Modification of vowels in connected speech

In English as well as in Russian vowels in unstressed syllable are reduced, the law of reduction, however, are not the same.

REDUCTION is a historical process of weakening, shortening or disappearance of vowel sounds in unstressed positions. This phenomenon is closely connected with the general development of the language system and it reflectes the processes of lexical and grammatical changes.

The reduced form of practically any vowel in an unstressed position is represented by a neutral sound: combine ['kסmbaın] – combine [kəm'baın], project [ס] – project [ə].

On the other hand, there is a tendency to retain the quality of the un stressed vowel, in cases like: a) in compound words (blackboard, oilfield), b) in borrowings from the French and other languages (bourgeoisie, kolkhoz).

Reduction is closely connected withrhythm and sentence stress. Stressed words are pronounced with a greater energy of breath. Regular loss of sentence stress of certain words is connected with partial or complete loss of their lexical significance. So, REDUCTION is realized also in form words, auxilary and modal verbs, personal and possessive pronouns within intonation groups and phrases: What do you think you can do? [→wסt dju өıŋk ju kən ˛du:].

Three different types of reduction are noticed in English:

1. Quantitative reduction – shortening of a vowel sound in the unstressed positions, affects mainly long vowels: he [hi: > hi > hı] When does he come?

2. Qualitative reduction – obscuration of vowels rowards [ə, I, υ], affecting both long and short vowels: can [kæn > kən] You can easily do it.

It’s important that vowels in unstressed form-words undergo both quantitative and qualitative reduction: to [tu: > tu > tυ].

3. The third type is the elision of vowels in the unstressed position: I’m up already.

In spoken English words which bear the major part of information are stressed and are called CONTENT WORDS (NOTIONAL). These are nouns, adjectives, notional verbs, adverbs, numerals, interrogative and demonstrative pronouns. The other words in a sentence are mostly FORM WORDS (STRUCTURAL), they link the content wordsa and help in this way to form an utterance. These are: articles, prepositions, conjunctions, particles, auxilary and modal verbs, personal and possessive pronouns. There aren’t many of them but they are among the commonest words in the language, they are normally unstressed and in most of the cases their weak redused forms are used (but not when they are said in isolation and when they become the communicative centres of utterance).

There are special cases when the strong forms of the form words are used:

1. Prepositions at the very end of an intonation group or phrase: What are you loking at?

2. Prepositions at the end of an intonation group or phrase when they are folloed by an unstressed pronoun: I’m not talking to you. Esp. if the preposition is polysyllabic: Have a look under it.

3. Auxilary and modal verbs at the end of and intonation group or phrase: Who has done it? – Mary has.

4. Auxilary and modal verbs at the beginning of general and alternative questions (but not in rapid colloquial style): Can you get it by tomorrow?

5. Auxilary and modal verbs in contracted negative forms: I don’t know the man.

6. The following words have no weak forms whatsoever: what, when, where, how, which, on, in, with, then.