2. e ə
The glide for e ə begins in the front, above the half-open position. The lips
are neutrally open throughout. Initial
medial final
Airy e əi
shared ʃe ərd
flair fle ə
3.5. Vowel Variety in Some Specific English Dialects a. Australia Aboriginal English
The sound system of Aboriginal English has been influenced by the traditional languages, as well as the different kinds of British and Irish English
brought to Australia. One of the most distinctive features of the Aboriginal English sound
system is found in the many words which start with a vowel, where the standard English translation starts with h, for example:
Standard English: Henry’s hat Aboriginal English: Enry’s hat
This feature is shared with many other varieties of English around the world, such as Cockney English. The traditional Aboriginal languages have no h
sound. Over the generations, Aboriginal speakers have learnt English with an Aboriginal accent. So when they have learnt standard English words which start
with an h sound, the Aboriginal accent has produced such words without this h sound. This pronunciation is probably also influenced by the accent of many of
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the early non-Aboriginal Australians especially Cockney convicts, and it also coincides with some other nonstandard varieties of English. But it is a mistake to
assume that the pronunciation of words without h is uneducated English. It is just as much a part of the Aboriginal accent, as the sophisticated and charming
vowel pronunciations of French speakers of English are part of the French accent. It should be respected as part of the Aboriginal accent, and recognized as a feature
of which many Aboriginal people are proud. While this feature of Aboriginal English pronunciation is shared with a
number of other non-standard English varieties, there is a related characteristic of Aboriginal English pronunciation which is much less commonly found in non-
Aboriginal varieties of English: namely the addition of the h sound to English words which start in a vowel, as in:
Standard English: Uncle Sam Aboriginal English: Huncle Sam
This tendency to overcompensate in using the h sound at the beginning of a word is an example of a general linguistic pattern, technically known as
hypercorrection. Different examples of hypercorrection can be found in diverse language situations throughout the world.
b. African American Vernacular English Ebonics
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