2.4 Spelling-pronunciation rules for tense vowels
/iː/ Examples of spellings that represent the vowel /iː/
neat – /niːt/ |
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complete – /kəmˈpliːt/ |
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see – /siː/ |
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receive – /riˈsiːv/ |
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police – /pəˈliːs/ |
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(n)either – /(ˈn)iːðər/ |
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theory – /ˈθiːəri/ |
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idea(l) – /aɪˈdiːə(l)/ |
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museum – /mjuˈziːəm/ |
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Rule: /iː/ never occurs before /r/: hearing, near are /hɪrɪŋ/, /nɪr/.
/uː/ Examples of spellings that represent the vowel /uː/
soon – /suːn/ |
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lose – /luːz/ |
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group – /gruːp/ |
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shoe – /ʃuː/ |
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chew – /tʃuː/ |
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nude – /nuːd/ |
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fruit – /fruːt/ |
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blue – /bluː/ |
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Rule: /uː/ never occurs before /r/: touring, cure are /tʊrɪŋ/, kjʊr/. This is the same rule as for /i:/ above.
/eɪ/ Examples of spellings that represent the vowel /eɪ/
ace – /eɪs/ |
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plain – /pleɪn/ |
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may – /meɪ/ |
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veil – /veɪl/ |
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grey – /greɪ/ |
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| Exceptional spelling with ea |
break – /breɪk/ |
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great – /greɪt/ |
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steak – /steɪk/ |
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Yeats (Irish poet, 1865 – 1939) – /jeɪts/ |
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Reagan (40th U.S. President, 1981 – 1989) – /ˈreɪgən/ |
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/oʊ/ Examples of spellings that represent the vowel /oʊ/
old – /oʊld/ |
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shoulder – /ˈʃoʊldər/ |
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goes – /goʊz/ |
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though – /ðoʊ/ |
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/ɑ:/ Examples of spellings that represent the vowel /ɑ:/
Set 1
collar – /ˈkɑːlər/ |
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contest (noun) – /ˈkɑːntɛst/ |
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bomb – /bɑ:m/ |
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Set 2
coffee – /ˈkɑːfi/ |
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lost – /lɑːst/ |
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daughter – /ˈdɑːt̬ər/ |
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| Exceptional spelling with -other |
bother – /ˈbɑːðər/ |
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All other words have /-ʌðr̩/ (You know: mother, brother, smother, other…).
Note: speakers from the East Coast and parts of the Midwest use /ɒː/ in set 2.
Foreign words
As observed by Lindsey (1989) GA tends to use tense vowels in foreign words. (British English often has a lax vowel in these cases.)
Costa Rica – /ˈkoʊstə ˈriːkə/ |
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Piedro – /ˈpjeɪdroʊ/ |
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Los Gatos – /loʊs ˈgɑːtoʊs/ |
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Voltaire – /voʊlˈtɛr/ |
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However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule. So do look words up.
/aɪ/ Examples of spellings that represent the diphthong /aɪ/
line – /laɪn/ |
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mind – /maɪnd/ |
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fight – /faɪt/ |
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die – /daɪ/ |
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eye – /aɪ/ |
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Rule: /aɪ/ rarely occurs before r: hire, higher are /ˈhaɪər/.
/ɔɪ/ Examples of spellings that represent the diphthong /ɔɪ/
loin – /lɔɪn/ |
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boy – /bɔɪ/ |
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/aʊ/ Examples of spellings that represent the diphthong /aʊ/
down – /daʊn/ |
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mouth – /maʊθ/ |
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Rule: In the speech of most speakers, /aʊ/ does not occur before r: hour /ˈaʊər/, scour(ing) /ˈskaʊərɪ(ŋ)/ (clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard; to search thoroughly).
