051 devoicing of obstruents

1

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

Devoicing of obstruents
Lenis sounds are normally fully voiced when they occur between other voiced sounds. However, voiced
plosives, fricatives and affricates (i.e. obstruent consonants) are fully devoiced before silence or a
voiceless sound. If you fail to do so, an intrusive vowel off-glide may be heard.
E.g.: Has Sue?


Z!gzyfi
rt9\ vs. *Z!gzy?
rt9\
It is very important to remember that although a devoiced allophone may just sound like a voiceless
sound, it does not become fortis because:
a) it does not take up as much muscular effort and, above all,
b) it does not reduce the length of the preceding vowels or sonorants (i.e. nasals & approximants).
They remain lenis, therefore, there is no PRE-FORTIS CLIPPING.
A very good example is the word ‘newspaper.’ It is special because it can be pronounced either with
.r.
or
.y.. Neither sound will be voiced, so the distinction is perceived through the length of the vowel
immediately before.
Newspaper

Z!mit9yfiodHo?\
or Z!mit∂rodHo?\

DEVOICING OF OBSTRUENTS ( PLOSIVES ,
Allophone
Zafi\
Zcfi\
Zf‡\
ZcY‡\
Zufi\
ZCfi\
Zyfi\
ZY‡\

Before silence
Z!vdafi
{{\
Web
Z!gdcfi
{{\
Head
Z!okdHf‡
{{\
Plague
Z!jdHlaqHcY‡
{{\
Cambridge
Z?!aUufi
{{\
Above
Z!aqh9Cfi
{{\
Breathe

Z!okh9yfi
{{\
Please
Z!oqdr!sh9Y‡
{{\
Prestige

AFFRICATES

&

FRICATIVES )

Before a fortis sound
Z!aPafi
!eHmsR\
Bob Finch
Z!qh9cfi
!rk?Tkh\
Read slowly
Z!aHf‡
!oqPak?l\
Big problem
Z!cYN9cY‡
!rlHS\
George Smith
Z!e`Hufi
!S29sh\
5:30
Z!k?TCfir?l\

Loathsome
Z!Hyfi
Rh\
Is she?
Z!HY‡
Rh\
Is she?

Activity 1:
Transcribe the following sentences phonemically. Use Z

fi\
to show devoicing. Colour the diacritical marks
you use.
1. Ladies first. Please sit down.
2. Was Karen Jones talking to George Ferguson?
3. Eve Ford couldn’t leave town before twelve.
4. Has Peter decided to close his shop?
5. Niles has chosen to apply to Cambridge.
6. Rose Sellers spoke with Simon Mills.
7. Brussels is perfect for our holidays, Honey!
8. Jill drives to school, leaves her daughter and heads for work.
9. Charles sips his coffee while he reads from the screens.
10. Does Jules smoke his pipe in front of his sisters, Steve?


Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

2

KEY:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Z!kdHchyfi
!e29rs
{{
!okh9yfi
!rHs
!c`Tm
m\
Zv?yfi
!jzq?m
!cY?Tmyfi
{
!sN9jHM
M
s?
!cYN9cY‡
!e29f?r?m\
Z!h9ufi
!eN9cfi

!jTcms
!kh9u
!s`Tm
aHH!eN9
!svdkufi\
Zg?yfi
!oh9s?
cH!r`HcHcfi
s?
!jk?Tyfi
gHyfi
!RPo\
Z!m`Hkyfi
g?yfi
!sR?Tym
st
?!ok`H
s??
!jdHlaqHcY‡\
Z!q?Tyfi
!rdk?yfi
!ro?Tj
vHCfi
!r`Hl
l?m
!lHkyfi\
Z!aqUrkyfi
Hyfi
!o29eHjs
e?q

@9
!gPk??cdHyfi
!gUmh\
Z!cYHk
!cq`Huyfi
s?
!rjt9k
{
!kh9uyfi
g?
!cN9s?
{
?m
!gdcyfi

e?
!v29j\
Z!sR@9kyfi
!rHor
gHyfi
!jPeh
v`Hk
ghh
!qh9cyfi
eq?l
C?
!rjqh9myfi\
Zc?yfi
!cYt9kyfi
!rl?Tj

gHyfi
!o`Ho
o
Hm
!eqUms
?u
gHyfi
!rHrs?yfi
!rsh9ufi\



Activity 2:
Transcribe the following text phonemically. Use Z

fi\
to show devoicing. Colour the diacritical marks you
use.

Resenting these Changes
James Smith was hired by a Japanese company in the 90’s.. His position was fantastic! He had
a good salary, fabulous perks and loads
lo
of holidays. However, everything’s
everything changed for the
worse. He always phones to tell me how sad he is.
is. His company seems to be facing fatal
financial difficulties, so they’re closing all the UK branches. He thought the end was coming,
but the CEO’s
O’s thought differently. His performance is so high that the big bosses

bosse consider that
James should move to Tokyo.. Eve, his wife, is scared, of course. His
is children, Emma and
an
George, hate the idea of settling down in Asia.
Asia

ZqH!ydmsHM
Ch9yfi
!sRdHmcYHyfi
{{

!cYdHlyfi
!rlHS
{
v?yfi
!g`H?c
a`H
?
!cYzo?!mh9
?c
a`H
?
!cYzo?!mh9yfi
!jUlo?mh
Hm
C?
!m`Hmshyfi
{{
gHyfi

o?!yHRm
v?yfi
o?!yHRm
v?
!ezm!szrsHj
{{
gh
!gzc
?
!fTcfi
!rzk?qh
{
!ezai?k?r
!o29jr
{
?m
!k?Tcy
?u
!gPk?cdHyfi
!rzk?qh
{
!ezai?k?r
!o29jr
{
?m
!k?Tcy
?u
!gPk?cdH
{{
g`T!du?

{
!duqhSHM
!sRdHmcY‡
{{
g`T!du?
{
!duqhSHM
!sRdHm cfi
e?
C?

!v29r
{{
gh
!N9kvdHyfi
!e?Tmy
{
s?
!sdk
lh
g`T
!rzcfi
!e?Tmy
{
s?
!sdk
lh
g`T
!rz
gh

Hyfi
{{
gHyfi
!jUlo?mh
{
!rh9lyfi
s?
ah
!edHrHM
{
!edHsk


s?
ah
e`H!mzmRk
!cHeHj?kshyfi
{
r?T
Cd?
!jk?TyHM
!N9k
C?
!it9
!jdH
!aq@9msRHyfi
{
r?T
Cd?
!jk?TyHM

!N9k
C?
!it9
!jdH

{{
gh
!SN9s
Ch
!dmc
v?
!jUlHM
{


{{
gh
!SN9s
Ch
!dmc
v?yfi
a?s
C?
!rh9
!h9
!?Tyfi
!SN9s
!cHeq?mskh
{{
gH

skh
{{
gHyfi
o?!eN9l?mr
Hyfi
!r?T
!g`H
{
C?s
C?
!aHf
!aPrHyfi
!r?T
!g`H
{
C?s
C?
!aHf
!aPrH
j?m!rHc?
{

C?s
!cYdHly
R?c
!lt9u
s?
!s?Tjh?T
{{
!h9

{
gHyfi
!v`He
{
Hy
!rjd?c
?ufi
!jN9r
{{
gHyfi
!sRHkcqm
{
!dl?q
?m

C?s
!cYdHly
R?c
!lt9u
s?
!s?Tjh?T
{{
!h9ufi
!sRHkcqm
{
!dl?q
?m
!cYN9cY‡
{
!gdHs

Ch
`H!cH?q
?u
!rdskHM
!c`Tm
Hm
!dHY?\

{
!gdHs
Ch
`H!cH?q
?u
!rdskHM
!c`Tm
Hm