| Consonants |
|---|
| IPA | English approximation | Notes |
|---|
| m | monkey | | | n | nest | | | ɲ | canyon | | | ŋ | ring | absent in Piacenza | | p | speed | | | t | stop | | | tʃ | beach | [ts̠] in Bologna | | k | sky | | | b | ball | | | d | dog | | | dʒ | jump | [dz̠] in Bologna | | ɡ | gap | | | f | fan | | | θ | think | merges with /s/ inPC,PR,RE | | s | betweensun andshun | generally realized as [s̠] | | v | van | | | ð | feather | merges with /z/ inPC,PR,RE | | z | between base and beige | generally realized as [z̠] | | l | leaf (always clear) | | | r | either rolledr or Frenchr | mostly [r], [ʁ] in Parma and environs | | j | yet | | | ʎ | million | allophone of /lj/ | | w | watch | may merge with /v/ |
Vowels in Emilian present very strong variation within the region, within a province and even within any given city. The table that follows indicates most possible vowel phones that are present in Emilian in some capacity. | Vowels anddiphthongs |
|---|
| IPA | English approximation | Occurs in |
|---|
| a | AuE STRUT, Boston PALM | Provinces of Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, Mantua, elsewhere in loanwords | | aː | AuE and NZE PALM | All varieties | | æ | CaE, NZE, RP TRAP | City of Reggio Emilia, periphery of Bologna | | æː | AuE TRAP | City of Reggio Emilia, city of Parma (conservative varieties) | | ʌ | Older RP STRUT | Periphery of Bologna | | ɛ | GenAm DRESS | Almost all varieties | | ɛː | GenAm BED | All varieties | | e | AuE and NZE DRESS | Most varieties | | eː | IrE and InE FACE | All varieties | | i | GenAm and AAVE FLEECE | Almost all varieties | | iː | RP and AuE FLEECE | All varieties | | ə | Stressed COMMA or Welsh English STRUT | Mostly province of Piacenza, formerly city of Modena | | œ | Absent in English; like French neuf | Fidenza (PR) | | øː | Absent in English, like French feu | Provinces of Piacenza and Mantua, Appennines and parts of province of Parma | | y | Absent in English, like French jus | As øː (see above) | | yː | Like French tu; Californian English CUTE | As øː and y (see above) | | ɔ | NZE CLOTH | Almost all varieties | | ɔː | Mid-Atlantic THOUGHT | All varieties | | o | Singapore English GOAT | Most varieties | | oː | NZE THOUGHT | All varieties | | u | AuE FOOT, Singapore English GOOSE, | Almost all varieties | | uː | InE GOOSE | All varieties | | ai̯ | RP PRICE | City of Bologna | | ʌu̯ | CaE MOUTH | City of Bologna | | æi̯ | AuE FACE | City of Reggio Emilia | | ɒu̯ | RP SOUL | City of Reggio Emilia | | ɛi̯ | RP FACE | Provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena and (partly) Bologna | | ɔu̯ | Boston GOAT | Provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena and (partly) Bologna | | ei̯ | GenAm FACE | Reggio Emilia (conservative) | | ou̯ | GenAm GOAT | Reggio Emilia (conservative) | | əi̯ | Newfoundland English PRICE, CHOICE | Province of Piacenza | | ɵu̯ | MLE GOAT, GenAm THREW | Parts of city of Parma | | je | AuEYES | City of Ferrara | | wo | NZEWALL | City of Ferrara |
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