0

I'm making a list of all of the graphemes can be used to make the phoneme /aɪɚ/ in General American.

  • -ire as in fire, wire, desire, sapphire, etc.
  • -yre as in lyre, pyre, tyre, etc.

I have questions about a grapheme that is close, but I think doesn't quite map onto the /aɪɚ/ phoneme:

  1. I don't think the word "pirate" is pronounced with the final "ɚ" sound in "aɪɚ". Wiktionary gives the pronunciation for pirate as /ˈpaɪ̯(ə)ɹət/. Is /aɪ̯(ə)ɹ/ the same thing as /aɪɹ/, similar to how "ir" is used in spiral (/ˈspaɪɹəl/) and virus (/ˈvaɪɹəs/)? If they are indeed the same, then does the "-ir" grapheme in pirate map onto /aɪɹ/, similar to the "-ir" grapheme in virus?

  2. Just want to confirm that the /aɪɚ/ phoneme from "fire" is separate from the /aɪɹ/ phoneme from "virus"?

Improve this question
7
  • I don't pronounce pirate with an /aɪɚ/; the vowel is different from the one in firearms. Merriam-Webster distinguishes these pronuncations; firearm is \ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌärm\, while pirate is \ ˈpī-rət\.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 15:37
  • There is no way you could (validly) identify which version is "General American". Even a single person is apt to use several different pronunciations. And if you want an "official" pronunciation you'll have to wait til Talk Like a Pirate Day.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 15:38
  • Hot Licks - Just emphasizing that I'm looking for an American pronunciation, not a British one... as I understand it, the British would use a non-rhotic pronunciation for fire/pyre (ending with "/aɪə/")..
    – kanamekun
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 15:51
  • It might depend on whether you're pronouncing it like the prototypical pirate (-ire) or an English gentleman (-yre).
    – Lawrence
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 16:00
  • 1
    @AndrewLeach And American English is often new-rhotic.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 19:50

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

The Longman Pronunciation dictionary gives /paɪᵊr ət/ (also acceptable, /ɪt/), in both BrE and Gen Am. The word has two syllables and superscript schwa stands for the pronunciation of schwa, which is not recommended; this symbol means that occasionally the sound schwa is inserted and then the word contains three syllables: /paɪ ər ət/.

LPD, 2000 p. 757

Likely syllabic consonants are shown in LPD with the symbol ᵊ, thus suddenly 'sʌd ᵊn li. LPD's regular principle is that a raised symbol indicates a sound whose inclusion LPD does not recommend (see OPTIONAL SOUNDS). Hence this notation implies that LPD prefers bare n in the second syllable. Since there is no proper vowel in this syllable, the n must be syllabic. (Thus it is possible, though not usual, to say 'sʌd ən li rather than 'sʌd n li.

Fire

BrE: 'faɪ‿ə (The italic ɪ shows that the sound ɪ may be absent; one or two syllables; 'fa ə, 'faə)
GenAm: faɪ‿ᵊr (Schwa is replaced by syllabic r, but ɪ is always retained.)

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    Superscript schwa + another consonant (usually /l m n r/) means that the following consonant is syllabic.
    – Rayan Khan
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 17:35
  • Does the IPA symbol /paɪᵊr ət/ mean the vowel in the first syllable of pirate is pronounced like pie or like pyre? This is the question the OP is asking, and if fire is represented as /faɪ‿ᵊr/ the notation /paɪᵊr ət/ seems truly ambiguous.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 17:40
  • 1
    @PeterShor No, it is not ambiguous: it is like "pie", normally ('paɪr ət) ; the ending type that induces a solid schwa in BrE and a syllabic r in Gen Am is -ire, -yre (tire ta_ɪ_‿ə||a_ɪ_‿ᵊr ; notice that there is no separation in /paɪᵊr ət/ whereas in /ta_ɪ_‿ə||aɪ‿ᵊr/ there is one, indicated by the ligature, which means that there is the option of one or two syllables according to the schemes "/ta_ɪ_ ə||taɪ ᵊr/ " and /taɪ(ə)||aɪr/ . Where i is followed by r the strong pronunciation is aɪ(ə).
    – LPH
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 21:51
  • @DecapitatedSoul Right, but in LPD, only if compulsory (separation and no ligature, swivel /swɪv ᵊl/); notice reɪᵊl, reɪᵊl ɪŋ (railing (trains)), but reɪl ɪŋ (fence). When there is no separation it is rather an indication of unusual syllabifying of the given consonant.
    – LPH
    Commented May 2, 2021 at 22:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .