General British
This is the same recording as on the Companion Website to Gimson's Pronunciation of English. It is an extract from a speech of Professor Gimson (“Gim”) made at a conference in Leeds in 1977. Notice his use of Creaky Voice, something more common in Conspicuous General British (CGB).
Orthographic transcript
There was a time when the British Council [er] — the British and Americans — and the British too under the auspices of the British Council, used to meet the Americans in some agreeable place in the world and — to talk about the future of the English language. And on one occasion we met in Rome. And the Americans so rightly said "We're in Rome, we should see the Pope". So we went to see the Pope. We had an audience with the Pope and he gave us a half an hour's talk on applied linguistics and er — which was very brave of him — in French. Extremely good French. And he all gave — gave us all a medal. And we were all very pleased about this, and one of the things he believed in — quite apart from the ordinary Christian beliefs which he obviously has.. [um] the [er erm] ..one the things he believed in was that the English language would in some way even out. And that we'd all speak the same language in the end — with no difficulty of communication. And the British Council believe this and a lot of other people do but I don't because if you listen to English coming from different parts of the world it becomes less and less comprehensible to me, anyway. Perhaps the—I said [er] on another occasion that I couldn’t understand Kojak and regretted that for several weeks —afterwards— because the Times picked that up and people wrote to me and said that they agreed with me. But [erm] I do understand Kojak in fact but it takes a little time.
Phonemic and intonational transcription
ðe ˈwɒz ə ›taim / wen ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ ›kaʊnsl / [ʌː] ðə ›brɪtɪʃ / ən ði əˇmerɪkənz / n ðə brɪtɪʃ ˋtuː / ʌnd ðɪ ɔːspɪsɪz ə ðə brɪtɪʃ ˏkaʊnsl / juːs tə miːt ði ə›merɪkənz / ɪn sʌm əˈgrɪəbl ˋpleɪs ɪn ðə ˏwɜːld / an / tə tɔːk əbaʊt ðə ➘fjuːʧə / əv ði ɪŋlɪʃ ˎlaŋgwɪʤ/ an (ɒn) ˈwʌn ə›keɪʒn / wi met ɪn ➘rəʊm / ən ði əˋmerɪkənz / səʊ ˋraɪtlɪ sed / wɪr ɪn ➘rəʊm / wi ʃəd siː ðə ˋpəʊp / səʊ ˈwiː ›went / tə siː ðə ˋpəʊp / wi had n ɔːdjəns wɪ ðə ˏpəʊp/ ən ˈhiː ›geɪv əs / ə ˈhɑːf ən ɑːz ›tɔːk / ɒn əplaɪd lɪŋˋgwɪstɪks / and ə / wɪʧ wəz ˈverɪ ˋbreɪv əv ɪm / ɪn ˴frenʃ / ɪkˋstriːmli gʊd ˏfrenʃ / ən i (ɔːl geɪv) geɪv əs ➘ɔːl ə ˇmedl / ən wi wər ɔːl verɪ ˋpliːzd abaʊt ˏðɪs / (ən) ˈwʌn ðə θɪŋz i bəˇliːvd ɪn / ˈkwaɪt ə›pɑːt / frm ði ɔːdnrɪ ˋkrɪstjən bəˏliːfs / wɪʧ i ɒbvəslɪ ➘haz / ʌm ðiː ə / ɜ:m / ˈwʌn ðə θɪŋz i bəˇliːvd ɪn / wəz ði ➘ɪŋglɪʃ ˇlaŋwɪʤ / wəd ɪn ˈsʌm ›weɪ / ˈiːvn ˴aʊt / and ðət wɪd ˋɔːl spiːk ðə seim laŋwɪʤ ɪn ði ˏend / (ðəz) ˌnəʊ dɪfklti əv kəmjuːnɪ˴keɪʃn / an ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ `kaʊnsl bəliːv ˏðat / bət ˈaɪ ˴dəʊnt / bɪkɒz ˈɪf ju ➘lɪsn / tu ➘ɪŋglɪʃ / kᴧmɪŋ frm dɪfrnt pɑːts ðə ➘wɜːld / ɪt bɪkᴧmz ˈles n `les kɒmprɪhensbl / tə ➘miː `enɪweɪ /praps ðə / aɪ ˈsed ›ɜː / ɒn əˈnᴧðər ə›keɪʒn / ðət aɪ ˈkʊdn ᴧndəˈstand `kəʊʤak / nd rɪ`gretɪd ˏðat / fə ˈsevrl ˏwiːks / ˇɑːftəwədz / kəz ðə `taɪmz/ pɪkt ðat `ᴧp / n piːpl `rəʊt tə miː / n sed ðət ➘ðeɪ əgriːd wɪð `miː / bət [ɜːm] aɪ `duː ᴧndəstand kəʊʤak / ɪn ˏfakt / bət ɪt ➘teɪks ə lɪtl `taɪm.
(This recording provided by Jack Windsor Lewis who also did the transcription. His intonational marking has been adjusted to accord with the style used in the eighth edition of Gimson's Pronunciation of English. ➘ indicates a fall from high to mid, ˈ indicates a high level and › indicates a mid level)
This is almost 100% GB as described in GPE. Final <y> is [i] apart from [ɪ] ferociously and be as [bɪ] in be wiser.
Orthographic transcript
This is from The Subtle Knife by Philip Pulman. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit. Oh I've chosen that because I think it's true fundamentally speaking and whether you're thinking of the struggle between Solzhenitzyn all on his own against the entire might of the Soviet Communist Party or whether you're thinking of heretics within the Spanish Inquisition doesn't really matter, it seems to me it's the same story of individual standing out against systems
Phonemic transcription
ðɪs ɪz frm ðə sʌtl naɪf baɪ fɪlɪp pʊlmən evri lɪtl ɪŋkriːs ɪn hjuːmən friːdəm əz bɪn fɔːt əʊvə fərəʊʃəslɪ bətwiːn ðəʊz huː wɒnt əs tə nəʊ mɔː ən bɪ waɪzə ən strɒŋɡə ən ðəʊz hu wɒnt əs tu əbeɪ ən bɪ hʌmbl ən səbmɪt [əʊ] aɪv ʧəʊzən ðat bɪkəz aɪ θɪŋk ɪts truː fʌndəmentəli spiːkɪŋ and weðə jɔː θɪŋkɪŋ əv ðə strʌɡl bɪtwiːn sɒlʒeniːtsɪn ɔl ɒn ɪz əʊn əɡenst ðiː ɪntaɪə maɪt əv ðɪ səʊvɪət kɒmjuːnɪst pɑːti ɔː weðə jɔː θɪŋkɪŋ əv herətɪks wɪðɪn ð spanɪʃ ɪŋkwzɪʃn dʌzn rɪəli matə ɪt siːmz tə miː ɪts ðə seɪm stɔːrɪ ɒv ɪndɪvɪʤʊəl standɪŋ aʊt əɡeɪnst sɪstəmz
Mainstream GB apart from the occasional use of word-final [ɪ]
Orthographic transcript
Summer 2004 and a murder which shocked the country. A middle-aged couple shot dead in their bungalow in a quiet seaside town on the east coast. More shocking still, it had the hall mark of a gangland execution. The hunt for the killers is to lead detectives to an organised crime gang built on drugs and held together by violence. The number one murder suspect seemingly untouchable gang leader Colin Gunn overlord of a tough Council estate. Dozens of police operations have failed to find evidence to bring Gunn to court. And he has spies in the force.The Gunn Law.
But from the outset detectives knew that was exactly what they were dealing with: the clinical execution of a couple called John and Joan Stirland on a sunny summer's afternoon at Trusthorpe in Lincolnshire. It was carried out with chilling efficiency by killers aware of the forensic clues they might leave behind. Neighbours were shocked to learn later that the Stirlands were in hiding in fear of their lives. They had been on the run for months, had declined places in the witness protection programme and opted instead to find their own safe haven. Events leading to the shooting had begun a year before, eighty miles from the murder scene.
Phonemic transcription
sʌmə tuː θaʊzənd ən fɔː nd ə mɜːdə wɪʧ ʃɒkt ðə kʌntrɪ ə mɪdl eɪʤd kʌpl ə ʃɒt ded ɪn ðɛː bʌŋɡələʊ ɪn ə kwaɪət sisaɪd taʊn ɒn ði iːst kəʊst mɔː ʃɒkɪŋ stɪl ɪt haz ðə hɔːlmɑːk əv ə ɡaŋland eksɪkjuːʃn ðə hʌnt fə ðə kɪləz ɪz tə liːd dɪtektɪvz tu ən ɔːɡənaɪzd kraɪm ɡaŋ bɪlt ɒn drʌɡz ən held təɡeðə baɪ vaɪələns ðə nʌmbə wʌn mɜːdə sʌspekt siːmɪŋli ʌntʌʧəbl ɡaŋ liːdə kɒlɪn ɡʌn əʊvəlɔːd əv ə tʌf kaʊnsəl əsteɪt dʌznz əv pəliːs ɒpəreɪʃnz əv feɪld tə faɪnd evɪdəns tə brɪŋ gʌn tə kɔːt and iː az spaɪz ɪn ðə fɔːs ðə gʌn lɔː
bət frɒm ði aʊtset dətektɪvz njuː ðat wəz ɪgzakli wɒt ðeɪ wə diːlɪŋ wɪð ðə klɪnəkl eksəkjuːʃn əv ə kʌpl kɔːld ʤɒn ən ʤəʊn stɜːlənd ɒn ə sʌni sʌməz ɑːftənuːn ət trʌsθɔːp ɪn lɪŋkənʃə wz karɪd aʊt wɪð ʧɪlɪŋ əfɪʃnsi baɪ kɪləz əwɛːr əv ðə fərenzɪk kluːz ðeɪ maɪt liːv bəhaɪn neɪbəz wə ʃɒk tə lɜːn leɪtə ðət ðə stɜːlənz wər ɪn haɪdɪŋ ɪn fɪər əv ðɛː laɪ(vz) ðeɪ həd biːn ɒn ðə rʌn fə mʌnθ(s), had dɪklaɪnd pleɪsɪz ɪn ðə wɪtnəs prətekʃn prəʊgam ənd ɒptɪd ɪnsted tə faɪnd ðɛːr əʊn seɪf heɪvən ɪvents liːdɪŋ tə ðə ʃuːtɪŋ həd bɪgʌn ə jɪə bəfɔː eɪti maɪlz frəm ðə mɜːdə siːn
This is modern GB. Notice particularly that dark [ɫ] is vocalised all, and /əʊ/ plus /l/ becomes [ɒʊ] whole, cold.
Orthographic transcript
I've been learning to.. the whole process of being a shepherd. Um.. So we started off in September buying new rams, new breeding stock for the farm. And those two rams then were introduced to the ewes. Um.. And I had to get the ewes ready and I said to Jim — the farmer that I'd been working with — I said...What are we doing? Are we giving them a pedicure and a Brazilian? And he looked and he went “You what?”. But that was exactly what we did, you know, any sore feet.. we had to trim their hooves and we had to clip around their tails so that they were all pristine and clean and ready to meet the rams looking at their best. And er.. then back in January on the most freezing cold day we did the scanning. And that's exactly like, you know, a human er.. mother going along for her scans.
Phonemic transcription
aɪv bɪn lɜːnɪŋ tə ... ðə ðəʊl prəʊses əv biːŋ ə ʃepəd [əːm] səʊ wi stɑːtɪd ɒf bak ɪn septembə baɪŋ njuː ramz njuː briːdɪŋ stɒk fə ðə fɑːm ənd ðəʊz tuː ramz ðen wə ɪntrəduːst tu: ðə juːz [am] ən aɪ had tə ɡet ðə juːz redi ən ən aɪ sed tə ʤɪm ðə fɑːmə ðət aɪd bɪn wɜːkɪŋ wɪð aɪ sed …wɒt ə wi duːɪŋ ə wi ɡɪvɪŋ ðəm ə pedikjʊə ənd ə brəzɪljən n hi lʊkt ən i went [ju waː]… bət ðat ɪz ɪɡzakli wɒt wi dɪd ju nəʊ eni sɔː fiːt wi had tu trɪm ðɛː huːvz n̩ wiː had tu ə klɪp əraʊn ðɛː teɪlz səʊ ðət ðeɪ wɜːr ɔːl prɪstiːn ən kliːn ən redi tə miːt ðə ramz lʊkɪŋ ət ðɛː bes and [əː] ðen bak ɪn ʤanjʊəri ɒn ðiː məʊs friːzɪŋ kəʊl deɪ wi dɪd ðə skanɪŋ ən ðats ɪɡzakli laɪk ju nəʊ ə hjuːmən [ə] mʌðə ɡəʊɪŋ əlɒŋ fə hɜː skanz
This short piece is notable for its rapid colloquial style which involves many reductions to the full forms of words (hence some of the transcription cannot be said to be correct with any certainty)
Orthographic transcript
I hadn't been back to Guidford for ages but I used to come a lot as a child and we'd come to the old market which isn't very far from here. I remember at seven selling my guinea pigs at auction and getting about five shillings each for them I remember. But I have some very fond memories. We'd come to the Yvonne Arnaud theatre
Phonemic transcription
aɪ hadn biːm bak t gɪlfəd fə eɪʤɪz bət aɪ juːst tu kʌm lɒt z ə ʧaɪld am wiːd kʌm t ði əʊlb mɑːkɪt wʧ ɪzn verɪ fɑː frm hɪə aɪ rmembə ət sevn selɪm maɪ ɡɪni pɪɡz ət ɔːkʃn ŋ ɡetɪŋ baʊt faɪv ʃɪlɪŋz ɪt fɔːr əm aɪ membə bət aɪ səm veri fɒm memrɪz wiːd kʌm tə ði iːvɒn ɑːnəʊ θjetə
100% GB
Orthographic transcript
Good evening. Thousands of protesters are out in Egypt's capital as anger grows against the president. Tonight barricades have gone up outside the presidential palace in Cairo as Mohammed Morsi's opponents reject his efforts to defuse weeks of political crisis. His supporters have taken to the streets too. Both sides are planning mass protests in the coming days as the dispute over a new constitution deepens. From Cairo our Middle East coprrespondent Wyre Davies sent this report on Egypt's growing divide. It does include some flash photography.
Phonemic transcription
ɡʊd iːvnɪŋ θaʊzənz əv prətestəz ər aʊt ɪn iːʤɪps kapɪtəl az aŋɡə ɡrəʊz əɡeɪnst ðə prezɪdənt tənaɪt barɪkedz əv ɡɒn ʌp aʊtsaɪd ðə prezɪdenʃl palɪs ɪn kaɪrəʊ az mʊhamɪd mʊəsɪz əpəʊnənts rɪʤekt ɪz efəts tə dɪfjuːz wiːks əv pəlɪtɪkl kraɪsɪs ɪz səpɔːtəz əv teɪkən tə ðə striːts tuː bəʊθ saɪdz ə planɪŋ mas prəʊtest ɪn ðə kʌmɪŋ deɪz az ðə dɪspjuːt əʊvər ə njuː kɒnstɪtuːʃn diːpnz frɒm *kaɪrəʊ ɑː mɪdl iːsk kɒrəspɒndənt *wɪrə *deɪvɪs sent ðɪs rɪpɔːt ɒn iːʤɪpts ɡrəʊɪŋ dɪvaɪd ɪt dʌz ɪŋkluːd səm flaʃ fətɒɡrəfi
A7. Another TV newscaster (2012)
This is modern GB. Notice vocalization of /l/ in small, all
Orthographic transcript
The next forty-five minutes taking on the companies big and small whose service value and promises don't always measure up. Vodaphone 3, T-Mobile and Orange. They've all angered customers recently by raising the cost of tariffs that people were told were fixed. The clauses in the small print of their contracts allow them to do this. Now the industry regulator Offcom is investigating to see whether they're treating customers fairly. So, while we wait for the result, we carried out an investigation of our own
Phonemic transcription
ðə neks fɔːti faɪv mɪnɪts teɪkɪŋ ɒn ðə kʌmpənɪz bɪɡ and smɔːl huːz sɜːvɪs valjuː əm prɒmɪsɪz dəʊnt ɔːweɪz meʒər ʌp vəʊdəfəʊn θriː tiː məʊbaɪl and ɒrɪnʒ ðeɪv ɔːl aŋɡəd kʌstəməz riːsntli baɪ reɪzɪŋ ðə kɒst əv tarɪfs ðət piːpl wə təʊld wə fɪkst ðə klɔːzɪz ɪn ðə smɔːl prɪnt əv ðɛː kɒntraks əlaʊ ðm tə duː ðɪs naʊ ði ɪndəstri reɡjuːleɪtə ɒfkɒm ɪz ɪnvestɪɡeɪtɪŋ tə siː weðə ðɛː triːtɪŋ kʌstəməz fɛːli səʊ waɪl wi weɪt fə ðə rɪzʌlt wi karɪd aʊt ən ɪnvestɪɡeɪʃn əv ɑːr əʊn