English Pronunciation Tip of the Day
Tip 85
Category:
Miscellaneous
Author: JAM
Approximant devoicing
The approximant consonants /w r l j/ are usually voiced. However they lose their voicing when they are preceded in the same syllable by a voiceless plosive. In a detailed phonetic transcription, the devoiced approximants are usually symbolised:
[ wß £ß lß jß ]
Here are some examples with sound clips:
| twin | |
| price | |
| clean | |
| tune |
Notice that when the voiceless plosive is preceded by /s/, as in square spray split stew, the following approximant is not devoiced.