the weak form is used in most situations prepositions. @t. &t at ... tu; to weak form
strong form word ... Many New Varieties of English do not have reduced vowels ...
weak forms of monosyllabic function words AAE103
L11 : Weak Forms / Reduced Vowels
• many monosyllabic function words have a weak form • the weak form is used in most situations
David Deterding
prepositions word to of at as for
strong form tu; Qv &t &z fO;
a few have no weak form weak form t@ @v @t @z f@
word off on up
articles word a an the
strong form eI &n Di;
weak form of the: • /D@/ before consonants • /DI/ before vowels
pronunciation Qf Qn Vp
auxiliary verbs weak form @ @n D@/DI
word can could be is are am was were have
strong form k&n kUd bi; Iz A; &m wQz w3; h&v
weak form k@n k@d bI s/z @ @m/m w@z w@ h@v/@v
1
weak form of have
have/of • weak form of both is /@v/ • many people confuse them:
• only when have is perfective • /@v/ after consonants • /h@v/ elsewhere
?? I could of finished.
pronouns word he she his her
strong form hi; Si; hIz h3;
some have no weak form weak form hI/I SI hIz/Iz h@/@
initial /h/ in he, him, his, her • can be omitted after consonants: Could he [I] go? He [hI] could go.
word I my they
pronunciation aI maI DeI
omission of initial /h/ • /h/ can always be omitted in unstressed syllables an historical novel
Let her [@] go. Her [h@] back hurts.
2
reduced vowels in polysyllabic words • the citation form of many polysyllabic words has a reduced vowel (schwa) in unstressed syllables • this is NOT a weak form control collapse abroad advantage about
NVEs and reduced vowels • Many New Varieties of English do not have reduced vowels in all these words • Yorkshire English also does not have reduced vowels in all of them
'o' : which have reduced vowel?
'a' : which have reduced vowel?
official oppose original forget collect donation
advantage abroad adore around absorb accuse according admire approximate
control consider compete commission commercial connection
reduced vowels and rhythm • reduced vowels enhance stress-based rhythm • full vowels lead to syllable-based rhythm
apply appropriate adventure arouse against about absurd abuse abrupt
Reading • SoE 130-131 (note: then does not have a weak form) • ESPROC ch 7 • Deterding, D (2005) 'Emergent patterns in the vowels of Singapore English'. English World-Wide, 26:2, 179-198
