Bente Hannisdal
Teachers and lecturers can find keys to all exercises on the book’s website, at www.universitetsforlaget.no/ analysing-english-pronunciation.
ISBN 978-82-15-05003-4
9
788215
050034
ANALYSING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
Bente Hannisdal is associate professor of English linguistics at the University of Bergen.
Bente Hannisdal
This book is a collection of exercises in phonetics and phonology, and is aimed at Norwegian university and college students of English. It covers the main topics taught in undergraduate phonetics courses, such as transcription, phonemes and allophones, assimilation and elision, word stress, intonation, accents of English, and challenges for Norwegian learners. The book focuses on practical as well as analytical skills. It contains a large number of practical tasks where students learn how to read phoneme symbols, transcribe texts, and assign intonation to dialogues, but also includes theoretical aspects, such as the description and classification of speech sounds, and phonetic principles and processes such as weak forms, assimilation and elision. The exercises have varying degrees of difficulty, and can be used in class or as hand-in assignments. There is also a self-study part with keys to the exercises. The collection will be useful for students of English linguistics as well as teacher training students.
ANALYSING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION Exercises in phonetics and phonology
Analysing English pronunciation Exercises in phonetics and phonology
Bente Hannisdal
Analysing English pronunciation Exercises in phonetics and phonology
Universitetsforlaget
© Universitetsforlaget 2021 ISBN 978-82-15-05003-4 Materialet i denne publikasjonen er omfattet av åndsverklovens bestemmelser. Uten særskilt avtale med rettighetshaverne er enhver eksemplarfremstilling og tilgjengeliggjøring bare tillatt i den utstrekning det er hjemlet i lov eller tillatt gjennom avtale med Kopinor, interesseorgan for rettighetshavere til åndsverk. Utnyttelse i strid med lov eller avtale kan medføre erstatningsansvar og inndragning og kan straffes med bøter eller fengsel. Henvendelser om denne utgivelsen kan rettes til: Universitetsforlaget AS Postboks 508 Sentrum 0105 Oslo www.universitetsforlaget.no Sats: Bente Hannisdal Trykk og innbinding: 07 Media – 07.no Papir: 100 g Munken Print White 1,5
Contents Preface List of symbols used
vii ix
1
Transcription
1
2
Challenges for Norwegian learners
21
3
Phonemes and allophones
26
4
Assimilation and elision
30
5
Word stress
33
6
Intonation
36
7
Accents of English
44
8
Self-study
49
Keys
68
Preface This book is a collection of exercises in phonetics and phonology, and is intended for university and college students of English at the undergraduate level. The exercises cover a range of topics and have varying levels of difficulty. Some are practically oriented, with a focus on transcription and articulation, while others are more theoretical, involving definitions, descriptions and classifications. The book covers both British and American English, here referred to as Received Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GA). It is primarily intended as a companion to Nilsen (2010) or Nilsen and Rugesæter (2015), and employs the same terminology as these books. This does however not preclude its use with other textbooks on English phonetics and phonology. It generally follows the symbolic conventions of Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (Wells 2008), with the exception of American English /ɜ˞ː/, which in this book is /ɜːr/. Note that the transcriptions only give the main pronunciations (shown in bold in Wells 2008), but in many cases alternative pronunciations exist that are equally correct. The exercises are mainly intended for use in class or as assignments that can be handed in, with the exception of chapter 8, which is for self-study. Teachers and lecturers can find keys to all exercises on the book’s website, at www.universitetsforlaget.no/analysing-english-pronunciation. To get a password, contact Universitetsforlaget at post@universitetsforlaget.no. The first chapter focuses on transcription and familiarising students with the sounds of English. By reading phonemic script and transcribing words, sentences and texts, students will learn the phoneme symbols of English, become aware of the complex relationship between spelling and pronunciation, and increase their knowledge of English pronunciation. Some exercises focus on difficult sounds, while others centre on phenomena such as weak forms, linking /r/ and tapped /t/. The second chapter addresses areas of English pronunciation that tend to be challenging for Norwegian learners, and is of particular interest to teacher training students. The next two chapters have a more theoretical focus and deal with phoneme classification, allophonic variation, and connected speech processes such as assimilation and elision. Chapter 5 is devoted to word stress and the main rules for stress placement in English. The exercises in chapter 6 cover the basic principles of English intonation, and give students the opportunity to practice assigning simple intonation patterns to utterances and dialogues. Chapter 7 deals with the description and comparison of varieties of English around the world, with a focus on segmental features. The last chapter is a self-study part, which students can work with on their own, and where all the exercises have keys. vii
References Nilsen, Thor Sigurd. 2010. English pronunciation and intonation. 3rd edition. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Nilsen, Thor Sigurd and KĂĽre N. RugesĂŚter. 2015. English phonetics for teachers. 3rd edition. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. Wells, J. C. 2008. Longman pronunciation dictionary. 3rd edition. Harlow: Pearson / Longman.
List of symbols used Phoneme symbols of RP and GA /p/ /b/ /t/
/d/ /k/
/ɡ/ /ʧ/
/ʤ/ /f/
/v/
/θ/ /ð/ /iː/ /ɪ/
/e/
/æ/ /ʌ/
/ɑː/ /ɔː/ /ɒ/
/uː/ /ʊ/
/ɜː/ /ə/
pie buy tie die cow guy chin gin fan van thing this
/s/
see sit let hat cut car door hot (RP) food put bird about
/i/
so zoo shoe vision high my no sing lie why you red
/z/ /ʃ/
/ʒ/ /h/
/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /l/
/w/ /j/
/r/ /u/ /eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/
/əʊ/
/oʊ/ /aʊ/ /ɪə/
/eə/
/ʊə/
Other symbols [ˈ]
primary stress
[ˌ]
secondary stress
ix
happy into day die boy go (RP) go (GA) now hear (RP) hair (RP) cure (RP)
[ˎ ]
low fall
[`]
high fall
[ˎ]
low rise
[’]
high rise
[˅]
fall-rise
│
tone unit boundary
1
Transcription
Exercise 1.1 Identify the words. RP
GA
1.
/mæʧ/
1.
/mæʧ/
2.
/haʊs/
2.
/haʊs/
3.
/fəʊn/
3.
/foʊn/
4.
/ðeɪ/
4.
/ðeɪ/
5.
/daɪv/
5.
/daɪv/
6.
/θriː/
6.
/θriː/
7.
/rʌʃ/
7.
/rʌʃ/
8.
/ʃuːz/
8.
/ʃuːz/
9.
/ʧeə/
9.
/ʧer/
10.
/reɪʤ/
10.
/reɪʤ/
11.
/skɔː/
11.
/skɔːr/
12.
/kwaɪt/
12.
/kwaɪt/
1
Exercise 1.2 Identify the words. RP
GA
1.
/kəʊʧ/
1.
/koʊʧ/
2.
/siːs/
2.
/siːs/
3.
/ˈkʌvəd/
3.
/ˈkʌvrd/
4.
/ˈkɔːʃəs/
4.
/ˈkɔːʃəs/
5.
/ˈglæmə/
5.
/ˈglæmr/
6.
/wɜːs/
6.
/wɜːrs/
7.
/nəʊn/
7.
/noʊn/
8.
/ˈævərɪʤ/
8.
/ˈævərɪʤ/
9.
/ˈɔːθə/
9.
/ˈɔːθr/
10.
/heə/
10.
/her/
11.
/ˈjuːnjən/
11.
/ˈjuːnjən/
12.
/fɔːst/
12.
/fɔːrst/
13.
/ˈgæðə/
13.
/ˈgæðr/
14.
/tʌŋ/
14.
/tʌŋ/
15.
/ʧuːz/
15.
/ʧuːz/
16.
/diˈzaɪə/
16.
/diˈzaɪr/
17.
/ˈresl/
17.
/ˈresl/
18.
/ˈɔːsəm/
18.
/ˈɔːsəm/
19.
/rɒkt/
19.
/rɑːkt/
20.
/ˈtreʒəz/
20.
/ˈtreʒrz/
21.
/taʊn/
21.
/taʊn/
22.
/ˈtɔːʧə/
22.
/ˈtɔːrʧr/
23.
/ˈʤʌŋgl/
23.
/ˈʤʌŋgl/
2
Exercise 1.3 Identify the words. RP
GA
1.
/ʃʊk/
1.
/ʃʊk/
2.
/deə/
2.
/der/
3.
/wɜː/
3.
/wɜːr/
4.
/tiːθ/
4.
/tiːθ/
5.
/ˈsɜːkl/
5.
/ˈsɜːrkl/
6.
/lɪkt/
6.
/lɪkt/
7.
/ʤuːs/
7.
/ʤuːs/
8.
/skweə/
8.
/skwer/
9.
/ˈʧælɪnʤ/
9.
/ˈʧælɪnʤ/
10.
/ˈaɪən/
10.
/ˈaɪrn/
11.
/ðəʊz/
11.
/ðoʊz/
12.
/ˈʤʌstɪs/
12.
/ˈʤʌstɪs/
13.
/jet/
13.
/jet/
14.
/ˈwuːnd/
14.
/ˈwuːnd/
15.
/kəʊm/
15.
/koʊm/
16.
/ʃeə/
16.
/ʃer/
17.
/ˈʤuːniə/
17.
/ˈʤuːnjr/
18.
/ˈɔːdə/
18.
/ˈɔːrdr/
19.
/əˈnʌðə/
19.
/əˈnʌðr/
20.
/ˈsuːɪʤ/
20.
/ˈsuːɪʤ/
21.
/jɔːz/
21.
/jɔːrz/
22.
/θiːm/
22.
/θiːm/
3
Exercise 1.4 Identify the words. RP
GA
1.
/ˈpreʃəs/
1.
/ˈpreʃəs/
2.
/kwɪz/
2.
/kwɪz/
3.
/vaʊ/
3.
/vaʊ/
4.
/rɒŋ/
4.
/rɔːŋ/
5.
/ræŋ/
5.
/ræŋ/
6.
/raɪz/
6.
/raɪz/
7.
/raɪs/
7.
/raɪs/
8.
/θɔːt/
8.
/θɔːt/
9.
/fjuː/
9.
/fjuː/
10.
/ʧeɪs/
10.
/ʧeɪs/
11.
/kənˈsɜːn/
11.
/kənˈsɜːrn/
12.
/keɪʤ/
12.
/keɪʤ/
13.
/lɑːft/
13.
/læft/
14.
/ˈfɔːwəd/
14.
/ˈfɔːrwrd/
15.
/ˈkaʊəd/
15.
/ˈkaʊrd/
16.
/luːzə/
16.
/luːzr/
17.
/biˈweə/
17.
/biˈwer/
18.
/θaɪz/
18.
/θaɪz/
19.
/wɜːkt/
19.
/wɜːrkt/
20.
/mɪθ/
20.
/mɪθ/
21.
/riːʧ/
21.
/riːʧ/
22.
/ʃɑːk/
22.
/ʃɑːrk/
23.
/dʌz/
23.
/dʌz/
4
Exercise 1.5 Identify the words. RP
GA
1.
/naʊ/
1.
/naʊ/
2.
/jɔːn/
2.
/jɔːn/
3.
/helθ/
3.
/helθ/
4.
/kɑːd/
4.
/kɑːrd/
5.
/aɪs/
5.
/aɪs/
6.
/ʤɒb/
6.
/ʤɑːb/
7.
/steɪʤ/
7.
/steɪʤ/
8.
/kɜːst/
8.
/kɜːrst/
9.
/bɪə/
9.
/bɪr/
10.
/keə/
10.
/ker/
11.
/ˈʤɜːnl/
11.
/ˈʤɜːrnl/
12.
/kæʧ/
12.
/kæʧ/
13.
/stʌk/
13.
/stʌk/
14.
/ʧuː/
14.
/ʧuː/
15.
/daʊt/
15.
/daʊt/
16.
/eɪk/
16.
/eɪk/
17.
/flaɪt/
17.
/flaɪt/
18.
/ləʊ/
18.
/loʊ/
19.
/ˈvɜːʒn/
19.
/ˈvɜːrʒn/
20.
/nɒk/
20.
/nɑːk/
21.
/ˈdezət/
21.
/ˈdezrt/
22.
/tɔːt/
22.
/tɔːt/
23.
/ðiːz/
23.
/ðiːz/
5
Exercise 1.6 Transcribe the following words phonemically (in RP or GA). 1.
book
13.
wrap
2.
car
14.
does
3.
hot
15.
quick
4.
run
16.
nails
5.
cow
17.
looked
6.
ear
18.
hang
7.
table
19.
breathe
8.
knows
20.
tough
9.
board
21.
heir
10.
just
22.
throw
11.
new
23.
cheese
12.
shake
24.
out
Exercise 1.7 Transcribe the following words phonemically. In words of more than one syllable, stress should be marked by ˈ . Example: police /pəˈliːs/ 1.
case
13.
nothing
2.
blow
14.
large
3.
hour
15.
complete
4.
hurt
16.
answer
5.
draw
17.
choir
6.
paper
18.
connect
7.
death
19.
practice
8.
button
20.
clouds
9.
explain
21.
polite
10.
special
22.
further
11.
height
23.
balloon
12.
build
24.
muscle
6
Exercise 1.8 Transcribe the following words phonemically. 1.
bias
12.
corpse
2.
subtle
13.
corps
3.
salmon
14.
thorough
4.
courage
15.
cupboard
5.
tomb
16.
couch
6.
comb
17.
aisle
7.
courteous
18.
worm
8.
coward
19.
worry
9.
weird
20.
precious
10.
busy
21.
vary
11.
bury
Exercise 1.9 Transcribe the following sentences. Take care to include weak forms where appropriate. Example: | ˈThis is the ˈhouse that ˈJack ˈbuilt. |
| ˈðɪs ɪz ðə ˈhaʊs ðət ˈʤæk ˈbɪlt | 1.
| We ˈmet them in ˈLondon. |
2.
| ˈJane was the ˈfirst to aˈrrive at the ˈparty. |
3.
| I’ve ˈhad the ˈcoat for ˈmany ˈyears. |
4.
| He was ˈwaiting at the ˈcorner for the ˈlight to ˈchange. |
5.
| I'm ˈnot ˈsure if I can ˈcome to the ˈmeeting this ˈweek. |
6.
| ˈWhat have you ˈdone with the ˈmoney I ˈgave you? |
7.
| I ˈlooked at him and ˈrecognised him at ˈonce. | 7
Exercise 1.10 Identify the weak forms in the sentences below. 1.
| We can ˈwait for the ˈbus. |
2.
| She ˈtook her ˈmother for a ˈdrive. |
3.
| You should ˈlook at the ˈbig ˈpicture. |
4.
| They ˈdrove to ˈLondon and ˈback. |
5.
| The ˈbasket was ˈfull of ˈthings to ˈeat. |
6.
| ˈLeave the ˈrest of the ˈfood for ˈlunch. |
7.
| ˈRead this ˈbook and ˈwrite some ˈnotes. |
8.
| At ˈleast we can ˈtry to ˈhelp. |
9.
| The ˈplane was aˈpproaching the ˈrunway at ˈhigh ˈspeed. |
10.
| ˈThese are ˈall the ˈthings that are ˈleft. |
11.
| I ˈthink that we ˈcould have done ˈbetter than ˈthis. |
12.
| There ˈmight be a ˈbit of ˈrain at the ˈend of the ˈmorning. |
Exercise 1.11 Transcribe the sentences phonemically. 1.
| ˈWhat are you ˈgoing to ˈdo? |
2.
| ˈEverything ˈhappened ˈall at ˈonce. |
3.
| My ˈuncle ˈshaved his ˈhead and ˈgrew a ˈbeard. |
4.
| The ˈfilm ˈwon the ˈPeople’s ˈChoice Aˈward. |
5.
| The ˈtwo ˈwomen were ˈfighting for their ˈlives. |
6.
| ˈBritain has ˈvoted to ˈleave the ˈEuropean ˈUnion. |
7.
| The ˈweather ˈforecast ˈcalls for ˈcloudy ˈskies. |
8.
| He’s ˈmuch ˈmore conˈservative than his ˈcolleagues. |
9.
| ˈRussia is deˈveloping ˈlaser ˈweapons. |
10.
| ˈPatient ˈsafety reˈquires ˈconstant ˈvigilance. | 8
Bente Hannisdal
Teachers and lecturers can find keys to all exercises on the book’s website, at www.universitetsforlaget.no/ analysing-english-pronunciation.
ISBN 978-82-15-05003-4
9
788215
050034
ANALYSING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
Bente Hannisdal is associate professor of English linguistics at the University of Bergen.
Bente Hannisdal
This book is a collection of exercises in phonetics and phonology, and is aimed at Norwegian university and college students of English. It covers the main topics taught in undergraduate phonetics courses, such as transcription, phonemes and allophones, assimilation and elision, word stress, intonation, accents of English, and challenges for Norwegian learners. The book focuses on practical as well as analytical skills. It contains a large number of practical tasks where students learn how to read phoneme symbols, transcribe texts, and assign intonation to dialogues, but also includes theoretical aspects, such as the description and classification of speech sounds, and phonetic principles and processes such as weak forms, assimilation and elision. The exercises have varying degrees of difficulty, and can be used in class or as hand-in assignments. There is also a self-study part with keys to the exercises. The collection will be useful for students of English linguistics as well as teacher training students.
ANALYSING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION Exercises in phonetics and phonology