Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 08:37:55 EDT

From: Terry Lynn Irons t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MOREHEAD-ST.EDU

Subject: Consonant Cluster Reduction





While we are on the subject of various pronciations (e.g., jewelry), I

thought I'd mention some English words with difficult to pronounce final

consonants. In the following, I commonly hear one or more of the final

consonants dropped:



twelfth, pron'd TWELF ("th" dropped)

sixth, pron'd SIKST ("h" dropped)

months, pron'd MUNTS ("h" dropped)

wreaths, pron'd REEZ ("th" dropped)



Have other people noticed this? Maybe pronchick Rima Mc has.





This kind of final consonant cluster reduction is quite common in much of

spoken American English. Various scholars have pointed to it as a feature

of African American English Vernacular. It is a function of the basic

tendency in language to move toward ease of articulation.





Terry Irons



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Terry Lynn Irons t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]msuacad.morehead-st.edu

Voice Mail: (606) 783-5164

Snail Mail: UPO 604 Morehead, KY 40351

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