Consonants STOPS

In contrast to StAmE pronunciations, it has been observed that the voiceless stops [p], [t], and [k] in Gullah are generally unaspirated at the beginning of stressed syllables (Turner 1971, 2002; Mack 1984). According to Turner, these sounds are also occasionally produced as ejectives in this position. Turner notes that [p] is sometimes followed by slight aspiration “[b]efore long vowels in very emphatic speech” (1971: 127). He emphasizes, however, that variation among the aspirated, nonaspirated, and ejective variants of these three sounds is not phonemically distinctive in Gullah.

According to Turner (1971, 2002) the palatal stop [c] is used in Gullah where StAmE has [ʧ] in words such as chew and March. He notes that this stop is occasionally aspirated in emphatic speech. He also observes use of the palatal stop [Ɉ] in words such as Jack and pleasure, where StAmE has [ʤ] and [Ʒ] , respectively. And he notes that [Ɉ] is occasionally found where the sounds [z] or [ʃ] would be heard in StAmE.

Similar to speakers of many other varieties of English, Gullah speakers exhibit use of consonant cluster reduction, by which the word-final stop in a consonant cluster gets deleted. As an alternative strategy, consonant clusters are also occasionally separated by vowels in Gullah (Turner 1971: 130).

Finally, there are some additional alternations made by the current speaker for the stops [p] and [k]. In the reading list, the speaker pronounces the word palm as  and only after being questioned provides the alternative pronunciation of . And in the reading passage, the speaker produces the word cloak variably as [klot] and [klok]. These pronunciations may represent some idiosyncratic tendencies on the part of this particular speaker or more productive processes in Gullah.