2020-03-18 Pronunciation: reducing structure words

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all classes
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Homework: try to read the whole poem at a constant speed
You can use Google’s metronome to help you
https://www.google.com/search?q=metronome

Edit to add: you can see some of the original illustrations that appeared with the poem here:
http://thelittlewoodenhorse.blogspot.com/2012/02/disobedience.html
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p. 65 exercise 8A - Listen and repeat.
I’ll be returning his book by tomorrow.
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We don’t usually pronounce I’ll with the full vowel sound like I. It sounds more like “al”.
- This is actually true for many contractions:
do not -> don’t
will not -> won’t
I will -> I’ll
we will -> we’ll (sounds more like “will”)

“Will do it tomorrow” and “We’ll do it tomorrow” might sound the same.
“All do it” and “I’ll do it” might sound the same.
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Structure words are almost always unstressed.
Short structure words are also usually reduced.
- Vowels are almost always reduced to schwa /ə/
- /v/ at the end is sometimes eliminated before a consonant
- /h/ at the beginning is often eliminated
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This means that many structure words can be pronounced the same way when reduced:
He books a room.
I have books of recipes.
Many books have been written.
	sound = “books /ə/”

Let’em go. - could be “him” or “them”

“what do you” and “what are you” can both be “whaddaya”
- “whaddaya” want = what do you
- “whaddaya” doing? = what are you
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p. 67 exercise 10 - Listen to each sentence and write the structure words I say.
Notice again that some can be reduced in the same way. This can cause confusion even for native speakers.
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Most of the time, you don’t need to reduce your own pronunciation, just understand when we do.
However, there are some words that will be confusing if you don’t reduce them correctly.