less than the pronunciation of the same word when weakly stressed.

Therefore, the phonetic modifications of the sound structure, the syllabic structure and the accentual structure of a word in the speech continuum depend on

a) the phonetic environment of the word,

b) its phonetic position in the speech continuum,

c) the prosodic features of the speech continuum the word occurs in (the main prosodic features being the pitch pattern, the tempo of speech, the rhythmic pattern, the degree of prominence).

At the same time, the extent of phonetic modifications is regulated by the orthoepic norm of the language and intelligibility, which prevent modifications that may hinder intercommunication.

The investigation of the phonetic modifications that occur in the speech continuum reveals the phonetic tendencies of a language. This is one of the main reasons why there is a need for further investigation of this problem, especially of the influence of the prosodic features upon the sound structure of speech which has received almost no treatment at all.