Lecture 6 - Pects of connected speech presents: Rhythm, Assimilation, Elision, Linking. Rhythm is the relatively equal beat between stressed syllables. It has often been claimed that English speech is rhythmical and that rhythm is detectable in the regular occurrence of stressed syllables. | Lecture 6 Aspects of connected speech • Rhythm • Assimilation • Elision • Linking 1 Rhythm • Rhythm is the relatively equal beat between stressed syllables. It has often been claimed that English speech is rhythmical and that rhythm is detectable in the regular occurrence of stressed syllables. • The theory that English has stress-timed rhythm implies that stressed syllables will tend to occur at relatively regular intervals whether they are separated by unstressed syllables or not. . Walk down the path to the end of the canal 2 • The stress-timed rhythm theory states that the time from each stressed syllable to the next will tend to be the same, irrespective of the number of intervening unstressed syllables. How did you manage to be there in time? • In languages which have syllable-timed rhythm, all syllables, whether stressed or unstressed tend to occur at regular intervals of time, and the time between stressed syllables will be shorter or longer in proportion to the number of unstressed syllables. 3 Stress group • A stressed syllable, together with any unstressed syllables which may follow it form a stress group. • The fundamental rule of English rhythm is that each stress group within a word group is given the same amount of time. My teacher’s in London this Friday for a conference in Phonetics When did you hear the story about John and the girl upstairs? 4 Rhythm unit (Foot) • A unit with a stressed syllable as its centre and any unstressed syllables which may come before and after it is called a rhythm unit. The rules are as follows. Any unstressed syllable at the beginning of a word group must go together with the following stress group. My apologies 2. The teacher has arrived 1. If the unstressed syllable is part of the same word as the stressed syllable, they belong to the same foot. I’m going home today for Christmas 5
