|
KMID : 0917520050120040167
|
|
Journal of Speech Sciences
2005 Volume.12 No. 4 p.167 ~ p.180
|
|
|
Phonetic Realization of the Unstressed Weak Vowel ’Schwa’ in English
|
|
Kim Soo-Jung
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
The present study examines the phonetic realizations of the unstressed weak vowel /e/ in English words produced by native and Korean ESL speakers. Traditionally, the stressed elements in utterance are considered to be prominent. In this sense, the unstressed weak vowel /e/ is predicted to be shorter in length, lower in pitch and intensity than the stressed vowels. The experiment shows that native English speakers correlate the unstressed weak vowel /e/ with both shorter duration and lower pitch; Korean ESL speakers correlate it with lower pitch only. We cannot find any significant statistical difference in intensity between /e/ and the stressed vowels in both cases. This study suggests it is important to acquire and produce the correct prosodic correlates of the unstressed weak vowel /e/ for Korean ESL speakers to command more natural English intonation, since /e/ is the most common vowel in English speech and consists of the English foot rhythm along with stressed vowels.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Unstressed weak vowel, schwa /e/, stressed vowels, pitch, duration, intensity
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|