Basics of Phonetics & English Phonology

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation; did it again; compared the insignificant whitewashed streak with the far-reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged.

[ˈtɒm əpɪə̯d ɒn ðə ˈsaɪ̯dwɔːk | wɪð ə ˈbʌkɪt əv ˈwaɪ̯twɒʃ | ənd ə lɒŋhændl̩d ˈbrʌʃ ‖ hi səˈveɪ̯d ðə ˈfɛns | ənd ɔːl ˈɡlædnəs ˈlɛft hɪm | ənd ə diːp ˈmɛlənkəli | sɛtl̩d ˈdaʊ̯n əpɒn hɪz ˈspɪrɪt ‖ θɜːti ˈjɑːdz əv ˈbɔːd fɛns | naɪ̯n fiːt ˈhaɪ̯ | laɪ̯f tə ˈhɪm siːmd ˈhɒləʊ̯ | ənd ɪɡˈzɪstəns bʌt ə ˈbɜːdn̩ ‖ ˈsaɪ̯ɪŋ | hi dɪpt hɪz ˈbrʌʃ | ənd ˈpɑːst ɪt əlɒŋ ðə tɒpməʊ̯st ˈplæŋk | rɪˈpiːtɪd ði ɒpəˈreɪ̯ʃn̩ | dɪd ɪt əˈɡɛn | kəmˈpɛə̯d ði ɪnsɪɡnɪfɪkənt ˈwaɪ̯twɒʃt striːk | wɪð ðə fɑː riːʧɪŋ ˈkɒntɪnənt | əv ˈʌnwaɪ̯twɒʃt fɛns | ənd sæt ˈdaʊ̯n ɒn ə ˈtriː bɒks | dɪsˈkʌrɪʤd]

[ˈtɑːm əpɪrd ɑːn ðə ˈsaɪ̯dwɔːk | wɪθ ə ˈbʌkət əv ˈwaɪ̯twɑːʃ | ənd ə lɔːŋhændl̩d ˈbrʌʃ ‖ hi sɚˈveɪ̯d ðə ˈfɛns | ənd ɔːl ˈɡlædnəs ˈlɛft hɪm | ənd ə diːp ˈmɛlənkɑːli | sɛtl̩d ˈdaʊ̯n əpɑːn hɪz ˈspɪrət ‖ θɝːti ˈjɑːrdz əv ˈbɔːrd fɛns | naɪ̯n fiːt ˈhaɪ̯ | laɪ̯f tə ˈhɪm siːmd ˈhɑːloʊ̯ | ənd ɪɡˈzɪstəns bʌt ə ˈbɝːdn̩ ‖ ˈsaɪ̯ɪŋ | hi dɪpt hɪz ˈbrʌʃ | ənd ˈpæst ɪt əlɔːŋ ðə tɑːpmoʊ̯st ˈplæŋk | rɪˈpiːtɪd ði ɑːpəˈreɪ̯ʃn̩ | dɪd ɪt əˈɡɛn | kəmˈpɛrd ði ɪnsɪɡnɪfɪkənt ˈwaɪ̯twɑːʃt striːk | wɪθ ðə fɑːr riːʧɪŋ ˈkɑːntənənt | əv ˈʌnwaɪ̯twɑːʃt fɛns | ənd sæt ˈdaʊ̯n ɑːn ə ˈtriː bɑːks | dɪsˈkɝːrɪʤd]

© Frank Lorenz