Chapter Strong and Weak Forms This section is concerned with one of the most remarkable features of English pronunci Many common English words have two or more pronunciations in speech, depending on positions in a sentence----a strong form and one or more weak forms These words include form words and the following pronouns personal, possessive, relative and the indefinite pronoun"some", denoting indefinite quantity The strong form of a word is used when the word is said in isolation, or in connected speech which the word should be stressed: it is also used in certain cases where the word is unstressed ositions. The weak form or forms of a word are used only in unstressed positions A weak form of a word is generally distinguished from a strong form (1).by the difference in vowel-sounds, (2). by the absence of a sound( vowel or consonant) (3).by the difference of in the length of a vowel /a:/ them /oam/ /aend/ an/ /n/ /aem /bi: n/ /bin/ were Very often the weak form has /a/ in it, whereas the strong form contains some other vowel e.g. was /woz/ for/fs: / them/dem/, to/tu: / but"It was too difficult for them to read. /it waz'tl difikelt fa oam te 'ri: d/ A few words with /i in the strong form have a weak form with /1/; e.g. the /oi / but the other end”/Oi'Aoor'end The following list tells you how the weak forms are used Weak Examples Form 1. Conjunctions in and out /in 'aend ' aut/ black and white /'baelk an ' wait/ bread and butter /bred n 'bAta/ /az/ az/ as old as you /ez'ould az ju /bAt/ But why not /bat wai'n t/ /2:/ two or three days /tu: a Ari: deiz/ seven or eight /sevn ar eit/(before vowels) than /0an better than ever /'bete oan 'eve/ I admit that I did it. /ai ad'mit oat ai 'did it/ /i()/hi/ Did he win? /'did i: win/ him /im Give him two /'giv im tu I like his tie. /ai laik iz tai/ (in the middle of a sense group /h:/ /h//s Take her home. /teik he 'heum/ She opened her eyes /1: upend her 'aiz (before vowels) (At the beginning of word groups the strong forms of these pronouns should be used. /m:/ Could you tell me the time?
Chapter 1 Strong and Weak Forms This section is concerned with one of the most remarkable features of English pronunciation. Many common English words have two or more pronunciations in speech, depending on their positions in a sentence----a strong form and one or more weak forms. These words include form words and the following pronouns: personal, possessive, relative and the indefinite pronoun “some”, denoting indefinite quantity. The strong form of a word is used when the word is said in isolation, or in connected speech in which the word should be stressed; it is also used in certain cases where the word is unstressed positions. The weak form or forms of a word are used only in unstressed positions. A weak form of a word is generally distinguished from a strong form (1).by the difference in vowel-sounds, (2).by the absence of a sound (vowel or consonant), (3).by the difference of in the length of a vowel. Examples: are /a:/ /ә/ them /ðem/ /ðәm/ and /ænd/ /әn/ /n/ am /æm/ /m/ been /bi:n/ /bin/ were /wә:/ /wә/ Very often the weak form has /ә/ in it, whereas the strong form contains some other vowel; e.g. was /wɔz/, for/fɔ:/, them/ðem/, to/tu:/, but “It was too difficult for them to read.” /it wәz 'tu: 'difikәlt fә ðәm tә 'ri:d/ A few words with /i:/ in the strong form have a weak form with /i/; e.g. the /ði:/, but “the other end” /ði 'Λðәr 'end/. The following list tells you how the weak forms are used. Word Strong Form Weak Form Examples 1.Conjunctions and as but or than that /ænd/ /æz/ /bΛt/ /ɔ:/ /ɔ:r/ /ðæn/ /ðæt/ /әn/ /n/ /әz/ /bәt/ /ә/ /әr/ /ðәn/ /ðәt/ in and out /in 'ænd 'aut/ black and white /'bælk әn 'wait/ bread and butter /'bred n 'bΛtә/ as old as you /әz 'әuld әz 'ju:/ But why not? /bәt 'wai 'n t/ two or three days /tu:ә θri: deiz/ seven or eight /sevn әr eit/ (before vowels) better than ever /'betә ðәn 'evә / I admit that I did it. /ai әd'mit ðәt ai 'did it/ 2.Pronouns he him his her me /hi:/ /him/ /hiz/ /hә:/ /hә:r/ /mi:/ /i(:)//hi/ /im/ /iz/ /hә/ /ә/ /hәr/ /mi/ Did he win? /'did i: 'win/ Give him two. /'giv im 'tu:/ I like his tie. /ai 'laik iz 'tai/ (in the middle of a sense group) Take her home. /'teik hә 'hәum/ She opened her eyes./ʃi: 'әupened her 'aiz / (before vowels) (At the beginning of word groups the strong forms of these pronouns should be used.) Could you tell me the time?
Send them by post. /send oam bai ' paus He wont let us do it. /hi: weunt 'let as 'du: it/ that /0at/ the book that I bought (rel /0a buk Oat ai ' b): t jestadi/ tive) (rela //hu the boy who lives here /0a 'bDi hu 'livz hia/ tive) 3. Verbs /m//om/ What am I to do? /wot am ai ta du The days are shoter /0a' deiz a': ta The men are away /Oa men ar a wei/(before vowels) bi Dont be rude / 'daunt bi 'ru d/ been /bi n/ /bi She has been out. /i z bin 'aut/ Tom is here. /'tmz ' hia/ One was enough. / wAn waz inAe ants except/z, 3, 3/,) (zlafter vowels and voiced co as/woz were /we They were very pleased /dei wa veri 'pli: Zd/ The lights were out. /oa'laits war 'aut/ /hae/ Has everyone gone? /haz'evriwAn' gon/ (aux.) /az/ (ez/ after /s, z, t, c3/, /s/ after/p, t, k, f, e/, /z/ else where) ave Youve broken it. /ju. v'braukan it/ aux (v/after I, we, you, they; /av/elsewhere) /haed/ /had/ /du:/ /da//d, oes /dAz/ /daz/ shall must 4. Article /ei/ /a /oi/ /0a/ 5. Prepositi /at/ /fe/ /for/ from/from 6. Other Words o, /oεar /nAt/ /nt//n/ some/sAm/
them us that (rela -tive) who (rela -tive) /ðæm/ /Λs/ /ðæt/ /hu:/ /ðәm/ /әs/ /ðәt/ /hu/ /'kud ju: 'tel mi ðә 'taim/ Send them by post./ 'send ðәm bai 'pәust/ He won’t let us do it./hi: 'wәunt 'let әs 'du: it/ the book that I bought yeaterday /ðә 'buk ðәt ai 'bɔ:t 'jestәdi/ the boy who lives here /ðә 'bɔi hu 'livz hiә/ 3.Verbs am are be been is was were has (aux.) have (aux.) had do does can could shall should will would must /æm/ /a:/ /a:r/ /bi:/ /bi:n/ /iz/ /wɔz/ /wә:/ /wә:r/ /hæz/ /hæv/ /hæd/ /du:/ /dΛz/ /m//әm/ /ә/ /әr/ /bi/ /bin/ /s/ /z/ /wәz/ /wә/ /wәr/ /hәz/ /әz/ /s/ /z/ /hәz/ /v/ /әv/ /hәd/ /dә/ /d/ /dәz/ What am I to do? /'wɔt әm ai tә 'du:/ The days are shoter. /ðә 'deiz ә ' ʃɔ:tә/ The men are away./ðә 'men әr ә'wei/ (before vowels) Don’t be rude./ 'dәunt bi 'ru:d/ She has been out./ ʃ i:z bin 'aut/ That’s fine. /ðæts 'fain/ He is here. /hi:z 'hiә/ Tom is here./ 'tɔmz 'hiә/ (/z/after vowels and voiced consonants except /z, ʒ ,ʤ / ,) One was enough./'wΛn wәz i'nΛf/ They were very pleased./ ðei wә 'veri 'pli:zd/ The lights were out./ðә 'laits wәr 'aut/ Has everyone gone?/hәz 'evriwΛn 'gɔn/ The place has changed./ðә 'pleis әz 'ʧeinʤd/ (/әz/ after /s,z, ʧ, ʤ/, /s/ after /p,t, k,f, θ/, /z/ else where) Have any been lost?/hәz 'eni bin 'lɔst/ You’ve broken it./ju:v 'brәukәn it/ (/v/after I, we, you, they; /әv/elsewhere) 4.Article a an the /ei/ /æn/ /ði:/ /ә/ /әn/ /ði/ /ðә/ 5.Prepositi ons at for from of /æt/ /fɔ:/ /fɔ:r/ /frɔm/ /ɔv/ /әt/ /fә/ /fәr/ /frәm/ /әv/ 6.Other Words there not to some /ðεә/ /ðεәr/ /nΛt/ /tu:/ /sΛm/ /ðә/ /ðәr/ /nt/ /n/ /tu/ /tә/ /sәm//sm/
2. The Use of Strong Forms As i have said, these common words which have weak forms also have strong forms. The strong forms are used in the following cases 1)When the word is stressed, e.g They dont believe, do they? /Oei ' daunt bi'li v 'dur oei/ You must choose us or them. /ju: mast tu: z'As 2: "dem 2)When the word is at the end of a sense group or a sentence, even when they are unstressed. e.g What are you looking at? /wot a ju: ' lukin aet/ 3)Prepositions may have their strong foms when they are followed by an unstressed personal pronoun at the end of a sense group or a sentence. However, in this position the weak form may also be used. For example I am waiting for you. /aim'weitin f: ju or /aim'weitin fa ju 4) The indefinite pronoun“some” in the meaning of“ a certain quantity” is always stressed and therefore pronounced /s a m/. For example some of us /'s a m av as/ The adjective"some"in the meaning of"certain"always use its strong form, even when it is unstressed.E.g For some reason she is absent today /f: sA 'ri zn iz'aebsnst ta'dei/ As an adjective in contrast to"others"it is al ways stressed and therefore pronounced/s A m/.E. g Some people like it, but others dont /'s A m pi: pl laik it batA Oaz 'daunt/
2.The Use of Strong Forms As I have said, these common words which have weak forms also have strong forms.The strong forms are used in the following cases: 1)When the word is stressed,e.g. They don’t believe, do they? /ðei 'dәunt bi'li:v 'du:ðei / You must choose us or them. /ju: mәst 'ʧu:z 'Λs ɔ: 'ðem / 2) When the word is at the end of a sense group or a sentence, even when they are unstressed.e.g. (Who is on duty today?) ---- I am./'ai æm/ What are you looking at? /'wɔt ә ju: 'lukiŋ æt/ 3) Prepositions may have their strong forms when they are followed by an unstressed personal pronoun at the end of a sense group or a sentence. However, in this position the weak form may also be used. For example: I am waiting for you. /aim 'weitiŋ fɔ: ju:/ or /aim 'weitiŋ fә ju:/ 4) The indefinite pronoun “some” in the meaning of “a certain quantity” is always stressed and therefore pronounced /sΛm/. For example: some of us / 'sΛm әv әs/ The adjective “some” in the meaning of “certain” always use its strong form, even when it is unstressed. E.g. For some reason she is absent today. /'fɔ: sΛm 'ri:zn ʃiz 'æbsnәt tә'dei/ As an adjective in contrast to “others” it is always stressed and therefore pronounced/sΛm/. E.g. Some people like it, but others don’t. /'sΛm pi:pl 'laik it bәt 'Λðәz 'dәunt/
