Page 139 - DENG504_LINGUISTICS

Unit 10: Phonemes: Detailed Study

(i) /t/ is aspirated when it occurs initially in a stressed syllable. e.g. Notes
tub /t ^ b/ [‘t ^ b]
h
attain / ’tein/ [ ’t ein]
h
e
e
h
potato /P teitou/ [P ’t eitou]
e
e
(ii) /t/ is unaspirated when it is preceded by /s/ and when it occurs in an unaccented syllable
e.g.,
stain /’stein/
stamp /’staemp/
butter /b ^ t */
e
computer /k mpju:t */
e
e
(iii) /t/ is nasally released when it is immediately followed by /n/. e.g.,
cotton /’k tn/
button / b ^ tn/
i
(iv) /t/ is laterally released when it is immediately followed by /1/
little /’litl/
cattle /’kaetli/
(v) /t/ is not released audibly when it occurs finally in a word and when it is immediately
followed by another plosive or affricate e.g.,
cut /k ^ t/ (final /t/)
football /’futb l/ (/t/occurring before another plosive
∫
∫
that church (/æ’+ z t /) (/t/occurring before an affricate)
4. /d/ is articulated exactly like /t/ described above, except that during the articulation of /d/
the vocal cords vibrate, producing voice, /d/ can thus be described as a voiced alveolar plosive.
Spellings: /d/ is represented by the letters d, dd as in dog, rudder, good, etc.
Distribution: /d/ can occur initially, medially and finally in a word as in day (initial), modest
(medial) and bad (final).
Allophonic Variants
(i) /d/ is released nasally when it is immediately followed by /n/
e.g.
sudden /s ^ dn/
gladden /’glædn/
(ii) /d/ is laterally released when it is immediately followed by /1/ e.g.
riddle /’ridl/
/’bridle/ /’braidl/
(iii) /d/ is not released audibly when it occurs finally and when it is immediately followed by
another plosive or affricate e.g.
good /’gud/ (final /d/)
bad boy /bædboi/ (/d/ followed by another plosive).
good jam /guddz æm/ (/d/ followed by an affricate).

Most Indians substitue retroflex plosive /t/ and /d/ for the English alveolar plosive /t/
and /d/.

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