FUNCTION WORDS ⇾ STRONG AND WEAK FORMS
STRONG FORMS are used when words are in final position, in contrast/emphasis use or for cited or quoted words.
WEAK FORMS are used only in unstressed positions. The main reasons for using weak forms are:
1. They are used by native speakers.
2. They are important for communication and understanding.
● The /ə/ is the most frequent vowel sound in weak syllables.
● Weak /i/ /u/
A weak form is distinguished from a strong from:
● By the difference in vowels sounds
● By the absence of a sound (vowel or consonant)
● By the difference in the length of a vowel.
DETERMINERS QUANTIFIERS
ORDINARY STRONG FORM(S) WEAK FORM(S)
SPELLING
the ðiː ðɪ (followed by
vowel)
ðə (followed by a
consonant)
a eɪ ə (before consonants)
an aen ən (before a vowel)
some sʌm (before a countable səm (before countable
noun: ”unknown nouns and other
individual”) nouns: an unspecified
amount/number of).
INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS (DET
QUANTIFIERS?)
WH WORDS
WHOSE /huːz/
WHO as a relative pronoun → /hu/
for questions → /hu:/
WHERE /weə/
WHEN /wen/
WHAT /wɒt/
WHICH /wɪtʃ/
HOW /haʊ/
PRONOUNS
ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)
SPELLING FORM(S)
she ʃiː ʃi
he hiː hi (beginning of a sentence)
i (anywhere else)
we wiː wi
you ju: ju (final positions/ before vowels)
jə (before consonants)
his hɪz ɪz (before a noun)
hɪz (beginning of a sentence)
him hɪm ɪm
her hə (beginning of a sentence)
hɜːʳ əʳ (before vowels)
ə (before consonants)
your jɔ:ᵣ jəʳ (before vowels)
juəᵣ jə (before consonants)
them ðem ðəm
us ʌs əs
WORDS WITH ONLY ONE BBC TRANSCRIPTION ACCEPTED:
SURE /ʃɔ:/
OUR /ɑ:/
THESE /ðiːz/
THIS /ðɪs/
THEIR /ðeə/
THEY /ðeɪ/
CAN’T /kɑːnt/
ITS /its/
CONTRACTIONS
she's /ʃiz/
he's /hiz/ /I:z/
we’d /wid/
isn't /ˈɪznt/
doesn't /dʌznt /
PREPOSITIONS
ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)
SPELLING FORM(S)
than ðan ðən
at æt ət
for fɔ:ʳ fə (before consonants)
fəʳ (before vowels)
from frɒm frəm
of ɒv əv
to tuː tə (before consonants)
tu (before vowels/final position)
as æz əz
there demonstrative: existential there:
(for final
position can be ðeə (before ðə (before consonants)
any of them) consonants ðəʳ (before vowels)
ðeəʳ (before
vowels)
CONJUNCTIONS
ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)
SPELLING FORM(S)
and and ənd (before a vowel)
ən (before consonants)
but bʌt bət
that ðæt (as a ðət (as relative pronoun)
demonstrative)
AUXILIARY VERBS ⇾ when they occur in the negative form and in final position, they are always pronounced in their
strong form.
ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)
SPELLING FORM(S)
be bi: bi
can kæn kən
could kʊd kəd
have hæv həv, əv
has hæz həz, əz
had hæd həd, əd
will wɪl wl
shall ʃæl ʃəl
should ʃʊd ʃəd
would wʊd wəd
must mʌst məs (before consonants)
məst (before vowels)
do duː də (before consonants)
du (before vowels)
does dʌz dəz
am æm əm
are ɑː ə (before consonants)
ɑːʳ əʳ (before a vowel)
was wɒz wəz
were wɜː wə (before consonants)
wəʳ (before a vowel)
been biːn bɪn
GENERAL RULES FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS:
1.
LINKING R
Occurs when a /r/ is in ordinary spelling and the INTRUSIVE R
following word starts with a vowel. When the word is Occurs when a /r/ is not present in the spelling but is
plural, ends in a consonant or is in final position, we added when we pronounce a sentence.
omit the linking R. Compulsory. It doesn't occur with all vowels, only at the end of words
with these vowels: /ə / /ɪə/ /ɑ:/ /ɔ:/
e.g. Mother and father.
/ˈmʌðəʳ an fɑːðə/ e.g. China and TV
/ˈʧaɪnər ən ˌtiːˈviː/
2. YOU CANNOT HAVE 2 WEAK FORMS TOGETHER IN FINAL POSITION: one of them must be in the
strong form.
e.g. preposition + pronoun
for you → /fɔ: ju/ or /fə ju:/
3. We use /i/ if the 'y' is in ordinary spelling and in the end of the word.
4. In the dictionary, sounds in italics or the mini /ə/ are omitted.
5. IN YES/NO QUESTIONS, the auxiliary verbs or modal verbs followed by pronouns:
weak + strong OR strong + weak IN THE BEGINNING of questions. NO BOTH WEAK OR BOTH STRONG !
→ PUNTO: //
→ COMMA: /
