Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

In the previous installment (Installment 222, released on August 22, 2014), I considered adding a third “secondary synergy” aspect to the English phonome. However, after additional consideration and analysis of what takes place within the English phonome when native speakers of England based English speak, I will redefine syllable-level English pitch change not as a third type of secondary synergy, but rather as a third category of ”lower secondary synergy” (also known as “primary abdominal surging”).

The gestures s, z, y, h, uW are all “primary abdominal surging gestures” for U.S. English, England English, and Australian English. The word final gestures _D, _z, _V, _Dz, _Vz, _VD are, likewise, “intercostal surging abdominal gestures” for those 3 major England English-based dialects.

Until just a few days ago I had conceptualized these two families of gestures as the entire roster of gestures that are classified as “lower secondary synergy” gestures. But, from today, a third roster of gestures has been added to the list of lower secondary synergy gestures: u as in “the”, l (“pale”), ul (“towel”), iy (“reef”), uW (“proof”), ay (“might”,) oy (“joy”), ey (“haze”), au (“vouch”), ou (“tone”).

Pitch change is going to be a third “family” of lower secondary synergy – and indeed is part and parcel of the above listed vowels. Since the diaphragm cannot flex to create pitch change unless it is supported by primary synergy housed in the region of the navel, it (like both “primary abdominal surging gestures” and “intercostal surging gestures”) is dependent on S1 and therefore fits best as S2.

And there you have it!

Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.