Institution: Kirinyaga University
School: Business and Education
Program: Education Arts
Unit Code: AEN 2220
Unit Name: Phonetics and Phonological Analysis
Task: Cat 2
Lecturer Name: Dr. Safari Ntalala
GROUP 7 MEMBERS
REGISTRATION NUMBER NAME
ED100/G/18006/23 NGUGI ROSELYNE NJOKI
ED100/G/19656/23 OLUTA MOLLEN
ED100/G/18938/23 JANE WAMBUI KIARIE
ED100/G/19330/23 GITAKA RAHAB
ED100/G/19008/23 WANJA JOB MUKUNDI
ED100/G/19814/23 IMMACULATE KAGURE
ED100/G/19682/23 MUTUNGA ERIC KYALO
ED100/G/19726/23 EDITH CHEROTICH
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7. COMPARE AND CONTRAST PHONETICS FEATURES OF KENYAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH.
Kenyan English and British English differ in several phonetic aspects due to historical influences, local
language interference, and the education system. The differences can also be influence of indigenous
Kenyan languages. Below is a comparison of their phonetic features:
Vowel Sounds
Kenyan English: No clear distinction between short and long vowels, especially in words like ship vs.
sheep (ʃɪp] vs. (ʃiːp), where both may be pronounced with [i]. because it tends to reduce vowel length
contrast. British English: Has a distinction between long and short vowels, such as /iː/ in sheep(ʃiːp) vs.
/ɪ/ in ship (ʃɪp)
British English Maintains the difference between /æ/ (as in trap) and /ɑː/ (as in palm). While the Kenyan
English Often merges /æ/ and /ɑː/, pronouncing trap and palm with a similar /a/.
British English Uses diphthongs like /əʊ/ in go and /eɪ/ in day. While the Kenyan English Often replaces
diphthongs with monophthongs, pronouncing go as [go] and day as [de].
Diphthongs (Two vowel sounds in one syllable). British English Uses diphthongs e,g Go /ɡəʊ/ and
face /feɪs/ while the Kenyan English Often replaces diphthongs with simple vowels. e,g Go → /ɡo:/and
face → /fes/
Consonants
In Kenyan English there is no aspiration in /p, t, k/ e.g, (pat may sound like bat to native British speakers)
while in the British English aspiration is present in /p, t, k/ e,g., pat [ph]
British English Has dental fricatives /θ/ (thin) and /ð/ (this) and are clearly pronounced. While in Kenyan
English These are often replaced with /t/ for /θ/ and /d/ for /ð/, making thin sound like tin and this like
dis.
British English Pronounces /r/ only before vowels (non-rhotic).e,g in car [kɑ:] without final /r/ unlike the
Kenyan english which Is typically rhotic, pronouncing /r/ in all positions, including at the end of words
like car.
Stress and Intonation
British English Uses stress-timed rhythm, where stressed syllables occur at regular intervals making
unstressed one shorter. While the Kenyan English Tends to be syllable-timed, meaning all syllables are
pronounced with relatively equal duration. E,g PHOtograph → /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ vs. phoTOgraphy → /fə
ˈtɒɡrəfi/. British English Has distinctive rising and falling intonation patterns but Kenyan English Often
has flatter intonation, influenced by Bantu language intonation patterns.
Influence of Native Languages
2
British English Has no influence from African languages But the Kenyan English Is influenced by Bantu,
Nilotic, and Cushitic languages, leading to features such as syllable timing and consonant substitutions.
Consonant Clusters (Groups of consonants together)
British english Keeps all consonants.
Ask → /ɑ:sk/, texts → /teksts/.
While Kenyan English Simplifies clusters.
Ask → /ɑ:s/, texts → /teks/
In conclusion, Kenyan English differs from British English mainly in vowel length, diphthongs,
pronunciation of "r," "th" sounds, consonant clusters, and speech rhythm. These differences come from
the influence of Kenyan languages.
