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Help[Opinions] Re: Pronounce Abram?
in reply to a message by HarderToBreathe
Since the first syllable is emphasised, the second syllable has a neutral vowel. Making it sound like either an a or a u seems odd.
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I don't know what you mean by a neutral vowel, or how it differs from an A or a U.
This message was edited 6/1/2014, 2:01 PM
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A 'neutral vowel' is the sound vowels often become in unstressed syllables in English. It's technical name is schwa.
The difference between schwa and the 'uh' sound (as in 'up') is subtle, but it's there.
It's vowel sound in the middle syllable of "Benjamin" (when said by English speakers).
:)
The difference between schwa and the 'uh' sound (as in 'up') is subtle, but it's there.
It's vowel sound in the middle syllable of "Benjamin" (when said by English speakers).
:)
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Yes! And, what's more ...
There are two such neutral or unstressed vowels in English. They have the same job - they occupy the space of vowels which we can readily identify when they appear in stressed syllables. But they differ in their articulation point, which is just the place in a tlking mouth where its tongue is. When most of your tongue is high up in your mouth, there isn't much room for the air to escape and the result is a thinner, higher sound - i, e and vocalic y. When it's lower down, you make a bigger, more booming sound like a, o and u. Of course, English being what it is, there are exceptions: try saying Lily and Anna. OK? The unstressed y in Lily is made by a higher-up tongue position; the unstressed second a in Anna would be written as a schwa, as you rightly say - schwa in print is an upside-down e. So, if we're doing a phonetic transcription, we'd use a schwa for the second a in Anna, but for the second syllable in Lily we'd use an i with a line through it. And we'd use that symbol for, say, the second syllable in lettuce or carrot: even though they contain a low vowel, it's the pronunciation that counts. So if I had to transcribe Abram I'd use a schwa but for Gareth an unstressed i.
Clear as mud? Yeah, thought so!
There are two such neutral or unstressed vowels in English. They have the same job - they occupy the space of vowels which we can readily identify when they appear in stressed syllables. But they differ in their articulation point, which is just the place in a tlking mouth where its tongue is. When most of your tongue is high up in your mouth, there isn't much room for the air to escape and the result is a thinner, higher sound - i, e and vocalic y. When it's lower down, you make a bigger, more booming sound like a, o and u. Of course, English being what it is, there are exceptions: try saying Lily and Anna. OK? The unstressed y in Lily is made by a higher-up tongue position; the unstressed second a in Anna would be written as a schwa, as you rightly say - schwa in print is an upside-down e. So, if we're doing a phonetic transcription, we'd use a schwa for the second a in Anna, but for the second syllable in Lily we'd use an i with a line through it. And we'd use that symbol for, say, the second syllable in lettuce or carrot: even though they contain a low vowel, it's the pronunciation that counts. So if I had to transcribe Abram I'd use a schwa but for Gareth an unstressed i.
Clear as mud? Yeah, thought so!
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