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

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