by comparing the Received Pronunciation British (RP) and General American | by comparing the Received Pronunciation British (RP) and General American | ||||
(GenAm) accents in use at that time. | (GenAm) accents in use at that time. | ||||
The `en` transcriptions listed below are the phonemes used by eSpeak NG to | |||||
transcribe the different lexical sets. | |||||
## Short Vowels | ## Short Vowels | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| KIT | ɪ | ɪ | | |||||
| DRESS | e | ɛ | | |||||
| TRAP | æ | æ | | |||||
| LOT | ɒ | ɑ | | |||||
| STRUT | ʌ | ʌ | | |||||
| FOOT | ʊ | ʊ | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| KIT | `I` | ɪ | ɪ | | |||||
| DRESS | `E` | e | ɛ | | |||||
| TRAP | `a` | æ | æ | | |||||
| LOT | `0` | ɒ | ɑ | | |||||
| STRUT | `V` | ʌ | ʌ | | |||||
| FOOT | `U` | ʊ | ʊ | | |||||
## Long Vowels | ## Long Vowels | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| FLEECE | iː | i | | |||||
| PALM | ɑː | ɑ | | |||||
| THOUGHT | ɔː | ɔ | | |||||
| GOOSE | uː | u | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| FLEECE | `i:` | iː | i | | |||||
| PALM | `A:` | ɑː | ɑ | | |||||
| THOUGHT | `O:` | ɔː | ɔ | | |||||
| GOOSE | `u:` | uː | u | | |||||
## Rhotic Vowels | ## Rhotic Vowels | ||||
These are vowels that are followed by an `r` that is not part of the next syllable | These are vowels that are followed by an `r` that is not part of the next syllable | ||||
when considering the root form of the word containing that vowel. | when considering the root form of the word containing that vowel. | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| NURSE | ɜː | ɝ | | |||||
| START | ɑː | ɑɹ | | |||||
| NORTH | ɔː | ɔɹ | | |||||
| FORCE | ɔː | oɹ | | |||||
| CURE | ʊə̯ | ʊɹ | | |||||
| NEAR | ɪə̯ | ɪɹ | | |||||
| SQUARE | eə̯ | ɛɹ | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| NURSE | `3:` | ɜː | ɝ | | |||||
| START | `A@` | ɑː | ɑɹ | | |||||
| NORTH | `O@` | ɔː | ɔɹ | | |||||
| FORCE | `o@` | ɔː | oɹ | | |||||
| CURE | `U@` | ʊə̯ | ʊɹ | | |||||
| NEAR | `i@3` | ɪə̯ | ɪɹ | | |||||
| SQUARE | `e@` | eə̯ | ɛɹ | | |||||
__NOTE:__ `/i@3/` is used for the NEAR lexical set to differentiate it from | |||||
`/i@/` used in words like `million`. | |||||
## Reduced Vowels | ## Reduced Vowels | ||||
These are unstressed vowels that differ from the vowels in the main lexical sets. | These are unstressed vowels that differ from the vowels in the main lexical sets. | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| HAPPY | ɪ | i | | |||||
| COMMA | ə | ə | | |||||
| LETTER | ə | ɚ | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| HAPPY | `i` | ɪ | i | | |||||
| COMMA | `@` | ə | ə | | |||||
| LETTER | `3` | ə | ɚ | | |||||
## Diphthongs | ## Diphthongs | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| FACE | eɪ̯ | eɪ̯ | | |||||
| PRICE | aɪ̯ | aɪ̯ | | |||||
| CHOICE | ɔɪ̯ | ɔɪ̯ | | |||||
| GOAT | əʊ̯ | oʊ̯ | | |||||
| MOUTH | aʊ̯ | aʊ̯ | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| FACE | `eI` | eɪ̯ | eɪ̯ | | |||||
| PRICE | `aI` | aɪ̯ | aɪ̯ | | |||||
| CHOICE | `OI` | ɔɪ̯ | ɔɪ̯ | | |||||
| GOAT | `oU` | əʊ̯ | oʊ̯ | | |||||
| MOUTH | `aU` | aʊ̯ | aʊ̯ | | |||||
## Split Vowels | ## Split Vowels | ||||
sets in both RP and GenAm, so have split from one of those lexical sets and | sets in both RP and GenAm, so have split from one of those lexical sets and | ||||
merged with the other. | merged with the other. | ||||
| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------| | |||||
| BATH | ɑː | æ | | |||||
| CLOTH | ɒ | ɔ | | |||||
| Lexical Set | en | RP | GenAm | | |||||
|-------------|-------|-------|-------| | |||||
| BATH | `aa` | ɑː | æ | | |||||
| CLOTH | `0` | ɒ | ɔ | | |||||
__NOTE:__ eSpeak NG does not have a distinct transcription for the CLOTH lexical | |||||
set. As such, it can only represent American English accents with the COT-CAUGHT | |||||
merger where COT is the American PALM-LOT merger and CAUGHT is the American | |||||
THOUGHT-CLOTH merger. | |||||
## References | ## References | ||||
// VOWELS | // VOWELS | ||||
//******************************************************************* | //******************************************************************* | ||||
phoneme @ // Schwa | |||||
phoneme @ | |||||
vwl starttype #@ endtype #@ | vwl starttype #@ endtype #@ | ||||
unstressed | unstressed | ||||
length 140 | length 140 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme 3 // Schwa, used for rhotic schwa in American, e.g. bett**er** | |||||
phoneme 3 | |||||
CALL @ | CALL @ | ||||
ipa ə | ipa ə | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme aa // 'b**a**th' etc. This is \[a\] in some accents, \[A:\] in others. | |||||
phoneme aa | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #a | vwl starttype #a endtype #a | ||||
ipa a | ipa a | ||||
length 200 | length 200 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme E // dr**e**ss | |||||
phoneme E | |||||
vwl starttype #e endtype #e | vwl starttype #e endtype #e | ||||
length 140 | length 140 | ||||
IF nextPhW(n) THEN | IF nextPhW(n) THEN | ||||
phoneme I // k**i**t | |||||
phoneme I | |||||
vwl starttype #i endtype #i | vwl starttype #i endtype #i | ||||
length 130 | length 130 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(;) | IfNextVowelAppend(;) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme i // happ**y**. optional variant of [I] for end of words | |||||
phoneme i | |||||
vwl starttype #i endtype #i | vwl starttype #i endtype #i | ||||
unstressed | unstressed | ||||
ipa i | ipa i | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme 0 // l**o**t | |||||
phoneme 0 | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #o | vwl starttype #o endtype #o | ||||
length 140 | length 140 | ||||
ChangeIfDiminished(@) | ChangeIfDiminished(@) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme V // str**u**t | |||||
phoneme V | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #@ | vwl starttype #a endtype #@ | ||||
length 140 | length 140 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme U // f**oo**t | |||||
phoneme U | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #o | vwl starttype #o endtype #o | ||||
length 150 | length 150 | ||||
phoneme A: // p**al**m | |||||
phoneme A: | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #a | vwl starttype #a endtype #a | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme A@ // st**ar**t. Used for [A:] when followed by 'r'. | |||||
phoneme A@ | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #a | vwl starttype #a endtype #a | ||||
ipa ɑː | ipa ɑː | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
phoneme 3: // n**ur**se | |||||
phoneme 3: | |||||
vwl starttype #@ endtype #@ | vwl starttype #@ endtype #@ | ||||
length 210 | length 210 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme i: // fl**ee**ce | |||||
phoneme i: | |||||
vwl starttype #i endtype #i | vwl starttype #i endtype #i | ||||
length 175 | length 175 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(;) | IfNextVowelAppend(;) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme O: // th**ou**ght | |||||
phoneme O: | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #o | vwl starttype #o endtype #o | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
ChangeIfDiminished(@) | ChangeIfDiminished(@) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme O@ // n**or**th | |||||
phoneme O@ | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #o | vwl starttype #o endtype #o | ||||
ipa ɔː | ipa ɔː | ||||
length 240 | length 240 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme o@ // f**or**ce | |||||
phoneme o@ | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #o | vwl starttype #o endtype #o | ||||
ipa ɔː | ipa ɔː | ||||
length 250 | length 250 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme u: // g**oo**se | |||||
phoneme u: | |||||
vwl starttype #u endtype #u | vwl starttype #u endtype #u | ||||
length 210 | length 210 | ||||
IF nextPh(l/2) THEN | IF nextPh(l/2) THEN | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme aU // m**ou**th | |||||
phoneme aU | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #u | vwl starttype #a endtype #u | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
FMT(vdiph/au) | FMT(vdiph/au) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme oU // g**oa**t | |||||
phoneme oU | |||||
vwl starttype #@ endtype #u | vwl starttype #@ endtype #u | ||||
ipa əʊ | ipa əʊ | ||||
length 220 | length 220 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme aI // pr**i**ce | |||||
phoneme aI | |||||
vwl starttype #a endtype #i | vwl starttype #a endtype #i | ||||
length 240 | length 240 | ||||
IF nextPh(#a) THEN | IF nextPh(#a) THEN | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme eI // f**a**ce | |||||
phoneme eI | |||||
vwl starttype #e endtype #i | vwl starttype #e endtype #i | ||||
length 210 | length 210 | ||||
FMT(vdiph/eei) | FMT(vdiph/eei) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme OI // ch**oi**ce | |||||
phoneme OI | |||||
vwl starttype #o endtype #i | vwl starttype #o endtype #i | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
FMT(vdiph/ooi) | FMT(vdiph/ooi) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme e@ // squ**are** | |||||
phoneme e@ | |||||
vwl starttype #e endtype #@ | vwl starttype #e endtype #@ | ||||
length 230 | length 230 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme i@ // mill**io**n | |||||
phoneme i@ | |||||
vwl starttype #i endtype #@ | vwl starttype #i endtype #@ | ||||
length 250 | length 250 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme i@3 // n**ear** | |||||
phoneme i@3 | |||||
vwl starttype #i endtype #@ | vwl starttype #i endtype #@ | ||||
length 250 | length 250 | ||||
endphoneme | endphoneme | ||||
phoneme U@ // c**ure** | |||||
phoneme U@ | |||||
vwl starttype #u endtype #@ | vwl starttype #u endtype #@ | ||||
length 200 | length 200 | ||||
IfNextVowelAppend(r-) | IfNextVowelAppend(r-) |