SOUNDS PF ENGLISH PDF

**MODULE A: THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH** During this course we are going to study mainly the accent Received Pronunciation (RP). This is a British accent sometimes called 'teacher's English' or even 'dictionary English'. RP is a sociolect, i.e., a social accent rather than a regional one, though it has...

**MODULE A: THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH** During this course we are going to study mainly the accent Received Pronunciation (RP). This is a British accent sometimes called 'teacher's English' or even 'dictionary English'. RP is a sociolect, i.e., a social accent rather than a regional one, though it has more in common with the accents of south-east England than anywhere else. It tends to be associated with the accent of professional people, for example doctors, politicians, teachers, lawyers, actors. Let's begin with... stress. Listen to this clip of the Sicilian comedian Teresa Mannini [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjlpEHaT04]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjlpEHaT04) 8.50-9.45 Naturally Mannini is talking about regional differences, but whether the stress is *r[u]brica* or *rubr[i]ca*, the word remains comprehensible to Italians. Imagine, however, a non-Italian who misplaces the stress of, for example, *angelo*, *vangelo* and *tappeto*, mispronouncing them as *ang[e]lo*, *v[a]ngelo* and *t[a]ppeto*: such pronunciations are so wrong that they risk being incomprehensible. The same applies to English: for example *category* is stressed on the first syllable, but if you stress the second syllable instead of the first, that is *cat[e]gory*, then this may not be understood by native speakers of English. Word stress is crucial! **WORD STRESS INDICATORS IN DICTIONARIES** Let's begin with an obvious remark: if a word is monosyllabic, then it does not have a stress indicator in the dictionary. Stress indicators are used only for words with more than one syllable. [Stress] The traditional way of indicating stress in dictionaries is by means of a high stress mark (like an apostrophe) **BEFORE** the stressed syllable. For example: \- on the first syllable: *satellite* /ˈsætəlaɪt/ *parasite* /ˈpærəsaɪt/ \- on the last syllable: *control* /kənˈtrəul/ *violin* /vaɪəˈlɪn/ \- in mid-word position: *comparative* /kəmˈpærətɪv/ *manipulate* /məˈnɪpjuleɪt/ This method is used, for example, by the *Oxford Advanced Learners* and the *The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English* -- which also provide audios for each word listed -- and by most bilingual Italian-English dictionaries. However, it is better **not** to use bilingual dictionaries to check pronunciation. N.B. What we are discussing here is normal stress patterns, but these may change if a more specific emphasis is required. For example, the words 'thirteen', 'fourteen' etc. are usually stressed on the second syllable, but in specific circumstances the stress may shift to the first syllable, for example "You misunderstood me -- I said THIRteen, not FOURteen". Note also that what we discuss in this module is [primary stress] (the main stress of the word), not secondary stress. The distinction between primary and secondary stress is relevant only for polysyllabic words, for example *opportunistic* has a secondary stress - indicated by a low stress mark - on the first syllable, whereas the primary stress - indicated by a high stress mark - is on the fourth syllable. /ˌɒpətju:ˈnɪstɪk/ **WORD STRESS EXERCISE (1)** *Indicate where the primary stress falls in the following words. For proper nouns, for example n.23 and 38, you could try the Oxford Advanced Learner's.* 1\. technique 2. event 3\. capitalism 4. develop 5\. inadequate 6. comfortable 7\. percentage 8. centimetre 9\. interesting 10.variety / society / anxiety 11\. engine 12. report 13\. category 14. vinegar 15\. effort 16. syringe 17\. police 18. Catholic 19\. adjective 20. component 21\. ignorance\* 22. machine 23\. Ian (McEwan) 24. accompany 25\. afternoon 26. Milan 27\. lunatic 28. July 29\. (an) essay 30. character 31\. absurd 32. origin 33\. result 34. calendar 35\. hemisphere / atmosphere 36. talented 37\. balloon 38. Marilyn Monroe 39\. advertise 40. image 41\. Andrea\*\* 42. Nicola 43\. narrator 44. influence(r) 45\. perseverance 46. Halloween 47\. inspire, perspire 48. empire, vampire \*The stress is on the first vowel (*[i]gnorance*), but the verb (*ign[o]re*) is stressed on the second. This is anomalous because nouns ending with the suffixes -*ance* and -*ence* generally have the same stress as the related verb (if there is one), for example: *acc[e]pt/acc[e]ptance*, *ins[u]re/ins[u]rance*, *res[i]st/res[i]stance*, *ins[i]st/ins[i]stence* \*\*Here's an example of how to pronounce this name on Craig Ferguson's *Late, Late Show*, at 0.44 and 1.01. The interviewee is the actress Andrea Riseborough: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=figSpmr0AJw]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=figSpmr0AJw) ### ### ### SCHWA /ə/ Schwa is far and away the most common phonetic vowel in English. It occurs in all sorts of words, and may be fixed or variable: -**Fixed schwas**. Fixed schwas are always pronounced, and [are therefore always present in the phonemic transcription provided by dictionaries]: *again* /əˈɡen/ *alert* /əˈlɜ:t/ *harbour* /ˈhɑːbə/ compass /ˈkʌmpəs/ *Christopher* /ˈkrɪstəfə/ *banana* /bəˈnɑːnə/ *Madonna* /məˈdɒnə/ *assessment* /əˈsesmənt/ -**Variable schwas**. These may or may not be present in the pronunciation. It often depends upon how quickly the word in question is pronounced. For example, mid-word schwa often disappears in spontaneous speech, e.g.: *preposterous* /prɪˈpɒst(ə)rəs/ *reasonable* /ˈriːz(ə)nəbəl/ *restaurant* /ˈrest(ə)rɒnt/, *average* /ˈæv(ə)rɪdʒ/, Deborah /ˈdeb(ə)rə/, *marvellous* /ˈmɑːv(ə)ləs/, *national* /ˈnæʃ(ə)nəl/, *Canberra* /ˈkænb(ə)rə/ The way dictionaries deal with these cases varies: some dictionaries place this 'disappearing schwa' in brackets (as above), some dictionaries use a superscript, for example /ˈriːz^ə^nəbəlʌ/ or /u/?** As we have seen, the vowel /ʌ/ is part of RP: see Kit Harington (*brother, mum, public, trusted, comes up*). More generally, /ʌ/ is also part of accents across the south of England: listen again to the clip of Riz Ahmed, who has a mild London accent (*London, funny, stuff, underpants, doesn't*). Now listen to the following clip from an interview with the singer and TV personality Cheryl Cole (0-1.06): [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjQPD5VUNxs]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjQPD5VUNxs) She produces /u/ in *snuggly jumper, cup of tea, dull, love, something* Cheryl Cole is a Geordie, i.e., she is from the north-east of England (the area around Newcastle), and she has a Geordie accent. So what's the deal? Within England (England, not Britain), people from south of the town of Birmingham tend to produce /ʌ/ in the type of words indicated in your PP slide, whereas people from Birmingham and north of Birmingham tend to produce /u/ rather than /ʌ/. However, RP speakers -- wherever they are from -- produce /ʌ/ (remember that RP is a [social] accent rather than a regional accent). So for example Daniel Craig is from Liverpool, but he speaks RP, and therefore produces /ʌ/. Map of England [[https://www.google.com/maps/place/England,+UK/\@52.8382004,-2.3278149,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47d0a98a6c1ed5df:0xf4e19525332d8ea8!8m2!3d52.3555177!4d-1.1743197!16zL20vMDJqeDE?entry=ttu]](https://www.google.com/maps/place/England,+UK/@52.8382004,-2.3278149,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47d0a98a6c1ed5df:0xf4e19525332d8ea8!8m2!3d52.3555177!4d-1.1743197!16zL20vMDJqeDE?entry=ttu) ### However, some people in central England produce a sound which is closer to /ə/ than to /u/, but the sound is definitely not /ʌ/. Listen to the actor Tom Hopper, who is is from Leicester 1.10-1.38: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B106eIovsxY]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B106eIovsxY) ### ### ### Listen in particular to his pronunciation of *done, funny, judgement, comes* ### ### ### ### ### ### Phonetic transcription 5 1./ strəˈtiːdʒɪk pəˈzɪʃən/ 2./ spɔɪlt fə tʃɔɪs/ 3./ˈdrɑːmə^r^ ɪn njuː jɔːk/ 4./səˈraʊndɪŋ ˈkʌntrisaɪd/ 5./ˈpiːnʌt ˈbʌtə/ 6./jiːst ˈekstrækt/ 7./ˈɪnflaɪt mæɡəˈziːn/ 8./ˈrɪəli ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ 9./lɔːntʃ ə ˈprɒdʌkt/ 10./faɪˈnænʃəl kənˈsʌltənt/ 11./left ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/ 12./ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈbrɔːdkɑːstɪŋ kɔːpəˈreɪʃən/ 13./naɪˈjæɡrə fɔːlz/ 14./θruː ðə ˈɡreɪpvaɪn/ 15./ˈliːnɪənt ɪɡˈzæmɪnə/ 16./ˈwiːpɪŋ ˈwɪləʊ/ 17./hɑːd ˈʃəʊldə/ 18./ˈstrenjʊəs haɪk/ 19./ˈbɑːθruːm ˈmɪrə/ 20./ˈsætəlaɪt tiːˈviː/ 21./ˈkaʊnsəl əv trent/ 22./ˈtʃeri ˈɔːtʃədz/ 23./hɪˈstɒrɪkəl ˈsɔːsɪz/ 24./hɑːfˈbɔːd reɪts/ 25./ˈmʌltɪpleks ˈsɪnəmə/ 26./rɪˈnaʊnd ˈsaɪəntɪst/ 27./ɒn ði əˈdʒendə/ 28./ˈbɪznɪs klɑːs/ 29./rɪˈsiːt əv ˈpeɪmənt/ 30./pɜːsəˈnel ˈmænɪdʒə/ *Key to phonetic transcription 5* 1 strategic position 2 spoilt for choice 3 drama in New York 4 surrounding countryside 5 peanut butter 6 yeast extract (*estratto di lievito*) 7 inflight magazine 8 really exhausted 9 launch a product 10 financial consultant 11 left luggage 12 British Broadcasting Corporation 13 Niagara Falls 14 through the grapevine\* 15 lenient examiner 16 weeping willow 17 hard shoulder 18 strenuous hike 19 bathroom mirror 20 satellite tv 21 council of Trent 22 cherry orchards 23 historical sources 24 half-board rates 25 multiplex cinema 26 renowned scientist 27 on the agenda = *all'ordine del giorno* 28 business class 29 receipt of payment 30 personnel manager \*Marvin Gaye *I heard it through the grapevine* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg) At 0.48 the lyrics include 'dontcha know that...' instead of the standard 'Don't you know that...'. This reflects not only the frequent reduction -- in many varieties of English -- of /ju:/ to /jə/, but also the fact that the combination /tj/ is frequently realised as /tʃ/, in RP too: For examples see transcription questions 1.10, 1.20, 2.14, 3.5, 3.22, 4.7, 4.23. My surname is often pronounced /ˈstʃu:wət/, though the OAL and LDCE give /ˈstju:wət/ In the same way /dj/ is often realised as /dʒ/, for example *duke, during, residue*. Last year my sister told me she was planning to watch the film *The Last Duel*, but I understood *The Last Jewel*, and not so long ago I misunderstood the film title *Dune*, thinking it was entitled *June*... ### Phonetic transcription 6 1./ˈhɒstaɪl ˈklaɪmət/ 2./ˈwaɪndɪŋ pɑːθ/ 3./məˈmentəs ɪˈvent/ 4./ɒf ðə ˈreɪdɑː/ 5./ˈɡreɪpfruːt dʒuːs/ 6./ˈnʌθɪŋ tə dɪˈkleə/ 7./ɪˈməʊʃənəl ˈbæɡɪdʒ/ 8./stʌfd ˈəʊbəʒiːnz/ 9./ˈsɔːlzbri plein/ 10./pres rɪˈliːsɪz/ 11./ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ reɪs/ 12./ɪnkənˈviːnɪənt əˈpɔɪntmənt/ 13./ˈmæsɑːʒ ˈpɑːlə/ 14./ˈkʌrənt əˈkaʊnt/ 15./ˈʃʌtəl ˈsɜːvɪs/ 16./ˈedɪnbrə ˈkɑːsəl/ 17./ˈhiːθrəʊ ˈtɜːmɪnəl fɔː/ 18./ˈkrɪsməs ˈkrækəz/ 19./ˈʃʊɡəfriː ˈbɪskɪts/ 20./bæŋk ˈtʃɑːdʒɪz/ 21./tʊə^r^ ˈɒpəreɪtə/ 22./ði ˈʌmptiːnθ ˈtaɪm/ 23./beə wɪð miː/ 24./ʃɔːt ˈsɜːkɪt/ 25./ʃruːd dɪˈsɪʒən/ 26./ˈdʒuːljəs ˈsiːzə/ 27./ɪlɪzəˈbiːθən ˈθɪətə/ 28./ˈwembliː əˈriːnə/ 29./ˈwɔːtə ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ/ 30./ˈkɔːtruːm ɪnˈtɜːprətə/ ### *Key to phonetic transcription 6* 1. **hostile climate** 2. winding path 3. **momentous event** 4. **off the radar** 5. **grapefruit juice** 6. **nothing to declare** 7. **emotional baggage** 8. **stuffed aubergines** 9. **Salisbury Plain** 10. **press releases** 11. **exciting race** 12. **inconvenient appointment** 13. **massage parlour** 14. **current account** 15. **shuttle service** 16. **Edinburgh castle** 17. **Heathrow terminal 4** 18. **Christmas crackers** 19. **sugar-free biscuits** 20. **bank charges** 21. **tour operator** 22. **the umpteenth time** 23. **bear with me** 24. **short circuit** 25. **shrewd decision** 26. **Julius Caesar** 27. **Elizabethan theatre** 28. **Wembley Arena** 29. **water shortage** 30. **courtroom interpreter** Today in the PP 'Phonetic symbols' we considered various orthographic realisations of the sound /ɑː/. Listen to the former British prime minister Theresa May producing /ɑː/ in the words *are* and *our* (2.05-2.30): [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfFKf4jFBBU]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfFKf4jFBBU) \[...\] *but the reason this all matters is because it affects the future of [our] country... it is about what kind of country we [are], and about [our] faith in [our] democracy. Of course it is frustrating that almost all the remaining points of disagreement [are] focused on how we manage a scenario which both sides hope should never come to pass, and which if it does will only be temporary.* It is clear that in May's RP prounciation the words *are* and *our* are homophones. As noted in your PP slide, *our* can be pronounced either /ɑː/ or /auə/. Therefore *hour* and *our* can also be homophones in RP. Note also May's pronunciation of *scenario* (2.22) and *pass* (2.28), further examples of /ɑː/. By the way... is May's accent rhotic or non-rhotic? Does she have a /bʌs/ accent or /bus/ accent? Which words back up your choice? Like all RP speakers, her accent is non-rhotic and /bʌs/: -non-rhotic accent: *matters, future, our, are, never* /bʌs/ accent: *country, frustrating, come, does* **Variable schwas in action** Listen again to Kit Harington 0.45 to 3.00: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn8ptplqQ38]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn8ptplqQ38) *The presence of [fixed schwas] in the interview* You can't tell your mum, you can't tell your dad, you can't tell your broth[er], you can't tell your friends, no-one. No-one knew.. I told mum and dad straight [a]way. It's mum and dad! No-one else, well, my girlfriend knew, [a] few peop[le] knew quite quickly... but they were all very trusted peop[le]. No memb[er] of th[e] public, no strang[er]- well actu[a]lly that's not strictly true... Well ok, one policem[a]n knew... There's [a] story behind it in that I was going down- I was driving back from my par[e]nts' house and I was driving too fast actu[a]lly, I was being [a] bit naughty, I was going ov[er] th[e] speed limit, and I *feel* th[e] sir[e]ns go off behind me. And this police[man] comes up, pulls me ov[er] and I [a] bit sheepishly said 'Really sorry, I was[n't] looking at th[e] clock, and he said 'Do you re[a]lise how fast you were going and that's [a] book[a]ble [o]ffence?' And I said 'Yes, I'm very very sorry, sir.' And he said 'Look, *there's* two ways we could do this: you can eith[er] follow me back to the p[o]lice stati[o]n now and I book you in, or you can tell me wheth[er] you live in th[e] next series of Game of Thrones. Yeah, and I laughed, like you're all laughing and his face was just... and he said 'I have to tell you, wheth[er] I take you into th[e] p[o]lice stati[o]n depends on what your answ[er] is'. So I looked at him and went 'I'm [a]live next seas[o]n.' And he goes, he says: 'On your way Lord C[o]mmand[er]. On your way Lord C[o]mmand[er], keep your speed down this far south of th[e] wall'. Is[n't] that brilli[a]nt? *The presence of variable schwas in grammar words in the interview with Kit Harington* You can't tell your mum, you can't tell your dad, you can't tell your brother, you can't tell your friends, no-one. No-one knew.. I told mum and dad straightaway. It's mum and dad! No-one else, well, my girlfriend knew, a few people knew quite quickly... but they were all very trusted people. No member of the public, no stranger- well actually that's not strictly true... Well ok, one policeman knew... There's a story behind it in that I was going down- I was driving back from my parents' house and I was driving too fast actually, I was being a bit naughty, I was going over the speed limit, and I *feel* the sirens go off behind me. And this policeman comes up, pulls me over and I a bit sheepishly said 'Really sorry, I wasn't looking at the clock, and he said 'Do you realise how fast you were going and that's a bookable offence?' And I said 'Yes, I'm very very sorry, sir.' And he said 'Look, *there's* two ways we could do this: you can either follow me back to the police station now and I book you in, or you can tell me whether you live in the next series of Game of Thrones. Yeah, and I laughed, like you're all laughing and his face was just...and he said 'I have to tell you, whether I take you into the police station depends on what your answer is'. So I looked at him and went 'I'm alive next season.' And he goes, he says: 'On your way Lord Commander. On your way Lord Commander, keep the speed down this far south of the wall'. Isn't that brilliant? **Singers and schwas** For reasons of emphasis, [singers] do not always respect fixed schwas. In the following two clips, listen to what happens to the fixed schwa in the word *angel*, which in normal speech is pronounced /ˈeɪndʒəl/ (see your dictionaries): U2 -- *Angel of Harlem*: ### [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biNvjeHYGt8]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biNvjeHYGt8) ### ### The Eurythmics - *Must be talking to an angel*: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVjVYjKtLeM]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVjVYjKtLeM) The respective singers clearly use the pronunciation /ˈeɪndʒel/, though Bono uses /ˈeɪndʒəl/ within the sequence 'angel of Harlem'. For a similar scenario see: TakeThat - *Patience*: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpa-GQBe4ok]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpa-GQBe4ok) In the final syllable of the words *patience, frustration, salvation*, pure vowels are produced instead of /ə/. ### ### Phonetic transcription 7 1./saʊθ kəˈrɪə/ 2./ˈvæljʊəbəl ˈpraɪzɪz/ 3./ ʌnˈɜːnd ˈɪnkʌm/ 4./bɜːst ˈtaɪə/ 5./ˈmembə^r^ əv ˈpɑːləmənt/ 6./ˈwaɪdspred ˈflʌdɪŋ/ 7./ˈnjuːklɪə^r^ ˈenədʒi/ 8./əˈfɔːdəbəl ˈpraɪsɪz/ 9./nɔːˈwiːdʒən əkɒməˈdeɪʃən/ 10./ˈdʒækɪt pəˈteɪtəʊz/ 11./ˈdjʊəl ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/ 12./ˈbaɪsɪkəl ˈhaɪə/ 13./ˈkɒlɪflaʊə tʃiːz/ 14./ˈwɪndskriːn ˈwaɪpə/ 15./ðə ˈjuːʒʊəl səˈluːʃən/ 16./ə ˈnɜːsɪz ˈweɪdʒɪz/ 17./suːˈpɜːb jɒt/ 18./kiːʃ ləˈreɪn/ 19./ɪnˈdeɪndʒəd ˈspiːʃiːz/ 20./smuːð ˈɒpəreɪtə/ 21./ˈpɪrɪəd ət jeɪl/ 22./ˈsliːpɪŋ pəˈliːsmən/ 23./aɪl pʊt jə θruː/ 24./ˈtiːðɪŋ ˈprɒbləmz/ 25./ˈrəʊlɪŋ ˈʃʌtə/ 26./ˈhendrɪksɪz ˈdʒiːnɪəs/ 27./ˈpɒthəʊlɪŋ ɪnˈθjuːzɪæst/ 28./ˈpɑːsli ənd seɪdʒ/ 29./ˈsiːzənz ˈɡriːtɪŋz/ 30./ʌnˈsetəld det/ *Key to phonetic transcription 7* 1. South Korea 2. valuable prizes 3. unearned income = *rendita* income = *reddito* 4. burst tyre (*American:* tire) 5. member of parliament 6. widespread flooding 7. nuclear energy 8. affordable prices 9. Norwegian accommodation 10. jacket potatoes 11. dual citizenship 12. bicycle hire 13. cauliflower cheese 14. windscreen wiper 15. the usual solution 16. a nurse's wages 17. superb yacht 18. quiche lorraine 19. endangered species 20. smooth operator\* 21. period at Yale 22. sleeping policemen 23. I'll put you through 24. teething problems 25. rolling shutter 26. Hendrix's genius 27. potholing enthusiast\*\* 28. parsley and sage\*\*\* 29. season's greetings 30. unsettled debt \*Sade *Smooth Operator* 1.04 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNk6LTZYokk]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNk6LTZYokk) \*\*For the mother of all potholes, click on this link to the film *Sanctum*: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgW7L2uq2VM]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgW7L2uq2VM) \*\*\*Simon and Garfunkel *Scarborough Fair*: examples of herbs! [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BakWVXHSug]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BakWVXHSug) ### Phonetic transcription 8 1./ˈplɔːzɪbəl ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv/ 2./ˈbrəʊkən θəˈmɒmɪtə/ 3./ˈtəʊkən ˈdʒestʃə/ 4./səˈspɪʃəs ˈpækɪdʒ/ 5./ˈbevərɪdʒɪz ənd snæks/ 6./stɑːf kænˈtiːn/ 7./ˈrekləs ˈdraɪvəz/ 8./ˈfɒrən ˈpɒləsi/ 9./ˈkeɪtərɪŋ fɜːm/ 10./rekrɪˈeɪʃənəl ækˈtɪvətiz/ 11./ˈkʌləfəl ˈkʊʃən/ 12./nɔɪz pəˈluːʃən/ 13./ˈkrɒkəri ənd ˈkʌtləri/ 14./ˈwɪʃfəl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ 15./kliːn ˈlɪnən/ 16./ˈbrɔːdə kliːənˈtel/ 17./kənˈvɪktɪd əv ˈmænslɔːtə/ 18./ˈrɪɡərəs ˈtreɪnə/ 19./ˈhɑːdbɔɪld eɡz/ 20./tɪnd spəˈɡeti/ 21./wɜːld wɔː tuː/ 22./ˈʃɜːlɒk həʊmz/ 23./θɜːtiˈfɔː ˈjʊərəʊz/ 24./məˈtɜːnɪti liːv/ 25./laɪt bʌlb/ 26./ˈkɒntæktləs trænˈzækʃənz/ 27./ˈelənə ˈrɪgbi/ 28./ðə ˈneɪkɪd aɪ/ 29./ˈdʒentəl pəsˈweɪʒən/ 30./ˈwʌðərɪŋ haɪts/ *Key to phonetic transcription 8* 1. plausible alternative 2. broken thermometer 3. token gesture 4. suspicious package 5. beverages and snacks 6. staff canteen 7. reckless drivers 8. foreign policy 9. catering firm 10. recreational activities 11. colourful cushion 12. noise pollution 13. crockery and cutlery 14. wishful thinking 15. clean linen 16. broader clientele 17. convicted of manslaughter 18. rigorous trainer 19. hardboiled eggs 20. tinned spaghetti 21. World War II 22. Sherlock Holmes 23. thirty-four euros 24. maternity leave 25. light bulb 26. contactless transactions 27. Eleanor Rigby\* 28. the naked eye 29. gentle persuasion 30. Wuthering Heights \* Eleanor Rigby [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y) ### ### Phonetic transcription 9 1./əˈpɔːlɪŋ njuːz/ 2./ˈpliːnəri ˈseʃən/ 3./ˈrʌʃən ˈkɒliːɡ/ 4./ˈkɑːbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/ 5./ˈkɪərə ˈnaɪtli/ 6./ɡlɑːs ˈsiːlɪŋ/ 7./biːn ðeə dʌn ðæt/ 8./praɪd ənd ˈpredʒʊdɪs/ 9./ˈdiːmənz ənd ˈəʊɡəz/ 10./juːl lɒg/ 11./ˈlɔɪəl ˈfɒləʊə/ 12./ˈhʌriːd kənkˈluːʒən/ 13./prɪˈpɒstərəs ˈnəʊʃən/ 14./ˈfæbjʊləs ˈdʒʊəlz/ 15./ˈtʌtʃi ˈsʌbdʒekt/ 16./ˈsaʊə ɡreɪps/ 17./sənt ˈpiːtəz skweə/ 18./ɪnˈdʒɔɪ ði ˈɒprə/ 19./ˈeɪkɪŋ lɪmz/ 20./ɪnˈtɜːnəl ˈkɔːtjɑːd/ 21./ˈweɪnɪŋ ɪmˈjuːnɪti/ 22./ˈhʌntɪŋ ˈsiːzən/ 23./brɔːd ˈæksent/ 24./ˈwɜːði əˈpəʊnənt/ 25./bəʊ ənd ˈærəʊz/ 26\. /ˈkʌmpəs pɔɪnts/ 27./ˈfjʊərɪəs raʊ/ 28./blæk ˈpʊdɪŋ/ 29./ˈfeərɪteɪl ˈkærəktə/ 30./ˈʃɪəldɪŋ ˈprəugræm/ *Key to phonetic transcription 9* 1. appalling news 2. plenary session 3. Russian colleague 4. carbon footprint 5. Keira Knightley 6. glass ceiling 7. been there, done that 8. Pride and Prejudice 9. demons and ogres 10. Yule log 11. loyal follower 12. hurried conclusion 13. preposterous notion 14. fabulous jewels 15. touchy subject 16. sour grapes 17. Saint Peter's Square 18. enjoy the opera 19. aching limbs 20. internal courtyard 21. waning immunity 22. hunting season 23. broad accent 24. worthy opponent 25. bow and arrows 26. compass points 27. furious row 28. black pudding 29. fairy-tale character 30. shielding programme **MOCK TEST 17.10.24** *For reasons of time I have included [only 15] questions of transcription in the mock test, but in the phonetics test you will have 25. The level of difficulty of this mock test is a little higher than the 'real' phonetics test.* *Underline the stressed vowel in the following words and phrases, for example* C[A]THOLIC. *If by mistake you underline the wrong vowel, [cross out the word and write it again].* **-STRESS EXERCISE** 1.ESSAY (as noun) 2.PERCENTAGE 3.SUBSEQUENT 4.ALADDIN 5.MAINTENANCE *Write the following expressions using normal spelling. If you make a mistake [cross out the word and write it again].* **-TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISE** *Key to mock test* **STRESS EXERCISE** 1.[E]SSAY 2.PERC[E]NTAGE 3.S[U]BSEQUENT 4.AL[A]DDIN 5.M[AI]NTENANCE **TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISE** 1. inauguration ceremony 2. the Thames breezes (OR Thames's / Thames' OR EVEN thames) 3. array of attractions 4. nature or nurture 5. rough estimate 6. trouble and strife 7. tidal wave 8. honourable warrior 9. Yorkshire terrier 10. camouflage uniform 11. Maz's memoirs 12. heartwarming welcome 13. touching thought 14. fancy prices 15. southern comfort\* \*Southern Comfort [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern\_Comfort]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Comfort) *See the file 'Corrections mock test' on Moodle to understand better how I mark the test.* ### ### Phonetic transcription 10 1./kʌps ənd ˈsɔːsəz/ 2./graɪm ˈɑːtɪst/ 3./ˈfəʊldəbəl ˈsmɑːtfəʊn/ 4./ˈɔːkwəd pɔːz/ 5./ˈkruːʃəl ˈbreɪkθruː/ 6./spaɪk ɪn ʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ 7./rɪˈtaɪəd ˈbɪldə/ 8./əˈnʌðə jɪə/ 9./ˈdaʊntən ˈæbi/ 10./ˈsentə kɔːt/ 11./ðə ˈbɒsɪz ˈməʊbaɪl/ 12./ˈsʌbɜːbz əv ˈwɔːsɔː/ 13./ˈbenədɪkt ˈkʌmbəbætʃ/ 14./ˈlɔːfəl eə/ 15./ˈɡrenɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ 16./blʌd ˈpreʃə/ 17./ˈplaʊmənz lʌntʃ/ 18./pɜːl ˈnekləs/ 19./ˈdʌbəlgleɪzd ˈwɪndəʊz/ 20./mɑːd baɪ ˈvaɪələns/ 21./ˈməʊɪŋ ðə lɔːn/ 22./wɪðˈaʊt ˈwɔːnɪŋ/ 23./stɜːn ɪkˈspreʃən/ 24./ˈrɒbət ˈredfəd/ 25./peɪtrɪˈɒtɪk ˈænθəm/ 26./ˈsɪərɪəs draʊt/ 27./prɪˈkɔːʃənəri ˈmeʒəz/ 28./ˈpru:vən træk ˈrekɔːd/ 29./kɔːz fə kənˈsɜːn/ 30./ˈkrɪsməs ˈpæntəmaɪm/ *Key to phonetic transcription 10* 1.cups and saucers 2.grime artist 3.foldable smartphone 4.awkward pause 5.crucial breakthrough 6.spike in unemployment 7.retired builder 8.another year 9.Downton Abbey 10.centre court 11.the boss's mobile 12.suburbs of Warsaw 13.Benedict Cumberbatch 14.lawful heir 15.Greenwich Village 16.blood pressure 17.ploughman's lunch 18.pearl necklace 19.double-glazed windows 20.marred by violence 21.mowing the lawn 22.without warning 23.stern expression 24.Robert Redford 25.patriotic anthem 26.serious drought 27.precautionary measures 28.proven track record 29.cause for concern 30.Christmas pantomime\* \*An example of a Christmas pantomime: *Cinderella* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adb3Sfo\_\_nE]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adb3Sfo__nE) ***Pronunciation of (i) third person singular forms, (ii) plural forms, (iii) Saxon genitive forms: /s/, /z/ or bʌs/ or /bus/?** Do they have a /bʌs/ accent or a /bus/ accent? Inspector Campbell has a /bʌs/ accent: *funny, Sunday* Tommy has a /bus/ accent: *funny, sometimes* Where are the characters from? Campbell is Northern Irish, Tommy is from Birmingham. But in real life, the actors Sam Neill (Campbell) is from New Zealand, and Cillian Murphy (Tommy) is from the Republic of Ireland. **PRONUNCIATION AND MEANING** *Find the pronunciation (and meaning) of the following words in the dictionary.* 1\. amateur 2. parents 3\. monkey / donkey 4. (to) construe 5\. raspberry, Cranberries 6. marquee 7\. thermometer 8. shire; Yorkshire, Hampshire 9\. foreign(-er) 10. beard 11\. (to / a) purchase 12. whistled 13\. (Peter/Archangel) Gabriel 14. remembered, tortured, registered 15\. thesis / theory / theoretical 16. territory 17\. mountain / fountain 18. cupboard 19\. iron 20. desperate 21\. nuisance 22. christening 23\. aisle / isle 24. plumber 25\. Citroen 26. tortoise 27\. Ursula 28. gorgeous 29\. to polish (*lucidare*) 30. Polish (*polacco*) 31\. guinea pig 32. Warsaw 33\. tomb 34. drought 35\. honourable\* 36. (to / a) comb 37\. exam 38. hierarchy / hierarchical 39\. celery 40. harbour 41\. Camilla, vanilla 42. paracetamol\*\* 43\. draughty 44. mortgage 45\. Barbara 46. gorilla 47\. naked, crooked, wretched 48. wicked, learned (*dotto*), the aged, supposedly, unashamedly 49\. confetti 50. pronto 51\. barista 52. latte 53\. extravaganza 54. incognito 55\. cognoscenti 56. lacuna 57\. imbroglio 58. bravo 59\. bimbo 60. sotto voce \*silent initial 'h': *an honest hour for an honourable heir* (erede) \*\*Terrible English joke: -What happened to all the aspirins in the jungle? -Parrots ate 'em all. (remember that *ate* can be pronounced /et/) **Phonetic transcription 11** 1./ækts əv ˈsæbətɑːʒ/ 2./pəˈfɔːməns ɪnˈhɑːnsɪŋ drʌgz/ 3\. /baɪˈɒlədʒi ˈkɒnfərəns/ 4./ˈhɪdɪəs ˈtrɔːmə/ 5./ bɪˈzɑː dɪˈsɪʒən/ 6./ˈbʊʃɪz ədˈvaɪzəz/ 7./frəˈnetɪk ˈrɪðəm/ 8./ˈkænbərə^r^ ənd ˈædəleɪd/ 9./ˈfəʊtəʊ buːð/ 10./ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒɪŋ ˈfaɪndɪŋz/ 11./ʌnɪkˈsplɔːd ˈterətri/ 12./ˈfɔːti wɪŋks/ 13./gaɪ fɔːks/ 14./ˈθʌrə rɪˈvjuː/ 15./wɪski ˈtʃeɪsə/ 16./ˈaʊtbreɪk əv pleɪɡ/ 17./ˈiːɡəlaɪd ˈstjuːdənt/ 18./ˈrɪəʃɔːrɪŋ ˈwɜːdz/ 19./ˈliːəm ˈniːsən/ 20./ˈrɑːzbəri ˈjɒɡət/ 21./ˈniːdəl ənd θred/ 22./ə ˈfɜːðə ˈsetbæk/ 23./ˈhændzfri kəmpˈju:tɪŋ/ 24./ˈeɪprəl fuːlz deɪ/ 25./ˈleʒəli strəʊl/ 26./ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ ˈbaʊndəriz/ 27./ˈendləs ˈskwɒbəlz/ 28./ˈtʃɪəfəl ˈpʌblɪkən/ 29./ə ˈθaʊzənd kwɪd/ 30./ði ˈeɪnʃənt ˈmærɪnə/