111. Vowels in the unstressed position.

It’s an open secret that all the unstressed syllables are percepted as week, short and indistinct. Usually the unstressed syllables are associated with the mid\half open vowels such as [ə], [i] and sometimes [u].

[əm'Λŋ], [bi'fo:], [ju:sful], [təma:təu]

But in English Language there may be found vowels of full quality in the unstressed position. These are the vowels that are observed in the words of Latin origin, Latin borrowings such as: ['a:kitekt], ['pærəgra:f] [kæn'ti:n]

It is worth mentioning that in the Russian language vowels in the unstressed position never preserve their qualities.

In connection with the issue discussed, we should mention the problem of phonemic status of the neutral sound. The main question to be answered is – whether the neutral sound is an independent phoneme or the neutralized allophone of different phonemes.

The analyses of the marked oppositions based on the opposition [ə vs. i] showed that the neutral sound in the minimal pairs of oppsition is an independent phoneme opposed to another phoneme in one and the same phonetic context. This opposition is relevant, i.e. leads to the change in the meaning:

Ofisəz :: ofisiz əkspet :: iksept

a:mə :: a:mi

On the other hand, the problem of the neutral sounds has a morphological character. It is closely connected with the grammatical forms of one and the same word and derivatives of the word. It gets clear what is meant when look at the following pairs of oppositions:

æ - ə mæn – spo:tsmən

Λ - ə sΛm - həulsΛm

ei - ə operai∫ən - operətiv

These pairs show that the neutral sound is the allophone of different phonemes. What is more correct hard to say. Different schools present different opinions, so it depends upon the linguist himself, which point of view to accept.

Modification of speech sounds in connected speech.

1. Modifications Of vowels in the connected speech.

Modification of vowels sounds in the connected speech goes in two main directions – qualitative and quantitative or both. These changes are determined by a number of factors among which one may mention the position of a vowel in the word, the accentual structure of the word, tempo of speech and so on.

The process of qualitative and quantitative changes of a vowel sound is called – reduction.

The shortening of a vowel sound or decrease of the vowel length is known as a quantitative modification of a vowel.

The quantitative changes or reduction of a vowel may be observed in the following cases.

1. unstressed positions; Is 'he or 'she to blame?

At 'last she 'has come

2. position of a vowel in the word, here we speak about the positional length of a vowel. Compare the length of the sound [i:] in the following words: ni: - ni:d – ni:t. it can be clearly heard that in the final position the sound is longer, it is obviously shorter before the voiced consonant and is the shortest before the voiceless consonant.

Qualitative changes or qualitative reduction of vowels occur in the unstressed positions. The reduced vowel loses its quality, colour, in general they get neutralized. So in the flow of connected speech a great number of the unstressed vowels are replaced by the neutral sound [ə], which frequency is rather high in English. To this we may add another sound – short I, which may also occur in the unstressed position. High frequency of the neutral sound may be explained by the rhythmic pattern – if the unstressed syllable is given only a short duration, then the vowel will be reduced, even if it is a vowel of a full quality.

Reduction of a vowel sound and its degree depends upon the situation of communication. In a rapid, colloquial speech the process of reduction may lead to the loss of an unstressed vowel, the process known as elision or zero reduction. The highest frequency of such reduction is observed in the initial position of a word. Such words as correct, believe, suppose, pronounced quickly in the unstressed position may undergo the process of elision in connected speech. This may lead to the following types of pronunciation: [krekt], [bli:v], [spəuz].

In the flow of speech we may observe a so-called stage-by-stage reduction, which depends on the situation in which communication takes place.

Another thing that needs our attention in relation with the modification of vowel sounds is a slight degree of nasalization that marks the sound preceded or followed by the nasal consonants [m], [n] like in the words never, no, then, etc.