Sound Drills.
Combinations of voiceless consonants with [r]
[tr, pr, kr, str, skr, 0r, fr, 4r, sr]
In the clusters of voiceless consonants with the sonorant [r] complete of partial devoicing of the sonorant takes place – progressive assimilation affecting the work of the vocal cords. The sound [r] is completely or almost completely devoiced when it is preceded by a voiceless plosive consonant [p, t, k] in a stressed syllable: train, pride, cry.
In an unstressed position, at a word boundary or when [p, t, k] are preceded by [s] or some other fricative consonant the devoicing of [r] is partial: waitress, temperature, spread, quite right. A similar (of partial devoicing) both in stressed and unstressed syllables is produced when [r] is immediately preceded by a fricative consonant: friend, Geoffrey, shrewd, three, fruit, that’s right.
Combinations of alveolar and interdental consonants with [r]
[tr, dr, 0r, 8r]
In some of these clusters assimilation affecting the place and the manner of articulation can be observed. Thus under the influence of the post-alveolar [r] the alveolar consonants [t, d] in the clusters [tr, dr] become post-alveolar.
The clusters [tr, dr] are actually characterized by double (reciprocal) assimilation because the the sonorant [r] is modified as well: under the influence of the noise consonants [t, d] it becomes fricative, and after [t], as was mentioned above, it is also devoiced.
In the clusters [0r, 8r] the post-alveolar frictionless sound [r] is often replaced by an alveolar tap, or a flapped variety of [r]: a single brief tap is made by the tip of the tongue on the teethridge. In the cluster [0r], besides, there is partial devoicing of the sonorant [r].
- Aspiration. Degrees of Aspiration.
- Sound Drills.
- 1. Practise different degrees of aspiration in the following words:
- In a department store
- Leisure
- Loss of Plosion.
- Sound Drills.
- 3. Practise the following fragments of connected speech focusing on loss of plosion.
- Nasal Plosion.
- Sound Drills.
- Duty of the student
- Lateral Plosion
- Sound Drills
- 1. Pronounce the following words and phrases observing lateral plosion.
- 2. Practise lateral plosion in connected speech.
- Fricative Plosion.
- 1. Pronounce the following words and phrases observing close coarticulation of plosive and fricative consonants.
- 2. Practise fricative plosion in connected speech.
- To a False Friend
- Making a Cake
- Alveolar consonants before [0, 8].
- Sound Drills
- 1. Practice the following words and phrases. Be sure to make the sounds [t, d, n, l, s, z] dental before [0] and [8]
- 2. Practise the clusters of alveolar consonants preceding [0, 8] in connected speech.
- Boiled Eggs
- Sonants
- General Remarks
- 1. Modifications of the length of English sonants.
- 2. The syllabic function of the sonants in English
- 3. Devoicing of the sonants.
- Consonant sounds that link words.
- Linking [r]
- Consonantal glides [w] and [j]
- Sound Drills.
- 1. Practise the linking [r], [w] and [j] at the junction of words. Be sure to make the glides [w] and [j] sound very short.
- 2. Practise linking at word-boundaries in connected speech.
- Rain dying out
- Combinations of consonants with [w]
- Sound Drills.
- 1. Practice the following words and phrases observing assimilation in the consonant clusters with [w]
- 2. Practise consonant clusters with [w] in connected speech.
- Consonant clusters with [r]
- Sound Drills.
- 1. Practice the following words and phrases observing assimilation in the consonant clusters with [r]
- 1) Complete devoicing of [r]
- 2) Partial devoicing of [r]
- 3) Double assimilation
- 2. Practise consonant clusters with [r] in connected speech.
- Airport announcements.
- Travelling by train.
- Absence of assimilation in some consonant clusters.
- No assimilation according to the place or manner of articulation of English consonants
- No assimilation according to the work of the vocal cords
- Sound Drills.
- 2. Practise the difficult consonant clusters in the following contexts. Observe absence of assimilation.
- Monday’s child
- The House That Jack Built
- A vacant seat