English consonants: realization/allophonic variation contd Solving potential pronunciation problems Intonation: analysing the use & meaning of intonation patterns

Important to note:

• 
  Allophones concern the precise, phonetic realization of phonemes according to phonological surroundings. (Complementary distribution)
  
• 
  Allophonic variation is often a result of phonetic assimilation, i.e. neighbouring phonemes become more similar to each other.
  
• 
  Different allophones are not marked in a phonemic transcription.
  

• 
  voicing
  
• 
  aspiration
  
• 
  place of articulation
  
• 
  manner of articulation
  

• 
  The alveolar sounds /t, d, n, l/ are articulated as dental before the dental fricatives // and //.
  

• 
  /t/ and /d/ become postalveolar in front of the postalveolar /r/
  

• 
  The articulation of the velar sounds /k, g, / varies with neighbouring vowels:
  
  • 
    near a front vowel: contact between the tongue and the velum is made further front (pre-velar)
    
  • 
    near a central vowel: velar
    
  • 
    near a back vowel: contact between the tongue and the velum is made further back
    

• 
  Clear and dark allophones of /l/ (RP)
  
  • 
    The clear allophone (with the front of the tongue raised) occurs before vowels and /j/ (lake, failure)
    
  • 
    The dark allophone (with the back of the tongue raised) occurs before consonants and word-finally (melt, fail)
    

• 
  The frictionless continuant /r/ is articulated as a fricative after /t/ and /d/ (try, dry)
  
• 
  The frictionless continuants /j/ and /w/ become fricatives (and voiceless) when they combine with /h/ (huge, which)
  

• 
  Normally, the plosives have oral plosion, i.e. the air is released through the mouth, with no obstruction.
  
• 
  Nasal release (i.e. the air is released through the nose) occurs when the plosive is followed by a homorganic nasal (i.e. /p, b/ followed by /m/, /t, d/ followed by /n/, /k, g/ followed by // (happen, button, bacon)
  
• 
  Lateral release (i.e. the air is released along the sides of the tongue) occurs when the alveolar plosives /t, d/ are followed by /l/ (little, middle)
  
• 
  Inaudible release (unexploded stop) occurs when the plosive is followed by another stop. (suit – suitcase)
  
• 
  Aspiration usually follows the release of the fortis plosives /p, t, k/. The aspiration disappears if the plosive is preceded by /s/ (within the same syllable) (key vs. ski)
  

Pronunciation problems arise because

• 
  English has phonemes that Norwegian doesn’t have (differences in phonemic inventory).
  
  • 
    A Norwegian learner will have to learn how to pronounce the “new” phonemes and how to distinguish them from other, similar phonemes
    
• 
  English phonemes are articulated in a (slightly) different way from corresponding Norwegian phonemes
  
  • 
    A Norwegian learner will be understood, but sound foreign, unless the precise articulation is learnt
    
• 
  An English phoneme may have a different distribution from its Norwegian counterpart
  
  • 
    A Norwegian learner may need to learn to articulate a phoneme in an “unusual” position.
    

English affricates //, //

The fortis fricative //

The lenis fricatives /, , , /

The semi-vowel /w/

Examples on handout.

,  (thought vs. taught)

Dental fricatives vs. alveolar plosives (dental in Norwegian)

, (they vs. day)

More examples on handout

v, w (veil vs. whale)

Labiodental lenis fricative (‘bite your lip’) vs. Labiovelar open approximant (rounded lips, no friction)

• 
  /v/ has audible friction in English
  
• 
  /t, d, n/ are apico-alveolar (apico-dental in Norwegian)
  
• 
  all allophones of /r/ are unlike the /r/-sounds in Eastern Norwegian
  
• 
  /l/ is always dark in GA and clear and dark /l/ are allophones in RP, with a different distribution from allophones of the Norwegian /l/
  
• 
  /k, g, / are articulated at the back of the velum after back vowels in English but not in Norwegian. (rock vs. råk)
  

• 
  The distribution of /r/ in RP (and other non-rhotic accents)
  
• 
  /v/ does not occur after other consonants in initial clusters (but /w/ does)
  

1. 
   The intonation pattern itself: (prehead) – (head) – NUCLEUS – (tail)
   
2. 
   The sentence type (declarative, interrogative, imperative, sentence fragment)
   
3. 
   The context (i.e speaker A’s utterance + the actual words used. It is also possible to imagine a wider context, but don’t be too creative!)
   
4. 
   The communicative function: statement, question, command, offer, request, apology, suggestion, etc.
   
5. 
   The attitudinal meaning of speaker B: e.g. lively, involved, neutral, calm, interested, casual, cheerful, hostile, annoyed…
   
6. 
   The accent-placing: Note if accent placing differs, the emphasis of the two utterances may be different – or even the meaning of words and phrases (see further Unit 7).
   

1. 
   I’ve got a feeling we’ve met be^\fore
   
2. 
   It’s Margaret ^\Johnson, | _/isn’t it
   
3. 
   Do you re member _/my name
   
4. 
    Let me _\think for a minute
   
5. 
   /Yes, |  Michael ^\Hughes
   
6. 
   What a sur _\prise
   
7. 
   What are you _/doing | back in ^\London