Wells Standard Lexical Sets For English
The Standard Lexical Sets for English introduced by John C. Wells in Accents of English are in wide usage. Wells defined each lexical set on the basis of the pronunciation of words in two reference accents, which he calls RP and GenAm.
- RP refers to Received Pronunciation, the traditionally prestigious accent in England.
- GenAm refers to a conservative accent of the General American type which has resisted the horse-hoarse and cot–caught mergers.
Wells classifies words of the English language into 24 lexical sets on the basis of the pronunciation of the vowel of their stressed syllable in the two reference accents. Each lexical set is named after a representative keyword, as follows:
| Keyword | RP | GenAm | Example words |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIT | i ɪ | i ɪ | ship, rip, dim, spirit |
| DRESS | e e | e ɛ | step, ebb, hem, terror |
| TRAP | a æ | a æ | bad, cab, ham, arrow |
| LOT | o ɒ | a ɑ | stop, rob, swan |
| STRUT | u ʌ | u ʌ | cub, rub, hum |
| FOOT | u ʊ | u ʊ | full, look, could |
| BATH | a ɑː | a æ | staff, clasp, dance |
| CLOTH | o ɒ | o ɔ | cough, long, laurel, origin |
| NURSE | e ɜː | e ɜr | hurt, term, work |
| FLEECE | i iː | i i | seed, key, seize |
| FACE | e eɪ | e eɪ | weight, rein, steak |
| PALM | a ɑː | a ɑ* | calm, bra, father |
| THOUGHT | o ɔː | o ɔ* | taut, hawk, broad |
| GOAT | o əʊ | o o | soap, soul, home |
| GOOSE | u uː | u u | who, group, few |
| PRICE | a aɪ | a aɪ | ripe, tribe, aisle, choir |
| CHOICE | o ɔɪ | o ɔɪ | boy, void, coin |
| MOUTH | a aʊ | a aʊ | pouch, noun, crowd, flower |
| NEAR | i ɪə | i ɪr | beer, pier, fierce, serious |
| SQUARE | e ɛə | e ɛr | care, air, wear, Mary |
| START | a ɑː | a ɑr | far, sharp, farm, safari |
| NORTH | o ɔː | o ɔr | war, storm, for, aural |
| FORCE | o ɔː | o or | floor, coarse, ore, oral |
| CURE | u ʊə | u ʊr | poor, tour, fury |
* not followed by /r/
For example, the word rod is pronounced /rɒd/ in RP and /rɑd/ in GenAm. It therefore belongs in the LOT lexical set. Weary is pronounced /ˈwɪərɪ/ in RP and /ˈwɪri/ in GenAm, and thus belongs in the NEAR lexical set.
Some words of the English language do not belong to any lexical set. For example, the stressed syllable of tomato is pronounced /ɑː/ in RP, and /eɪ/ in GenAm, a combination which is very unusual, and is not covered by any of the 24 lexical sets above.
Read more about this topic: Lexical Set
Famous quotes containing the words wells, standard, sets and/or english:
“I have always hated biography, and more especially, autobiography. If biography, the writer invariably finds it necessary to plaster the subject with praises, flattery and adulation and to invest him with all the Christian graces. If autobiography, the same plan is followed, but the writer apologizes for it.”
—Carolyn Wells (1862–1942)
“We don’t want bores in the theatre. We don’t want standardised acting, standard actors with standard-shaped legs. Acting needs everybody, cripples, dwarfs and people with noses so long. Give us something that is different.”
—Dame Sybil Thorndike (1882–1976)
“Nothing sets a person up more than having something turn out just the way it’s supposed to be, like falling into a Swiss snowdrift and seeing a big dog come up with a little cask of brandy round its neck.”
—Claud Cockburn (1904–1981)
“But it was alway yet the trick of our English nation, if they
have a good thing, to make it too common.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)