In ga [] is used in most words in which the letter “a” is followed by a consonant except “r” (in rp [α:] is used)

GA RP

[sk] [α:sk]

[dns] [dα:ns]

[tns] [tα:ns]

[lst] [lα:st]

[nsər] [α:nsə]

[t] [α:t]

[nt] [α:nt]

[hf] [hα:f]

GA [] is tense, long and nasalized before the sounds [m], [n] and [d]

Bad – [b:d}

Land

Man

In GA before a consonant [r] + a vowel [e] is used instead of []

Carry

Marry

Parrot

Thus the words “marry” and “merry” are homophones.

• [] is pronounced without lip rounding just like [α]

RP GA

Box [bks] [bαks]

Stop [stp] [stαp]

In the words “long” and “strong” [] is labialized.

• [ei] is closer in GA as opposed to RP. Sometimes pronounced as a monophtong [e]. This variant is used before voiceless consonants

Gate – [get]

Date – [det]

Make – [mek]

• The nuclear of a diphthong [α] tends to be more advanced

Now

Down

Town

• [] – the glide in GA is weakened, sometimes it can be even reduced to a [o] in unstressed syllable

Boat – [bot]

Coat – [cot]

• The realization of diphthongs [αi] and … in RP and GA is practically identical.

• Many differences involve the pronunciation of different words.

RP GA

Either [αi] [i:r]

Leisure [le] [li:r]

Schedule [edjl] [skedjl]

Vase [vα:z] [veiz]

Tomato [tmα:t] [tmeit]

Stress differences:

The most typical distribution concerning primary stress:

• In words of French origin ga tends to have stress on the final syllable

RP GA

Ballet [blei] [blei]

Beret [berei] [brei]

• Some words have first-syllable stress in GA whereas in RP the stress may be on any syllable

RP GA

Address [dres] [dres]

Cigarette [sigret] [sigrt]

Magazine [mgzi:n] [mgzi:n]

Research [ris:t] [ri:s:t]

Adult [dlt] [dlt]

Absolutely [bslutli] [bslutli]

Intonation differences:

GA intonation has a general resemblance to that of RP. But anyway there are a few differences:

• Level head (ровная шкала) – mid-level – is very common with Americans. Thus the statement with a gradual descending sequence.

RP: I don’t want to go to the theatre.

This statement will be realized with the mid-level head

GA: I don’t want to go to the theatre.

The fall-rise tone is different in RP and in GA.

RP: really

GA: really

The main differences in intonation concern the direction of the voice pitch and the realization of the terminal tones. In GA the voice doesn’t fall to the bottom mostly. This explains the fact, that English speech for Americans sounds affected, pretentious or even sophisticated. And for the English Americans sound dull, monotonous, indifferent, unemotional and even dry.

Basically British intonation has wider melodic curves (кривые) and more rapid changes than American intonation.

The distribution of terminal tones in sentence types is also different in both variants of English.

• GA “yes/no” questions most commonly have a falling terminal tone whereas RP tone is a rising one.

RP:Shall we stay here?

GA:Shall we stay here?

• Requests in RP are normally pronounced with rise, while in GA they may take a fall rise.

RP:Open the books.

GA:Open the books.

• Leave-taking (слова, сказанные на прощание) are often pronounced with a high-pitched

fall-rise in RP.

Лекция 5

Connected speech – связная речь

Flow of speech – поток речи

Fluent, rapid speech – беглая речь

Partially – частично

Assimilation – ассимиляция

Accommodation – аккомодация

Elision – элизия

Alteration – изменение

Interaction – интерактивность, взаимодействие

Cluster – пучок, группа

To preserve – сохранять

To merge – сливаться

Mutual – обоюдный

Reciprocal – обоюдный

Preceding – предшествующий