STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

Many English function words (= articles, pronouns, prepositions, auxiliaries, modals, etc.) have more than one pronunciation. In particular, they have a strong form, containing a strong vowel, and a weak form, containing a weak vowel. An example is at, with the strong form / æt / and the weak form / ət /.

The weak form is generally used if the word is unstressed (as is usually the case with function words). The strong form is used only when the word is stressed, usually because it is accented.

Jim's ət lunch. He'll be back ət one.

We say / 'æt / home', not 'in home'.

I'll invite / Әəm /round.

Tell me how they /'wз:/.

They / wə /delighted.

Nevertheless, the strong form is used for unaccented function words in certain positions:

• usually, for a preposition when it is between a weak syllable and a pronoun, to help the rhythm:

I'm 'looking / æt ju /. (Compare: Don't 'look / ət mi /.)

• always, when a function word is stranded(= left exposed by a syntactic operation involving the movement or deletion of the word on which it depends):

Where does she/'k m frəm / // / fr m /?(...from X)

/'a kən /speak English better than/'ju: kæn /. (= than you can speak)

It was/'e md æt /but not achieved. (= they aimed at it)

It is important for learners of English to use weak forms appropriately. Otherwise, listeners may think they are emphasizing a word where this is not really so. Equally, native speakers should not be misled into supposing that careful or declamatory speech demands strong forms throughout. One exception is the pronunciation style used for singing, where strong forms are often used. Even here, though, articles are usually weak.

Contractions are considered to be weak forms also:

he is– he’s;

I have not– haven’t;

she does not– she doesn’t.

Among unstressed syllables it is useful to distinguish between those that nevertheless contain a strong vowel and those that have a weak vowel. This distinction has implications for syllabification and for rhythm.

A stressed syllable (shown in words of more than one syllable by one of the marks ' and ") must always contain a strong vowel (= any vowel or diphthong except / ə /, / /, / υ /). All the syllables in the following words, whether stressed or unstressed, are strong-vowelled: red / red/, hope / hзυp / // / hoυp /, bedtime / 'bed ta m /, undone / ‘Λn 'dΛn /, butane / 'bjυte n /.

The vowels / ə /, / /, / υ/,are always weak. The vowel / I /, too, is weak in many cases, and also sometimes / υ/ in BrE and / зυ /in AmE. The unstressed syllables in the following words are all weak-vowelled: allow / ə'laυ /, happy / 'hæp /, situation / s t∫ ju: 'e ∫ən/, carelessness / 'kεələsnəs /, remember / r 'membə / // / r 'membər /, standard / 'stændəd / // / 'stændərd /, stimulus / 'st mjυləs / // / 'st mjələs /. The weak vowel / ə / may be realized in the form of a syllabic consonant, as in suddenly/ 'sΛdənl /.

The distinction between weak / I / and / ə / has the power of distinguishing words. For example, V.I.Lenin is / 'len n /, but John Lennon is / 'lenən /,alsoaxis /æksIs/ butaccess /æksəs/. The words rabbit / 'ræb t / and abbot / æ'bət / do not rhyme. In certain other kinds of English, however, this distinction may be neutralized, with / ə / used instead of weak / / in virtually all positions, or with the choice between / ə / and / / dependent upon the phonetic context.

Even in RP and in other kinds of English that maintain the distinction between weak / / and / ə/, many words may be heard with either pronunciation. For example, carelessness, civil, private are nowadays more usually pronounced ['kεələsnəs], ['s vəl], [pra vət]. A conservative minority say ['kεəl sn s], ['s v l], ['pra v t].