Already (pronunciation)

[AlexAD]

Hello.

I have heard of this word being pronounced with the first or the second vowel stressed.
The OALD, and that is a pity, gets a mention only of the first form. So can both be used interchangeably?

I would be grateful for any mistake you might right in the post.

Thanks, Alex.

 

[rhapsomatrics]

/):lredi/. I think the primary stress should be on the first syllable. I do not think that a long monothong is ever silent...the /i:/ /a:/ /):/ /U:/ and /£:/

 

[5jj]

The BrE pronunciation is with the stress on the second syllable. This is where it is given in my sixth edition of the OALD (as well as in every other dictionary I have to hand.)

 

[5jj]

[/B]ics;842034]I do not think that a long monothong is ever silent.

No monophthong, indeed no sound, can be silent!

 

[birdeen's call]

No monopthong, indeed no sound, can be silent!

Isn't it "monophthong"? ;-)

(You're the one who taught me the correct spellling! )

 

[5jj]

Isn't it "monophthong"? ;-)

Thanks.

Bad typo day.

I have changed it, in case people don't read to the end of the thread (and to spare my blushes).

 

[rhapsomatrics]

indeed no sound, can be silent![/COLOR][/COLOR][/QUOTE]


'silent' in phonetics means 'unstressed'...like the 'a' in 'above', the 'er' in 'mother' (the 12th vowel sound that looks like an inverted 'e' )
And, there are silent allophones in English phonology... The 'l' in calm, the 'd' in sandwich

 

[konungursvia]

Already is always pronounced with the /e/ stressed, not the /a/.

 

[5jj]

'silent' in phonetics means 'unstressed'...

No it doesn't.

like the 'a' in 'above', the 'er' in 'mother' (the 12th vowel sound that looks like an inverted 'e' )

/ə/ is known as 'schwa'. I don't know what you mean by 'the 12th vowel sound'.

And, there are silent allophones in English phonology... The 'l' in calm, the 'd' in sandwich

No. The letter 'l' in 'calm' is not pronounced. There is no allophone of /l/ in the word.

 

[birdeen's call]

No. The letter 'l' in 'calm' is not pronounced. There is no allophone of /l/ in the word.

While I believe this is true for BrE, I think it's not for AmE. If I find an example in a near future, I'll post it here.

 

[5jj]

While I believe this is true for BrE, I think it's not for AmE. If I find an example in a near future, I'll post it here.

You are almost certainly correct. However, when the letter 'l' is not sounded, then it cannot be described as a 'silent allophone'. If it is sounded, then it is not silent.

 

[AlexAD]

Already is always pronounced with the /e/ stressed, not the /a/.

Here Already - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary and here already adverb - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online read that stressing of the first vowel is also possible. What would you say?

 

[5jj]

Here Already - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary and here already adverb - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online read that stressing of the first vowel is also possible. What would you say?

I would say that you have misread them.

 

[AlexAD]

I would say that you have misread them.

All right. I may well have.
But given the transcription \ȯl-ˈre-dē, ˈȯl-ˌ\ in the first, and as long as ' means stress on the following syllable, how does ˈȯl- read?
Doesn't it reads that the stress falls on the first syllable?

 

[birdeen's call]

Actually, I believe the first syllable in "already" may have the primary stress, at least in AmE. I think it's only possible when the word is emphasized.

"Look, I've already told you!"

 

[5jj]

But given the transcription \ȯl-ˈre-dē, ˈȯl-ˌ\ in the first, and as long as ' means stress on the following syllable, how does ˈȯl- read?
Doesn't it reads that the stress falls on the first syllable?

Sorry, I had the wrong glasses on (at least, that is my excuse).

The standard pronunciation of 'already' in both BrE and AmE is with the stress on the second syllable. In some situations, when 'already' precedes another word, 'stress shift' may result in the stress moving to the first syllable. This does not happen if 'already' is the final or only word in an utterance.

Stress shift in rhythmical speech

 

[konungursvia]

Yes, I wasn't thinking of that phenomenon either.