The phonetic transcription of "Friday"

[SirGod]

I was surprised when I looked up "Friday" in the dictionary (Collins English) and the phonetic transcription was not [frɑɪdeɪ]. It was without "e", [frɑɪdɪ]. Then I looked it up in Cambridge Dictionary (British English) and found it with "e". Now I have just looked it up in the online version of Collins and both variants are listed. Which one is it? Is one for British English and the other for American English? Is "Friday" a free variant?

[5jj]

In BrE we tend to use /ɪ/ with days when they are followed by a closely associated word, as in 'Friday morning', and /eɪ/ when they are at the end of a sentence. In other places the sounds are in free variation.

[SirGod]

I will have the Phonetics exam soon and I will be having to transcribe phonetically a few words (besides other things). The words are isolated(?), not in a sentence. We have been told that we should use British English. I guess I can use either one, in this particular case.

[5jj]

I guess I can use either one, in this particular case.

I can't answer for your teachers I am afraid. They might have one or the other transciption in their minds as the only correct one. You may have to produce a dictionary to argue your case when your examinations are returned.

In the last phonetics examination I took (run by the IPA) we had to transcribe words, phrases and sentences that were read out to us. There could then be no question about the answer that was required. When I have tested trainee teachers on their ability to transcribe, I have always used recorded material, so that there can be no doubt.

[SirGod]

Thank you for your answer, 5jj, I will run it by my teacher when I get the chance.The words will not be read out, because that would give us, the students, an unfair advantage. Anyway, the odds that this particular word (or any similar tricky word) will be on our exam are very low, but I don't want to take any chances. Also, in my previous post, is "isolated" a good choice?

[5jj]

Thank you for your answer, 5jj, I will run it by my teacher when I get the chance.The words will not be read out, because that would give us, the students, an unfair advantage.
I don't see how that gives you an advantage. If they are testing your ability to write in phonemic or phonetic script, then the only fair way is to write what you hear.

If they are testing whether you know how to pronounce various words in English, then the only really fair way is to give you individual tests, and ask you to read out the words.

It seems to me that transcribing words from written forms is testing two different things at the same time, unfairly. If you don't know how a word is pronounced, you may get no marks, even if you can transcibe accurately. On the other hand, you will get no marks if you know how words are pronounced but don't know the phonemic/phonetic symbols well.

Anyway, the odds that this particular word (or any similar tricky word) will be on our exam are very low, but I don't want to take any chances. Also, in my previous post, is "isolated" a good choice? I think it's OK, though I'd probably say 'spoken/given/uttered in isolation'.

5

[SirGod]

I don't see how that gives you an advantage. If they are testing your ability to write in phonemic or phonetic script, then the only fair way is to write what you hear.

If they are testing whether you know how to pronounce various words in English, then the only really fair way is to give you individual tests, and ask you to read out the words.

It seems to me that transcribing words from written forms is testing two different things at the same time, unfairly. If you don't know how a word is pronounced, you may get no marks, even if you can transcibe accurately. On the other hand, you will get no marks if you know how words are pronounced but don't know the phonemic/phonetic symbols well.

Being English majors, I suppose we are expected to know how to pronounce a fair amount of words, because we will not be having unusual or extremely complicated words on that list. We must know both how to pronounce and transcribe the given words. The transcription would not be such a burden, but the following exercise(s) will be based on our phonetic transcription of those particular words, so if we mess up the transcription (no matter if we don't know how to pronounce or transcribe it) we will get no marks for the following exercise(s) too. That's why I cannot afford to transcribe them inaccurately and thus asked this question.

I think I overused "transcribe" and its derivatives. Its usage is obtrusive and makes my reply uncomfortable to read. Sorry for that. (you would probably say "stop being sorry").

[5jj]

I think I overused "transcribe" and its derivatives. No
Its usage is obtrusive and makes my reply uncomfortable to read. It's the word that's appropriate in what you wrote, but I think that I'd use 'use' rather than 'usage in that last sentence of yours.
Sorry for that. (you would probably say "stop being sorry").

5

ps. it's 'number' of words, not 'amount'.

[birdeen's call]

Fry & Laurie - Mr. Burmie - YouTube 1:11

[BobK]

In BrE we tend to use /ɪ/ with days when they are followed by a closely associated word, as in 'Friday morning', and /eɪ/ when they are at the end of a sentence. In other places the sounds are in free variation.

When I first met the nursery rhyme 'Solomon Grundy' (who was 'born on a Monday') I thought it was just a bad rhyme. But when I went to school and was exposed to other dialects I found that it was as 5jj said.

b