sounds, which share characteristics of both vowels and consonants, are glides (also sometimes known as … are pronounced differently, depending on their grammatical function, as in: Ils parlent tous [tus] tous … share articulatory characteristics of both vowels and consonants, but which, unlike vowels, cannot stand

large number of vowel phonemes, and in addition the vowels of English differ considerably between dialects. Consequently, corresponding vowels may be transcribed English phonology is the system of sounds used in spoken English. Like many languages, English has wide variation in pronunciation, both historically and from dialect to dialect. In general, however, the dialects of English around the world have largely similar (but not identical) phonological systems. Among other things, most dialects have vowel reduction in unstressed syllables and a complex set schwa, [ə], as in COMMA and (in non-rhotic dialects) LETTER (COMMA–LETTER merger); also in many other positions such as about, photograph, paddock, etc. This sound is essentially restricted to unstressed syllables exclusively. In the approach presented here it is identified as a phoneme /ə/, although other analyses do not have a separate phoneme for schwa and regard it as a reduction or neutralization of other vowels in syllables with the lowest degree of stress. r-colored schwa, [ɚ], as in LETTER in General American and some other rhotic dialects, which can be identified with the underlying sequence /ər/. syllabic consonants: [l̩] as in bottle, [n̩] as in button, [m̩] as in rhythm. These may be phonemized either as a plain consonant or as a schwa followed by a consonant; for example button may be represented as /ˈbʌtn̩/ or /ˈbʌtən/ (see above under Consonants). [ɨ̞], as in roses and making. This can be identified with the phoneme /ɪ/, although in unstressed syllables it may be pronounced more centrally, and for some speakers (particularly in Australian and New Zealand and some American English) it is merged with /ə/…