L MANUA OF Americon Enolish Prihunciotion FOURTH EDITION Cfifford H. Protor, Ir. University of California, Los Angeles Betfy Wolloce Robineff University of Minnesota HOII, RINEHARI AND WINSTON. INC. Fort Worth Chicago San Francisco Philadelphia Montreal Toronto lnndon Svdnev Tokyo Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Prator, Clifford H. (Clifford Holmes) Manual of American English pronunciation. Includes index. 1. English language-United States-Pronunciation. 2. English language-Text-books for foreign speakers. I. Robinett, Beny Wallace. II. Tille. PE2fi'.n 1985 428.1 84-25222 rsBN 0-03-0u0?u3-8 Copyright @ 1985, 1972by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Copyright O 1957 by Clifford H. Prator, Jr. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or me- chanical, including photocopy, recording or'any information stor- age and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to: Copyrights and Permissions Department, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Orlando, Florida 32887 Printed in the United States of America rsBN 0-03-000703-8 012 090 987 Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. The Dryden Press Saunders College Publishing Contents Accent lnventory (Copy 1) tx lntroduction: To the Teacher XV I. Differences in the Fourth Edition II. How the Manual Is Put Together III. Use of the Manual IV. Use of the "Accent Inventory" 1 LEssoN The Phonetic Alphabet I. Learning to Pronounce English II. Why a Phonetic Alphabet? III. Table of Symbols fV. How Words Are Transcribed V. Exercises 2 Vowels LEssoN Classification of 10 I. The Five Fundamental Vowels II. The Eleven Vowels of American English III. Exercises 3 Vowels LEssoN Unstressed 18 I. The Importance of Stress II. The Pronunciation of Unstressed Vowels III. Where the Stress Falls IV. Exercises vi Contents Rhythm LESSON 4 Sentence-Stress and 28 I. Stress in Groups of Words II. Which Words Should Be Stressed? III. The Pronunciation of Unstressed Words of One Svllable IV. Thought Groups and Blending V. Exercises Intonation LESSON 5 Rising-Falling 44 I. What Intonation Is II. Rising-Falling Intonation III. The Use of Rising-Falling Intonation IV. Exercises 6 Intonation LESSON RiSing 58 I. The Use of Rising Intonation II. Nonfinal Intonation III. Exercises 7 LESSON MOre abOUt IntOnation 75 [. Intonation and Focus II. Lexical (Emotional) Intonation III. Inventory of Intonation Patterns IV. Exercises I LEssoN Classification of Gonsonants; -s the Endings -ed and 90 I. Voiced and Voiceless Sounds II. Stops and Continuants, Sibilants III. Point of Articulation IV. honunciation of -ed V. Pronunciation of -s VI. Exercises 9 Consonants LEssoN Initial and Final 101 I. Aspiration at the Beginning of Words II. The Lengthening of Vowels before Final Consonants IIL Aspiration at the End of Words IV. Exercises 10 Gonsonants LEssoN L, R, and Syllabic 113 I. The Formation of /U and lrl 11. lU and hl after Front Vowels III. Syllabic Consonants IV. Exercises LEssoN 11 Front Vowels 125 I. Vowel Substitutions II. The Vowel /iyl as in bg4t III. /r/ as in bit IY. leyl as in bait V. /e/ as in bet Yl. lnl as in bat VII. Exercises Contents vii LEssoN 12 Gentral and Back Vowels 136 I. The Vowel /a/ as in pqt lI. lcl as in bought III. /ow/ as in bqgt IIr/. lul as in put V. /uw/ as in bgst YI. lel as in bgt, and /arl as in bird VII. Exercises 13 LEssoN Consonant Substitutions: Part 1 148 I. Consonant Substitutions lI. l0l , ltl , and lsl; 16/ , ldl , and lzl III. /dL/ and lvl IV. /S/ and /t5/ V. Exercises 14 Parl2 LEssoN Gonsonant Substitutions: 159 I. lbl , lvl, lwl, and lhwl lI. ltl ilI. Final lml , ln/, lgl , and lgk/ IV. lW V. Exercises 15 LESSON COnSOnant ClUSterS 173 I. Phonotactic Rules II. Consonant Clusters in Initial Position III. Initial Clusters Beginning with /s/ IV. Consonant Clusters in Final Position V. Making Clusters Easier to Pronounce VL Exercises 16 English LEssoN The Sandhi of Spoken 189 I. What Sandhi-Forms Are IL More about Unstressed Function Words III. The Disappearing ! IV. Reductions of Verb * to V. Palatalization across Word Boundaries VI. A Word of Caution VII. Exercises 17 LEssoN Long and Short Vowels 206 L Problems of Spelling English IL The System of Long and Short Vowels III. Vowel Sounds and Svllable Boundaries IV. Vowels before ! or 1 V. Exercises 18 Spellings LEssoN Regular and lrregular 218 I. What Is Regular Spelling? II. Principal Elements of Regularity UI. Exercises Accent Inventory (Copy 2) 235 Index 241 STUDENT'S NAME COURSE AND SECTION DATE OF RECORDING Accent Inventory (Copy 1) To the Student This "Inventory" is to be used, preferably at the very beginning of the English course, so that you may have constantly at hand a diagnosis of the elements of foreign "accant" in your own individual speech. First, your voice will be re- corded as you read the "Diagnostic Passage" on the next page. The reading should be done at normal speed, in a matter-of-fact tone, without unusual care in pronunciation; in other words, it should sound as much like natural conver- sation as possible. Then the instructor will listen to the recording many times, and make an analysis, on the following pages, of your speech difficulties. These pages will serve as a guide to the sections of the Manual that are of most importance to you, and show just what phases of English pronunciation should be of most concern to you. The "Inventory" may be used again at the end of the course to measure the progress you have made. SUGGESTED KEY TO CORRECTIONS Phonetic symbols immediately under word: what you should have said. Second line of phonetic symbols under word: mispronunciation in your speech. ' Over a syllable or word: you left this unstressed; it should be stressed. (') over a syllable or word: you stressed this; it should be unstressed. Black line: normal intonation. Colored line: your inconect intonation. i unnatural pause you made. lx x Accent Inventory Diagnostic Passage (1) When a student from another country comes to study in the United States, he has to find out for himself the answers to many questions, and he has many problems to think about. (2) Where should he live? (3) Would it be better if he looked for a private room off campus or if he stayed in a dormitory? (4) Should he spend all of his time just studying? (5) Shouldn't he try to take advantage of the many social and cultural activities which are offered? (6) At first it ls not easv for him to be casual in dress, informal in manner, and