Manual of American English Pronunciation (Properly Bookmarked)

276 Pages·1985·98.221 MB·English

by  Clifford Holmes Prator, Betty Wallace Robinett

L
MANUA
OF
Americon
Enolish
Prihunciotion
FOURTH EDITION
Cfifford H. Protor, Ir.
University of California, Los Angeles
Betfy Wolloce Robineff
University of Minnesota
HOII, RINEHARI AND WINSTON. INC.
Fort Worth Chicago San Francisco Philadelphia
Montreal Toronto lnndon Svdnev
Tokyo
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Prator, Clifford H. (Clifford Holmes)
Manual of American English pronunciation.
Includes index.
1. English language-United States-Pronunciation.
2. English language-Text-books for foreign speakers.
I. Robinett, Beny Wallace. II. Tille.
PE2fi'.n 1985 428.1 84-25222
rsBN 0-03-0u0?u3-8
Copyright @ 1985, 1972by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Copyright O 1957 by Clifford H. Prator, Jr.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or me-
chanical, including photocopy, recording or'any information stor-
age and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work
should be mailed to: Copyrights and Permissions Department,
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Orlando, Florida 32887
Printed in the United States of America
rsBN 0-03-000703-8
012 090 987
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
The Dryden Press
Saunders College Publishing
Contents
Accent lnventory (Copy 1) tx
lntroduction: To the Teacher
XV
I. Differences in the Fourth Edition II. How the Manual Is Put
Together III. Use of the Manual IV. Use of the "Accent Inventory"
1
LEssoN The Phonetic Alphabet
I. Learning to Pronounce English II. Why a Phonetic Alphabet?
III. Table of Symbols fV. How Words Are Transcribed V. Exercises
2 Vowels
LEssoN Classification of 10
I. The Five Fundamental Vowels II. The Eleven Vowels of American
English III. Exercises
3 Vowels
LEssoN Unstressed 18
I. The Importance of Stress II. The Pronunciation of Unstressed
Vowels III. Where the Stress Falls IV. Exercises
vi Contents
Rhythm
LESSON 4 Sentence-Stress and 28
I. Stress in Groups of Words II. Which Words Should Be Stressed?
III. The Pronunciation of Unstressed Words of One Svllable IV.
Thought Groups and Blending V. Exercises
Intonation
LESSON 5 Rising-Falling 44
I. What Intonation Is II. Rising-Falling Intonation III. The Use of
Rising-Falling Intonation IV. Exercises
6 Intonation
LESSON RiSing 58
I. The Use of Rising Intonation II. Nonfinal Intonation III. Exercises
7
LESSON MOre abOUt IntOnation 75
[. Intonation and Focus II. Lexical (Emotional) Intonation III.
Inventory of Intonation Patterns IV. Exercises
I
LEssoN Classification of Gonsonants;
-s
the Endings -ed and 90
I. Voiced and Voiceless Sounds II. Stops and Continuants, Sibilants
III. Point of Articulation IV. honunciation of -ed V. Pronunciation
of -s VI. Exercises
9 Consonants
LEssoN Initial and Final 101
I. Aspiration at the Beginning of Words II. The Lengthening of
Vowels before Final Consonants IIL Aspiration at the End of Words
IV. Exercises
10 Gonsonants
LEssoN L, R, and Syllabic 113
I. The Formation of /U and lrl 11. lU and hl after Front Vowels III.
Syllabic Consonants IV. Exercises
LEssoN 11 Front Vowels 125
I. Vowel Substitutions II. The Vowel /iyl as in bg4t III. /r/ as in
bit IY. leyl as in bait V. /e/ as in bet Yl. lnl as in bat VII.
Exercises
Contents vii
LEssoN 12 Gentral and Back Vowels 136
I. The Vowel /a/ as in pqt lI. lcl as in bought III. /ow/ as in bqgt
IIr/. lul as in put V. /uw/ as in bgst YI. lel as in bgt, and /arl as in
bird VII. Exercises
13
LEssoN Consonant Substitutions: Part 1 148
I. Consonant Substitutions lI. l0l , ltl , and lsl; 16/ , ldl , and lzl III.
/dL/ and lvl IV. /S/ and /t5/ V. Exercises
14 Parl2
LEssoN Gonsonant Substitutions: 159
I. lbl , lvl, lwl, and lhwl lI. ltl ilI. Final lml , ln/, lgl , and lgk/ IV.
lW V. Exercises
15
LESSON COnSOnant ClUSterS 173
I. Phonotactic Rules II. Consonant Clusters in Initial Position III.
Initial Clusters Beginning with /s/ IV. Consonant Clusters in Final
Position V. Making Clusters Easier to Pronounce VL Exercises
16 English
LEssoN The Sandhi of Spoken 189
I. What Sandhi-Forms Are IL More about Unstressed Function
Words III. The Disappearing ! IV. Reductions of Verb * to V.
Palatalization across Word Boundaries VI. A Word of Caution VII.
Exercises
17
LEssoN Long and Short Vowels 206
L Problems of Spelling English IL The System of Long and Short
Vowels III. Vowel Sounds and Svllable Boundaries IV. Vowels
before ! or 1 V. Exercises
18 Spellings
LEssoN Regular and lrregular 218
I. What Is Regular Spelling? II. Principal Elements of Regularity UI.
Exercises
Accent Inventory (Copy 2) 235
Index 241

STUDENT'S NAME
COURSE AND SECTION
DATE OF RECORDING
Accent Inventory (Copy 1)
To the Student
This "Inventory" is to be used, preferably at the very beginning of the English
course, so that you may have constantly at hand a diagnosis of the elements of
foreign "accant" in your own individual speech. First, your voice will be re-
corded as you read the "Diagnostic Passage" on the next page. The reading
should be done at normal speed, in a matter-of-fact tone, without unusual care
in pronunciation; in other words, it should sound as much like natural conver-
sation as possible. Then the instructor will listen to the recording many times,
and make an analysis, on the following pages, of your speech difficulties.
These pages will serve as a guide to the sections of the Manual that are of
most importance to you, and show just what phases of English pronunciation
should be of most concern to you.
The "Inventory" may be used again at the end of the course to measure
the progress you have made.
SUGGESTED KEY TO CORRECTIONS
Phonetic symbols immediately under word: what you should have said. Second
line of phonetic symbols under word: mispronunciation in your speech.
' Over a syllable or word: you left this unstressed; it should be stressed.
(') over a syllable or word: you stressed this; it should be unstressed.
Black line: normal intonation.
Colored line: your inconect intonation.
i unnatural pause you made.
lx
x Accent Inventory
Diagnostic Passage
(1) When a student from another country
comes to study in the United States, he has to find out
for himself the answers to many questions, and he has
many problems to think about. (2) Where should he live?
(3) Would it be better if he looked for a private room
off campus or if he stayed in a dormitory? (4) Should
he spend all of his time just studying? (5) Shouldn't he
try to take advantage of the many social and cultural
activities which are offered? (6) At first it ls not easv
for him to be casual in dress, informal in manner, and