A). Consonants.

The phoneme [l] exists in GA only in the form of its dark variant [l], which is slightly darker than the RP dark [l] and occurs both before vowels and [j] in which positions clear variants are used in RP and after a vowel or between a vowel and a consonant (as in RP):

Ex. RP GA

look [luk] [luk]

value [vælju:] [vælju:]

fill [fil] [fil]

film [film] [film]

In GA the intervocalic [t] as in “pity” and [t] between a strongly stressed vowel and a sonorant as in ‘partly’ is most normally voiced. The result is neutralization of the opposition between [t] and [d] in this position (ex. latter – ladder). The original distinction is preserved through vowel length with the vowel before [t] being shorter.

GA speakers may drop [l] in words like “twenty”, “little”. Thus “winner” and “winter” may sound identical.

In the pronunciation of GA [r] the top of the tongue is curled back further than in RP so that a wider air passage is formed. This process is called retroflexion. However, when preceded by [t, d, θ, ∫] the phoneme [r] is articulated in both GA and RP almost identically. In pre-vocalic position [r] in GA is accompanied by lip-rounding. The phoneme [r] of GA differs from its RP counterpart not only in articulation, but also in distribution, since it is pronounced between a vowel and before a consonant or after a vowel in the word final position (ex. turn [tз:rn], bird [bз:rd], star [stα:r]).

The sonorant [j] is usually weakened or omitted by GA speakers between a consonant (especially a forelingual one) and [u:] (ex. news [nu:z], student ['stu:dənt], suit [su:t], tube [tu:b], stupid ['stu:pid] etc.).

The use of the cluster [hw] in words spelt with the initial diagraph “wh” makes in GA sound differently such words as “which” and “witch”, “whether” and “weather”, “where” and “ware”, which are considered homophones in RP.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
The main types of American pronunciation. General American Pronunciation.	\|	B). Vowels.

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