WEAK AND STRONG FORMS
Weak forms are an essential feature of English pronunciation. Students who wish to acquire a
high level of oral performance, as is the case of future teachers and translators of English,
must be aware of their existence, since failure to produce them will affect their rhythm
considerably.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
There is a small group of about 35 to 40 very common structural words in English which are
pronounced in mainly two different ways: a strong form and a weak form, and some of these
words have more than one weak form. In general, weak forms are much more common than strong
forms, in fact, weak forms are the normal pronunciations and students should use them from the
very early stages.
In most contexts the use of weak forms is compulsory, and failure to pronounce them will result
in a foreign accent, unnecessary (and therefore wrong) contrast or emphasis, or excessive formality.
The use of weak forms depends mainly on three factors: accent (weak forms are never
accented), position, and context.
GENERAL RULES FOR AUXILIARY VERBS
In general, the strong form of verbs is used:
When they introduce a “Yes – No question”(the use of the weak form is also
possible, although it’s more informal).
When they appear in final position.
When there is emphasis.
When the verb is in the negative form.
In very short “Wh questions”.
Strong form Weak form Negative form
Can /kæn/ /kən / / kn / /kɑ:nt/ /kænɒt /
Could /kUd / /k∂d / /kUdnt/
Would /wUd / /w∂d/ /d / /wUdnt /
Should /∫Ud / /∫∂d / / d / /∫Udnt/. /d/ becomes /t/ before voiceless sounds // aI
∫ət steI /
Must /m∧s(t) / /məs(t) / /m∧snt/
May /meI/ / me aI /
Might /maIt/
Do /du:/ /dʊ/ /də/, /dəʊnt/
Does /dʌz/ /dəz/. /dʌznt/
Examples: Could your brother help me? (Preferably weak form: we tend to stress “brother”,
but both forms can be used) Can you speak French? (WF or SF, preferably strong and
stressed before a pronoun), No, you shouldn’t (SF: negative), But I must! (SF: final and
emphatic position). I do like chocolate (SF: emphasis)
VERB “TO BE”
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am /æm/ /əm/ /m/ is /ɪz/ /z/ /s/ //ɪznt/ are /ɑ: / ə / /ɑ:nt /
hwas /wɒz/ /wəz/ /wɒznt/ were /wɜ:/ /wə/ /wɜ:nt/ be /bi:/ /bɪ/
been /bi:n / /bIn / being /bi: Iŋ / /bIIŋ /
In positive statements, the weak forms are generally used: “They were /wə/ friends”, “He
was /wəz/ late yesterday”, “They are /ə/ very proud of their family”.
The strong form is used in emphatic, contrastive and final positions, and in negative forms.
When introducing a “yes-no” question, either form can be used but the weak form is usually
used.
Examples: Am I right? (SF or WF), They weren’t late (SF), I know they were there, although
they denied it! (SF).
VERB “TO HAVE”
We use the strong form when it functions as the main verb of the sentence: I have /hæv/
a nice dog (SF), when the verb has a special meaning: He has to /hæz tə/ work hard (SF),
They have /hæv/ dinner at 8 p.m (SF), and when the verb is in the negative form /hævnt/
or in final or emphatic positions. If not, the weak form is used: He could have /həv/
come earlier! What has /əz/ Peter done?
When the verb is introducing a “yes-no” question, we can use either the weak or the
strong form.
PRONOUNS
Personal pronouns.
I / ai / it /it/
you /ju:/, /jU /, /jə / they / ðei /
he /hi:/, /hi/, /i/ we /wi:/, /wi/
she /∫i:/, / ∫i /
Objective pronouns
me /mi:/, /mi / it /it /
you /ju:/, /jʊ/, /jə / them / ðem/, / ðəm/, / ðm/
him /him/ /im/ us /∧s/, /əs/
her /hɜ: /, /hə /, /ə /
Reflexive pronouns
myself / maI'self/ itself / It'self /
yourself / jɔ:'self / /jəˈself/ themselves /ðəm'selvz/
herself /hə'self / ourselves /a(ʊ )ə'selvz/
himself /hIm'self /
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Possessive adjectives
my / maI / its /Its/
your / jɔ: / /jə/ their /ðeə/
his /hIz/, /Iz/ our /a(ʊ)ə /, /ɑ:/
her /hɜ: /, /hə/ /ə/
General rule for pronouns and possessive adjectives: the strong form of pronouns is used
when there is a CONTRACTION, CONTRAST or EMPHASIS. If not, the weak form is used.
PREPOSITIONS
Wheth Whether a preposition is weak or strong may depend on its position in the utterance.
TH TheThe strong (but unstressed) form is used in final position. Before objective pronouns we
can us ma4y use the weak or the strong form. In other positions, the weak form is used.
to /tu:/ /tə / (before vowel sounds) /t u:/
at /æt / / ət /
for / fɔ: / /fə /
from /frɒm/ /frəm/ /frm/
of /ɒv/ / əv /
The following only have one form: in /In /, on /ɒn/, under /ʌndə/, up /ʌp/, with / wIð /
ARTICLES
The articles “the”, “a”, “an” are normally weak.
the / ðə /, / ðI /, / ði: /.
a /ə/
an / ə /, / ən /.
/ði: / is used emphatically.
/ðI / and / ən / are used before vowels.
Eg: The Ice Hotel is situated on the shores of the Torne River, in the ol#
d village Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.
Now it has 64 rooms, as well as an Ice Chapel, an art gallery, a cinema, a theatre, and an absolute
Ice Bar.
NOUN DETERMINERS
This / ðIs / these / ði:z /
That / ðæt/ those / ðəʊz/
- Conjunction “that” (que) / ðət / Can you imagine a hotel that is entirely made of ice?
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Note: some people use the weak form / ðəs / in expressions like “this morning,” “this
afternoon” and in other weak positions. In these cases, we stress “morning” or “afternoon”
but not “this” or “that”.
The stressed form is used:
a.- When used as demonstrative pronouns, e.g. “These are good” (talking about sth.
previously mentioned)
b.- When a contrast is made. “This is very good, but that is not.”
c.- In expressions such as “this one,” “that one” they are STRESSED because one IS
NEVER STRESSED unless it is used in a numerical sense. Eg: I like this one.
Note: the auxiliaries MAY and MIGHT are stressed only when they are used to
express possibility, a wish or anger:
The auxiliary may is unstressed in positive statements of permission, but it is stressed in
the negative contracted form and in questions of permission. Examples: You may ‘go now.
‘May I go?
INTERROGATORS
what /wɒt/ when /wen/ where /weə /
who /hu:/, (conjunction: /hʊ /) whom /hu:m/ whose /hu:z/ (conjunction:hʊz/)
which /wIt∫/ why /waI /
what colour / wɒt kʌlә (r)/
how many /’haʊ ‘ menI /
They are stressed and strong when used as interrogators.
They are weak and unstressed when they are used as relatives.
They are unstressed when used in compound words, e.g: anywhere,
whenever.
SOME /s∧m/ /səm/ /sm/
It is weak and unstressed when it is before a noun, i.e. when it is a noun
quantifier. E.g.: There’s some milk.
It is strong in final position and when it functions as a noun substitute. E.g..Give
me some.
It is stressed in compound words. E.g: The keys must be somewhere in the house.
ANY / enI /
It is stressed only when it means “cualquiera”.
It is stressed in expressions such as “at any rate,” “in any case,” where
“rate” and “case” are unstressed. E.g: In any case, we could halve the benefit.
It is stressed in compound words. E.g: There wasn't anybody to stop her.
CONJUNCTIONS (AND, AS, BUT, THAN, THAT)
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AND / ən / Go and ask.
The strong form /ænd/ occurs in accented or prominent positions, e.g.
I said “and” not “end”.
And, he said, that’s not all.
The weak form /ənd/ is more formal than /ən/ and therefore it is not essential.
AS /əz / E.g: As good as ever.
The strong form /æz/ tends to be used in “exposed positions” such as at the
beginning or at the end of a sentence (but the weak form can also be used).
E.g:
BUT /bət/ E.g. Poor but proud.
The strong form /b∧t/ is accented to emphasize a contradiction, e.g. Rain? Nothing
but rain.
THAN / ðən / e.g More often than not.
The strong form / ðæn/ is of rare occurrence: Better? Who’s he better than?
THAT / ðət / e.g. Now that you mention it.
“That” as a conjunction and relative pronoun has only a weak form.
The strong form is only used when “that” is a determiner.
“THERE” USED AS ANTICIPATORY SUBJECT
The forms of “there” (haber) are always the same: /ðə/ /ðər/. What changes is the
form of the verb “to be” that follows “there,” according to the rules applied for most
verbs (page 1). E.g:
“THERE” ADVERB: IN, AT OR TO THAT PLACE OR POSITION
/ðeə/ E.g: I hope we get there in time.
It's there, right in front of you!
(Summary made from different bibliographical sources by Gabriela Trombetta).
Pronunciation – Strong and weak forms of auxiliary verbs
1. Does Alec like Maths? Yes, he does.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.Is she in her first year? Yes, she is.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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3. Is she studying to be an engineer? Yes, she is.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Are there any women in his class? No, there aren’t.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Does her course take two years? Yes, it does.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. Can they start a degree after six months? No, they can’t.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. Has he got acceptance from two universities? Yes, he has.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. Does she have to pass all the modules? No, some of them.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Who’s our tutor? Mrs. Joyce.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. Is she good? She’s “the” tutor, in fact.
.........................................................................................................................
11. The flowers are not for me. I bought them for you!
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