Vowel Length - Pre-Fortis Clipping

In all varieties of English (except Scottish), vowels are shortened before fortis consonants but have
full length in all other contexts (i.e. word-finally, before lenis consonants, and before nasals and /l/).
This pre-fortis shortening is most obvious in stressed monosyllables (i.e. single-syllable words) and
is termed pre-fortis clipping.

• A clipped vowel is one that is pronounced more quickly than an unclipped vowel. For
example, rice raɪs; has a quick aɪ (and a slow s) when compared with rise raɪz (slow aɪ,
quicker z).
• In English, a vowel (or vowel plus nasal, or vowel plus lateral) is clipped when it is followed
by ore of the consonants p, t, k, ʧ, f, θ, s, ʃ within the same syllable. These are the FORTIS
consonants, and we call this phenomenon pre-fortis clipping.
• It is particularly noticeable with long vowels and diphthongs when they are stressed.
• The vowels have pre-fortis clipping in the words
feet fi:t (compare feed fi:d)
loose lu:s (compare lose lu:z)
rate reɪt (compare raid reɪd).
• So do the vowels in the stressed syllables in the words
seeking ˈsi:kɪŋ (compare intriguing ɪnˈtriːgɪŋ)
paper ˈpeɪpə (compare labour ˈleɪbə)
total ˈtəʊtəl (compare modal ˈməʊdəl)
• The eɪ in plating ˈpleɪtɪŋ has pre-fortis clipping, but the eɪ in play-time does not, since here
the t is in a different syllable.
• Clipping does not involve any change of vowel quality. Clipped i: in
teach ti:tʃ does not sound like ɪ in rich rɪtʃ.
• Both the e and the n of tent tent are affected by pre-fortis clipping; compare tend tend with
no clipping. Both the ɪ and the l of milk mɪlk are clipped. In fierce, clipping affects the ɪə of
fɪəs. Compare
fears fɪəz where there is no clipping.

Activity
Listen to these sets of English words. Notice how pre-fortis clipping shortens the vowels. When
they are word-final or pre-lenis, they have full length. Try imitating this effect using the recording
as your model. Then, record your version and upload it for feedback.

Pre-fortis Final Pre-lenis Pre-fortis Final Pre-lenis

wheat we weed peace pea peas
note no node bought bore bored
sauce saw sawed juice Jew Jews
state stay stayed weight way weighed
white why wide hurt her heard

Sources
Collins, B., Mees, I. & Carley, P. (2019). Practical phonetics and phonology. A resource book for students. Abingdon,
Oxon New York: Routledge.
Wells, J. (2008). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited/Longman.