TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Foreign Languages

Division of Linguistics - Culture - Literature
PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY - 001199

CHAPTER 8:

WEAK FORMS

Lecturer: Ho Phuong Thao

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 BRIEFING
8.1. Introduction
a/ Strong and weak forms
b/ contracted forms
c/ function words
d/ Reasons studying weak form words
e/ Cases where strong forms are used
8.2. Common weak form words

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 STRONG & WEAK FORMS
• There are words in English that can be pronounced in 2 different
ways: strong forms and weak forms.
• THAT
• /ðæt/: strong form
• /aɪ laɪk ðæt/ => I like that.
=> demonstrative function.
• /ðət/: weak form
• /aɪ həʊp ðət ʃɪ wɪl/ => I hope that she will.
=> Relative clause / that clause
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STRONG & WEAK FORMS

• Weak forms >< contracted forms

• It is -> It’s
•We have -> We’ve
•Do not -> don’t
•Did not -> didn’t
•I would like -> I’d like

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STRONG & WEAK FORMS

• Almost all words which have both strong and weak forms are
called function words.
• Functions words:
• Do not have meaning like Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives,
Adverbs.
• Include: Auxiliary Verbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions,
Articles, pronouns

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 8.1. INTRODUCTION

A/ Two reasons why weak form words important

- all strong forms sound unnatural and foreign sounding

- one will have difficulty understanding native speakers who

use weak forms all the time

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 8.1. INTRODUCTION (CONT.)
B/ Four cases that strong forms are used
(1) Prepositions at the end of an utterance:
I’m fond of chips.

Chips are what I’m fond of.

(a) What are you looking for?

(b) I’m looking for a book.

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 8.1. INTRODUCTION (CONT.)
B/ Four cases that strong forms are used
(2) A weak form word is being contrasted with another word:
The letter’s from him, not to him.

Or co-ordinated use of prepositions:

I travel to and from London a lot.

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 8.1. INTRODUCTION (CONT.)

B/ Four cases that strong forms are used (cont.)

(3) A weak form word is stressed:

You must give me more money.

[mʌst]
(4) A weak form word is being cited or quoted:

You shouldn’t put “and” at the end of the sentence.

[ænd]

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8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS

No. WORD STRONG FORM WEAK FORM

18. OF /ɒv/ /əv/

In final position
22. THERE /ðeə/ before consonants /ðə/ before
/ðeər/ before vowels consonants /ðər/ before
-> demontrative function vowels.
& final position

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
1. “the”
Weak forms: /ðə/ before consonants
/ði / before vowels

Shut the door.

Wait for the end.

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)

2. “a”, “an”
Weak forms: /ə/ before consonants
/ən/ before vowels

Read a book

Eat an apple.

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)

3. “and”
Weak form: /ən/ (sometimes
Come and see.
[ən]
Fish and chips.
[ṇ]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)

4. “but”
Weak form: /bət/
It’s good but expensive.
[bət]
5. “that”
Weak form / ðət/ in a relative clause:
The price is the thing that annoys me
[ðət]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)
6. “than”
Weak form: /ðən/
Better than ever.
/ðən/
7. “his”
When it occurs before a noun /ɪz/
Take his name.
At the beginning of an utterance: /hɪz/

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)
8. “her”
Weak forms: [ə] before consonants
Take her home.
[ə]
[ər] before vowels
Take her out.
[ər]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
9. “your”
Weak forms: /jə/ Before consonants
Take your time
[jə]
/jər/ Before vowels [jər]
On your own.
[jər]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS (cont.)
10. “she”, “he”, “we”, “you”
a. “she” /ʃi/
Why did she read it?
[ʃi]
Who is she?
b. “he” /i/ or /hi/
Which did he choose?
[i]
He was late, wasn’t he?
[hi] [i]
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
10. “she”, “he”, “we”, “you” (cont.)
c. “we” /wi/
How can we get there?
[wi]
We need that, don’t we?
d. “you” /ju/
What do you think?
[ju]
You like it, do you?

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
11. “him”
Weak form: /ɪm/
Leave him alone.
[ɪm]
I’ve seen him.
12. ‘her’
Weak form: /ə/ , /hə/ (sentence –initial)
Ask her to come.
[ə]
Her mother is over there.
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[hə] 001199: Chapter 8 20
 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
13. “them”
Weak form: /ðəm/
Eat them.
[ðəm]
Leave them here.
14. “us”
Weak form: /əs/
Write us a letter.
[əs]
They invited all of us.
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
15. “at”
Weak form: /ət/
I’ll see you at lunch.
[ət]
Strong form: /æt/
What’s he shooting at?
[æt]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
16. “for”
Weak form: /fə/ before consonants and /fər/ before vowels
Tea for two.
[fə]
Thanks for asking.
[fər]
Strong form: /fᴐ:/
What’s that for?
[fᴐ:]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
17. “from”
Weak form: /frəm/
I’m home from work.
[frəm]
Strong form: /frɒm/
Here’s where it came from.
[frɒm]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
18. “of”
WF: /əv/
Most of all.
[əv]
SF: /ɒv/
Someone I’ve heard of.
[ɒv]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
19. “to”
WF: /tə/ before consonants or /tu/ before vowels
Try to stop.
[tə]
Time to eat.
[tu]
SF: /tu/
I don’t want to.
[tu]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
20. “as”
WF: /əz/
As much as possible.
[əz] [əz]
SF: /æz/
That’s what it was sold as.
[æz]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
21. ”some”
WF: /səm/ -> before uncountable Noun / plural Noun
Have some more tea.
[səm]
SF: /sʌm/ -> before countable singular Noun.
I think some animal broke it.
[sʌm]
SF: /sʌm/ -> in final position.
I’ve got some.
[sʌm]
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
22. “there”
WF: /ðə/ before consonants or /ðər/ before vowels.
There should be a rule.
/ðə/
There is a pen in the box.
/ðər/
SF: /ðeə/ or /ðeər/ -> demonstrative or in final position.
There it is.
/ðeər/
There isn’t any, is there?
/ðeə/
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
23. “can”, “could”
WF: /kən/ and /kəd/
They can wait.
[kən]
He could do it.
[kəd]
SF: /kæn/ and /kʊd/
I think we can.
[kæn]
Most of them could.
[kʊd]
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
24. “have”, “has”, “had”
WF: /əv/, /əz/ , /əd/
Which have you seen?
[əv]
Which has been best?
[əz]
Most had gone home.
[əd]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
24. “have”, “has”, “had” (cont.)
WF: /həz/ , /həv/ , /həd/
Has John come back yet?
[həz]
Have you met John?
[həv]
Had John left before I called?
[həd]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
24. “have”, “has”, “had” (cont.)
SF: /hæv/ , /hæz/ , /hæd/
Yes , we have.
[hæv]
I think she has.
[hæz]
I thought we had.
[hæd]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
25. “shall”, “should”
WF: /ʃəl/, /ʃəd/
We shall need to hurry.
[ʃəl]
I should forget it.
[ʃəd]
SF: /ʃæl/ , /ʃʊd/
I think we shall.
[ʃæl]
So you should.
[ʃʊd]
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
26. “must”
WF: /məs/ before consonants, /məst/ before vowels
You must try harder.
[məs]
He must eat more.
[məst]
SF: /mʌst/
She certainly must.
[mʌst]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
27. “do”, “does”
WF: /də/ before consonants, /dʊ/ before vowels, /dəz/
Why do they like it?
[də]
Why do all the cars stop?
[du]
When does it arrive?
/dəz/
SF: /du:/ and /dʌz/
We don’t smoke but some people do.
[du:]
I think John does.
[dʌz]
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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
28. “am”, “are”, “was”, “were”
WF: /əm/ , /ə/ before consonant, /ər/ before vowels
Why am I here?
[əm]
Here are the plates.
[ə]
The coats are in there.
[ər]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
28. “am”, “are”, “was”, “were” (cont.)
WF: /wəz/ , /wə/ before consonants, /wər/ before vowels.
He was here a minute ago.
[wəz]
The papers were late.
[wə]
The questions were easy.
[wər]

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 8.2. COMMON WEAK FORM WORDS
28. “am”, “are”, “was”, “were” (cont.)
SF: /æm/ , /ɑ:/ , /wɒz/ , /wɜ:/
She’s not as old as I am.
[æm]
I know the Smiths are.
[ɑ:]
The last record was.
[wɒz]
They weren’t as cold as we were.
[wɜ:]
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 Home Assignment

• [1]: 107-114
• [4]: 54-66
• [5]: 253-263

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