vowel length distinction before voiced or unv. consonants

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Kooyeen

#376902 Sat, 09 Jun 07 01:08 AM

Hi,
Americans use different intonation for vowel sounds in one-syllable words, according to the final consonant (whether it is voiced or unvoiced). Examples:

Bit - Bid (the vowel in "bid" sounds different, it is on two levels of intonation)
niece - knees (the vowel in "knees" is on two levels)
cot - cod (the vowel in "cod" is on two levels)
boot - mood (the vowel in "mood" is on two levels)
...and so on

1) Do all Americans do that? Most of them? Are there dialects that don't do that? What about other dialects (UK, etc.)?
2) Does that only happen in one-syllable words? I think it applies to every stressed syllable, but not only in one-syllable words.

Thanks Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,973)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Vowels, Intonations, Consonants, Dialects

Marvin A.

#376925 Sat, 09 Jun 07 04:25 AM

I don't think it's called intonation. It's allophonic vowel length: vowel phonemes are realized as longer vowel allophones before voiced consonant phonemes in the coda of a syllable. This is found in all dialects of American English. Some American dialects have some phonemic vowel distinctions as well, but this is less common. Australian English has a distinctive phonemic vowel length: pairs such as ferry/fairy; hut/heart; and bid/beard are distinguished solely by vowel length.

Marvin A.

Joined on Fri, Dec 8 2006

Regular Member (638)

Vowels, Intonations, Consonants, American English, Dialects, Allophones, Phonics

Kooyeen

#377154 Sat, 09 Jun 07 05:46 PM

Hi Marvin,
thanks. Yeah, maybe I should call it "vowel length". It's just that those vowels are on two different levels of intonation (=pitch), so...

But I tend to use long vowels where I shouldn't use them. I don't think I tend to use short vowels instead of long vowels, but I I think I tend to do the other way around. In other words, I tend to say:
got with the same vowel in god
but with the same vowel in bud
etc.

What do you think?

Kooyeen

Vowels, Intonations

Marvin A.

#377229 Sat, 09 Jun 07 11:24 PM

>> It's just that those vowels are on two different levels of intonation (=pitch) <<

?? How so?

>> But I tend to use long vowels where I shouldn't use them. <<
Well, since it's allophonic, it really makes no difference. It might add to the impression of a foreign accent, but incorrect vowel length in English is not so noticeable. As long as you get the tense-lax distinctions down, then all's well.

Also, note that short tense vowels are about the same length as long lax ones: so bid and beat have about the same length.

Marvin A.