Oxford Progressive English Alternative Course - Book A [antikvár]

SOUNDS AND SPELLINGS NOTES ON THE PHONETIC SYMBOLS The mark /:/ indicates length. The vowel in sit is short. The vowel in seat is long. There is a difference in quality between the vowels in sit and seat. The two words are transcribed /sit/ and /si;t/. This mark does not show the relative length of vowels. Seat and seed are both transcribed with the vowel /i; /, but the vowel in seed is longer than the vowel in seat. In the noun r^cori/'rekoid/ the vowel /o: / is shorter than the vowel /o:/ in the verb record /ri'koid/. The mark /'/is placed before a syllable with a primary stress: many /'meni/, teacher /'tiitja/. The mark /,/ is placed before a syllable with a secondary stress: examination /ig,zami'neijn/. This word has a secondary stress on the second syllable and a primary stress on the fourth syllable. The asterisk (*) indicates the possibility of r-linking. Compare: Where was it? wea 'woz it? Where is it? wear 'iz it? The r-sound is used when the word immediately following begins with a vowel sound. A phonetic symbol is in some cases printed in parenthesis. This indicates that the sound may be omitted. Change is transcribed /tjein(d)3/. This indicates that the word may be pronounced either as /tjeinds/ or as /t|ein3/.