WEAK AND STRONG FORMS

1. The indefinite article: <a>/<an>

a) strong forms: / eɪ / and / æn / b) weak forms /ə/ and /ən/

The strong form is used exclusively in the context of quotation The weak form is used elsewhere.
and receives stress in this context: - [ə] boy was bitten by [ən] alligator.
- You say [eɪ] before a consonant but [æn] before a vowel.

2. The conjunction <and>:

a) strong form: / ænd/ b) weak forms: 1) /ən/ or 2) /n/

Used in the context of quotation, for emphasis and in
1) is used in normal speech:
impatient usually impolite answers where it receives
- You will read this again [ən] again [ən] again
stress and question-like intonation:
until you remember it!
- I love you!
- [ænd]...??? (meaning: ‘So what?!?!’) You use 2) in fast speech before a CONSONANT:
- Do you have anything apart from cosmetics in your - Dumb [n] dumber.
purse?
- hmmm...I’ve got cosmetics [ænd] cosmetics...

3. Comparative particle <as>:

a) strong form: /æz/ b) weak form: /əz/: used elsewhere.

The strong form is used sentence finally and optionally
- [əz] drunk [əz] a lord...
between two unstressed syllables. It is stressed only in
- Hard [əz] I tried; I could not keep up with her.
the former case:

- Such [æz]?
- I hate it when he uses her [æz] his cook and waitress!

4. Prepositions: <at, of, for, from>

a) strong forms: /æt, ɒv, fɔ:(r), frɒm/

Used sentence finally, for emphasis, quoting, and b) Weak forms: /ət, ə(v) f(ə)(r), frəm/ -> Used
optionally between two unstressed syllables. In the elsewhere.
first three contexts receive stress. - I got it [frəm] my father [ɒn] my 10th birthday.
- I’ll stay [wɪð] you [fr] a week.
- What are you staring [æt]? - That is not my cup [ə] tea.

The preposition like <by, in, with, out, up etc.> that contain (at least) etymologically high vowels do not
have separate weak forms in standard British English!!!!

<on> DOES NOT HAVE A WEAK FORM REDUCED TO SHWA!

5. The verb ‘to be’<be, am, are, is, was, were, been>:

a) strong forms: /bi:, æm, ɑ:(r), ɪz, wɒz, wɜ:(r), b) weak forms: /bi, (ə)m, ə(r), (ɪ)z, wəz, wə(r), bɪn/
bi:n/ Used in other positions, as an operator in wh-questions.
Used sentence initially in questions, sentence
finally, in question tags, for emphasis, quoting. - They [ər] in China and they [ə] coming back in January.
- I’ve never [bɪn] to Ukraine.
- [ɑ:] they playing our favorite song?
- Yes, they [ɑ:].
- He isn’t too eager to help you, [ɪz] he?
6. The verb ‘to have’ <have, has, had>

a) strong forms: /hæv/, /hæz/ and hæd/ b) Weak forms:

Used sentence finally, in question tags, sentence 1) /həv/ or 2) /əv/ or 3) /əv/ and 1) /həz/ or 2)
medially as a lexical verb (meaning ‘to possess sth.’) /əz/ or 3) /z/ and 1) /həd/ or 2) /əd/ or 3) /d/
- Have you seen his newest movie? Used as an auxiliary verb. 1) are used sentence initially
- Yes, I hæv]. or after a word ending in /ə/. 3) are used after a vowel
- He [hæz] three flats in Manhattan and two in and 2) are used elsewhere.
Hollywood.
- I [hæv] to stay longer at work. - She[z] made a complaint against you.
- John and Peter [əv] done something terrible.
- [hæd~həd] you been there before that day?

7. The verb <do, does>

a) strong forms: /du:/ and /dʌz/ Sentence finally, b) weak forms: 1) /də/ 2) /dʊ/ and 1) /dəz/ or 3)
as a lexical verb. /dz/
Used as an auxiliary verb 2) used before vowels, 3) in
- Yes, I am sure he [dʌz].
very fast speech
- We’ll [du:] plenty of exercises!
- [dəz] he know what to do?
- [dʊ] I look as if I was your twin brother?

8. Conjunction <but>

a) strong form: /bʌt/ b) weak form:/bət/ Used elsewhere.

Sentence finally, metaphorically meaning ‘doubts’
- I could have tried to help her [bət] did not have
- There are still some ifs and [bʌts]. knowledge enough to do that.
- I think you are right [bʌt]...

9. Modal verbs <must, can, could, shall, should, will, would >:
a) strong forms

VERB STRONG WHERE USED:

Must /mʌst/ Sentence initially, sentence finally, in question tags, in the meaning of logical
assumption.
Can /kæn/ Sentence initially, sentence finally and in question tags.
Could /kʊd/ as above
Shall /ʃæl/ as above
Should /ʃʊd/ as above
Will /wɪl/ as above
Would /wʊd/ as above

➢ In negative forms all auxiliary verbs (all modals + non-modal auxiliaries i.e. All mentioned in 9 + do, be and
have) retain their strong forms!
➢ Remember that some of the vowels in contracted negative forms are different from those in non-negated
forms!!!
➢ Contracted negative forms lose ‘t’ before a consonant but only in speaking, not in transcriptions: You [mʌsn]
smoke here!

VERB/FORMS WEAK FORMS WHERE USED

Must 1) /məst/ or 2) /məs/ Elsewhere. 1) before vowels 2) before consonants
Can /kən/ Elsewhere.
Could /kəd/ as above
Shall 1) /ʃəl/ 2) /ʃl/ or /ʃ/ Elsewhere. 2) used before consonants
 Should /ʃəl/ or /ʃd/ Elsewhere.
Will 1) /wəl/ 2) /l/ As above. 2) used after a pronoun.
Would /wəd/ or /əd/ or 3) /d/ Elsewhere. 3) after pronouns except for ‘it’.

10. Pronouns in nominative <you, he, she, we>

a) strong forms: /ju:, hi:, ʃi:, wi:/ In emphatic b) weak forms: /ju, 1) hi 2) i, ʃi, wi/ Elsewhere. 1) used
contexts, sentence finally. sentence initially, 2) used elsewhere.

- So, it was really [ju:]!? - I bet [i] can’t count to 8723680276350287436.

- If [ʃi:] can’t, nobody can! - [ʃi] was so excited that [ʃi] forgot to put on her clothes.

11. Pronouns in accusative <me, you, him, her, us, them>

a) Strong forms /mi:, ju:, hɪm, hɜ:, ʌs, ðem/ b) weak forms: /mi, ju, (h)ɪm, (h)ə, (ə)s, ðəm /
Emphatic context, quoting... Elsewhere, sentence initially only the forms with /h/
are attested. They are not stressed.
- It is [hɜ:] to whom I wrote the letter....
- I hate [ɪm]!

12. Pronouns in genitive <your, his, her, their>

a) strong forms: / jɔ:(r), hɪz, hɜ:, ðeə(r)/ Sentence b) weak forms: /jə(r), (h)ɪz, (h)ə/ Elsewhere. /h/-
finally, for emphasis. initial forms are used sentence initially and after shwa.

- Is this car [hɪz]? - He was doing [ɪz] best not to disappoint her but she
did not care.
<their> is not reduced to shwa!

13. Pronoun/subject filler <there>

a) strong form: / ðeə(r)/ As a pronoun... b) weak forms: /ðə(r)/ Elsewhere: as a subject position filler
(dummy subject):
- He has hidden it [ðeə].
- [ðər] has been a terrible misunderstanding.

14. Modifier <some>:

a) strong form: /sʌm/ before nouns, meaning an b) weak form: /səm/ Before mass nouns to
unidentified object/person, in the environment of weak mean an unidentified amount of sth. before a count
syllables, sentence finally: nouns meaning several:

- [sʌm] Mr. Smith is waiting for you outside the building. - I found [səm] coins.
- [sʌm] of them may be dangerous. - I need [səm] water.
- My mother made a delicious cheesecake, would you like
to have [sʌm]?

15. Conjunction <or>:

a) strong forms: /ɔ:(r)/ b) Weak form (only in fixed phrases) /ə(r)/

- More /ə/ less one big mess.
- Two /ɔ:/ three people in the company speak
French.
16. Pronoun <who>:

a) strong form (as an interrogative pronoun): b) weak form (relative pronoun): /u/
/hu:/
- People /u/ are absent will have to make up for it.
- /hu:/ is she?
- Do you know /hu:/ she is?

17. Comparative particle <than>:

a) strong form (sentence finally, emphasis): /ðæn/ b) weak form (elsewhere): /ðən/

- What is he bigger /ðæn/? - I’m better [ðən] you.

18. Preposition/particle <to>

a) strong forms /tu:/: sentence finally b) weak forms 1) /tə/ 2) /tʊ/ 1) before consonants, 2)
before vowels
- Where are you going [tu:]?
- I’m going [tə] Japan.
- I want [tʊ] open a shop.

19. Demonstrative/ relative pronoun <that>

a) strong form /ðæt/: as a demonstrative pronoun b) weak form /ðət/: as a relative pronoun (that
clause)
- Why did you do [ðæt]?
- I told you [ðət] I didn’t like you.

20. Pronoun <any>

a) strong form /enɪ/ when emphasized, used sentence b) weak form /ənɪ/ used elsewhere
initially, sentence finally, in complex pronouns like
anyone, anyhow, anything etc. - I didn’t expect you to do /ənɪ/ better.

- She was surprised because she did not expect [enɪ]one.

RULES
/ɪz/ /z/ /s/
When a verb or noun is modified by adding an “S” ending use:
- /ɪz/ when the word ends in /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /tʃ/ /ʤ/ /ʒ/ sound. OR when the -s ending makes another syllable.
- /z/ when the word ends in a vowel or other voiced sound like the m, n, ng, l, b, d, g, v, voiced th, or r sound.
- /s/ when the word ends in a voiceless sound like p, t, k, f, or voiceless th sound.

/ŋ/
/m/ before bilabial consonants (e.g. when one of [p b m] follows)
/n/ before alveolar consonants (e.g. when one of [t d n s] follows)
/ɲ/ before palatal consonants (e.g. when one of [c J ɲ] follows)
/ŋ/ before velar consonants (e.g. when [k or g] follows)
 /ŋ/ in Connected Speech
/ŋ/ can replace /n/ whenever the next sound is /k/ or /g/, so if the word IN is followed by the word COURT,
the /n/ can change to /ŋ/ so /ɪŋ ˈkɔːt/. This is known as assimilation, and can occur within words too, like
INCREDIBLE or UNGRATEFUL. The assimilation is optional, and it is often hard to hear.

Auxiliaries

/v/
/v/ becomes /f/ when followed by /p/or /t/. Examples: five pence /faɪf pens/, have to /haft u/, fifth /fɪfƟ/.

Verbs ending in ed
- /d/ after a vowel or voiced consonant
- /t/ after an unvoiced consonant
- /ɪd/ after the sounds /t/ or /d/

Word linking with /h/

In rapid spoken English, the /h/ sound often disappears in the weak forms of he, him, his, her, has, had, have.
all tend to lose the H if the word doesn’t appear at the beginning. The pronunciation changes with strong or
weak stress in a sentence.

Silent H
H is always silent in HONOUR, HOUR, HONEST, HEIR, VEHICLE & VEHEMENT. You don’t say it after ‘g’ in GHOST,
GHASTLY, AGHAST, GHERKIN & GHETTO, or after ‘r’ in RHINOCEROS, RHUBARB, RHYME and RHYTHM. It’s
normally silent after ‘w’: WHAT? WHICH? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? but it’s pronounced in WHO? – “Who’d have
thought it?”. And we don’t always say it after ‘ex’ – which is either EXHILARATING… or EXHAUSTING.