Australian English Phonology

Hiatus

Like many languages, Australian English forbids hiatus. Here is how it resolves the problem obtained when two vowels collide:

If the ffirst vowel is in set (1), then [ɹ] is added:

(1) ɪː eː aː oː øː ə uə~uː

If the fist vowel is in set (2), then [j] is added:

(2) æi ɪi ɑe oi

If the first vowel is in set (3), then [w] is added:

(3) æɔ ʉː ɔʉ

If the first vowel is in set (4), then it can’t end a word:

(4) ɪ e æ æː a ɔ u

Examples:

Here is a fair amount of far and away the poorest examples of Australian hiatus. These’re only on display if you can see ’em. I always saw the boy in the window, until a cow interfered with you over there. Keep low or you might be hit.

hɪː-ɹ-ɪz ə feː-ɹ-əmæɔnt əv faː-ɹ-ən ewæi ðə poː-ɹ-əst ɪgzæːmpəlz əv əstʃɹæɪliən hɑe-j-æɪtəs. ðɪisə-ɹ-ɔʉnli ɔn dəsplæi-j-ɪf jə kən sɪi-j-əm ɑe-j-oːwæiz soː ðə boi-j-ɪn ðə windɔʉ, antɪl ə kæɔ-w-intəfɪːd wɪθ jʉː-w-ɔʉvɐ ðeː. kɪip lɔʉ-w-ə jə mɑet bi hit