English Pronunciation for Icelanders

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