As we know, English usually contrasts the two high front vowels /i:/ and /ɪ/, and many different minimal pairs exist for this (e.g. /sli:p/ vs /slɪp/). However, at the end of a word, we usually have neither /ɪ/ nor /i:/, but /i/ (e.g. /sɪti/).
For a long time, I believed that this was, effectively, a merger of /i:/ and /ɪ/ in word-final positions. However, I recently stumbled upon some minimal pairs that seemingly have an /i:/-/i/ distinction in word-final positions, e.g. guarantee vs guaranty or trustee vs trusty.
So, I was wondering:
1) Are these really different sounds, or is this more an case of spelling-pronunciation?
2) Is it because the stressing changes?
3) And if they are different, can /ɪ/ occur at the end of a word as well?
4) Are there /i/-/ɪ/ minimal pairs, or maybe even /i:/-/i/-/ɪ/ minimal triples?
5) Effectively, is /i/ an independent phoneme or a word-final allophone of /i:/ and/or /ɪ/, and when do the different variants occur (word-finally)?
Best Answer
The happy vowel, as it is known,/i/, is not a feature of all Englishes. In Australian English, for example, this vowel is subject to lengthening in open syllables.
In British English, the happy vowel may be realised with the quality of either [i] or [ɪ], and variation between speakers can be observed. However, younger speakers are far more likely to produce a vowel with an [i]-like quality.
The usage of /i/ to represent this vowel was an innovation by John Wells who used it to reflect a vowel that was essentially a short /i:/ for some speakers and a /ɪ/ for others.