diff --git a/docs/languages/gmw/en.md b/docs/languages/gmw/en.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..c278ea21 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/languages/gmw/en.md @@ -0,0 +1,88 @@ +# English + +- [Short Vowels](#short-vowels) +- [Long Vowels](#long-vowels) +- [Rhotic Vowels](#rhotic-vowels) +- [Reduced Vowels](#reduced-vowels) +- [Diphthongs](#diphthongs) +- [Split Vowels](#split-vowels) +- [References](#references) + +---------- + +The English language support uses a vowel system based on John Wells' Lexical +Sets\[1\]. These were created by Wells in 1982 +by comparing the Received Pronunciation British (RP) and General American +(GenAm) accents in use at that time. + +## Short Vowels + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| KIT | ɪ | ɪ | +| DRESS | e | ɛ | +| TRAP | æ | æ | +| LOT | ɒ | ɑ | +| STRUT | ʌ | ʌ | +| FOOT | ʊ | ʊ | + +## Long Vowels + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| FLEECE | iː | i | +| PALM | ɑː | ɑ | +| THOUGHT | ɔː | ɔ | +| GOOSE | uː | u | + +## Rhotic Vowels + +These are vowels that are followed by an `r` that is not part of the next syllable +when considering the root form of the word containing that vowel. + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| NURSE | ɜː | ɝ | +| START | ɑː | ɑɹ | +| NORTH | ɔː | ɔɹ | +| FORCE | ɔː | oɹ | +| CURE | ʊə̯ | ʊɹ | +| NEAR | ɪə̯ | ɪɹ | +| SQUARE | eə̯ | ɛɹ | + +## Reduced Vowels + +These are unstressed vowels that differ from the vowels in the main lexical sets. + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| HAPPY | ɪ | i | +| COMMA | ə | ə | +| LETTER | ə | ɚ | + +## Diphthongs + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| FACE | eɪ̯ | eɪ̯ | +| PRICE | aɪ̯ | aɪ̯ | +| CHOICE | ɔɪ̯ | ɔɪ̯ | +| GOAT | əʊ̯ | oʊ̯ | +| MOUTH | aʊ̯ | aʊ̯ | + +## Split Vowels + +These are lexical sets defined by John Wells that are merged with other lexical +sets in both RP and GenAm, so have split from one of those lexical sets and +merged with the other. + +| Lexical Set | RP | GenAm | +|-------------|-------|-------| +| BATH | ɑː | æ | +| CLOTH | ɒ | ɔ | + +## References + +1. Wikipedia. + [Lexical set](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_set). 2017. + Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA).