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Peculiarities of English utterance stress. Content and function words. Weak and strong forms

Nearly 40 words in English can be pronounced in two distinct ways: depending on the degree of force with which they are uttered. They are all words which perform a grammatical function – determiners, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles and particles. Strong (or Full) forms are used when the word is said in isolation or is being emphasized. WEAK forms are normal in connected speech. Strong forms improperly used in common speech sound unnatural and over formalised, making it difficult for the listener to identify the points of focus.

Weak forms are sometimes represented in writing, e.g. bacon ‘n eggs, cup o’ coffee. In many cases, we need to take note of context. For example, THERE as an adverb of place (Look over THERE) is always strong; but at the beginning of an existential sentence it is always weak (THERE’s no place like home). Also, different forms may appear before vowels and before consonants:

Compare “I must go” /məs/ and “I must eat” /məst/ or ‘for tea’ /fə/ and ‘for Ann’ /fər/.

Function words fall into two groups according to their pronunciation in an unstressed position. The first group includes those words that are never used in their strong form in an unstressed position in an utterance. The strong form of such words is used only when the word is said in isolation or with emphasis. The second group includes auxiliary and modal verbs and prepositions which are reduced when unstressed at the beginning or in the middle of an utterance but retain their strong form when unstressed at the end of an utterance.

Examples:

A: How long are you here for /fɔ:/ ? - B: Only for /fər/ another couple of days.

Or : A: My brother’s working at MacDonald’s this summer! – B: Oh, what’s he working as /æz/? - A: As /əz/a cook.

The table below includes some of the commonest of function words:

Table 3 - Function words

Examples:

You ‘don’t understand who I ‵am /æm/.

I ‘don’t remember the girl he was ‘talking to /tu:/.

What are you ‵staring at /æt/? Who was he ‵speaking of /ɒv/?

A: Who can /kən/ ‵do it? – B: ‵I can /kæn/.

There is a small group of function words which retain their strong forms in unstressed position. These are the prepositions on, off, in , the indefinite pronoun some and the conjunction when. Examples: He lived on /ɒn/ the hill. Take off /ɒf/ your coat. He’s gone on some /s∧m/ trip.

The notional (or main) verbs has, have, had, do, does, the demonstrative pronoun that, as all notional words, do not have weak form in an unstressed position, they must not be confused with their function synonyms.

Compare:

We seldom have /hæv/ time. – We have had a nice day /wɪ v hæd/.

She always does /d∧z/ her best. – Does /dəz/ she know you?

I ‘knew that /ðət/ he was a`way. – I didn’t `know that/ðæt/.

I must answer that /ðæt/ letter.

Full forms are used instead of contractions to give extra emphasis,

e.g.: I `am surprised. I `have got a sore throat. She `will be disappointed. `Do have a drink. I `didsee him at that place.

Or A: Do you want pizza or spaghetti? – B: I want ‘pizza `and spaghetti!

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