PRONUNCIATION

RULES
1. Inflections

1.1 What are inflections?

Words in English are constructed by means of morphemes. A morpheme is a
part of a word. For example, the verb “play” is a morpheme in itself. If we need
to use this word in the past form, we should add to it another morpheme, “-ed”.
So the word “played” is formed by two morphemes. What is added to the root
word is called an inflection, “ed” is an inflection for the past. In this class we are
going to deal with the rules to pronounce inflections for the plural, the 3 rd person
singular, possessive form ‘s, simple past and past participle of regular verbs.
1.2 Important information to consider before you read the rules:
Voicing
Before delving into the topic of Inflections, it is important to consider the concept of
voicing.
This aspect is related to the position of the vocal chords, which adopt the following
positions:
Wide apart: in normal breathing and the production of voiceless consonants
Position for vocal folds vibrating: the folds are very near, almost touching. The air
passing through the glottis will normally produce vibration – rapid opening and closing
of the glottis which is repeated regularly. Vibration occurs during the production of
voiced consonants and vowels.
Vocal folds tightly closed: they are firmly pressed together so that air cannot pass
between them as for the glottal stop / plosive.
There is also a fourth position for the vocal cords. When they are loosely together,
they produce a friction and the sound /h/ is perceived.
 1.3 Rules for inflections

Irregular plurals
•Some nouns, which end in “f” and “fe” replace these voiceless consonants by the corresponding voiced in the plural.

leaf – leaves /li:f/ /li:vz/

half – halves /hɑ:f/ / hɑ:vz/
life – lives /laɪf/ /laɪvz/
calf – calves /kɑ:f/ /kɑ:vz/
wife – wives /waɪf/ waɪvz/
shelf – shelves /ʃelf/ /ʃelvz/
thief – thieves /θi:f/ / θi:vz/
knife – knives /naɪf// naɪvz/
wolf – wolves /wʊlf/ / wʊlvz/
loaf – loaves /ləʊf/ /ləʊvz/
self – selves /self/ /selvz/
scarf – scarves /skɑ:f//skɑ:vz/
roof – roves /ru:f/ /ru:vz/

Notice that /f/ is voiceless and it is replaced by /v /, which is voiced and then followed by /z /, which is also voiced.
Exceptions
hoof – hoofs /hu:f/ /hu:fs/
proof – proofs /pru:f/ /pru:fs/
roof – roofs /ru:f/ /ru:fs/
/θ/ by /ð/

path – paths /pɑ:θ/ / pɑ:ðz/

youth – youths /ju:θ/ / ju:ðz/
oath – oaths /əʊθ/ / əʊðz/
bath – baths /bɑ:θ/ /bɑ:ðz/
truth – truths /tru:θ/ / tru:ðz /
mouth – mouths /maʊθ/ /maʊðz/
/s/ by /z/
house – houses /haʊs/ /haʊzɪz/

b) Some nouns have irregular plurals

man – men /mæn/ /men/

child – children /tʃaɪld/ /tʃɪldrən/
tooth – teeth /tu:θ/ /ti:θ/
ox – oxen /ɒks/ / ´ɒksən/
woman – women /´wʊmən/ /´wɪmɪn/
mouse – mice /maʊs/ /maɪs/
goose – geese /gu:s/ /gi:s/
penny – pence (amount of money) /´penɪ/ /pens/
pennies (coins) /´penɪz/

c) Some foreign words have special plural forms

memorandum – memoranda or memorandums /memə’rændəm/ / memə’rændə/

parenthesis – parentheses /pə’renθɪsɪs/ /pə’renθɪsi:z/
phenomenon – phenomena /fɪ’nɒmɪnən/ /fɪ’nɒmɪnə/
genus – genera /‘dʒi:nəs/ / ‘dʒenərə/
formula – formulae or formulas /´fɔ:mjʊlə/ /´fɔ:mjʊli:/ /´fɔ:mjʊləz/
Third person singular, plural and possessive forms
a) The inflectional endings of the 3 rd person singular, plural and possessive forms are pronounced /s/when
the root of the words end in a voiceless consonant, except the voiceless sibilants /s/, /ʃ/ and /tʃ/.
3rd person Plural Possessive form
kicks /kɪks/ puffs /pʌfs/ Pat’s /pæts/
paints /peɪnts/ coats/kəʊts/ Jack’s /dʒæks/

b) The inflectional endings are pronounced /z/ when the root ends in a voiced consonant, vowel or
diphthong, except the sibilant voiced consonants /z/, /ʒ/ and /dʒ/
3rd person Plural Possessive form
sees /si:z/ cars /kɑ:z/
sister’s/’sɪstəz/
lies /laɪz/ days /deɪz/ boy’s
/bɔɪz /
Moans/məʊnz/ rooms/ru:mz/ Ann’s /ᴂnz/
c) The inflectional endings are pronounced /ɪz/as separate syllables
when the root ends in a sibilant consonant.
3rd person Plural
Possessive form
passes /´pɑ:sɪz/ buses /´bʌsɪz/ Alice’s
/´ᴂlɪsɪz/
rises /´raɪzɪz/ roses /´rəʊzɪz/ Rose’s/
´rəʊzɪz/
pushes /´pʊʃɪz/ brushes /´brʌʃɪz/ Welsh’s
´welʃɪz/
Preaches/´pri:tʃɪz/ peaches/´pi:tʃɪz/
Lunch’s/´lʌntʃɪz/
judges /´dʒʌdʒɪz/ rouges /´ru:ʒɪz/
George’s ´dʒɔ:d ʒɪz/

Exception: house - houses /haʊs/ /haʊzɪz/

Simple past
b) /t/ to the root of the verbs which end in fortis
a) In regular verbs it is formed by adding /d/ to the (voiceless) consonant except /t/
root of verbs which end in vowel or voiced
consonant except /d/
stopped /stɒpt/
ignored /ɪg´nɔ:d/
parked /pɑ:kt/
breathed /bri:ðd/
reached /ri:tʃt/
rolled /rɔ:ld/
laughed /lɑ:ft/
robbed /rɒbd/
passed /pɑ:st/
sneezed /sni:zd/
Wished /wɪʃt/
managed /’mᴂnɪdʒd/
begged /begd/
c) /ɪd/ to the root of verbs which end in /t/ or /d/
combed /kəʊmd/
camouflaged/kᴂməʊ’flɑ:dʒd/
wanted /´wɒntɪd/
urged /ɜ:dʒd/
started /´st ɑ:tɪd/
Tanned /tᴂnd/
ended /´endɪd/
lived /lɪvd/
Needed /´ni:dɪd/
Longed lɒngd/
1.4 Rules for Prefixes and suffixes

Re – prefix

The pronunciation depends largely upon stress context.

Unstressed /rɪ /

Stressed /re / /ri:/

Cases in which it’s pronounced /rɪ / /re / / ‘ri: / / ,ri:

Verb
Noun
Rebel /rɪ’bel /
Rebel / ‘rebəl /
Record / rɪ’kɔ:d /
Record / ‘rekəd /
Reject /rɪ’dʒekt /
Reject / ‘ri:dʒekt /
Rebate /rɪ’beɪt /
Rebate / ‘ri:beɪt /
Refuse / rɪ’fju:z /
Refuse / ‘refju:s /

Verbs alone

Recognize / ‘rekəgnɑɪz /

Rescue / ‘reskju: /

Relish / ‘relɪʃ /

Remedy / ‘remədɪ /

Renovate / ‘renəveɪt /
Nouns alone /re /

Recipe / ‘resɪpɪ /

Recompense / ‘rekmpəns /

Reference / ‘refrəns /

Residence / ‘rezɪdəns /

Reptile / ‘reptɑɪl /

Relevant / ‘relevənt /

Relic / ‘relɪk /

Reprimand / ‘reprɪmɑ:nd /

Refuge / ‘refju:dʒ /

Resonance / ‘reznəns /

Requisite / ‘rekwɪzɪt /

Restaurant / ‘restrɑ:nt /

Reverend / ‘revrənd
Cases in which it’s pronounced / ri: /. Verbs: mainly when it indicates repetition of the action or undo something
(but it’s secondary stress)

Verbs Nouns
Refill /,ri:‘fɪl / Refill / ‘ri:fɪl /
Reprint /,ri:‘prɪnt / Reprint / ‘ri:prɪnt /
Recharge /,ri:‘tʃɑ:dʒ / Recharge / ‘ri:tʃɑ:dʒ /
Refit /,ri:‘fɪt /
Refit / ‘ri:fɪt /

With the following nouns

Reflex / ‘ri:fleks /
Refund / ‘ri:fʌnd /
Reject / ‘ri:dʒekt /
Rebate / ‘ri:beɪt /
Relay / ‘ri:leɪ /
Retail / ‘ri:teɪl /

The adjective recent

Pairs of verbs differentiated in
meaning
Unstressed prefix
React (respond) /rɪ‘ækt /
Recall (remember) /rɪ‘kɔ:l /
Recite (declaim) /rɪ‘sɑɪt /
Recount (relate) /rɪ‘kɑʊnt /
Recover (get back) /rɪ‘kʌvə /
Reform (improve) / rɪ‘fɔ:m /
Replace (substitute) /rɪ‘pleɪs /
Remark (comment) /rɪ‘mɑ:k /
Retouch (finish off) /rɪ‘tʌtʃ /
Retrace (go over or back) /rɪ‘treɪs /
Stressed prefix
React (act again) / ‘ri:ækt /
Recall (call again) / ‘ri:kɔ:l
Recite (cite again) / ‘ri:sɑɪt /
Recount (count again) / ‘ri:kɑʊnt /
Recover (cover again) / ‘ri:kʌvə /
Reform (form again) / ‘ri:fɔ:m /
Replace / ‘ri:pleɪs /
Remark / ‘ri:mɑ:k /
Retouch / ‘ri:tʌtʃ /
Retrace / ‘ri:treɪs /

Ending ‘-ng’ is pronounced / ŋ /. If it is the comparative or superlative of an adjective, the sound /g/ is
added: longer / ‘lɒŋgə / longest / ‘lɒŋgəst /

Verbs ending ‘-ng’ + ing: singing / ‘sɪŋɪŋ / (without /g / sound).

Prefix ‘con-’ + k, g: / ŋ / when followed by an unstressed syllable: Congress / ‘kɒŋgres/

/ n / or / ŋ / when followed by a stressed syllable: Congratulation /kən,grætjʊ‘leɪʃn
//kəŋ,grætjʊ‘leɪʃn /

Prefix ‘-en’, ‘-in’ + k,g: /n/ or /ŋ /: encourage /ɪn‘kʌrɪdʒ /

increase /ɪn‘kri:s /
engage /ɪn‘geɪdʒ /
ingredients /ɪn‘gri:dənts /
Suffix –ate: verbs: moderate / mɒde‘reɪt / estimate /estɪ‘meɪt / complicate /kɒmplɪ‘keɪt /
Nouns/adjectives: moderate / ‘mɒderɪt / estimate / ‘estɪmɪt /
But: affricate / ‘æfrɪkɪt / ‘æfrɪkeɪt / distillate / ‘dɪstɪlɪt / ‘dɪstɪleɪt /
Prefix un- is always / ʌn /: uncomfortable / ʌn‘kʌmftəbl /
Prefix dis- is always /dɪs /
Prefix ex- /eks / if it is stressed initially / ‘ekstrə /
/ ɪgz / if it is followed by a vowel /ɪg‘zæm/
/ ɪks / unstressed followed by a consonant /ɪks‘pleɪn /
Endings
-ing: verbs finishing in /i:/, /ɪ/: playing / ‘pleɪɪŋ / lying / ‘lɑɪɪŋ / being / ‘bi:ɪŋ /
-graph: photograph / ‘fəʊtəgrɑ:f /
-ous: generous / ‘dʒenerəs / pious /pɑɪəs /
-uous: fatuous / ‘fætjʊəs / continuous / ‘kəntɪnuəs /
-sity: university /ju:nɪ‘vɜ:sɪtɪ //ju:nɪ‘vɜ:sətɪ /
-is: crisis / ‘krɑɪsɪs / but plural / ‘krɑɪsi:z /
-est: superlative form of adjectives is / əst / or / ɪst / shortest / ‘ʃɔ:tɪst / ‘ʃɔ:təst /
-ity: sincerity / sɪn‘serɪtɪ / sɪn‘serətɪ /
-itive: primitive / ‘prɪmɪtɪv / ‘prɪmətɪv /
-sive: impulsive / ɪm‘pʌlsɪv /
-as –os –us –is: canvas / ‘kænvəs /
-ise –ize: emphasize / ‘emfəsɑɪz / (this ending is never stressed)
Consonants + sion: mansion / ‘mænʃn /
Vowel + sion: decision /dɪ‘sɪʒn /
-tion: nation / ‘neɪʃn /
-cial : crucial / ‘krʊʃl /
-scious: conscious / ‘kɒnʃəs /
-sure: measure / ‘meʒə / Exception: sure / ʃʊə / or / ʃɔ: /
-ness: loneliness / ‘ləʊnlɪnɪs / ‘ləʊnlɪnəs /
-less: careless / ‘kɛəlɪs / / ‘kɛələs /
-ally: universally /ju:nɪ ‘vɜ:səlɪ /
-ful: careful / ‘kɛəfʊl / ‘kɛəfl / but never /fəl /
-fully: carefully / ‘kɛəflɪ / ‘kɛəfʊlɪ / ‘kɛəfəlɪ /
-ce -cy: lacy / ‘leɪsɪ / notice / ‘nəʊtɪs /