graphophonemic rules for english consonants Flashcards
values 1 & 2 for
c
- /k/
- /s/ before i, y, e, ee, ea, ie, ae, oe
Other.
cf. palatalisation
values 1 & 2 for g
- /g/
- /dʒ/ before i, y, e, ee
Other
/ʒ/ genre
values for d
/d/
+ cf. palatalisation
values for n
/n/
/ŋ/ before /k, g/ or in <-ing#>
consonants that undergo palatisation
c, d, s, t, x
values for cc
- /k/
- /ks/ if preceding <e, i, y>
values for gu
- /g/
- /gw/ medial pos. without morphemic boundary: (anguish, languid)
qu
- /kw/
- /k/ in -que, -quer, -quet, -quor
ch
- /tʃ/
- /k/ in words of classical origin
(archipelago, architect, anarchy,
monarch, chemical, stomach) - /ʃ/ niche,
machine, chalet
sch
- /ʃ/
- /sk/ before a V: scheme, schoo
sc
- /sk/
- /s/ before e/i/y
- /ʃ/ conscience
Values of <s></s>
word-initially
- /s/ always (see, sea, saw)
word-medially
- /s/ between 2 unstressed vowels (comparison)
- /z/ between 2 vowels if the first one is stressed (busy, cousin)
- /z/ after inseparable prefixes pre-, de-, re- (presume, desire, resign)
- /z/ in <ˈsVr(C)#, ˈVble#, sit#>: usurp, visible, posit
- /ʃ/ in /s+j/ coalescence (pressure, sensual, ensure)
- /ʒ/ in /z+j/ coalescence (division, measure)
word-finally
- /s/ in <Vs#> (bias, neurosis, …, but /z/ in <ies#>: series, species)
- /z/ in <‘Vse#>: (amuse, noise, raise; but /s/ in: moose).
Beware of -ease: usually /s/
(release, increase, cease, lease, grease, decease), but /z/ in please, disease, tease, ease.
within a cluster
- /s/ with another voiceless C (escape, ask, phonetics; stress)
- /z/ before a voiced C (husband, criticism, chasm, spasm, lens, measles).
- But /s/ if initial (slaughter, smash, snack, snap).
- But /s/ in dis-, mis-, trans- (disgrace, misbehave, translate, disinform).
Beware of the -(e)s suffix:
you will need to mention assimilation, not just graphophonemic rules!!
Beware of /s/ + /j/:
you will need to mention palatalisation!
Values of <x></x>
- /ks/ is the primary (default) value
- /z/ is the secondary value used in word-initial position (xylophone, xenophobic,
Xavier…)
The prefix ex-, is pronounced as:
- /ˌeks/ if separable (meaning ‘former’: ex-president, …)
- /ˈeks/ if inseparable but stressed (exercise, expert, excellence, …)
- /ɪgz, egz, əgz/ if inseparable, unstressed and followed by a V
(exact, exist, exam, exalt, …) - /ɪks, eks, əks/ if inseparable, unstressed and followed by a C
(expect, exceed, excuse, …)
Beware of /ks/ or /gz/ + /j/:
you may need to mention palatalisation! (e.g. anxious, obnoxiously, sexual, …)
Values of <th>
word-initially
- /θ/ in content words (think, thank, theatre, thin).
But /t/ in Thames, Thompson, Thai, thyme.
- /ð/ in function words (they, this, that, though, thus, there, the, than).
word-medially
- /θ/ in words from Greek or Latin (author, method).
But /ð/ if /m/ follows: rhythm, algorithm.
- /ð/ in words of Germanic origin (brother, feather, leather, weather)
word-finally
- /θ/ in <-th#> (bath, breath, loath, mouth, tooth, truth).
But /ð/ in smooth, booth.
- /ð/ in <-the#> (bathe, breathe, loathe, teethe)
Values of <gh></gh>
word-initially
- /g/ (ghost)
word-medially
- /g/ (aghast)
- Silent in <ght> (thought, right, eight, fight, ought, enlighten, nightmare).</ght>
But /f/ in draught.
word-finally
- Silent in <gh#> (though, high, sigh, sleigh, thigh).
But /f/ in enough, tough, laugh, clough; /p/ in hiccough
Silent consonants
Word-initial letter
- <kn, gn>: know, knot, knob, knife, gnome, gnaw
- <pn, ps, pt>: pneumonia, pneumatic, psychology, psalm, pseudo, Ptolemy.
- <wh, wr>: who, whose, whom, whole, wreck, write, wrong
Word-medial
- <st + l,m,n>: mistletoe, Christmas, castle, listen, whistle, fasten, glisten
- <bt>: debt, subtle, doubt
</bt> - <xh>: exhaust, exhibit, exhort
</xh>
Penultimate letter
- <gm, gn>: paradigm, phlegm, align, design, foreign, sign, design
- <alm, alf, alk, olk>: calm, balm, half, calf, chalk, talk, folk, yolk
Word-final letter
- <mb, mn>: bomb, climb, comb, lamb, thumb, autumn, column, hymn
Silent consonants: exceptional cases
- <h>: heir, honest, honour, hour (NB: ‘VhC: vehicle).
</h> - <w>: two, answer, sword, knowledge.
</w> - <c>: muscle (but /k/ in muscular).
</c> - <ch>: yacht, fuchsia.
</ch> - <p>: coup, cupboard, raspberry, receipt.
</p> - <s>: isle, island, aisle, viscount.
</s> - <d>: grandfather/mother, handkerchief, handsome, landscape,
sandwich.
</d> - <l>: could, would, should, colonel (=kernel), Faulkner, Lincoln.
</l>
Assimilation of voice in the cases of –(e)s and –(e)d
- The suffix -(e)s is pronounced as
- /s/ after voiceless consonants: books
- /z/ after vowels and voiced consonants: cars, hands
- /ɪz/ after /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, ʧ, ʤ/: masses, matches - The suffix -(e)d is pronounced as
- /t/ after voiceless consonants: attacked
- /d/ after vowels and voiced consonant: tried, trained
- /ɪd/ after /t, d/: waited, mended
-NB: /ɪd/ in adjectives such as: wicked, beloved
- NB: -edly /ɪdli/: markedly, supposedly
yod coalescence
Palatalisation of /s,z,t,d + j/
Palatalisation happens systematically in unstressed syllables
- <c, s, z, x>*
- /ʃ/ for palatalisation of /s+j/: especial, pressure, sensual, ensure, luxury, …
- /ʒ/ for palatalisation of /z+j/: division, measure, luxuriant, …
<d, t>
- /tʃ/ for palatalisation of /t+j/: implicature, creature, ritual, mutual, …
NB: /ʃ/ for suffixes of the –ion family starting with <i>: (typically –ion,
-tious, -ial) : nation, information, superstitious, initial…
- /dʒ/ for palatalisation of /d+j/ (less systematic): soldier, educate, …</i>
In some accents of English
palatalisation occurs also in
stressed syllables: tune, dune, assume, resume, …
