1

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

The Glottal Stop
The glottal stop Z>\
is produced when the airflow is stopped abruptly by closing the vocal folds. No voicing
is produced, therefore it is considered to be a fortis sound. Like all other fortis consonants, it clips a
preceding vowel when it replaces or reinforces the syllable-final voiceless stops .o+
s+
j+
sR..
Cruttenden’s description (2014) is summarized below.
1.

Regular glottal reinforcement of vowels in General British
a. It marks a vowel hiatus, especially when the second syllable is stressed:
Evaluation
ZH$uzkit!>dHRm\
Pronunciation Zoq?$mUmrh!>dHRm<\
Geography ZcYh!>Pfq?eh\
Seattle Zrh!>zskÿ\
Day after day Z!cdH
>@9es?
!cdH\

b. Used to avoid intrusive .q.
by some careful speakers:
Law and order Z!kN9
>?m
!N9c?\

Idea of Z`H!cH?
>?u\

c. Used instead of linking .q.
by some speakers:
Here and there Z!gH?
>?m
!Cd?\

Easter Island Z!h9rs?
$>`Hk?mc\

d. To emphasize a word starting with an accented vowel:
I said Ann, not Ian. Z`H
!rdc
!>zm
{
!mPs
!>h9?m\

2. Extended glottal reinforcement of .o+
s+
j+
sR. in General British: This is a widespread
phenomenon in GB, though not in Conspicuous GB (i.e. conservative speech). Glottalization of
.>˛o+
>˛s+
>˛j+
>˛sR. occurs in syllable final position when they are preceded by a vowel or obstruent
consonant (nasal or lateral) provided a pause or a consonant follows (and when a vowel follows

.sR.+ too, because its second element is considered to be consonantal). Reinforcement is more
likely to occur at the end of accented syllables. The closure and release of the glottal stop may
precede the oral closure for .o+
s+
j+
sR..

GLOTTALIZATION:

GLOTTAL REINFORCEMENT OF .o+
s+
j+
sR.

RULE

EXAMPLES
rap Z!qz>˛o\
limp Z!kHl>˛o\
help Z!gdk>˛o\
can’t Z!j@9m>˛s\
Pause
Consonant melt Z!ldk>˛˛s\
peak Z!oh9>˛˛j\
stink Z!rsHM>˛j\
silk Z!rHk>˛j\
such Z!rU>˛sR\
Any sound
lunch Z!kUm>˛sR\


Z'!(>˛o-\
Vowel
Nasal
Lateral

Z'!(>˛s-\
+

+
Z'!(>˛j-\
Z'!(>˛sR-\


2

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

3. Glottal replacement of .o+
s+
j+
sR.
in General British: Some GB speakers replace syllable final
.o+
s+
j. and the first element of .sR. by Z>\; in other words, there is a glottal closure instead of an
oral closure.

GLOTALING:

GLOTTAL REPLACEMENT OF .o+

s+
j+
sR.

RULE
'(

. ! o-.=Z>-\
.'!(j-.=Z>-\

homorganic consonant
(though infrequent)
non-syllabic consonant

Vowel
Nasal
Lateral

+

.'!(s-.=Z>-\

'(

. ! sR-.=Z>R-\

+

.mÿ.or word initial vowel
(London RGB)

vowel within the word
(substandard)
syllabic .kÿ.
(substandard)
Any sound

EXAMPLES
Soap powder, cap badge
Back garden, bookcase
Get down, great job, Atlas
Football, Network, Exactly
Cotton, get away
Water writing
Bottle, little
Butcher, Lunch, Crunchy

Activity 1:
Transcribe the following sentences phonemically. Use Z>o+
>j+
>sR\ to show the possible glottal
reinforcement of .o+
j+
sR.
and Z's(>\
to show the possible glottal reinforcement or replacement of .s..
1. The beach is not that far away, Richard.
2. What time did Pat say she would pop up?
3. Peter and Dexter are very doubtful about mixing with that lot.
4. Is that the right choice do you think?
5. Matt was about to punch Mike when the teacher arrived back from the break.

6. I’ve got great news for you, mate!
7. I’m not feeling quite well. Can you call a doctor for me, Nick?
8. What most people hate about reality shows is that they are fake.
9. Absolutely! That guy can’t do much now. You should give him the sack!
10. The cat got crazy when it saw the rat fall in the trap!

KEY:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

ZC?
!ah9>sR
{
Hy
!mP>'s(
Cz>'s(
!e@9q
?!vdH
!qH>sR?c\
Z!vP>'s(
!s`Hl
cHc

!oz>'s(
!rdH
Rh
vTc
!oPo
!U>o\
Z!oh9s?q
?m
!cd>jrs?q
?
!udqh
!c`T>'s(ek
{
?!a`T>'s(
!lH>jrHM
vHC
!Cz>'s(
!kP>'s(\
ZHy
!Cz>'s(
C?
!q`H>'s(
!sRNHr
{
cYt
!SHM>j\
Z!lz>'s(
v?y
?!a`T>'s(
s?

!oUm>sR
!l`H>j
{
vdm
C?
!sh9>sR?q
?!q`Huc
!az>j
eq?l
C?
!aqdH>j\
Z`Hu
!fP>'s(
!fqdH>'s(
!mit9y
e?
it
!ldH>'s(\
Z`Hl
!mP>'s(
!eh9kHM
!jv`H>'s(
!vdk
{{
j?m
it
!jN9k
?
!cP>js?
e?

lh
!mH>j\
ZvP>'s(
!l?Trs
!oh9>ok
!gdH>'s(
{
?!a`T>'s(
qh!zk?sh
!R?Ty
{
Hy
C?>'s(
Cd?
!edH>j\
Z$zar?!kt9>'s(kh
{{
Cz>'s(
!f`H
!j@9m>'s(
!ct9
!lU>sR
!m`T
{{
it
RTc
!fHu
gHl
C?
!rz>j\

ZC?
!jz>'s(
!fP>'s(
!jqdHyh
{
vdm
H>'s(
!rN9
C?
!qz>'s(
!eN9k
Hm
C?
!sqz>o\


Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2016

3

Activity 2:
Transcribe the following sentences phonemically. Use Z>o+
>j+
>sR\ to show the possible glottal
reinforcement of .o+
j+
sR.
and Z's(>\
to show the possible glottal reinforcement or replacement of .s..


What not to wear
Rupert Grint, the famous actor, went to a wedding with his sister, Janet. It took place in an
elegant church in a remote village in Scotland. Janet wore a light pink dress that covered her
knees, a white fluffy hat, black cotton gloves and a dark red silk scarf tied to her thick neck.
She looked ghastly! I wonder what she was thinking of when she bought these mismatching
items...
Rupert’s style left much to be desired, as well. To start with, the suit looked shabby and quite
dirty, to be honest. Its fabric seemed to be good quality linen, but he chose an old fashioned
check pattern: fine pink lines that create large, open white squares. As regards his shirt, the
fabric and colours were great, but not its shape. His black tie could have been a right choice, if
it hadn’t had a picture of Donald Duck. His shoes, however, were really smart and expensive.

Z!vP>'s(
!mP>'s(
s?
!vd?
{{

!qt9o?>'s(
!fqHm>'s(
{
C?
!edHl?r
!z>js?
{
!vdm>'s(
st
?
!vdcHM
vHC

gHy
!rHrs?
{
!cYzmH>'s(
{{
H>'s(
!sT>j

!okdHr
Hm
?m
!dk?f?m>'s(
!sR29>'s(R
{
Hm
?
qH!l?T>'s(
!uHkHcY
Hm
!rjP>'s(k?mc
{{
!cYzmH>'s(
{
!vN9q
?
!k`H>'s(
!oHM>j
!cqdr
{
C?>'s(

!jUu?c
g?
!mh9y
{
?
!v`H>'s(
!ekUeh
!gz>'s(
{
!akz>j
!jPsm
!fkUuy
{
?m
?
!c@9j
!qdc

!rHk>j
!rj@9e
{
!s`Hc
s?
g?
!SH>j
!md>j
{{
Rh
!kT>js
!f@9rskh

{{
`H
!vUmc?
{
vP>'s(
Rh
v?y
!SHMjHM
Pu
{
vdm

Rh
!aN9>'s(
Ch9y
!lHr!lz>'s(RHM
!`Hs?ly
{{


!qt9o?>'s(r
!rs`Hk
{
!kdes
!lU>'s(R
s?
ah
!cHy`H?c
{
?y

!vdk
{{
s?
!rs@9>'s(
vHC
{
C?
!rt9>'s(
{
!kT>js
!Rzah
?m
!jv`H>'s(
!c29sh
{
s?
ah
!Pm?rs
{{
Hsr
!ezaqH>j
{
!rh9lc
s?
ah
!fTc
!jvPk?sh
!kHm?m
{
a?s

h
!sR?Ty
?m
!?Tkc

!ezRmc
!sRd>j
!ozsm
{{
!e`Hm
!oHM>j
!k`Hmy
{
C?>'s(
jqh!dH>'s(
!k@9cY
{
!?To?m
!v`H>'s(
!rjd?y
{{
?y
qH!f@9cy
gHy
!R29>'s(
{
C?
!ezaqHj
?m
!jUk?y

v?
!fqdH>'s(
{
a?>'s(
!mPs
Hsr
!RdH>o
{{
gHy
!akz>j
!s`H
j?c
?u
aHm
?

!q`H>'s(
!sRNHr
{
He
H>'s(
!gzcm>'s(
!gzc
?
!oH>jsR?q
?u
!cPmkc
!cU>j
{{
gHy

!Rt9y
{
g`T!du?
{
v?
!qH?kh

!rl@9s
?m
H>j!rodmrHu\