Weak Forms

Some English words can be pronounced in two different ways: A weak form and a strong form. Most of these are function words (auxiliary verbs, prepositions, contractions, etc), all of which are sometimes pronounced in their strong forms, but  are more frequently pronounced in their strong form. In some contexts only the strong form would be acceptable and in others, the weak form is the normal pronunciation.

Rules:

.       The strong form is used in the following cases:

·         When weak form words occur at the end of a sentence. For example the word “of”  is weak in the sentence “I’m fond of chips” /aɪm ˈfɒnd əv ˈʧɪps/ and strong in “Chips are what I’m fond of” /ˈʧɪps ə ˈwɒt aɪm ˈfɒnd ɒv/

·         When a weak form  is being contrasted with another word , The letter’s from him, not to him /ðə ˈletəz ˈfrɒm ɪm nɒt ˈtu: ɪm/

Coordinated use of prepositions “I travel to and from London a lot”

/aɪ  ˈtrævəl ˈtu: ən ˈfrɒm ˈlʌndən ə ˈlɒt/

·         When a weak form is given stress for the purpose of emphasis

You must  give me more money  /ju ˈmʌst ˈgɪv mi ˈmɔ: ˈmʌnɪ/

·         When a weak form word is cited or quoted

You shouldn’t put  “and” at the end of a sentence  /ju ˈʃʊdˌnt pʊt ˈænd ət ðɪ ˈend  əv ə ˈsentəns/

Another point to remember is that when weak –form words whose spelling begins with “h” occur at the beginning of a sentence,  the pronunciation is with initial h, even though this is usually omitted in other contexts.

Some common weak form words

1.     THE: /ðə/  before consonants and /ðɪ/ before vowels /ðə ‘dɔ:/,  /ðɪ ‘æpl/

2.     A/ AN : /ə/ before consonants and /ən/ before vowels. /ə ˈbʊk /, /ən ˈæpl/

3.     AND: /ən/ (sometimes  /n/ after / t, d s, z , ʃ/  /ˈfɪʃ n ˈʧɪps/

4.     BUT:  /bət/

5.     THAT:  /ðət/ This word only has a weak form when used in a relative clause; when used in a demonstrative sense it is always pronounced in its strong form.

The price is the thing that annoys me /ðə ˈpraɪs ɪz ðə ˈθɪŋ ðət əˈnɔɪz mɪ/

6.     THAN: /ðən/

7.     HIS: /ɪz/ When it occurs before a noun. (/hɪz/ at the beginning of a sentence)

Another sense of his, as in it was his, or his was late always takes the strong form.

8.     HER: /ə/before consonants /ˈteɪk ə ˈhəʊm/

/ər/ before vowels /ˈteɪk ər ˈaʊt/

9.     SOME:  This word is used in two different ways. In one sense (Typically when it occurs before a countable noun meaning “an unknown individual”)  it takes the strong form:

I think some animal broke it /aɪ ˈθɪŋk sʌm ˈænɪml ˈbrəʊk ɪt/

It is also used before uncountable nouns (meaning an unspecified amount of) and before other nouns in the plural (meaning an unspecified number of), in such cases it takes the weak form /səm/

10. THERE:  When this word has a demonstrative function, it always occurs in its strong form /ðeə/  (/ðeər/ before vowels) /ðeər ɪt ˈɪz/´

Weak forms: /ðə/ (before consonants) /ðə ʃʊd bɪ ə ˈru:l/

/ðər/ (before vowels) /ðər ˈɪz/

In final position the pronunciation may be /ðər /, /ðeə/

There isn’t any, is there? /ðər ˈɪznt eni ˈɪz ðə/

/ðər ˈɪznt eni ˈɪz ðə/ or /ðər ˈɪznt en ˈɪz ðeə/

11. DO/DOES: Weak forms:

DO: /də/ before consonants.

Why do they like it? /ˈwaɪ də ðeɪ ˈlaɪk ɪt/

/du/ before vowels

DOES: /dəz/ When does it arrive? /ˈwen dəz ɪt əˈraɪv/

In final position and when used as a main verb: /du:/ / dʌz/

Words that function both as auxiliary verbs and main verbs

When used as auxiliaries: weak form

Which have you seen? /ˈwɪʧ əv ju: ˈsi:n/

When used as main verbs: strong form 

I have a brother /ˈaɪ hæv ə ˈbrʌðə/

Adapted from "English Phonetics and Phonology", Peter Roach, Cambridge University Press