Strong and weak forms

Certain well-known English words can be pronounced in two different ways: strong or weak
form. These words are usually the ones we call function words.
For example, the word that can be pronounced in its strong form /ðæt/, if it is a
demonstrative pronoun or in its weak form /ðət/, if it is a conjunction.

• I like that.
• I hope that she will.
Function words:
• Pronouns – Replace nouns or noun phrases.
• Examples: he, she, it, they, who, someone
• Determiners
• Types:
o Articles: a, an, the
o Possessive Determiners: my, your, his, her, its
o Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
o Quantifiers: some, any, few, many
• Prepositions – Indicate relationships between nouns and other parts of the sentence.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or, nor
• Auxiliary Verbs – Help form verb tenses, moods, or voices.
• Examples: be, have, do
• Modal Verbs – Express possibility, permission, or necessity.
• Examples: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would
• Particles – Small words that are often part of phrasal verbs or expressions.
• Examples: up, off, out, over (e.g., look up, take off)

Almost all the words which have both a strong and weak form belong to a category that may
be called function words — words that do not have a dictionary meaning in the way that we
normally expect nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs to have. These function words are
words such as auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, etc., all of which are in certain
circumstances pronounced in their strong forms but which are more frequently pronounced
in their weak forms. It is important to remember that there are certain contexts where only
the strong form is acceptable, and others where the weak form is the normal pronunciation.

• Strong forms are prominent.

• Weak forms are unstressed.
• Monosyllabic
• Only in the oral form of the language.
• Very different from Spanish (no weak sound/changes in quality).
• There are 40 functions words most frequently used.
There are some fairly simple rules; we can say that the strong form is used in the following
cases:
 1. Many strong forms tend to occur at the end of the sentence:
2. Position within the tone unit: Words at the beginning or end of a tone unit are more
prominent and tend to use their strong forms. In contrast, words in the middle, which
are less emphasized, often adopt weak forms for smoother flow.
 I’m fond of chips əv
 It’s chips that I am fond of. ɒv
Many of the words given below (particularly the first nine) never occur at the end of a sentence, e.g.
“the”, 'your”. Some words (Particularly the pronouns numbered 10-14 below) do occur in their weak
forms in final position.

3. To make contrast: When a weak-form word is being contrasted with another word. For
example:

4. To coordinate prepositions:

5. When a weak-form word is given stress for the purpose of

emphasis. For example:

6. When a weak-form word is being “cited” or “quoted". For example:

7. Function (main verb vs. auxiliary, adverb vs. expletive, interjection): The function of
a word impacts whether it’s pronounced in a weak or strong form. For example,
auxiliary verbs or expletives (e.g., "there" in "there is") are less critical to the main
meaning and often take weak forms, while main verbs, adverbs, and interjections tend
to keep their strong forms because they convey essential information or emphasis.

8. Words in isolation vs. connected speech: Words said in isolation typically use their
strong forms to be clearly understood. In connected speech, however, many function
words (e.g., prepositions, conjunctions) adopt weak forms to keep the rhythm natural
and fluent.

Questions:
1. Which are the two main reasons why it is important to learn how Weak Forms are
used?
They are essential for natural speech flow in English. They allow speakers to glide over
less important words, highlighting key information while keeping a smooth and
conversational rhythm. This way, sentences sound more connected and are easier for
listeners to follow, which is especially helpful in fast-paced or casual speech. Hence,
recognizing weak forms aids in understanding spoken English.

2. Is it possible to only use strong forms when speaking?

Technically, yes, but it would sound unnatural and stilted. Native speakers typically
use weak forms for a more fluid and natural rhythm.

3. Are weak forms and contracted forms the same? What are contracted forms?

Weak forms and contracted forms are indeed different, although they both contribute
to the natural flow of spoken English. Weak forms are reductions in pronunciation,
while contracted forms are specifically shortened phrases where two words are
combined. Though many contracted forms are monosyllabic, they don’t always have
to be.

• Negative Contractions:
• Isn’t /ˈɪz.ənt/: This is a contraction of "is not," typically pronounced with two syllables,
especially in clear or careful speech.
• Aren’t /ˈɑːr.ənt/: This contraction of "are not" can also have two syllables, depending
on the speaker's pace and emphasis.
• Wasn’t /ˈwɒz.ənt/: A contraction of "was not," it often retains two syllables in slower
or more formal contexts.
• Weren’t /ˈwɜːr.ənt/: Similar to "wasn’t," it is pronounced with two syllables due to the
sounds "r" and "n."
• Didn’t /ˈdɪd.ənt/: The contraction of "did not," which may also be heard as two
syllables in careful speech.
• Pronoun and Verb Contractions:
• We’re /wiːr/: A contraction of "we are." While it's often monosyllabic, it can sound like
two syllables ("wee-er") in certain contexts or slower speech.
• They’re /ðeər/: This contraction of "they are" can be pronounced as two syllables
("they-er") when clarity is needed.
• You’re /jʊər/: A contraction of "you are." It usually sounds like one syllable, but it can
be pronounced as two in situations requiring emphasis.
• Contractions with "would" and "had":
• We’d /wiːd/ and They’d /ðeɪd/: These contractions of "we would" or "they had" can
sometimes be pronounced with two syllables ("we-ed" and "they-ed"), especially in
British English and when emphasis is placed on them.
 • Less Common Two-Syllable Contractions:
• I’d /aɪd/: Although often treated as monosyllabic, it can sound like two syllables in
some contexts.
• He’d /hiːd/: This contraction of "he would" may also be pronounced with two syllables
under certain conditions.

4. Are function words always pronounced in their weak form?

Not always. Function words use strong forms when emphasized or when they carry
essential meaning, such as at the end of a sentence.
5. Which are the rules that tell us when to use strong forms?
See above

6. Which function words occur in their strong form when they are at the end of the
sentence?

7. Which function words occur in their weak form when they are final in the sentence?
None.

8. When is “MUST” more likely to occur in its weak form?

When it is in the middle of the sentence.

9. When is “THAT” used in its weak form?

Demonstrative, comparative=strong
Relative pronoun, in the middle=weak

10. When is “HIS” used in its weak form?

When it is in the middle of the sentence.

11. When is “SOME” used in its weak form?

12. When do we use “n” instead of “AND”?

Depends on the register.In informal way, you can use n.

13. Which auxiliary verbs have a weak form?

The auxiliary verbs that have a weak form are do, be and modals verbs.

14. Do auxiliary verbs have a weak form in their negative form?

No, they don’t.
15. What’s the weak form of “THE” before consonants? And before vowels?
ðə y ði
 16. What’s the weak form of “DO” before consonants? And before vowels?
də y du

17. What’s the weak form of “TO” before consonants? And before vowels?
tə y tu

18. In which case “THERE” is always strong?

When it is a adverb of place.
The weak form of there is used when it acts as an existential particle at the beginning of a
sentence. In this role, it introduces the existence of something and is typically unstressed, as
it does not convey a specific location but serves a grammatical purpose. For example:
19. What are the characteristics of words that have more than one weak form?
The words that have more than one weak forms have a vowel sound at the end.

20. What type of words based on their function can have either a strong or weak form?

21. What type of words have a 50% chance of being either strong or weak when they are
at the beginning of the tone unit?
Wh-questions
Modal verbs

Personal pronouns

22. Why is it important for learners to know when to use a strong or weak form of a word?

23. How can a strong form occur as a result of a neighbouring sound?

When the neighbouring sounds are vowels sounds.

24. Which one of the five rules is more likely to happen?

When the word is in the middle of the sentence (Position within the tone unit).

25. What happens when the position of a word within a tone unit is changed?
The word can become weak or strong.

26. What are the phonemes that can't be in a strong form word?
Schwa and long phonemes

27. What are the phonemes that can't be in a weak-form word?

i:
28. How many function words have weak and strong forms?
40 are the most frequently used function words that have strong and weak forms.
The most common weak-form words
Strong and weak forms- Roach

What do we mean by "strong" and "weak"? In the present context, we are using these terms to refer
to phonetic characteristics of syllables. W could describe them partly in terms of stress (by saying,
for example, tha strong syllables are stressed and weak syllables unstressed), but until w describe
what “stress” means such a description would not be ver useful. The most important thing to note at
present is that any stron syllable will have as its peak one of the vowel phonemes (or possibly
triphthong) listed in Chapter 3, but not ǝ. Weak syllables, on the othe hand, as they are being
defined here, can only have four types of peak

• the vowel aǝ ("schwa")

• a close front unrounded vowel in the general area of i: and i iii) a close back rounded vowel
in the general area of u: and u
• a syllabic consonant.

When we compare weak syllables containing vowels with strong syllables, we find the vowel in a weak
syllable tends to be shorter, of lower intensity and different in quality. For example, in the word
'father' fa:ðǝ the second syllable, which is weak, is shorter than the first, is less loud and has a vowel
that cannot occur in strong syllables. In a word like 'bottle' both the weak second syllable contains no
vowel at all, but consists entirely of the consonant. We call this a syllabic consonant. In the rest of this
chapter we will look at the different types of weak syllable in more detail.

Not all weak syllables contain e, though many do. Learners of English need to learn where ǝ is
appropriate and where it is not. To do this we often have to use information that traditional phonemic
theory would not accept as relevant - we must consider spelling. The question to ask is: if the speaker
were to pronounce a particular weak syllable as strong instead, which vowel would it be most likely
to have, according to the usual rules of English spelling? Of course, knowing this will not tell us which
syllables in a word or utterance should be weak - that is something we look at in later chapters - but
it will give us a rough guide to the correct pronunciation of weak syllables. Let us look at some
examples: