Sound Changes In Early Modern English – Consonants
Learn about the consonant change by looking at the chart and reading the information and pronunciations we provide for each one.
/p/ -> pit -> spelling: p, pp -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation consonant p
There was no change in the consonant /p/. The consonant has been stable from Old English through ->Present Day English
/b/ -> bide – > spelling b, bb -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant b
The consonant /b/ went trough a loss in consonant cluster:
When /b/ was in the final position after /m/ it was lost in pronunciation but not in spelling.
Take for example the word climb. The /b/ is not pronounced anymore but it is still spelled. In OE ->climban the /b/ was pronounced. Other examples are EmodE dumb, OE dumb; EmodE lamb, OE ->lamb. The /b/ is always pronounced in OE but never in EmodE.
This change also occurred the other way around in order to create a more standardized English. ->Words, where the /b/ was not pronounced and spelled in OE, where in EmodE spelled with the /b/ but ->without being pronounced. For example OE lim, numen, þüma became in EmodE limb, numb and ->thumb.
Attention: the mb in medial position was retained.
Furthermore there are intrusive consonants in Early Modern English. They appeared in certain phonetic environments. The intrusive /b/ sometimes appeared after /m/ and before /l/, /r/, or /n/. For example: the OE bremel became the EmodE bramble or another example the OE næmel became EmodE nimble.
/m/ -> mild -> spelling: m, mm, mn -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant m
There was no change in the consonant /m/. The consonant has been stable from Old English through Present Day English
/w/ -> water -> spelling: w, wh -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
The consonant /w/ went trough a loss in consonant cluster:
/w/ was sometimes lost after /s/ or /t/. The spelling is sometimes retained as in sword for example.
Furthermore the consonant /w/ was lost before /r/ in initial position. The spelling was mostly retained as in wrong, wrinkle, wrist, write.
/f/ -> five -> spelling: f, ff, gh, ph -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant f
There was no change in the consonant /f/.
/v/ -> vein -> spelling: v, u, vv, uu -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant v
The consonant /v/ did not exist as a separate phoneme in OE. One of the reasons that /v/ became a separate phoneme is that previously unvoiced fricatives became voiced in words receiving little or no stress in a sentence. Those were mostly function words. Take for example the function word of. In OE the f was pronounced as an unvoiced fricative, this changed in EmodE to the voiced fricative /v/.
The consonant /v/ went through a loss in consonant cluster:
/v/ was sometimes lost before a consonant or vowel + consonant.
/θ/ -> thorn -> spelling: th, Þ, y -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant θ
There was no change in the consonant /θ/.
/ð/ -> bathe -> spelling: th, Þ, y -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant ð
The consonant /ð/ did not exist as a separate phoneme in OE.
One of the reasons that /ð/ became a separate phoneme is that previously unvoiced fricatives became voiced in words receiving little or no stress in a sentence. Those were mostly function words. Take for example the function word that. In OE the th [θ] was pronounced as an unvoiced fricative, this changed in EmodE to the voiced fricative /ð/.
The consonant /ð/ went through alternations with /d/:
In Early Modern English, /d/ changed to /ð/ when it followed the major stress and preceded /r/. For example, OE fæder and modor became EmodE father and mother.
Attention: this change did not occur in French loanwords.
/t/ -> teach -> spelling: t, tt, d, ed, et -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant t
There are intrusive consonants in Early Modern English. They appeared in certain phonetic environments. Intrusive /t/ sometimes appeared after /s/, either in final position or before /l/, /r/, or /n/. Examples are listen and hustle.
There was also assibilation of the consonant /t/:
During EmodE, the palatal semivowel /j/ was sometimes inserted before the unstressed vowel of a syllable following the stressed syllable. Thus, the word pressure /presur/ became EmodE /presjur/ and the word gradual /grædu'l/ became EME /grædju'l/.
If the consonant preceding the intrusive /j/ was an /s/, /z/, /t/, or /d/, the consonant combined with the /j/ to produce a palatal fricative or affricate. This phenomenon is called "assibilation." Assibilation of the consonant /t/ produced the following result in EmodE.
/tj/ > /c</
Moreover the consonant /t/ went through a loss in consonant cluster:
EmodE /t/, and sometimes /d/, tended to drop in consonant clusters involving /s/. The t was still spelled but not pronounced anymore. Examples are castle, hasten
Due to the increasing literacy in Early Modern English a number of spelling pronunciations were introduced, too. This way the EmodE /t/ sometimes became /θ/ in loanwords spelled with th. Examples are: anthem, throne, author, Anthony, Thames.
/d/ -> doom -> d,dd, ed -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant d
There are intrusive consonants in Early Modern English. They appeared in certain phonetic environments. Intrusive /d/ sometimes appeared after /n/, either in final position or before /l/, /r/, or /n/.
There was also assibilation of the consonant /d/:
During EmodE, the palatal semivowel /j/ was sometimes inserted before the unstressed vowel of a syllable following the stressed syllable. Thus, the word pressure /presur/ became EmodE /presjur/ and the word gradual /grædu'l/ became EME /grædju'l/.
If the consonant preceding the intrusive /j/ was an /s/, /z/, /t/, or /d/, the consonant combined with the /j/ to produce a palatal fricative or affricate. This phenomenon is called "assibilation." ->Assibilation of the consonant /d/ produced the following result in EmodE.
/dj/ > /j</
Furthermore the consonant /d/ went through a loss in consonant cluster:
EmodE /t/, and sometimes /d/, tended to drop in consonant clusters involving /s/.
There also happened to be alternation with /ð/.
In Early Modern English, /d/ changed to /ð/ when it followed the major stress and preceded /r/. For example, OE fæder and modor became EmodE father and mother.
This change also worked the other way around. OE morthor became EmodE murder.
Attention: this change did not occur in French loanwords.
Due to the increasing literacy in Early Modern English a number of spelling pronunciations were introduced, too. For example the OE word aventure which was pronounced without the d became in EmodE adventure pronounced with the d because of the Latin root advenio.
/s/ -> seek -> s, ss, c, t -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant s
There was an assibilation of the consonant /s/:
During EmodE, the palatal semivowel /j/ was sometimes inserted before the unstressed vowel of a syllable following the stressed syllable. Thus, the word “”pressure”” /presur/ became EmodE /presjur/ and the word “”gradual”” /grædu'l/ became EME /grædju'l/.
If the consonant preceding the intrusive /j/ was an /s/, /z/, /t/, or /d/, the consonant combined with the /j/ to produce a palatal fricative or affricate. This phenomenon is called "assibilation." Assibilation of the consonant /s/ produced the following result in EmodE.
/sj/ > /s</
/z/ -> rise -> s, z, zz -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant z
The consonant /z/ did not exist as a separate phoneme in OE. One of the reasons that /z/ became a separate phoneme is that previously unvoiced fricatives became voiced in words receiving little or no stress in a sentence. Those were mostly function words. Take for example the function word was or his. In OE the s was pronounced as an unvoiced fricative, this changed in EmodE to the voiced fricative /z/.
There was also assibilation of the consonant /z/:
During EmodE, the palatal semivowel /j/ was sometimes inserted before the unstressed vowel of a syllable following the stressed syllable. Thus, the word pressure /presur/ became EmodE /presjur/ and the word gradual /grædu'l/ became EME /grædju'l/.
If the consonant preceding the intrusive /j/ was an /s/, /z/, /t/, or /d/, the consonant combined with the /j/ to produce a palatal fricative or affricate. This phenomenon is called "assibilation." Assibilation of the consonant /z/ produced the following result in EmodE.
/zj/ > /z</
Due to the increasing literacy in Early Modern English a number of spelling pronunciations were introduced, too. The consonant /z/ (spelled s) changed. This can be seen in the OE word bapteme. It became baptism in EmodE because of the Latin root baptisma.
/n/ -> name -> spelling: n, nn, ng -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant n
Loss of final consonant following unstressed vowel:
When OE /n/ was in final position, following an unstressed vowel, the consonant /n/ was lost. This occurred, for example, in the indefinite article an which became a.
/l/ -> like -> spelling: l, ll -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant l
The consonant /l/ went trough a loss in consonant cluster:
EmdE /l/ was sometimes lost in the vicinity of /c</.
Loss after low back vowels and before labial or velar consonants
EmodE /l/ was lost after low back vowels and before labial or velar consonants for example in word like half, palm, talk. The l remained in spelling but not in pronunciation.
Due to the increasing literacy in Early Modern English a number of spelling pronunciations were introduced, too. The consonant /l/ as in OE faute was spelled fault in EmodE because of the Latin root fallita.
/r/ -> root -> spelling: r, rr -> the sound file contains the EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant r
Loss in certain phonetic environments:
EmodE /r/ was lost before /s/. Furthermore /r/ was lost after back vowels and before consonants. ->Take for example the words “quarter, brother” and “March”. Only the spelling is retained but in pronunciation the /r/ is lost.
Attention: in some American dialects, /r/ is retained in these positions in PDE.
Note, however, that the /r/ in other positions was probably rolled as you might know it from pirates.
/č/(=/ʧ/) ->cheap -> spelling: ch, t, c, cch, tch -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant c<
The consonant /c</ derived from /t/ and /j/ by assibilation.
Loss of final consonant following unstressed vowel:
Take for example the OE /c</ as in OE ic which became EmodE I. Another example is the OE suffix -lic which became EmodE -ly.
/ǰ/(=/ʤ/) -> bridge -> spelling: dg, dge, j, i di, d, g -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant j<
the consonant /j</ derived from /d/ and /j/ by assibilation.
/š/(=/ʃ/) -> shower –> spelling: s, sh, c, ti, ss, sch (loanwords), si, ssi -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant s<
the consonant /s</ derived from /s/ and /j/ by assibilation
/ž/(=/ʒ/) -> pleasure -> spelling: z, s, si, g -> the sound file contains the EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant z<
the consonant /z</ derived from /z/ and /j/ by assibilation
/j/ -> young -> spelling: y -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant j
During EmodE, the palatal semivowel /j/ was sometimes inserted before the unstressed vowel of a syllable following the stressed syllable. Thus, the word pressure /presur/ became EmodE /presjur/ and the word gradual /grædu'l/ became EME /grædju'l/.
If the consonant preceding the intrusive /j/ was an /s/, /z/, /t/, or /d/, the consonant combined with the /j/ to produce a palatal fricative or affricate. This phenomenon is called "assibilation." Assibilation produced the following results in EmodE.
/dj/ > /ǰ/(=/ʤ/)
/sj/ > /š/(=/ʃ/)
/tj/ > /č/(=/ʧ/)
/zj/ > /ž/(=/ʒ/)
/k/ -> keep -> spelling: k, kk, c, cc, ck, qu (for /kw/ or /k/), ch (in loanwords) -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant k
Loss in initial position before /n/:
EmodE /g/ and /k/ were lost in initial position before /n/. Examples are know, knee and knight.
Due to the increasing literacy in Early Modern English a number of spelling pronunciations were introduced, too. A change can be seen in the OE word parfit, which is spelled perfect in EmodE because of the Latin root perfectum.
/g/ -> go -> spelling: g, gg -> the sound file contains the OE, EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant g
Loss in initial position before /n/:
EmodE /g/ and /k/ were lost in initial position before /n/. Examples are gnaw, gnome
/g/ was lost in ng in final position. This produced the phonemic velar nasal /η/.
/h/ -> hand -> spelling: h -> the sound file contains the EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant h
Disappearance of /h/ after a vowel:
/h/ disappeared before /t/ as for example in sight, caught and straight.
Furthermore /h/ disappeared or became f in final position as for example in tough, laugh, slaughter and enough.
Another loss of /h/ occurred before /w/ as for example in what and wh.
French or Latin loanwords with an unpronounced or silent initial h were in general pronounced with the initial /h/ in EmodE. Examples are habit, hectic, history and horror.
Attention: there are some exceptions like hour and honour.
/η/ -> sing -> spelling: ng -> the sound file contains the EmodE and PDE pronunciation
consonant η
The consonant /η/ was not a separate phoneme in Old English. Instead, the velar nasal was an allophone of the alveolar nasal /n/. This allophone appeared in OE before /k/ or /g/. During EmodE, /g/ was lost in final position. Thus, EmodE /η/ became phonemic, because it contrasted with EmodE /n/ in final position.
For example, when /g/ was lost, EmodE wing /wIng/ became /wIη/ instead of just /wIn/, preserving the distinction between wing and win.
Attention: in some dialects further simplifications were made that the velar nasal became “n”. There were alternate spellings like tacklin/tackling and shillin/shilling.
