Sound Patterns of Spoken Enlglish

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Article
Approaches to Fast Speech Rules - Revised


Wolfgang U. Dressler, University of Vienna
From Phonologica 1972, ed. Dressler and Mares
Wilhelm Fink, 1975, pp. 219 - 234


Sound files
The examples which are not marked are taken from Southern British, mostly Standard.  Of the other examples, NI = Northern Irish, Ir = Irish, AE = American, AU = Australian.  The others are not abbreviated.

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1. CONTINUANT STOPS (NB. Sounds in bold are continuants)
Voiced
[ɨŋˈklʉdɨt] included (W. Country)
[ʤəsbi'gɪnɪŋ] just beginning
[nidədə'lɪtl] needed a little
[pɹɒbəbli] probably
[tɛndstu'ɒpɚɛɪt] tends to operate (AU) 

Voiceless
In these examples, the bold stops sound less continuant than the ones with special symbols:
['bʌʂə] butter
[x'ləmbiə] Columbia (AE)
['miʂɪŋ] meeting
['ɒpɚɛɪʂɪŋ] operating
['skɒtɪʃ] Scotish (AU)
['sixɪŋ] seeking
['sutəbl] suitable (NI)
['tɛɪxɨŋ] taking (Ir)
[vɪzɪtɪŋ] visiting Scots  Go to top of page

2. DEVOICED VOWELS (NB. Vowels in bold italics are devoiced)
[tɨdɨ'vɛləp] to develop
[tʰ'vɪzɨʔpipl] 
to visit people
[jʉnɨvɚsːtɪ] university (NI)
[vɛʤtəbl] vegetable 
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3. DEVOICED CONSONANTS
[ændtʰ] and
[bɒndɨʃtəƟə'ʧɜʧ] bondage to the church (AU)
[ʧɛɪnʧ] change
['fɨftɪn'jɪɹs] fifteen years (Scots)
[fɪftijɪɹz'ɔlt] fifty years old (AE)
[fəðɛm'sɛlvs] for themselves
[gʉd'gɑit] good guide
[hjʉʧ] huge (AE)
['ɪməʤəs] images (AE)
[ɪnnozjɪɹs] in those years [underlined n is dental] (AE)
[ɪn'ɐɪɹlənt] 
in Ireland (Ir)
[ɹɪ'sivtfɔɹ] received for (Scots)
[ðə'kwinhædtʰ] the Queen had
[θivs] thieves
[tʉ'jɪɹsgo] two years ago (Scots)
[jɪəs] years
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4. ð-ASSIMILATION
[ənætɪz'mɔ]  and that is more
[ənnɛnnə] and then the [underlined n is dental] (AU)
[fmnɪ'ɜli] from the early
[ɪnnæʔ] in that
[ɪnəkɒntɹi] in the country (Ir)
[ɪni'ɛkspɛk'tɛɪʃn]
in the expectation
[ɪnə'wʊlt] in the world (Welsh)
[ɪn'nɪskɛɪs] 
in this case
[ɪnno˕zjɪɹs] in those years (AE)
[mɔɹɪmpɔɹʔnnəɹɪ'zʌlt]
more important than the result [both n’s are syllabic] (Scots)
[ɑnniɪ'tæljən] on the Italian (AE)
[pɚ'swedɨdəm] 
persuaded them (Scots)
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5. D-T-DELETION

D - deletion
[ə'blɒnwʊmɨn]
a blonde woman
[ənju'smɛlɪm]
and you smell him
[frɛns]
friends (Scots)
[hi'ɒʊpnəɔː]
he opened the door (syllabic n)
[ɹɛɪzðəsʌpə'zɪʃƞ] 
raise the supposition (AU)
[tɛnztʊ'ɑpɚɛɪʔ]
tends to operate (AU)
[ðəʧɐːlgɪsə'kɔl] 
the child gets a cold (Black AE)
[ðəkɔlwɪndz] 
the cold winds
[twɛʊvθaʊzngənmɚdɚs] 
twelve thousand gun murders (AE)
[wɜlzɛkənɒmɨk]
world’s economic

T - deletion
[bəðːɛnɪsfɛɪshædnt]  but then his face hardened.
[kɔldisk'nɛɪdiən]
called East Canadian
[kə'læp'stɑɹs]
collapsed stars
['kɒmjʊnshʉ] 
Communist who (AU)
['kɒmpɒsip]
compost heap
[də'ɹɛkli] 
directly (AE)
[fɜslɪ] 
firstly
[ɪnnə'fɜʃpleɪs] 
in the first place (Scots)
[ɪznənizi'plɑnʔ] 
isn’t an easy plant (NI)
[ɪznkəm'pʌlsəɹi] 
isn’t compulsory (Ir)
[ɪs'nɐɾə] 
it’s not a (AE)
[ɪs'tulɛɪt] 
it’s too late
[ʤəsaɪk] 
just like
[lɛɪtɪs'mɛθɨt] 
latest method
[nɛks'miʂɪŋ] 
next meeting
['kɑmjʊnɨspɑɹti]
Communist Party (AE)
[ðə'tɑlɨsmæn] 
the tallest man (Welsh)  Go to top of page


6. GLOTTAL STOPS
[əbaʊʔwaɪ] about why (AE)
[bəʔnæø]
but no (NI)
[kʌʔwəns] 
cut once
[ɪndɨkɛɪʔðə] 
indicate the (NI)
[ɪznʔnioni] 
isn’t the only
['nɛʔwɚkt] 
networked (AE)
[nɑʔ'faɪnd] 
not find (AE)
[nɒʔlaɪʔli] 
not likely
[aʊʔɹaɩʔ]
outright (AU)
[ɹɨmoʔɛɹiəzs] 
remote areas (Scots)
[tɑʔmi]
taught me (AE)
[ðæʔ'filɪŋðəʔ]
that feeling that..  Go to top of page


7. H-DELETION
[ændi'sɛdhiwʊd] and he said he would
[d'votɨdtuːm] 
devoted to him (Ir)
[hiwɪʃtiəd'ɑskt] 
he wished he had asked
[maɪfɑðɚdhæd] 
my father’d had had a prvious marriage
['tɔkɪŋtʉɚ]
talking to her
[ðæwiæd]  that
we had (Ir)
[ðɛnɪz'fɛɪs] 
then his face hardened
[wɪʧəs'hæpənt] 
which has happened.
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8. NASALISATION
['aɪθɪ~ʔjʉ]  I think you (vowel followed by tilde is nasalised)
[kɑ~ʔɹɪlɪ]  can’t really
[do~ʔwɑntə] 
don’t want to
[do~ʔlaɪk]
don’t like (AE)
['ɛntɹipɔɪ~ʔ]
entrypoint (AE)
[gɹæ~fɑðɚ] 
grandfather (AE)
[ɪ~fækt] 
in fact
[wɪʧɑː~ʔkwaɪʔ]  
which aren’t quite
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9. PALITALISATION
[bɛʧɚbɑtm'dɑlɚ]  bet your bottom dollar (Ir)
[ʤufil] 
do you feel ...
[hæʤʉɛniaɪdiə] 
had you any idea
[maɪbʊkðɪʃɪɚ] 
my book this year (AE)
[ɹi'maɪnʤuəv]
reminds you of (Ir)
[suʧu] 
suit you
[sɪkʃɪəz'lɛɪt] 
six years late
[ðəʧudɨskɹaɪb] 
that you describe
['tɹiʧu] 
that's how they treat you
[wʊʤu] 
would you (Midland UK)
[jʉənʤɚs] 
you and yours (NI)Go to top of page


10. SCHWA ABSORPTION
['nɛɪʧɚðɨ]  nature of the
[ə'biːŋ]  of being (AE)
['pɔɹsln] 
porcelain (Ir)
[ʃɨwz] 
she was (Ir)
[ðɪŋglɪʃ]
the English
[ði'fɪʃlz] 
the officials
[tiːt]
to each (with ..) (Scots)
[tɹaɪntə] 
trying to (Midlands UK)
[tɹaɪntə'tiʧ] 
trying to teach (Scots)
['vɛɹisɪɹistɔɹi] 
very serious story (Ir)Go to top of page


11. SYLLABIC CONSONANTS
Fricatives
[ɪn'fjʉʧɚf'pɒsɨbl] in future if possible
[p'sɛntɨʤɨz] percentages
[p'zɪʃn] position
[sɪgnɪfːɣənʔ] significant (AE)
[tsgənəbiə'lɪləbɪt] it’s going to be a little bit (AE)

Laterals
[dɑnl'dək] Donald Duck (AE)
['fɔklpɔɪnt] focal point
[lokl] local (AE)
[plɪɾɨkl'ɑɹdɪs] political artists (AE)
[ðə'plis] the police
[totli] totally
[wibliv] we believe (AE)

Nasals
[km'plɛsn(t)] complaisant
[kəmpnikɑː] company car (Midlands UK)
[dɛfnəʔli] definitely (AE)
[gəvmmənt'fəns] government funds [first m is syllabic]
[ɪm'pɔɹʔnʔ] 
important (AE)
[pɹə'vaɪdɨdn'ɪnsaɪt] provided an insight
['sɛknd] second
[sɜʔni] certainly
[sm'pɛɪpəs] some papers
[wɪɹɔlnəɛɪmboːt] we’re all in the same boat (AE)

R
[ʧɐɹdi] charity (AU)
[fɹəlɒŋ'waɪl] for a long while
[fɹʌs] .... for us
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12. TAPS
[əbʊɾɛɪt'fʊt] about eight foot (Welsh)
[ənːɒɾəz'gʊt] and not as good
[bɪɾəv] bit of a (AU)
['bəɾən] but an (Scots)
['bəɾaɪ] but I (AU)
[bɵɾaɪ'maɪt] but I might
['sɪɾi] city (AE)
[km'junɨɾi] community (AE)
[ɛɪɾɚnaɪn] eight or nine (Ir)
[gɪɾəbɪɾə'gɹoθ] get a bit of growth (NI)
[gɛɾɪŋ'ovəðə] getting over the (Scots)
[ʤə'nɛɾɪk] genetic (Ir)
[gɒɾəzfɑɹəz] got as far as
[ɪnstɛɾə'nɛɣəɾɨvfɯn] instead of negative fun (BAE)
['pæɾɚnəv] pattern of (AE)
[pɹɪɾi'kɒnfɨdnt] pretty confident about that
['ʃuɾɪŋz] shootings (AE)
['sɔɾəv] sort of
[swɛɹɾə'ɡɑd] swear to God (AE)
['vɛɾi] very
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13. V-DELETION
['gælənzə'pɛtɹəl] gallons of petrol
[wənəðə'tu] one of the two (AE)
[aɪlə'mæƞ] Isle of Man (Ir)
 
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14. VOCALISED L
[bɔːga˔ɪm] ball game (Dorset)
[fosnaɪn'gɛjɤ] force nine gale (London)