Update: 2012-01-01 12:08 AM +0630
let-e.htm
Daniel Jones. Edited by Peter Roach, James Hartman and Jane Setter. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Scanned by Maung Kan Tun and edited by U Kyaw Tun, M.S. (I.P.S.T., U.S.A.). Not for sale. Prepared for students of TIL Computing and Language Center, Yangon, MYANMAR .
Pronounce
E |
EA |
EE |
EI |
EO |
EOU |
EU/EW |
EY
letters E and E, with a consonant in the middle
p168. The vowel letter [e] has two main strong pronunciations linked to spelling: a 'short' pronunciation /e/ and a 'long' pronunciation /iː/. However, the situation is not clear cut and other pronunciations are available.
The 'short' pronunciation always occurs when the [e] is followed by a consonant which closes the syllable, or a double consonant before another vowel, e.g.:
vowel-sound: /e/ -- short pronunciation
<bed> /bed/
<bedding> /ˈbed.ɪŋ/
The 'long' pronunciation is usually found when the [e] is followed by a single consonant and then a vowel, e.g.:
vowel-sound: /iː/ -- long pronunciation
<Eve> /iːv/
<credence> /ˈkriːdənʦ/
However, the 'short' pronunciation occurs in many cases where the [e] is followed by a single consonant and then a vowel, e.g.:
vowel-sound: /e/
<ever> /ˈev.əʳ/ (US) /-ɚ/
<prejudice> /ˈpreʤ.ə.dɪs/
The 'long' pronunciation may also occur where the [e] is followed by two consonants, e.g.:
vowel-sound: /e/
<negro> /ˈniːgrəʊ/ (US) /-roʊ/
<secret> /ˈsiːkrət/
When there is an [r] in the spelling, the strong pronunciation is one of four possibilities: /ɪə (US) ɪr/, /eə (US) er/ , /ɜː (US) ɝː/ or
vowel-sound: /ɪə/ (US) /ɪr/;
<here> /hɪəʳ/ (US) /hɪr/
vowel-sounds: /eə/ (US) /er/ ;
<there> /ðeəʳ/ (US) /ðer/
vowel-sounds: /ɜː/ (US) /ɝː/; or
<were> /wɜːʳ/ (US) /wɝː/
vowel-sound: /e/
<very> /ˈver.i/
It frequently happens that the letter [e] has no pronunciation at all, but is used as a spelling convention to show that a preceding vowel is realised with its 'long' pronunciation, e.g.:
silent: [e]
<brave> /breɪv/
<mice> /maɪs/
<hope> /həʊp/ (US) /hoʊp/
<use> (v.) /juːz/UKT: Though DJPD16 has stated as cases where "the letter <e> has no pronunciation at all", I would like to say that the letter <e> plays an important part. I would consider it to be similar to the split vowels in Burmese-Myanmar: "split-vowel {au}"
and "split-vowel" {o}
.
See letters E and E, with a consonant in the middle.
In addition
There are other vowel sounds associated with the letter [e], e.g.:
vowel-sound /eɪ/
<ballet> /ˈbæl.eɪ/ (US) /bælˈeɪ/
And, in rare cases:
vowel-sounds /ɑː/ (US) /ɚː/
<clerk> /klɑːk/ (US) /klɝːk/
vowel-sound /ɪ/
<women> /ˈwɪm.ɪn/
UKT: Compare the pronunciation of <women> with:
<woman> /ˆwʊm.ən/
In weak syllables
The vowel letter [e] is realised with the vowels /ɪ/, /i/ and /ə/ in weak syllables, or may also not be pronounced at all due to syllabic consonant formation or compression, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /ɪ/, /i/ and /ə/
<begin> /bɪˈgɪn/
<react> /riˈækt/
<arithmetic> /əˈrɪθ.mə.tɪk/
<castle> /ˈkɑː.sļ/ (US) /ˈkæs.ļ/
UKT: The word <castle> has an "l" with a diacritical mark to show that it is a syllabic consonant -- See l cedilla.
p169. The vowel diagraph [ea] has two main strong pronunciations linked to spelling: a 'short' pronunciation /e/ and a 'long' pronunciation /iː/. However, it is not normally predictable which one will occur, e.g.:
vowel-sound /e/ -- short pronunciation
<bread> /bred/
<cleanse> /klenz/vowel-sound /iː/ -- long pronunciation
<bead> /biːd/
<clean> /kliːn/
When the digraph is followed by an [r] in the spelling, the strong pronunciation is one of four possibilities: /ɪə (US) ɪr/, /eə (US) er/, /ɜː (US) ɝː/ or /ɑː (US) ɑːr/, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /ɪə/ (US) /ɪr/
<fear> (n.) /fɪəʳ/ (US) /fɪr/vowel-sounds /eə/ (US) /er/
<tear> (v.) /teəʳ/ (US) /ter/vowel-sounds /ɜː/ (US) /ɝː/
<pearl> /pɜːl/ (US) /pɝːl/vowel-sounds /ɑː/ (US) /ɑːr/
<heart> /hɑːt/ (US) /hɑːrt/
In addition
There are other vowel sounds associated with the digraph [ea], e.g.:
vowel-sound /ɪə/
<idea> /aɪˈdɪə/vowel-sound /i.ə/
<area> /ˈeə.ri.ə/ (US) /ˈer.i-/vowel-sound /eɪ/
<great> /greɪt/vowel-sound /i.æ/
<theatrical> /θiˈæt.rɪ.kəl/vowel-sound /i.eɪ/
<create> /kriˈeɪt/
In addition, there are instances when the two letters [e] and [a] come together in closed compounds, e.g.:
<whereas> /hweəˈræz/ (US) /hwerˈæz/
<hereafter> /hɪərˈɑːf.təʳ/ (US) /hɪrˈæf.tɚ/
In weak syllables
The vowel diagraph [ea] is realised with the vowels /i/ and /ə/ in weak syllables and may result in a syllabic consonant, e.g.:
<guinea> /ˈgɪn.i/
<ocean> /ˈəʊ.ʃən/ (US) /ˈoʊ-/
UKT: Words with the vowel diagraph [ea] in word-initial position is of importance in transliteration of Myanmar syllables and words.
<ear> /ɪəʳ/ (US) /ɪr/
<earl> /ɜːl/ (US) /ɝːl/
<earth> (n.) /ɜːθ/ (US) /ɝːθ/
<eat> /iːt/
p172. The most common pronunciation for the vowel digraph ee is /iː/
vowel-sound /iː/
<bee> /biː/
When followed by an [r] in the spelling, [ee] is pronounced as either /ɪə (US) ɪr/ or /iː.ə (US) iː.ɚ/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /ɪə/ (US) /ɪr/
<steer> /stɪəʳ/ (US) /stɪr/vowel-sound /iː.ə/ (US) /iː.ɚ/
<freer> (comparative adj.) /ˈfriːəʳ/ (US) /-ɚ/
UKT: Compare the pronunciation of <steer> with:
<stearin> /ˈstɪə.rɪn/ (US) / ˈstiː.ɚ.ɪnː ; ˈstɪr-/
<stir> /stɜːʳ/ (US) /stɝː/
In addition
There are other vowel sounds associated with the diagraph [ee], e.g.:
vowel-sound /eɪ/
<fiancée> <fiancée> (US) /fiˈɑːn.seɪ/vowel-sound /iː.ɪst/
<freest> (superlative adj.) /ˈfriːɪst/
In weak syllables
The vowel digraph [ee] is realised with the vowel sound /i/ in weak syllables, e.g.:
vowel-sound /i/
<coffee> /ˈkɒf.i/ (US) /ˈkɑː.fi/
p173. There are several pronunciation possibilities for the vowel diagraph [ei]. One is /iː/ when following a [c]; this is immortalised in the spelling rhyme "I before E except after C, but only if the sound is /iː/", e.g.:
vowel-sound /iː/
<receive> /rɪˈsiːv/
When followed by a silent [gh] in the spelling, it is usually pronounced as /eɪ/ but may be pronounced /aɪ/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /eɪ/ or /aɪ/
<eight> /eɪt/
<height> /haɪt/
The pronunciation /aɪ/ also occurs in two words which do not include [gh], but only in British English, e.g.:
vowel-sound /aɪ/
<either> /ˈaɪ.ðəʳ/ (US) /ˈiːðɚ/
<neither> /ˈnaɪ.ðəʳ/ (US) /ˈniːðɚ/
When followed by an r in the spelling, [ei] is pronounced as /eə (US) er/ and /ɪə (US) ɪr/, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /eə/ (US) /er/ and /ɪə/ (US) /ɪr/
<their> /ðeəʳ/ (US) /ðer/
<weir> /wɪəʳ/ (US) /wɪr/
In addition
Other vowel sounds are associated with the digraph [ei], e.g.:
vowel-sound /e/
<Leicester> /ˈles.təʳ/ (US) /-tɚ/vowel-sound /eɪ/
<rein> /reɪn/
UKT: Compare the pronunciation of <rein> with:
<reign> /reɪn/
<rain> /reɪn/<rein>, <reign> and <rain> are homonyms in British English. See Homonym
In weak syllables
The vowel digraph [ei] is realized with the vowel /ɪ/ in weak syllables, e.g.:
vowel-sound /ɪ/
-- <foreign> /ˈfɒr.ɪn/ (US) /ˈfɔːr-/
p182. There are several pronunciation possibilities for the vowel diagraph [eo], e.g.:
vowel-sound /iː/
-- <people> /ˈpiː.pļ/vowel-sound /e/
<leopard> /ˈlep.əd/ (US) /-ɚd/vowel-sound /i.ə/
<chameleon> /kəˈmiː.ki.ən/
UKT: The word <people> has an "l" with a diacritical mark to show that it is a syllabic consonant -- See l cedilla.
When followed by an [r] in the spelling, [eo] is pronounced as /ɔː (US) ɔːr/ and /ɪə (US) ɪr/, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /ɔː/ (US) /ɔːr/
<George> /ʤɔːʤ/ (US) /ʤɔːrʤ/vowel-sounds /ɪə/ (US) /ɪr/
<theory> /ˈθɪə.ri/ (US) /ˈθɪr.i/
Where [geo-] is a prefix, there are several possible realisations, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /i.ɒ/ (US) /i.ɑː/
<geography> /ʤiˈɒg.rə.fi/ (US) / -ˈɑː.grə-/
<geothermal> /ˌʤiː.əʊ ˈθɜː.məl/ (US) /-oʊˈθɝː-/
(In <geography>, the prefix may also be pronounced as /ˈʤɒg-/ in British English.)
In addition
There are instances when the two letters [e] and [o] come together in closed compounds, e.g.:
<thereof> /ðeəˈrɒv/ (US) /ðerˈɑːv/
<whereon> /hweəˈrɒn/ (US) / hwerˈɑːn/
In weak syllables
The vowel digraph [eo] is realised with the vowel /ə/ in weak syllables, e.g.:
vowel-sound /ə/
<pigeon> /ˈpɪʤ.ən/
<luncheon> /ˈlʌnʧ.ən/
p182. The vowel letter combination [eou] has two possible pronunciations. After [c] or [g] the pronunciation is /ə/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /ə/
<cretaceous> /krɪˈteɪ.ʃəs/
<gorgeous> /ˈgɔː.ʤəs/ (US) /ˈgɔːr-/
After other letters, the pronunciation is /i.ə/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /i.ə/
<spontaneous> /spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs/ (US) /spɑːn-/
p187. The vowel digraphs [eu] and [ew] are similar in that their most common pronunciation is one of /juː/ or /uː/, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /juː/ or /uː/
<feud> /fjuːd/
<flew> /fluː/
Many words in British English which have /juː/ are pronounced without the /j/ in American English, e.g.:
vowel-sounds /juː/ (Brit) --> /j/ (US)
<news> /njuːz/ (US) /nuːz/
UKT: Words of interest for transliteration of Burmese-Myanmar to Burmese-Latin (Romabama):
<ewe> /juː/
<ewer> /juː.əʳ , jʊəʳ/ (US) /juː.ɚ/
<you> (strong form) /juː/
When the digraph [eu] is followed by an [r] in the spelling, the strong pronunciation is usually /jʊə (US) jʊr/, although words borrowed from French may have /ɜː (US) ɝː/ in stressed syllables, and /əʳ (US) ɚ/ in unstressed syllables, e.g.:
<European> /ˌjʊə.rəˈpiː.ən/ (US) /ˌjʊr.ə-/
<connoisseur> /ˌkɒn.əˈsɜːʳ/ (US) /ˌkɑː.nəˈsɝː/
<amateur> /ˈæm.ə.təʳ/ (US) /-ʧɚ/
In addition
Other sounds associated with the digraphs [eu] and [ew] are as follows:
vowel-sounds /əʊ/ (US) /oʊ/
<sew> /səʊ/ (US) /soʊ/vowel-sounds /i.ə/
<museum> /mjuːˈzi.əm/vowel-sound /ɔɪ/
<schadenfreude> /ˈʃɑː.dənˌfrɔɪ.də/vowel-sounds /ɜː/ (US) /ɜː, uː/
<masseuse> /mæsˈɜːz/ (US) /məˈsɜːz, -suːz/
In words borrowed from German, [eu] is pronounced /ɔɪ/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /ɔɪ/
<schadenfreude> /ˈʃɑː.də nˌfrɔɪ.də/
p194. The most common position for the vowel digraph [ey] is in word final position in an unstressed syllable.
In weak syllables the vowel digraph [ey] is realised with the vowel /i/, e.g.:
vowel-sound /i/
<donkey> /ˈdɒŋ.ki/ (US) /ˈdɑːŋ-/
<Surrey> /ˈsʌr.i/ (US) /ˈsɝː-/
UKT: Words of interest in transliteration of Myanmar:
<eye> (n., v.) /aɪ/
<I> (personal pronoun) /aɪ/
However, there are several pronunciation possibilities for the digraph in stressed syllables, e.g.:
vowel-sound /eɪ/
<they> /ðeɪ/vowel-sound /iː/
<key> /kiː/vowel-sound /aɪ/
<geyser> /ˈgiː.zəʳ, ˈgaɪ-/ (US) /-zɚ/
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