Grammatical words such as articles, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs and etc.

are words that help us construct the sentence but they don't

mean anything.

These words have no stress, and so they are

weakened.

 That weakened form is called "weak form" as opposed to a "strong form", which is the full form of the word pronounced with stress.

The strong form only happens when we pronounce the

words alone, or when we emphasize them.

Weak forms are very often pronounced with a schwa, and so are very weak and sometimes a bit difficult to hear

properly.

 Sometimes weak forms are easy to spot, because we use contractions in the spelling to show it.

Example:
I am French (strong form). I'm French (weak form).

 But usually there is no change of spelling,

only the pronunciation is different: The word but

strong form: /bt/

weak form: /bt/

Tell him to go strong forms: /hm/ /tu:/

weak form: /tel m t g/

As you can see, the grammatical words

"him" and "to" are unstressed and have

a weak form when pronounced inside a

sentence.

 Weak forms are usually distinguished by a change in vowel quality from a border position on the vowel quadrilateral to a central position. The vowel in a weak form is usually the schwa (). Weak forms are pronounced more quickly and at lower volume in comparison to the stressed

syllables.
They are also not central to changes in intonation.

 the
// (before consonants) Ex: Shut the door /t d/

/i/ (before vowels)

Ex: Wait for the end /wet f i end/

 that /t/
This word only has a weak form when used in relative clause. Ex: The price is the thing that annoys me / pras z t nz mi/

 his
When it occurs before a noun

Weak form : /z/ ( /hz/ at the beginning of a sentence).

Ex : Take his name /tek z nem/ Another sense of his, as in it was his, or his was late, always has the strong form.

 her
When used with possessive sense, preceding a noun; as an object pronoun. This can also occur at the end of a sentence.

// (before consonants) Ex: Take her home /tek hm/

/r/ (before vowels)

Ex: Take her out /tek r at/

 This group of pronouns has weak forms pronounced with weaker vowels than the i and u of their strong forms.

I use the symbols i and u (in preference to and ) to

present them.

There is a little difference in the pronunciation in different places in the sentence, except in the case of he.

 she /i/
Ex: Why did she read it? /wa dd i rid t/

he /i/
The weak form is usually pronounced without h except at the beginning of a sentence Ex: Which did he choose? /wt dd i tuz/

 we /wi/
Ex: How can we get it? /ha kn wi get t/

you /ju/
Ex: What do you think? /wt d ju k/

 Some prepositions and other function words occur their strong forms when they are final in a sentence.

at
Weak form: /t/
I will see you at lunch /a wl si ju t ln/

In final position: /t/ Whats he shooting at? /wts i u.t t/

 to
Weak form: /t/ Try to stop /tra t stp/

In final position: /tu/

I dont want to /a dnt wnt tu/

 This word is used in two different ways. Strong form: /sm/ When it occurs before a countable nouns and in final position. Ex: I think some animal broke it

/a k sm nml brk t/
Ex: I have got some /a hv gt sm/

 Weak form: /sm/

Used before uncountable nouns and before other nouns in the plural Ex: Have some more tea /hv sm m ti/

 Weak forms: /kn/ , /kd/

Ex: They can wait /e kn wet/ He could do it /hi kd du t/

 In final position: /kn/, /kd/

Ex: I think we can /a k wi kn/

Most of them could /mst v m kd/

 Weak forms: /v/, /z/, /d/

Ex: Which have you seen? /wt v ju sin/ Which has been best? /wt z bin best/

Most had gone home /mst d gn hm/

 In final position: /hv/, /hz/, /hd/

Ex: Yes, we have /jes wi hv/ I think she has /a k i hz/ I thought we had /a t wi hd/

 There are some rules to remember. The strong form will be used when:

they occur at the end of a sentence

A weak-form word is being contrasted with another

word, as in The letter is from him, not to him.

 A weak-form word is given stress for the purpose of emphasis, as in You must give me more money.

A weak-form is being cited or quoted, as in You shouldnt put and at the end of a sentence