Reducing Vowels and Dropping Syllables

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Vowels in unstressed syllables, especially immediately before or after a stressed syllable, are usually
reduced in strength. Vowel reduction is somewhat optional in slow speech, as speakers try to
enunciate more clearly; however, it is very common in moderate to fast speech.
General patterns for vowel reduction
1. Most vowels are reduced to or , both of which are neutral, low-energy, and short.
2. Combination vowels that include (for example, and ) are usually reduced to .
3. Nearly any non- vowel can be reduced to , but vowels in syllables that have the potential to
be pronounced , , , , and (front vowels) are usually reduced to.
In this handout, most non- reduced vowels are indicated by ; keep in mind that is also possible.
Stressed syllables are underlined.
Practice saying these words, paying special attention to the reduced vowels in boldface:
Example Words

IPA

Example Words

IPA

kilometer
determine
divide
decision
secure
pedestrian
kindness
except
accept
acknowledge
unless
consist
balloon
final
important
virus
curriculum
suggest
surface
signature
curtain
accurate
candidate
organization

fertile
vinyl
authority
occurred
political
photograph
professor
occasion
modern
energy
dollar
forward
grammar
similar
familiar
ignorance
information
effort
doctor
soldier
survive
amateur
picture
glamour

(or unreduced )
(or semi-reduced)
(or semi-reduced )

Reducing Vowels and Dropping Syllables

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p. 2

Patterns of Interest
In unstressed syllables, the letter i is usually reduced. Practice reducing the vowels in these
suffixes to or .
-ion
discussion
-ian
Parisian
-ial
spatial
-ious
delicious
-ic
specific
-ical
comical
-ity
calamity
-ify
clarify
-itive
positive
-itude
attitude
-ization globalization
Notice that globalization is , not . This is the standard pattern for
-ization nouns; however, their partner -ize verbs are pronounced with the vowel .
Verb: -ize

IPA

Noun: -ization

IPA

organize
customize
realize

organization
customization
realization

Final syllable -ate in most long (3+ syllables) nouns and adjectives is reduced to or ; however,
final syllable -ate in long verbs is not reduced -- its pronounced with a full vowel: . Practice saying
the following verbs and noun/adjective pairs (notice the stressed syllable in each pair does not
change):
Verbs: -ate =
Nouns/Adjectives: -ate =
(NOT reduced)
(REDUCED*)
alternate ()
alternate ()
appropriate ()
appropriate ()
approximate () approximate ()
associate ()
associate ()
deliberate ()
duplicate ()
elaborate ()
estimate ()
graduate ()
moderate ()

deliberate ()
duplicate ()
elaborate ()
estimate ()
graduate ()
moderate ()

separate ()

separate ()

*Exceptions: -ate in noun/adjectives magistrate and candidate can be pronounced ; in chemical

terms such as "carbohydrate", final -ate is usually pronounced .

Reducing Vowels and Dropping Syllables

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p. 3

In American English, the suffix -ile is often reduced to or . Most British speakers (and some
American speakers) pronounce this syllable with a full vowel:.
Am.E.: -ile =
fertile ()
fragile ()
hostile ()
missile ()

Br.E (and sometimes Am.E.): -ile =

fertile ()
fragile ()
hostile ()
missile ()

However, there are many exceptions to this pattern in American English, including these words,
which are pronounced with a full vowel: :
meanwhile
profile
reconcile
percentile
quartile
The letter i in prefixes anti-, semi-, and multi- is usually semi-reduced to (from original vowel ) in
common words, but it can be pronounced with full vowel , especially in hyphenated, less common,
or invented words.
Hyphenated/rare/invented words: i is
often pronounced (but sometimes
semi-reduced to )
anti-family
semi-awake
multi-graduate student

Common words (often single, unhyphenated

words): i is usually semi-reduced to (but
sometimes unreduced: )
antidepressant
semiautomatic
multinational
antibiotic
semiconductor
multitalented

Officially pronounced , our is often reduced to in phrases where it is unstressed -- and

sometimes when it is stressed:
our house = (full) or (reduced)
our class= (full) or (reduced)

Reducing Vowels and Dropping Syllables

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p. 4

Exercise -- Mark any reduced vowels in these words by writing , , or below the vowels.
Remember that reduction is sometimes optional, and and are often interchangeable, so more than
one solution may apply to reducible syllables.
addressing

dictionary

similar

American

effectiveness

specialists

associates (noun)

exactly

specialized

communicate

heritage

technical

communication

jargon

terminology

communicator

language

today

concisely

organization

useful

defines

profession

vocabulary

Dropped Syllables
CV syllables (those consisting of a consonant sound C + a vowel sound V) are usually spoken
distinctly in English. However, in some words in which a CV syllable follows a stressed syllable, and
is then followed by one or more unstressed syllables, the vowel may be dropped or moved to a
following syllable. When this happens, the word loses a syllable. Here are some examples
(droppable vowel indicated by v):
Syllable Pattern
v = vowel
c = consonant
r = consonant r
vc cv rvc cvc
cvc cv cv cc

Example Words
with Original
Syllable Division

Approximate
Pronunciation with
Dropped Syllable

IPA Pronunciation
with Dropped Syllable

in te res ting
com for ta ble

in trist ing
comf ter bl

cv cv rvc
cvc cv rvcc
cvc cv rvcc
v cv cvc cv rv
cv cv rvc cv
v cvc cv
v cv cv cv cvc cv
cv cv cv cc
cv cv cvc

fa vo rite
dif fe rent
res tau rant
e le men ta ry
na tu ral ly
aw ful ly
e co no mi cal ly
ve ge ta ble
cho co late

fa vrit
dif rint
res trant
e le men tree
na truh lee
aw flee
e co no mi klee
veg tuh bl
chah klit

( moves to t syllable)

Reducing Vowels and Dropping Syllables

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p. 5

Only a few words in English drop a syllable. Learn those exceptional words individually, and assume
almost all other words do not drop a syllable. Here are some examples of words you might think drop
a syllable because their syllable patterns are similar to those we just examined. However, they do not
drop a syllable:
Syllable Pattern (similar

Example
Words

Pronunciation
(IPA)

Comments

cv cv cvc

be ne fit

Pattern is identical to that of

chocolate, which can drop a
syllable, but remember: words like
chocolate are exceptional

vc ccv rv vcc

ex per i ence

to some patterns for words

that can drop a syllable)

cv cv v cvc
ccvc cv cv cv cv
cv cv cv cvc
v cv cv cv cvc

si tu a tion
flex i bi li ty
po li ti cal
e co no mi cal

Adverbs ending in -ally often drop

a syllable (politically is pronounced
po li tic ly); however, the original
adjective forms do not drop a
syllable: po li ti cal

Start your own list of words whose syllable patterns you want to remember, especially those in which
a syllable can be dropped, and those in which you should avoid dropping syllables.
*****
Final note on vowel reduction: Most English words with two or more syllables have at least one
reduced vowel (, , or ). From time to time, devote conscious attention to vowel reduction as you
speak, and soon youll be reducing vowels like a native!