Чтение безударных гласных

Reading of Unstressed Vowels

Vowels in unstressed syllables in disyllabic and polysyllabic words usually denote the neutral sound [ə] and short [ı].

1. The letters ‘ e ’, ‘ i ’, ‘ y ’ denote the sound [ı]: rock e t, band i t, funn y.

2. The letters ‘ a ’, ‘ o ’, ‘ u ’ denote the sound [ə]: Pol a nd, bott o m, cact u s.

BUT - a ge [ı] (message), - a te [ə/ı] (delicate), - i ble [ı/ə] (terrible).

3. The letter combinations ‘ vowel + the letter ‘r ” give the neutral [ə]: doll ar, dinn er, doct or, nat ur e.

4. In the letter combination ‘ vowel + vowel + consonant’ (-ial, -ion, -our, -ous etc.) we pronounce the neutral [ə]: init ial, divis ion, lab our, gener ous.

5. In the letter combinations ‘ vowel + consonant + consonant (+ consonant/vowel) ’ (-able, -ance, -ent etc.) we pronounce [ə]: cap able, attend ance, stud ent.

6. In the letter combinations ‘ consonant + vowel + consonant (+ vowel) ’ we can pronounce:

a) the neutral [ə]: free dom;

b) the neutral [ə] or short [ı]: care less;

c) the neutral [ə] or short [υ]: aw ful.

7. The letters ‘ o ’ and ‘ u ’ in an open syllable and a closed one with the mute ‘e’ after the stressed syllable have their primary long meanings: samb o [əυ], cost u me [ju:].

NB

• the ending -es of plural forms of nouns and of the 3^rd singular present indefinite of verbs forms the separate syllable [ız] after [s], [z], [∫], [t∫]: di sh es, wa sh es, bo x es.

• the ending -ed of regular forms of verbs forms the separate syllable [ıd] after [t], [d]: expec t ed, inten d ed.