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Kenkenken9876 Posted 13 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation
Pronunciation Question
I know how to read IPA and always use several English dictionaries to check standard pronunciation and 'syllables'.
Here, this is a question more about SYLLABLES than phonemes.
in-cor-rect
im-pos-si-ble
ir-reg-u-lar
il-le-gal
im-mor-al
Please pronounce these words EXTREMELY slowly --- as slowly as you will be conscious of when you feel you have finished pronouncing the first syllable and when to start the pronunciation of the second.
About 'incorrect' and 'impossible', I don't think there would be any problem with them.
But, do you say 'iiiiiiiiiii-regular' or 'irrrrrrrr-regular?
'iiiiiiiiiii-legal' or 'illlllllllllll-legal'?
'iiiiiiiiiii-moral' or 'immmmmmmmmmmmm-moral'?
What about 'adjourn' and 'ajar'?
Do you say, 'aaaaaaaaaa-journ'? (dropping 'd' completely)
Or 'aaaaaaaaadddddddd-journ? (pronouncing 'd' without a plosive sound, just getting your tongue ready to pronounce the following syllable)
Do you say, 'aaaaaaaa-jar'? or any other way?
I am asking this to confirm my understanding (or to correct my misunderstanding) about English pronunciation.
In IPA,
ir-regular = /?.rég.ju.l?/ (only /?/ for 'ir-')
il-legal= /?.lí?.g?l/ (only /?/ for 'il-')
im-moral = /?.m?´?r.?l/ (only /?/ for 'im-')
Though /?/ only is indicated as the vowel of the first syllable (and I actually prnounce so in a natural speed), the slower I try to pronounce these words, I feel more like to pronounce the following consonant at the end of the first syllable. I am wrong? Or do you do so, too?
Regarding the word "adjourn", the prefix 'ad-' means 'toward', and if I don't prnounce /?d/ there, it will be a different prefix 'a-'. Even though I simply prnounce /?.d???n/ in a natural speed, at the moment I finish the first syllable, I think my tongue tip already touches the gum ridge getting prepared to pronounce the second syllable. Is this way of pronuncing this word wrong?
However, regarding the word "ajar", my tongue does NOT rise at all at the moment I finish pronouncing the first syllable 'a-' because I am not saying 'ad-', I am not feeling the meaning "toward" in the prefix 'a-'.
A lot of opinions (even personal ones) are greatly welcome.
Thank you in advance.
Here, this is a question more about SYLLABLES than phonemes.
in-cor-rect
im-pos-si-ble
ir-reg-u-lar
il-le-gal
im-mor-al
Please pronounce these words EXTREMELY slowly --- as slowly as you will be conscious of when you feel you have finished pronouncing the first syllable and when to start the pronunciation of the second.
About 'incorrect' and 'impossible', I don't think there would be any problem with them.
But, do you say 'iiiiiiiiiii-regular' or 'irrrrrrrr-regular?
'iiiiiiiiiii-legal' or 'illlllllllllll-legal'?
'iiiiiiiiiii-moral' or 'immmmmmmmmmmmm-moral'?
What about 'adjourn' and 'ajar'?
Do you say, 'aaaaaaaaaa-journ'? (dropping 'd' completely)
Or 'aaaaaaaaadddddddd-journ? (pronouncing 'd' without a plosive sound, just getting your tongue ready to pronounce the following syllable)
Do you say, 'aaaaaaaa-jar'? or any other way?
I am asking this to confirm my understanding (or to correct my misunderstanding) about English pronunciation.
In IPA,
ir-regular = /?.rég.ju.l?/ (only /?/ for 'ir-')
il-legal= /?.lí?.g?l/ (only /?/ for 'il-')
im-moral = /?.m?´?r.?l/ (only /?/ for 'im-')
Though /?/ only is indicated as the vowel of the first syllable (and I actually prnounce so in a natural speed), the slower I try to pronounce these words, I feel more like to pronounce the following consonant at the end of the first syllable. I am wrong? Or do you do so, too?
Regarding the word "adjourn", the prefix 'ad-' means 'toward', and if I don't prnounce /?d/ there, it will be a different prefix 'a-'. Even though I simply prnounce /?.d???n/ in a natural speed, at the moment I finish the first syllable, I think my tongue tip already touches the gum ridge getting prepared to pronounce the second syllable. Is this way of pronuncing this word wrong?
However, regarding the word "ajar", my tongue does NOT rise at all at the moment I finish pronouncing the first syllable 'a-' because I am not saying 'ad-', I am not feeling the meaning "toward" in the prefix 'a-'.
A lot of opinions (even personal ones) are greatly welcome.
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
Essentially, we do not pronounce double consonants, even with prefixes with the same consonant. We do pronounce double consonants when words are connected (boo kk eeper). A person might lengthen the r of irregular for emphasis, but the second r isn't really pronounced.
- Essentially, we do not pronounce double consonants, even with prefixes with the same consonant.
- We do pronounce double consonants when words are connected (boo kk eeper).
- A person might lengthen the r of irregular for emphasis, but the second r isn't really pronounced.
- / as in j u dg e (two examples).
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11 Answers
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Essentially, we do not pronounce double consonants, even with prefixes with the same consonant. We do pronounce double consonants when words are connected (bookkeeper). A person might lengthen the r of irregular for emphasis, but the second r isn't really pronounced. As for ajar & adjourn, I myself pronounce the d, not as a separate
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The point of my question is not double consonants.
In other words, when you pronounce "irregular" very slowly, do you say "i.regular" or "ir.regular"?
If you are asked to pronounce the word separately, do you say "i" and put a glottal stop then say "regular", or "ir" + "regular"?
I hope you understand my point.
In other words, when you pronounce "irregular" very slowly, do you say "i.regular" or "ir.regular"?
If you are asked to pronounce the word separately, do you say "i" and put a glottal stop then say "regular", or "ir" + "regular"?
I hope you understand my point.
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>As for ajar & adjourn, I myself pronounce the d, not as a separate plosive sound, but like /d?/ as in judge (two examples).
Yes, that's the point I am asking.
Even though the IPA shows /?-d??n/, I guess it is actually pronounced as '?(d)-d??n', which means you put your tongue tip onto the upper gum ridge getting your tongue position ready to start to pronounce /-d??n/'. Correct?
Yes, that's the point I am asking.
Even though the IPA shows /?-d??n/, I guess it is actually pronounced as '?(d)-d??n', which means you put your tongue tip onto the upper gum ridge getting your tongue position ready to start to pronounce /-d??n/'. Correct?
00
It seems to me that your question is about double consonants. In normal speech, we do not stop the sound between the two rs. If you are asked to pronounce the word as divided into written syllables, then you would have to say ir-re-gu-lar. But that is totally non-representative of how the word is pronounced in real life. For me, the question is irrelevant.
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Let me explain again.
My question is NOT about double consonants.
I think I know how those words are pronounced "in normal speech".
So, I asked to pronounce them extremely slowly.
You do not have to 'stop' between the two consonants, but just slow down until you recognize when you have finished pronouncing the first syllable: at the moment you have pronounced the vowel in the firs
My question is NOT about double consonants.
I think I know how those words are pronounced "in normal speech".
So, I asked to pronounce them extremely slowly.
You do not have to 'stop' between the two consonants, but just slow down until you recognize when you have finished pronouncing the first syllable: at the moment you have pronounced the vowel in the firs
00
I have to agree with Philip - the question is largely irrelevant. Any slow, careful pronunciation of a word that breaks it up into distinct syllables is bound to be different from a machine derived analysis of normal speech. To take a very crude, and not very scientific (I no longer have access to a spectogram) example:
If we artificially slowed down the BrE pronunciation of 'adjourn',
If we artificially slowed down the BrE pronunciation of 'adjourn',
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>if we pronounce your words very slowly, then the tongue has probably moved to the consonant position by the end of what we perceive to be the first syllable. You'd need a spectogram to confirm that the same is, or is not, true in normal speech.
Thank you very much.
I think I have confirmed what I have been thinking with your comment above.
Thank you very much.
I think I have confirmed what I have been thinking with your comment above.
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kenkenken9876Here, this is a question more about SYLLABLES than phonemes.You may find this link worth a minute of your time.
Syllable.
kenkenken9876Please pronounce these words EXTREMELY slowly --- as slowly as you will be conscious of w
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Thanks for the link.
So, do you think how to spell, or how the word is syllabicate in spelling affects how it is pronounced?
For the part 'syl-' does your tongue tip already touch the upper gum ridge? or you only pronounce /s?/ and start to pronounce /l/ at the beginning of the second syllable? I personally do the former.
Thank you again.
So, do you think how to spell, or how the word is syllabicate in spelling affects how it is pronounced?
For the part 'syl-' does your tongue tip already touch the upper gum ridge? or you only pronounce /s?/ and start to pronounce /l/ at the beginning of the second syllable? I personally do the former.
Thank you again.
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kenkenken9876So, do you think how to spell, or how the word is syllabicate in spelling affects how it is pronounced?I doubt there is a consistent rule about that, but spelling mayaffect pronunciation in that way.
kenkenken9876For the part 'syl-' does your tongue tip already touch the upper gum ridge?Yes. Are you fa
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