An Introduction to the Pronunciation of North American English

This introductory book is tailored for a one or two term undergraduate course on North American English pronunciation. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the study of speech sounds, but guides the reader step-by-step through the main concepts and methods of a phonetic and phonological analysis of a representative North American English variety. After a brief introduction to the history of English in North America, the first of the book's three parts deals with the classification and description of individual consonants and vowels. The second part is concerned with issues such as word stress, syllables, rhythm, and intonation. The third part has variation and change as topics, both optional present-day and historical variations, and concludes with an outline of the main regional dialects in North America. Offering comprehensive knowledge on all aspects of North American English pronunciation, the book is also aided by a concise summary, followed by a list for further reading and an index to help the reader find all the important terms.