Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
1. A unit of sound in the phonological system of a language (…) represented (…)
- A unit of sound in the phonological system of a language (known technically as a phoneme) must be represented by a singele symbol, whatever variations may occur in spelling; e.g: <k, c, ck, q(u)> and an element of (x) all represent the one English consonant phoneme /k/.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
2. Capital Letters (…)
- Capital letters are not used for English phonemes; since <n> und <N> (etc.) are pronounced identicallly, they must be represented by a single symbol, e.g. /n/.</N></n>
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
3. Homophones (…)
- Homphones - pairs (of sets) of words with the same pronunciation despite different spellings - must be transcribed with the same symbols, e.g. Mick’s, mix.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
4. The apostrophe (…)
- The apostrophe must not be transcribed, since it is not pronounced: Mick’s = /mɪks/; Philip’s = /fɪlɪps/.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
5. A single letter may represent (…)
- A single letter may represent two phonemes in transcription; each of those phonemes requires its own symbol; e.g. <x> in six = /ks/.</x>
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
6. A double letter may represent (…)
- A double letter may represent a single phoneme, in transcription that single phoneme must be represented by a single symbol; e.g. <ss> in miss = /mɪs/; <pp> in snippet = /snɪpɪt/.</pp></ss>
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
7. A letter may be redundant (…)
- A letter may be redundant as far as pronunciation is concerned: if a letter represents ‘silence,’ it must not have a corresponding symbol in the transcription of a word, e.g. <w> in wrist = /rɪst/.</w>
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
8. Word spaces (…)
- Word spaces are retained as in orthography, even when there is no ‘space,’ or silence, in pronunciation. Note that the phrase snip it is pronounced identically to the single word snippet. However, word spaces are preserved to aid reading: /snɪp ɪt/.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
9. A letter may represent (…)
- A letter may represent two (or more) quite distinct phonemes, each of which must be transcribed dinstinctively; e.g. <c> may represent <k> as in crib (= /krɪb/) or /s/ as in cent (= /sɛnt/); <x> may represent /ks/ as in except (= /ɛkˈsɛpt/) or /gz/ as in exempt (= /ɛgˈzɛmpt/).</x></k></c>
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
10. Two words spelt identically (…)
- Two words spelt identically but pronounced differently - these are called homographs - need to be transcribed differently; Celtic, incense.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
11. Degrees of syllable (…)
- Degrees of syllable strength need to be marked, especially in words of more than one syllable, polysyllabic words; incense (an aromatic substance) = /ˈɪnsɛns/ and incense (to enrage) = /ɪnˈsɛns/.
Good Transcription Practice - 12 Rules
12. Alternative pronunciation (…)
- Alternative pronunciation in a single accent must be respected and corresponding alternativ transcription acknowledged: exit may be either /ˈɛksɪt/ or /ˈɛgzɪt/; exist may be either /ɪgˈzɪst/ or /ɛgˈzɪst/.
Transcription conventions for this course
- ǁ To begin and end the text. ǁ
- ǁ To mark punctuation at the end of a text ?!.
- ǀ to mark punctuation which indicated a pause , : ; -
- Indicate primary stress for all lexical words
- Use primary and secondary stress for compound words
- Do not indicate stress for function words
- Please use the epsilon /ε/ for words like bed, said.
- For diphthongs use the ones on your chart.
Stress
- Name four phonetic variables that indicate stress
- intensity perceived as loudness
- pitch variation
- vowel quality
- vowel duration
Stress
- meaning
stress refers to the relative prominence of a syllable
Primary Stress
indicated by ‘ in front of a syllable
syllable
Syllables are rhytmic units in speech
- onset + rhyme (nucleus/peak + coda)
- onset = consonant in front of the vowel
- nucleus/ peak = (usually) the vowel
- coda = consonants after the nucleus
> nucleus is the only obligatory part of the syllable
syllable parts
onset + nucleus + coda
> nucleus is the only obligatory part
Classification of Syllables
- Strong/ heavy syllables
- Weak/ light syllables
Strong/ heavy syllables
- short monophthongs + coda
- no ə, i, u
Weak/ light syllables
- /ə/ + coda
- short monophthong or unstressed /i, u/ as nucleus and empty coda
Further knowledge on syllables
- only strong syllables can receive stress
- syllables with /ə, i, u/ as their nucleus are never stressed
