Linking sounds: /j/, /w/ and /r/

 In February 2019 I wrote a post about linking and intrusive /r/ in connected speech. Linking /j/ and /w/ work in a similar way:

a. linking /j/ connects /iː/, [i] or a diphthong ending in /-ɪ/ to the next word which begins with a vowel,
b. linking /w/ connects /uː/ or a diphthong ending in /-ʊ/ to the next word which begins with a vowel,
c. /r/ is used after the remaining vowel sounds: /ɑː/, /ɜː/, /ɔː/, /ɪə/, /eə/, /ʊə/, /ə/.

Ex. Read the following sentences and find the places where you should use a linking /j/ or /w/.

1. I think it's great news for you and me.
2. Did you see Alan's car yesterday? It's blue and green.
3. Sue and Ray have a cow and five chickens. 
4. Ray always says he is fed up with the hard work.
5. Joe isn't fond of coffee or tea; he drinks water instead.
6. Germany is larger than Austria and Switzerland. 
7. 'How about a day at the beach?' 'But it's windy outside. I don't want the wind to blow in my face.'

Are there any places where we use a linking or intrusive /r/?

KEY

1. you /w/ and, 2. see /j/ Alan's; blue /w/ and, 3. Sue /w/ and; cow /w/ and, 4. Ray /j/ always; he /j/ is, 5. Joe /w/ isn't; coffee /j/ or, 6. Germany /j/ is, 7. How /w/ about; day /j/ at; windy /j/ outside; blow /w/ in

/r/: 5. water /r/ instead; 6. Austria /r/ or

Silent "-e" and changes in pronunciation

English contains thousands of words in which the final letter "e" is called 'silent e'. In fact, however, it is a sign that the previous vowel sound is a long vowel or a diphthong. Sometimes other changes in spelling and pronunciation occur as well. Some sources call it 'magic e', as it is supposed to 'make a vowel say its name'. Look at the following example:

The vowel "e" is called 'ee' /iː/. The word 'pet' is pronounced /pet/, and the name 'Pete' is pronounced /piːt/.

The same is sometimes true of the letters "a", "i", "o" and "u". Of course there are exceptions: 'come', 'some' 'one' have a 'silent e' but retain a short vowel.

When a vowel letter is followed by the letter "r" and "-e" is added, the 'magic e' rule does not apply and other changes take place. Note that Exercise 3 describes non-rhotic pronunciation (no /r/ after vowels).

Ex. 1 Add an "-e" to the following words and write how the vowels change when a new word is formed (look at the example above).

A: mat, man, pan, can, tap, fat, hat, pal

E: met, den

I: thin, lit, pin, spit, spin, win

O: cod, con, mod

U: hug, cut

Ex. 2 Change the letters "-ck" to "-ke" to form new words and write how the vowels change when a new word is formed.

A: back, lack, rack, tack   I: lick, pick, hick   O: jock, pock, stock   U: duck, luck

Ex. 3 Add an "-e" to the following words and write how the vowels change when a new word is formed (look at the example above).

A: bar, car, far, mar, scar, star   E: her, sever I: sir, fir  O: cor, for, lor

KEY

Ex. 1
A: mat-e, man-e, pan-e, can-e, tap-e, fat-e, hat-e, pal-e /æ/ - /eɪ/
E: met-e, den-e /e/ - /iː/ 

I: thin-e, lit-e, pin-e, spit-e, spin-e, win-e /ɪ/ - /aɪ/, NB. thin /θɪn/, thine /ðaɪn/
O: cod-e, con-e, mod-e /ɒ/ - /əʊ/
U: hug-e, cut-e /hʌg/ - /hjuːdʒ/, /kʌt/ - /kjuːt/

Ex. 2
A: bake, lake, rake, take /æ/ - /eɪ/, I: like, pike, hike /ɪ/ - /aɪ/ O: joke, poke, stoke /ɒ/ - /əʊ/, U: duke, Luke /ʌ/ - /uː/

Ex. 3
A: bar-e, car-e, far-e, mar-e, scar-e, star-e /ɑː/ - /eə/
E: her-e, sever-e /hɜː/ (weak /hə/) - /hɪə/, /ˈsevə/ - /sɪˈvɪə/
I: sir-e, fir-e /ɜː/ - /aɪə/
O: cor-e, for-e, lor-e no change /ɔː/

This time I got a little help from:

Tophonetics https://tophonetics.com/

Wordplays https://www.wordplays.com

Magic -e is described at Teflpedia: https://teflpedia.com/Magic_e

Rhoticity: linking and intrusive /r/

In rhotic English accents - those of American, Canadian, Irish and Scottish English as well as some accents in the southwest of England - /r/ is pronounced before and after vowels. In accents like RP, however, /r/ is not pronounced after vowels, including in word-final position. There are exceptions to this rule: when <r> appears in spelling and there is no pause but another word beginning with a vowel, the /r/ is retained (perhaps square brackets as in [r] are more suitable here).

Intrusive /r/ is a special case: when a word ends with a vowel and there is no <r> in spelling but the next word also begins with a vowel, intrusive sounds appear: /w/ after /u:/, /j/ after /i/ or /i:/ and /r/ after remaining word-final vowels. Similar rules apply to diphthongs.

Ex. 1 Which of the following phrases are pronounced using linking /r/?

there are some, the bar's closed, more of them, their house, the car is, dear guests, far enough, the bitter end, the computer's broken, the floor is, four per cent, the star and the moon, the mayor of the city, hares and badgers, the fear of heights, dark clouds

Ex. 2. Which of the following phrases are pronounced using intrusive /r/? Write down where it is pronounced.

you and me, the sofa or the couch, Sue is there, vodka and gin, we are tired, the idea of it, to have a bee in the bonnet, India and Cuba and China and Britain, this shoe is too small, Barbara or Sofia or Jane,  this cappucino is cold, this pasta is great


KEY
1. there are some, more of them, the car is, far enough, the bitter end, the floor is, the star and the moon, the mayor of the city, the fear of heights

2. sofa/r/ or, vodka/r/ and gin, the idea/r/ of it, India/r/ and Cuba/r/ and China/r/ and Britain, Barbara/r/ or Sofia/r/ or Jane, this pasta/r/ is great