039 the kings speech

1

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

The King’s Speech
Activity 1:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Watch the video (or listen to the audio file).
Notice the aspirated .o+
s+
j. and the devoicing of .k+
q+
v+
i..
Remember to close your organs of speech firmly for the voiced plosives .a+
c+
f.Focus on the highlighted elements. How long do these vowels sound?

GEORGE V:

For the present, the work to which we are all equally bound is to arrive at a
reasoned tranquility within our borders, to regain prosperity at this time of
depression without self-seeking and to carry with us those whom the burden of
the past years has disheartened or overborne. To all, to each, I wish a Happy
Christmas. God bless you.

PRODUCER 1: And off air.

GEORGE V:

Easy when you know how.

PRODUCER2: Sir?
GEORGE V:

Have a go yourself.

WOOD:

Congratulations, Sir.

GEORGE V:

Ah, Mr. Wood. Splendid fellow. Chap who taught me everything I know: let the
microphone do the work.

WOOD: Sir.
GEORGE V:

Thank you. Sit up, straight back, face boldly up to the bloody thing and stare it
square in the eye, as would any decent Englishman. Show who’s in command.

BERTIE:

Papa, I don’t… think I can read this.

GEORGE V:

This devilish device will change everything if you don’t. In the past all a King had
to do was look respectable in uniform and not fall off his horse. Now we must
invade people’s homes and ingratiate ourselves with them. This family’s been
reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures: we’ve become... actors!

BERTIE:

We’re not a family, we’re a firm.

GEORGE V:

Yet at any moment some of us may be out of work. Your darling brother, and
future king, the only wife he appears interested in is invariably the wife of another!

BERTIE:

He’s broken off with… with Lady Furness.

GEORGE V:

And taken up with Mrs. Simpson, a woman with two husbands living! I told him
straight: no divorced person can ever be received at court. He said it made him
sublimely happy. I imagined that was because she was sleeping with him. “I give
you my word,” this is what he said, “I give you my word we’ve never had immoral
relations.” Stared square into his father’s face and lied. When I’m dead that boy
will ruin himself, this family, and this nation, within twelve months. Who’ll pick
up the pieces? Herr Hitler, intimidating half of Europe, Marshall Stalin the other
half? Who will stand between us, the jackboots, and the proletarian abyss? You?
With your older brother shirking his duties, you’re going to have to do a lot more
of this. Have a go yourself.

The King’s Speech (2010). />

2

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

TIPS:
• Notice the aspirated .o+
s+
j. and the devoicing of .k+
q+
v+
i. shown in bold.
• I have selected the most noticeable examples of pre-fortis
pre
clipping (i.e. the halving of a vowel’s
vowel
duration when the syllable
llable in which they occur ends in a voiceless consonant).

/ðə ˈkɪŋz ˈspi
spiːtʃ ||
ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

fə ðə ˈpr
preznt
| ðə ˈwɜːk | tə wɪtʃ wɪər ˈɔːl ˈiːkwəli ˈbaʊnd | ɪzz tu əˈraɪv | ət ə ˈriːzn(d)

pr
trænˈkwɪləti
| wɪðˈɪnn ɑː ˈbɔːdəz || tə rɪˈɡeɪn prɒˈsperəti | ət ðɪs ˈttaɪm | əv dɪˈpr
preʃn
| wɪðˈaʊt
tr
pr
ˈself ˈsiːkɪŋ | ən tə ˈkæri
kæri wɪð
w ˈʌs | ˈðəʊz hum ðə ˈbɜːdn əv ðə ˈp
pɑːst ˈjɪəz | həz dɪsˈhɑːtnd | ɔːr
ˌəʊvəˈbɔːn || tu ˈɔːlːl | tu ˈiːtʃ | aɪ ˈwɪʃ ə ˈhæpi ˈkr
krɪsməs
|| ˈɡɒd
ɒd ˈbles ju |||
kr

prə
prəˈdjuːs
djuːsə
ːsə||

ˈænd | ˈɒf ˈeə ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ˈiːzi wen ju ˈnəʊ ˈhaʊʊ ||

prə
prəˈdjuːs
djuːsə
ːsə||

ˈsɜː ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ˈhæv ə ˈɡəʊ
əʊ jɔːˈself |||

ˈwʊd ||

kənˌɡrætʃʊˈleɪʃnz ˈsɜɜː ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ˈɑː | ˈmɪstə ˈwʊd ||| ˈsplendɪd ˈfeləʊ || ˈtʃæp (h)u ˈttɔːt mi ˈevriθɪŋ
ˈevr
| ˈaɪ nəʊ || ˈlet ðə
ˈmaɪkrəfəʊn | ˈduː ðəə ˈwɜːk ||

ˈwʊd ||

ˈsɜː ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ˈθæŋk ju || ˈsɪt ˈʌp ||| ˈstreɪt ˈbæk || ˈfeɪs ˈbəʊldli ˈʌp tə ðə ˈblʌdi ˈθɪŋ
ˈθ | ən ˈsteər ɪt ˈskweər ɪn
ði ˈaɪ | əz wʊd ˈeni ˈdiːsnt
ˈd
ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən || ˈʃəʊ huːz ɪn kəˈmɑːnd ||

ˈbɜːti ||

pəˈp
pɑː | aɪ ˈdəʊnt | ˈθθɪŋk aɪ kən ˈriːd ðɪs ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ðɪs ˈdevəlɪʃ dɪˈvaɪs | wl ˈtʃeɪndʒ ˈevriθɪŋ | ɪf ju ˈdəʊnt || ɪn ðə ˈp
pɑːst | ˈɔːl ə ˈk
kɪŋ ˈhæd tə ˈduː |
wəz ˈlʊk rɪˈspektəbl
bl | ɪn ˈjuːnɪfɔːm || ən ˈnɒt ˈfɔːl ɒf (h)ɪz ˈhɔːs || ˈnaʊ
ˈna wi məst ɪnˈveɪd ˈp
piːplz
ˈhəʊmz | ən ɪŋˈɡreɪʃʃieɪt ɑːˈselvz wɪð ðəm || ðɪs ˈfæmliz | biːn
ːn rɪˈdjuːst
r

| tə ðəʊz ˈlə(ʊ)ɪst |
ˈbeɪsɪst | əv ˈɔːl ˈkr
kriːt
kʌm | ˈæktəz ||
kr tʃəz || wiv bɪˈk

ˈbɜːti ||

wɪə ˈnɒt ə ˈfæməli
li | wɪər
w ə ˈfɜːm ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ˈjet ət ˈeni ˈməʊmənt
nt | ˈsʌm əv əs | meɪ bi ˈaʊt əv ˈwɜːk || jɔː ˈdɑːl
ɑːlɪŋ ˈbrʌðə | ən ˈfjuːtʃə ˈk
kɪŋ |
ði ˈəʊn(l)i ˈwaɪf | hi əˈp
pɪəz ˈɪntr
trəstɪd
ɪn | ɪz ɪnˈveəriəbli | ðə ˈwaɪf əv əˈnʌðə ||
tr

ˈbɜːti ||

hiz ˈbrəʊkən ˈɒf wɪðð | wɪð ˈleɪdi ˈfɜːnəs ||

ˈdʒɔːd
ʒɔːdʒ
ːdʒ ||

ənd ˈtteɪkən ˈʌp | wɪɪð ˈmɪsɪz ˈsɪm(p)sən || ə ˈwʊmən wɪð ˈttuː ˈhʌʌzbəndz | ˈlɪvɪŋ || aɪ ˈttəʊld
(h)ɪm ˈstreɪt || ˈnəʊ dɪˈvɔːs(t)
d
ˈp
pɜːsn | kən ˈevə | bi rɪˈsiːvd ət ˈk
kɔːtt ||| hi ˈsed | ɪt ˈmeɪd (h)ɪm |
səˈblaɪmli ˈhæpi || a((ɪ) ɪˈmædʒɪnd | ˈðæt wəz bɪˈk
kɒʒ ʃi wəz ˈsliːpɪŋŋ wɪð
w (h)ɪm | aɪ ˈɡɪv ju maɪ
ˈwɜːd | ˈðɪs ɪz ˈwɒtt (h)i ˈsed || aɪ ˈɡɪv ju maɪ ˈwɜːd | wiv ˈnevəə ˈhæd | ɪˈmɒrəl rɪˈleɪʃnz ||
ˈsteəd ˈskweər | ɪnt
ntu ɪz ˈfɑːðəz ˈfeɪs | ən(d) ˈlaɪd || wen ˈaɪm
m ˈded | ðæt ˈbɔɪ wl ˈruːɪn
(h)ɪmˈself | ˈðɪs ˈfæm
æməli | ən ˈðɪs ˈneɪʃn | wɪðˈɪn ˈtw
twelv
ˈmʌn(θ)ss || ˈhuːl ˈp
pɪk ˈʌp ðə ˈp
piːsɪz ||
tw
ˈheə ˈhɪtlə | ɪnˈttɪmɪde
deɪtɪŋ ˈhɑːf əv ˈjʊərəp | ˈmɑːʃl ˈstɑːlɪn | ði ˈʌʌðə ˈhɑːf || ˈhuː wl ˈstænd |
bɪˈtw
twiːn
ækbuːts | ən ðə ˌpr
prəʊləˈteəriən

əˈbɪs || ˈjuː || wɪðð jɔː
j ˈʔəʊldə ˈbrʌðə | ˈʃɜːkɪŋ
tw ˈʌs | ðə ˈdʒækbu
pr
ɪz ˈdjuːtiz | jɔː ˈɡə(ʊ))ɪŋ tə ˈhæv tə ˈduː | ə ˈlɒt ˈmɔːr əv ðɪs || ˈhæv ə ˈɡəʊ jɔːˈself/