Reduced & full forms
(strong & weak forms)
Strong from / strɔŋ fɔːm/ || / strɔŋ fɔrm/ n
One of the possible forms in which a word appears in speech. If a word is said in isolation or if it is stressed (eg he can pay us), the strong form is used (ex - /kæn/ can).
If a word is unstressed, it often appears in its weak form. For example, the vowel sound in can does not have the same quality in the weak form and is reduced in length.
(Ex- kən)
Strong and weak forms
“What do we mean by „strong‟ and „weak‟? We could describe them partly in terms of stress (by saying, for example, the strong syllables are stressed and weak syllables unstressed)”
Weak syllables can only have four types of centre:
The vowel ə (“Schwa”)
A close front unrounded vowel in the general area of iː and ɪ
A close back rounded vowel in the general area of uː and ʊ
A syllabic consonant
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