English Pronunciation for Icelanders
English Pronunciation for Icelanders
English Pronunciation for Icelanders
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1.5 WEAK VOWELS<br />
1 15<br />
All the vowels we have been examining so far have been strong<br />
vowels - they have occurred in stressed syllables. <strong>English</strong><br />
vowels in unstressed syllables are usually weak.<br />
1.5.1 Stressed and unstressed syllables<br />
1 16<br />
Stressed syllables are shown with the symbol 1 in front of<br />
the syllable. 1 Listen and repeat.<br />
With two syllables:<br />
1contrast (noun, accent on first syllable)<br />
con1trast (verb, accent on second syllable)<br />
With three syllables:<br />
15<br />
1 17<br />
1avenue<br />
au1dition<br />
under1stand<br />
(accent on first syllable)<br />
(accent on second syllable)<br />
(accent on last syllable)<br />
1.5.2 The weak vowel 0 (schwa)<br />
Schwa is the commonest weak vowel. It is not shown in <strong>English</strong><br />
spelling, but is always written as if it were a strong vowel<br />
with 'a','e', 'o', 'u', 'ou', etc. In the following words,<br />
the first syllable is stressed, and has a strong vowel, while<br />
the second syllable has a schwa (0). Notice how many<br />
different spellings represent 0 :<br />
teacher doctor beggar martyr favour colour collar major nature<br />
1tIT0 1dokt0 1beg0 1mAt0 1feiv0 1kÆl0 1kol0 1meiD0 1neiT0<br />
famous gracious citrus abacus<br />
1feim0s 1greiS0s 1sitr0s 1æb0k0s<br />
token bacon London arson bottom bosom cumbersome<br />
1t0uk0n 1beik0n 1lÆnd0n 1As0n 1bot0m 1buz0m 1kÆmb0s0m<br />
buttock bullock ballad hundred standard<br />
1bÆt0k 1bul0k 1bæl0d 1hÆndr0d 1stænd0d<br />
woman postman postmen (but: women)<br />
1wum0n 1p0usm0n 1p0usm0n 1wimin<br />
1 We are simplifying things here - there are actually several grades of<br />
stress. For the moment, however, we'll just talk of ‘stressed’ and<br />
‘unstressed’ syllables.