English

Consonants The standard English consonant system is traditionally considered to comprise 17 obstruents (6 plosives, 2 affricates and 9 fricatives) and 7 sonorants ( nasals, 2 li!uids and 2 semivo"el glides)# $ith the e%ception of the fricative &h&, the obstruents are usually classified in pairs as 'voiceless and 'voiced', although the presence or absence of periodicity in the signal resulting from laryngeal vibration is not a reliable feature distinguishing the t"o classes# They are better considered 'fortis' (strong) and 'lenis' ("ea(), "ith duration of constriction and intensity of the noise component signalling the distinction# The si% plosives are p b t d k g) Symbol p b t d k g Word pin bin tin din kin give Transcription pIn bIn tIn dIn kIn gIv

The 'lenis' stops are most reliably voiced intervocalically* aspiration duration follo"ing the release in the fortis stops varies considerably "ith conte%t, being practically absent follo"ing & s&, and varying "ith degree of stress syllable+initially# The t"o phonemic affricates are tS and dZ) tS chin tSIn dZ gin dZIn ,s "ith the lenis stop consonants, &dZ& is most reliably voiced bet"een vo"els# There are nine fricatives, f v T D s z S Z h) f fin fIn v vim vIm T thin TIn D this DIs s sin sIn z zing zIN S shin SIn Z measure "meZ@ h hit hIt -ntervocalically the lenis fricatives are usually fully voiced, and they are often "ea(ened to appro%imants (fricationless continuants) in unstressed position# The sonorants are three nasals m n N, t"o li!uids r l, and t"o sonorant glides w j) m n N r l w j m ck kn ck thing wr ng l ng wasp "acht m!k n!k TIN r!N l!N w!sp j!t

Vowels The English vo"els fall into t"o classes, traditionally (no"n as 'short' and 'long' but, o"ing to the conte%tual

effect on duration of follo"ing 'fortis' and 'lenis' consonants (traditional 'long' vo"els preceding fortis consonants can be shorter than 'short' vo"els preceding lenis consonants), they are better described as 'chec(ed' (not occurring in a stressed syllable "ithout a follo"ing consonant) and 'free'# The chec(ed vo"els are I e # ! $ %) I pit pIt e pet pet # pat p#t ! p t p!t $ cut k$t % put p%t There is a short central vo"el, normally unstressed) @ an ther @"n$D@ The free vo"els comprise monophthongs and diphthongs, although no hard and fast line can be dra"n bet"een these categories# They can be placed in three groups according to their final !uality) i& eI aI 'I( u& @% a%( )& *& '& I@ e@ %@# They are e%emplified as follo"s) i& eI aI 'I u& @% a% )& *& '& I@ e@ %@ ease raise rise n ise l se n se r use furs stars cause fears stairs cures i&z reIz raIz n'Iz lu&z n@%z ra%z f)&z st*&z k'&z fI@z ste@z kj%@z

The vo"els &i&& and &u&& in unstressed syllables vary in their pronunciation bet"een a close .i/&.u/ and a more open .-/&.0/# Therefore it is suggested that &i& and &u& be used as indeterminacy symbols# i u happ" int "h#pi "Intu

12TE3# 1# Notational variants# 4ifferently from the notation set out above) (i) -t is possible to transcribe English long vo"els "ithout using length mar(s, thus & i u ) * '&# This is phonemically unambiguous, although it does remove the option of restricting the symbols . i u/ to the use 5ust described, for the phonemically indeterminate "ea( vo"els# (ii) The symbol &+& is !uite "idely used in place of &e& for the vo"el of 'pet'# (iii) -n an older notation, no" no longer in general use, paired short and long vo"els "ere transcribed using the same vo"el symbol "ith and "ithout length mar(s, thus & i& in 'pit', &i&& in 'ease'* &'& in 'pot', &'&& in 'cause'#

2# Additional symbols# 6or some purposes and some varieties of English it is useful to give e%plicit symboli7ation to the glottal stop and&or the voiceless velar fricative) , netw rk ne,w)&k l ch l!-

American English
The variety of English on "hich the research programs that set up 3,89, focused "as :ritish English (principally ;9 and similar)# 1evertheless, 3,89, can readily be applied to ,merican English# The consonant system is identical "ith that of :rE, but the vo"el system differs some"hat# The <enyon = <nott system re!uires the addition of one further symbol, from >+3,89,, namely the grave accent ? to denote retrofle% (rhotaci7ed) vo"el coloring# Consonants: Symbol p b t d k g tS dZ f v T D s z S Z h m n N r l w j Vowels: I + # * $ % i e u ' aI 'I a% ). @ @. 12TE3# Word pin bin tin din kin give chin gin fin vim thin this sin zing shin measure hit m ck kn ck thing wr ng l ng wasp "acht pit pet pat p t cut put ease raise l se n se cause rise n ise r use furs all w c rner Transcription pIn bIn tIn dIn kIn gIv tSIn dZIn fIn vIm TIn DIs sIn zIN SIn "m+Z@. hIt m*k n*k TIN r'N l'N w*sp j*t pIt p+t p#t p*t k$t p%t iz rez luz n z k'z raIz n'Iz ra%z f).z @"la% "k'rn@.

1# Notational variants#
8any scholars prefer to sho" <+<@s &e& and &o& (@raise@, @nose@) e%plicitly as diphthongs, thus &e-&, &o0&# ii# :oth & ?& (@furs@) and &A?& (@corner@) can analy7ed instead as &Ar&, so simplifying the system and reducing the number of symbols needed) thus &fAr7&, &'(2rnAr&# iii# , vo"el notation based on that of Trager = 3mith is also "idely used* for this, @pit@ is transcribed &pit&, @ease@ &iy7&, @rouse@ &ra"7&, @corner@ &(BhrnAr&, etc# 2# Additional symbols# 6or many purposes it is convenient to symboli7e voiced+t (flapped t, tapped t) e%plicitly# -f the symbol &d& is not considered appropriate, then the 3,89, symbol &C& (D voiced alveolar tap) is recommended, thus @better@ &'bECA?&# # Differences in the system# i# 8any ,mericans (and most Eanadians) ma(e no distinction bet"een the vo"els represented above as &,& and &2&) for them, @lot@ rhymes perfectly "ith @thought@# 6or such spea(ers, it is suggested that &,& be used in both sets of "ords, so that @cause@ is transcribed &(,7&# :efore &r&, ho"ever, it "ill be best to retain &2&, so that @corner@ is still transcribed &'(2rnA?&# ii# 3ome spea(ers distinguish t"o (inds of &F&, perhaps using a different vo"el in @5a77@ from in @has@# -f desired, the first can be "ritten &EA& or &eA&# i#

Bulgarian
Vowels The vo"el system of Eontemporary 3tandard :ulgarian comprises 6 phonemes, as follo"s# SAMPA symbol i e a @ ' u Gloss peak heat again but under crack7 pik pek pak p@k p't puk Transcription /01 /21 /31 /41 /56 /81 Orthography

-n unstressed positions there is considerable !ualitative reduction of vo"els# Consonants The consonant system comprises 21 @hard@ (non+palatali7ed) phonemes, as follo"s# p b t d k g ts dz tS dZ f v s z S Z m again ball there give h w gas tsar ting pine glass f ul bank al ne dice shawl pit" plight swing pak bal tam dam kak gas tsar dz@n tSam dZam fal val sam zar Sal Zal -al ma/31 93: ;3< 63< 131 =3> ?3@ 6>4A B3< 6C3< D3: E3: F3< >3@ G3: C3: H3: <3H

n us l varnish r nce plus the semivo"el j eaten

nas ras jal

lak

A3F @3> I:

:31

There are also 17 @soft@ (palatali7ed or palatal) consonants, "hich are sho"n by the symbol J (,3E-- 9) "ritten after the consonant symbol# :efore &i, e& they do not contrast "ith the corresponding @hard@ consonants, but else"here they do# pJ bJ tJ dJ kJ gJ tsJ dzJ fJ vJ sJ zJ -J mJ nJ lJ rJ sung white them share pr fit r se wh le waste phew7 apathetic s wn waste Lume MnameN wineskin dumb p ured cut pJal bJal tJadJal kJar gJul tsJal dzJan fJut vJal sJal zJan -Jum mJanJam lJarJas /I: 9I: ;IH 6I: 1I@ =K: ?I: 6>IA DK; EI: FI: >IA HK< <IH AI< :IH @I>