Diphthongs with [V]-glide

Diphthongs	Warning
[aV] The nucleus is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth, but slightly retracted. The front of the tongue is slightly raised. [a] is front retracted low-broad unrounded. While pronouncing the glide the tongue moves higher and backward. The opening between the jaws is wide for the nucleus and much narrower for the glide.	Don’t replace [V] by [у] and [H]. Don’t protrude the lips.
[OV] The nucleus is pronounced with the central part of the tongue in the [E:] position. [O] is central mid-narrow unrounded. While pronouncing the glide the back of the tongue rises higher moving in the direction towards [V]. The lips are neutral at the beginning of the diphthong but during the glide they are almost as much rounded as for [V].	Don’t replace [OV] by Russian [oу] or [o]. Start [OV] with [E:]. [OV] resembles the sounds in this position: еще у нас.

Diphthongs with [q]-glide

Diphthongs	Warning
[Iq] During the nucleus the bulk of the tongue is in the front part of the mouth cavity. The front of the tongue is raised to the position of [I]. [I] is front-retracted high-broad unrounded. While pronounc-ing the glide the tongue moves back and down towards [q] (its articulation is fully accomplished). The lips are neutral.	Don’t replace [Iq] by [I] or [i:]. Don’t omit the glide [q]. [Iq] resembles the sounds in this position: Учи английский.
[Fq] The nucleus is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth. The front is mid-way between the position for [e] and [x]. The lips are spread or neutral. [F] is front mid-broad unrounded. While pronouncing the glide the bulk of the tongue moves towards the position for [q].	[F] is more open than either the vowel [e] or Russian [э] before a non-palatalized consonant (“этом”). Don’t replace [Fq] by [F] or [e]. Pronounce a weak Russian [A] after the nucleus. For example, as it is in the word: в конце аллеи. Don’t replace [Fq] by [e].
[Vq] The nucleus is pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the back part of the mouth, but slightly advanced. The back of the tongue is raised as high as for [V]. [V] is back-advanced high-broad slightly rounded. While pronouncing the glide the tongue moves down to the position of [q].	Don’t replace [Vq] by [V] or[u:] . Don’t omit the glide [q]. [Vq] resembles the sounds in this position: пишу опять.

III. Modifications of Vowels in Connected Speech.

The modifications of vowels in a speech chain can be quantitative, qualitative or

both. These changes of vowels are determined by a number of factors such as the position of the vowel, in the word, accentual structure, tempo of speech, rhythm, etc.

The decrease of the vowel quantity (the shortening of the vowel length) is known as a quantitative modification of vowels, which may be illustrated as follows:

1. The shortening of the vowel length occurs in an unstressed position. In this case reduction affects both the length of the unstressed vowels and their quality.

For example, Is it → on or ١in the table? [Pn]

But: This →lamp is on the ١table in the room. [qn]

Is →he or ١she to blame? – [hi:].

But: In the ر morning he a'rrived and 'solved all his١problems. [hI]

2. The length of a vowel depends on its positioning a word. It varies in different phonetic environments. For example, knee – need – neat. The vowel [i:] is the longest in the final position, it is shorter before the lenis voiced consonant [d], and it is the shortest before the fortis voiceless consonant [t].

Quantitative modifications of most vowels occur in unstressed positions Vowels lose “their characteristics”, quality:

1) In unstressed syllables vowels of full value are usually apt to quantitative changes. For example, man [mxn] – postman ['pqVstmqn], conduct ['kPndqkt] – conduct [kqn'dAkt]. In such cases the quality of the vowel is reduced to the neutral sound [q].

The neutral sound [q] is the most frequent sound of English. In continuous text it represents about 11% (per cent) of all sounds. It is the result of the rhythmic pattern: if unstressed syllables are given only a short duration, the vowel in them which might be otherwise full is reduced. English rhythm prefers a pattern in which stressed syllables alternate with unstressed ones. In single words a shift of stress is often accompanied by a change of vowel quality; a full vowel becomes [q], and [q] becomes a full vowel. Compare: analyze ['xnqlaIz] – analysis [q'nxlIsIs]; in both words full vowels appear in the stressed positions, alternating with [q] in unstressed positions.

In Russian there is a well-developed system of unstressed vowels. All the Russian vowels are regularly subjected to reduction, the vowels [о], [и] more often than others. The degree of sound weakening depends on the place of the unstressed vowel in relation to the stressed one. The farther the unstressed syllable is from the stressed one, the weaker the vowel in the unstressed syllable is. For example, хорошо [хърашó].

2) Slight degree of nasalization marks vowels preceded or followed by the nasal consonants[n], [m]. For example, never, no, then, men (accommodation).

The realization of reduction as well as assimilation and accommodation is connected with the style of speech. In rapid colloquial speech reduction may result in vowel elision, the complete omission of the unstressed vowel, which is also known as zero reduction. Zero reduction is likely to occur in a sequence of unstressed syllables, history, factory, laboratory, literary, territory, etc. It often occurs in initial unstressed syllables preceding the stressed one, for example, complete, believe, presuppose, perhaps.

The example below illustrates a step-by-step reduction (including zero reduction) of a phrase.

Has he done it? [hxz hI·׀ dAn It]

[hqz hI ׀ dAn It]

[qz I ׀ dAn It]

[z I ׀ dAn It]

Certain interrelation (between the full form of a word and its reduced forms) is conditioned by the tempo, rhythm and style of speech.