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English Vowels and Phonological Rules

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 Libyan Academy for Graduate Studies
School of Languages – English Department

English Vowels and

Phonological Rules
Presented By: Samah A. Abugharsa
Instructor: Dr. Bashir Shawish
Topics for discussion

 Transcription of English Vowels

 Vowel Quality
 Unstressed Syllables
 Tense and Lax Vowels
 Rules for English Allophones
Transcription of English Vowels

 One way of discussing the properties

of English vowels is to compare the
different ways in which they have been
symbolized by different authors.
A comparison of some systems for transcribing vowel sounds.
Which system should I use?

 There is no such thing as a correct form

of transcription.

 It’s important to be consistent.

Vowel Quality

 Features which distinguish one vowel

from another.
 Traditional articulatory descriptions
of vowels are not very satisfactory.
 The terms for describing vowels are
labels for the auditory qualities, not
the articulation.
 Vowel Space

The four vowels [i, æ, ɑ, u]

represent the four corners
of a space showing
the auditory qualities of
vowels.
 Auditory Quality of some of the
Vowels

The solid points represent

monophthongs.
The lines represent
the movements involved
in the diphthongs.
 Monophthongs
 [i, ɪ, ɛ, æ] front vowels

 [u, ʊ, ɔ, ɑ] back
vowels

 [ɒ] British speakers

(back rounded)

 [ʌ] mid-low central

 Diphthongs
 [aɪ, aʊ] as in (high - how)
 [eɪ] as in (hay)
 [oʊ] as in (hoe) back
counterpart of [eɪ]
 [ɔɪ] as in (boy)
 [ju], as in (cue)
Rhotacization
 Auditory quality, the r-coloring of a vowel.
 Occurs when vowels are followed by [ɹ] , as in
(beard).
 Thesymbols used are [ɝ] for the stressed vowel.
Example: bird [bɝd]
 [ɚ] for unstressed forms. Example: sister [ˈsɪstɚ]
 Often called retroflex vowels.
Unstressed syllables

 The symbol [ə] is used to specify a range

of mid-central vowel qualities.

 It often occurs in unstressed syllables.

 It may be used to designate vowels that

have a reduced vowel quality.
Stressed – Unstressed – Reduced Syllables
Remember...

 Vowels in unstressed syllables do not necessarily have

a completely reduced quality, e.g. neighbourhood.

 Some dialects have slightly different qualities, but all still

within the range of a mid central vowel , symbolized by [ə]
as (ɪnvəˈkeɪʃn̩].

 Or [ɪ] such as [resɪ’teɪʃn̩] or a high central vowel [i].

Tense and Lax Vowels
 Thereare phonetic differences between the two,
but they are not simply a matter of ‘tension’.
 Theirdifference can be discussed in terms of the kind
of syllables in which they occur.
 Closedsyllables: those that have a consonant at
the end.
 Open syllables: those without a consonant at the end.
 Definitions:
 Tense vowels: are those that occur in stressed open
syllables such as:
[bi, beɪ, bɑ, sɔ, ləʊ, bu, baɪ, baʊ, bɔɪ, kju]

 Laxvowels: are those that occur in monosyllables

closed by [ŋ] such as:
[sɪŋ, lɛŋθ, hæŋ, lɒŋ, hʌŋ]
Distribution of tense and lax vowels in stressed syllables in American
English
Rules for English Allophones

 The following statements should be regarded as

descriptive, not prescriptive rules.

 Voiceless stops /p , t , k/ are aspirated when

syllable initial.
pip [pʰɪp] test [tʰɛst] kick [kʰɪk]
 Consonant Allophones

 Voiceless stops are unaspirated after /s/.

sky [skɑɪ] stew [stju]

 Voiced obstruents /b, d , g , v, ð , z , ʒ/ are partially

voiced when syllable final or before a voiceless sound.

/v/ in try to improve & /d/ in add to

Consonant Allophones

 So called voiced stops /b , d , g/ are partially voiced

when syllable initial except when preceded by
a voiced sound.
Compare a day this day

 Consonants are longer when at the end of a phrase.

bib did don nod
Consonant Allophones
 The
approximants /w , r , j , l/ are partially voiceless
when they occur after aspirated stops.
play [pl ̥eɪ] twin [tw̥ɪn] cue [kju̥ ]

 Vowelsare shorter before voiceless sounds in

the same syllable.
 Voiceless sounds are longer when at the end of
a syllable.
cap [kæp] back [bæk]
Consonant Allophones
 Stops
are unexploded when they occur before
another stop.
apt [æp̚t] act [æk̚t]

 Syllablefinal /p , t , k/ are accompanied by

a glottal stop and when after a vowel.
tip [tɪʔp] pit [pɪʔt] kick [kɪʔk]
 Consonant Allophones
 /t/ is replaced by a glottal stop when it occurs before an alveolar
stop in the same word.
beaten [ˈbiʔn̩]
 Nasals are syllabic at the end of a word when immediately after
an obstruent.
leaden [ˈlɛdn̩] chasm [ˈkæzm̩]
 The liquids /l , r/ are syllabic at the end of a word when
immediately after a consonant.
paddle [ˈpædl̩] channel [ˈtʃænl̩] razor [ˈreɪzɹ̩]
Consonant Allophones
 Alveolar stops and alveolar nasals become voiced taps when
they occur between two vowels, the second of which is
unstressed.
fatty [ˈfæɾi] data [ˈdæɾə]
daddy [ˈdæɾi] many [ˈmɛɾ̃i]

 Alveolar consonants become dentals before dental

consonants.
eighth [eɪt̪θ] tenth [tɛn̪θ] wealth [wɛl̪θ]
Consonant Allophones

 Alveolar
stops are reduced or omitted when
between two consonants.
most people [ˈməʊs ˈpipl̩]

A consonant is shortened when it is before

an identical consonant.
big game top post
Consonant Allophones
A homorganic voiceless stop may occur after a nasal
and before a voiceless fricative followed by unstressed
vowel.
something [ˈsʌmpӨɪŋ] youngster [ˈjʌŋkstə]

 Velar stops become more front before more front vowels.

[kæp, kɛpt, kɪt, ki] [gæp, gɛt, gɪv, gis]
Consonant Allophones

 The lateral /l/ is velarized when after a vowel

or before a consonant at the end of a word.

file [fɑɪɫ] talc [tæɫk]

Vowel Allophones
A vowel is longest in an open syllable, next longest
in a syllable closed by a voiced consonant,
and shortest in a syllable closed by a voiceless
consonant.
Compare [siː] [siːd] [siːt]

 Vowels are longer in stressed syllables.

Compare below [bɪˈləʊ] billow [ˈbɪləʊ]
Vowel Allophones

 Vowels are nasalized in syllables closed by

a nasal consonant.
ban [bæ̃ n]

 Vowels are retracted before syllable final [ɫ].

heel [hiɫ] pail [peɪɫ]
 Any questions?

Thank you for listening.

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