Chapter 1
Strong and Weak Forms
This section is concerned with one of the most remarkable features of English pronunciation. Many common English words have two or more pronunciations in speech, depending on their positions in a sentence----a strong form and one or more weak forms.
These words include form words and the following pronouns: personal, possessive, relative and the indefinite pronoun “some”, denoting indefinite quantity.
The strong form of a word is used when the word is said in isolation, or in connected speech in which the word should be stressed; it is also used in certain cases where the word is unstressed positions. The weak form or forms of a word are used only in unstressed positions.
A weak form of a word is generally distinguished from a strong form
(1).by the difference in vowel-sounds,
(2).by the absence of a sound (vowel or consonant),
(3).by the difference of in the length of a vowel.
Examples:
are /a:/ /?/ them /eem/ /e?m/
and /?nd/ /?n/ /n/ am /?m/ /m/
been /bi:n/ /bin/ were /w?:/ /w?/
Very often the weak form has /?/ in it, whereas the strong form contains some other vowel; e.g. was /w?z/, for/f?:/, them/eem/, to/tu:/, but “It was too difficult for them to read.” /it w?z 'tu: 'difik?lt f? e?m t? 'ri:d/
A few words with /i:/ in the strong form have a weak form with /i/; e.g. the /ei:/, but “the other end” /ei 'Λe?r 'end/.
The following list tells you how the weak forms are used.
Word
Strong Form
Weak Form
Examples
1.Conjunctions
and
as
but
or
than
that
/?nd/
/?z/
/bΛt/
/?:/
/?:r/
/e?n/
/e?t/
/?n/
/n/
/?z/
/b?t/
/?/
/?r/
/e?n/
/e?t/
in and out /in '?nd 'aut/
black and white /'b?lk ?n 'wait/
bread and butter /'bred n 'bΛt?/
as old as you /?z '?uld ?z 'ju:/
But why not? /b?t 'wai 'n t/
two or three days /tu:? θri: deiz/
seven or eight /sevn ?r eit/ (before vowels)
better than ever /'bet? e?n 'ev? /
I admit that I did it. /ai ?d'mit e?t ai 'did it/
2.Pronouns
he
him
his
her
me
them
us
that
(rela
-tive)
who
(rela
-tive)
/hi:/
/him/
/hiz/
/h?:/
/h?:r/
/mi:/
/e?m/
/Λs/
/e?t/
/hu:/
/i(:)//hi/
/im/
/iz/
/h?/ /?/
/h?r/
/mi/
/e?m/
/?s/
/e?t/
/hu/
Did he win? /'did i: 'win/
Give him two. /'giv im 'tu:/
I like his tie. /ai 'laik iz 'tai/
(in the middle of a sense group)
Take her home. /'teik h? 'h?um/
She opened her eyes./?i: '?upened her 'aiz /
(before vowels)
(At the beginning of word groups the strong forms of these pronouns should be used.)
Could you tell me the time?
/'kud ju: 'tel mi e? 'taim/
Send them by post./ 'send e?m bai 'p?ust/
He won’t let us do it./hi: 'w?unt 'let ?s 'du: it/
the book that I bought yeaterday
/e? 'buk e?t ai 'b?:t 'jest?di/
the boy who lives here
/e? 'b?i hu 'livz hi?/
3.Verbs
am
are
be
been
is
was
were
has
(aux.)
have
(aux.)
had
do
does
can
could
shall
should
will
would
must
/?m/
/a:/
/a:r/
/bi:/
/bi:n/
/iz/
/w?z/
/w?:/
/w?:r/
/h?z/
/h?v/
/h?d/
/du:/
/dΛz/
/m//?m/
/?/
/?r/
/bi/
/bin/
/s/ /z/
/w?z/
/w?/
/w?r/
/h?z/
/?z/
/s/
/z/
/h?z/
/v/
/?v/
/h?d/
/d?/ /d/
/d?z/
What am I to do? /'w?t ?m ai t? 'du:/
The days are shoter. /e? 'deiz ? ' ??:t?/
The men are away./e? 'men ?r ?'wei/ (before vowels)
Don’t be rude./ 'd?unt bi 'ru:d/
She has been out./ ? i:z bin 'aut/
That’s fine. /e?ts 'fain/
He is here. /hi:z 'hi?/
Tom is here./ 't?mz 'hi?/
(/z/after vowels and voiced consonants except /z, ? ,? / ,)
One was enough./'wΛn w?z i'nΛf/
They were very pleased./ eei w? 'veri 'pli:zd/
The lights were out./e? 'laits w?r 'aut/
Has everyone gone?/h?z 'evriwΛn 'g?n/
The place has changed./e? 'pleis ?z '?ein?d/
(/?z/ after /s,z, ?, ?/, /s/ after /p,t, k,f, θ/, /z/ else where)
Have any been lost?/h?z 'eni bin 'l?st/
You’ve broken it./ju:v 'br?uk?n it/
(/v/after I, we, you, they; /?v/elsewhere)
4.Article
a
an
the
/ei/
/?n/
/ei:/
/?/
/?n/
/ei/ /e?/
5.Prepositi
ons
at
for
from
of
/?t/
/f?:/
/f?:r/
/fr?m/
/?v/
/?t/
/f?/ /f?r/
/fr?m/
/?v/
6.Other Words
there
not
to
some
/eε?/
/eε?r/
/nΛt/
/tu:/
/sΛm/
/e?/
/e?r/
/nt/ /n/
/tu/ /t?/
/s?m//sm/
2.The Use of Strong Forms
As I have said, these common words which have weak forms also have strong forms.The strong forms are used in the following cases:
1)When the word is stressed,e.g.
They don’t believe, do they? /eei 'd?unt bi'li:v 'du:eei /
You must choose us or them. /ju: m?st '?u:z 'Λs ?: 'eem /
2) When the word is at the end of a sense group or a sentence, even when they are unstressed.e.g.
(Who is on duty today?)
---- I am./'ai ?m/
What are you looking at?
/'w?t ? ju: 'luki? ?t/
3) Prepositions may have their strong forms when they are followed by an unstressed personal pronoun at the end of a sense group or a sentence. However, in this position the weak form may also be used. For example:
I am waiting for you. /aim 'weiti? f?: ju:/ or /aim 'weiti? f? ju:/
4) The indefinite pronoun “some” in the meaning of “a certain quantity” is always stressed and therefore pronounced /sΛm/. For example:
some of us / 'sΛm ?v ?s/
The adjective “some” in the meaning of “certain” always use its strong form, even when it is unstressed. E.g.
For some reason she is absent today.
/'f?: sΛm 'ri:zn ?iz '?bsn?t t?'dei/
As an adjective in contrast to “others” it is always stressed and therefore pronounced/sΛm/. E.g.
Some people like it, but others don’t.
/'sΛm pi:pl 'laik it b?t 'Λe?z 'd?unt/
