Clear Vs Unclear Syllables

Listen to the word sets below. Notice how the sound changes as it becomes an UNaccented syllable.

• face -- surface
• gauge -- baggage
• land -- Oakland
• man -- salesman
• chase -- purchase
• mouth -- Plymouth
• rate -- separate
• fort -- effort
• sand -- thousand
• break, fast -- breakfast
*Even though "break-" is stressed, the vowel reduces from /ei/ to /ɛ/, and "-fast" is fully reduced because it is not stressed.