suprasegmentals.md

• What does suprasegmental mean?

  Suprasegmentals are linguistic features that go beyond the individual sounds.
    - Intonation/ stress
    - Linking of sounds

• What are silent letters in English?

  Silent r
    In non-rhotic (British) English, unless we have a case of linking r, the final r of a word is not pronounced.
    "water" is said like "watuh"
    "fever" is said like "fevah"
    "perfect" is said like "puhfect"
  .
  Silent s
    "island" is said like "iland"
  .
  Silent plosives
    p ("pterydactyl" like "terydactyl")
    b ("bomb" like "bom")
    t ("match" like "mach")
    d ("sandwich" like "sanwich")
    k ("knob" like "nob")
    g ("design" like "desine)
  .
  Silent h
    "honest" is said like "onest"
    "hour" is said like "our"
  .
  Silent w
    "answer" is said like "anser"
    "whole" is said like "hole"

• Describe the process of linking. When does it occur most often?

  Typical feature of the English language, in contrast to German, where there is a glottal stop. between. every. word, In english, words can become connected and thereby pronounced more smoothly.
  .
  Typically occurs as Consonant-to-vowel linking: The first word ends with a constonant, the next begins in a vowel.
  Example:
    "an apple" is said like "anapple"
    "hold on" is said like "whole-don"
  .
  (Also happens by use of the linking r)

• What is the linking r?

  When one word ends in an /r/ sound and the next begins with a vowel, the words are linked.
  Example:
    "for a minute" is said like "fora minute"
    "far away" is said like "faraway"

• What is the intrusive r?

  Though no 'r' is written, one is added between two words in pronunciation for smoothness.
  Example:
    "idea of" is said like "idearof"
    "law and order" is said like "lawrand order"

• What is elision?

  Sounds disappear from speech, for smoother pronunciation.
  .
  Initiial /h/
    "with him" is said like "with'im"
  .
  Final /d/ and /t/
    "next day" is said like "nex'day"
    "must go" is said like "mus'go"

• What are weak and strong forms? Give examples

  non-content words (i.e. most pronouns, auxilary verbs (helper verbs, without content) and structure words (prepositions, conjunctions, articles)) can be...
  - Strong, if...
    - said in isolation
    - stressed for emphasis ("It was MY fault!")
    - sometimes initial position, and mostly in final position ("What are you waiting FOR?")
  .
  - Weak, in all other cases!
  -> Sounds change, some constonants are dropped.
  .
  /ɪ/ instead of /iː/
    Weak: "She is very nice"
    Strong: "Shi is very nice"
  .
  /ʊ/ instead of /u:/ 
    Weak: "How are juh?"
    Strong "How are youᵘ?"
  .
  /ə/ for other vowels
    Weak: "Ah you coming?"
    Strong: "Arr you coming?"