Consider the following English words containing the phoneme /l/.
[pl̥ eɪs]
[hɑɫoʊ]
[fl̥ eɪm]
[lwɔɪtr̩ ]
[tʌnl̩ ]
[mɛlən]
[lwunər]
[tɛɫ]
[lwoʊn]
[leɪm]
[kɝɫ]
[tɛlɪŋ]
[mɪdl̩ ]
[ʃʌvl̩ ]
[əlaɪv]
[lɪtl̩ ]
[laʊd]
[jɛɫoʊ]
[læf]
[kl̥ aɪm]
[sl̥ æp]
[pɪkl̩ ]
[lɛs]
[hɛɫp]
a.
List the allophones of /l/.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[ l̥ ]
[ lw ]
[ l̩ ]
[ɫ]
[l]
b.
What are the different environments in which the allophones are found?
1. [ l̥ ] appears following voiceless consonants, as in the example of [pl̥ eɪs].
2. [ lw] appears before rounded vowels, as in the example of [lwɔɪtr̩ ].
3. [ l̩ ] appears following obstruents and nasals word finally, as in the example of
[pɪkl̩ ].
4. [ ɫ ] appears following vowels and approximants, medially in the environment of
back vowels, as in the example of [hɛɫp].
5. [ l ] appears before front and mid vowels, medially in the environment of mid and
front vowels as in the example of [leɪm].
Voiceless consonants are Ch, F, K, P, S, Sh, T, and Th.
Rounded vowels are [u], [ʊ], [o], [ɔ] and the unrounded vowels are [i], [ɪ], [e], [ɛ], [æ],
[ɑ], [ʌ], [ə].
Obstruents are (without the type of manner) [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], [?], [f], [v], [th], [ð],
[s], [z], [∫], [zh], [t∫], [dzh].
Front vowels are /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, /æ/.
Mid vowels are (without the type of manner): [e], [ø], [ɘ], [ɵ], [ɤ], [o], [ə], [ɛ], [œ], [ɜ],
[ɞ], [ʌ], [ɔ].
Nasals are [m], [n], [ŋ].
Back vowels are /u/, /ʊ/, /ɔ/, /ɑ/, /ɒ/.