National Identity, Phonological Features

Question 1

Vowel Shifts

Answer 1

The “short ‘i’” vowel shift, where the vowel sound in words like “kit” and “bit” can be pronounced closer to “ee” (i.e., “keet” and “beet”).

The “broad ‘a’” vowel shift, which affects words like “dance” and “grass,” making the vowel sound more like “ah” (i.e., “dahns” and “grahss”).

Question 2

Diphthongization

Answer 2

Australian English is known for its diphthongization of certain vowels, where single vowel sounds glide or change within a single syllable. For example, the word “ride” might be pronounced with a diphthong as “rahd.”

Question 3

/æ/ Pronunciation

Answer 3

The vowel sound /æ/ (as in “cat”) is often pronounced more open and fronted, resembling /ɛ/ (as in “bed”) in Australian English. This is sometimes referred to as the “Australian /æ/.”

“cat” to “cet”

Question 4

/ɹ/ Post-vocalic Retention

Answer 4

Australian English often retains the “r” sound at the end of words and before consonants, in contrast to some other English dialects.

Question 5

/θ/ and /ð/ Substitution

Answer 5

The voiceless “th” sound /θ/ (as in “think”) and the voiced “th” sound /ð/ (as in “this”) are often replaced by /f/ and /v/ respectively in some Australian accents. For example, “think” might be pronounced “fink.”

Question 6

Intonation and Rising Terminal Contours

Answer 6

Australian English is known for its distinctive intonation patterns, including the use of rising intonation at the end of statements (high rising terminal), which can make statements sound like questions.

Question 7

Rhoticity

Answer 7

Many Australian accents are non-rhotic, meaning the “r” sound is not pronounced at the end of words. However, some regional accents maintain the post-vocalic “r.”

Question 8

Flapping

Answer 8

Certainly! Flapping is a phonological phenomenon where a /t/ or /d/ sound between two vowels is pronounced as a quick and light /ɾ/ sound, similar to the “tt” sound in the American English word “butter.” Here’s an example of flapping in Australian English:

Original word: “better”
Flapped pronunciation: “bedder”

Question 9

Reduced Vowels and Schwa

Answer 9

Reduced vowel sounds and the schwa sound /ə/ are common in unstressed syllables in Australian English, leading to syllables being pronounced with a central neutral sound.

“gonna” (becomes “gunah”

Question 10

Consonant Clusters

Answer 10

Some Australian accents may exhibit unique ways of handling consonant clusters, such as pronouncing “st” as “sht” and “ks” as “sks.”

Original Sentence: “She’s excited to see the fireworks.”

Modified Sentence: “She’s exshited to see the fireworss.”