ipa - Why is /ɪŋk/ used with "ink" words when the actual pronunciation is /ijŋk/?


SOURCES


1) Words correctly coded /iː/ sound for "i"
a) routine /ruːˈtiːn/ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/routine
b) machine /məˈʃiːn/ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/machine


2) Words correctly coded /ɪ/ for "i"
a) big /bɪɡ/ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/big
b) pin /pɪn/ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pin


3) This is especially confusing (http://dialectblog.com/2011/11/10/the-western-us-and-velars/)



"The word “English” is the one that causes the most confusion for me in IPA. I regularly see it written in IPA as /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/, and although that is much like RP, back in the San Joaquin Valley it’s definitely and clearly /ˈiŋɡlɪʃ/. At the very least, the first “E” and the middle “i” aren’t possibly the same vowel. I also would not call the second vowel /ɨ/, but it’s possible that I have trouble identifying /ɨ/ in my speech anyway (but the Rosa’s/roses difference helps)."



4) Evidence number 4 , A dictionary that writes it /iːŋk/
/i/ sound before "ng" and "nk"


5) YouTube /pijŋk/ not /pɪŋk/ song
Here is a typical American accent where the word "pink " is being used clearly using the /pijŋk/ . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asb8N0nz9OI


6) American Heritage Dictionary Pronunciation key: https://www.ahdictionary.com/application/resources/misc/pronkey.pdf enter image description here


Why is "bee" \bi\ and not \bi:\ ? Because Americans don't see the difference as a lengthening of time but as a change in tone.


CONCLUSION


Words like "pink" or "blink" and "english" should use the IPA markers /ijŋ/ ; when CLEARLY the "i" in these cases is not the /ɪ/ in pin, but CLEARLY is the /ij/ in machine or the "e" in "evening".



Answer



Finally a definitive answer!


I realized that Wikipedia, as well as my current school, are using British-based publishing companies as their source.


All I needed to do was find a dictionary by an American publisher.


Here is the definitive explanation by Merriam-Webster.


https://assets2.merriam-webster.com/mw/static/pdf/help/guide-to-pronunciation.pdf


Page 3, 15th paragraph:



...When it precedes \ŋ\, \i\ is often followed by a \y\ sound. The resulting sound often greatly resembles \ē\ .



Unfortunately, Wikipedia obviously prefers the British reading and the natural American reading is often left secondary or not at all.


I will buy a Merriam-Webster dictionary and use it for my future battles at school. Thank you all for participating in this debate.


I actually saw a detailed explanation, in Japanese in a Japanese dictionary, of American \i\; which explained that the IPA symbols such as \iː\ do not currently support the American reading (they don't have a symbol to differentiate them). Brits actually throw both of the American \i\ tones into the same category and only differentiate the length in time of the sound, whereas Americans categorize \i\ in two tones which we call "long" and "short" (terms that are confusing when British speakers use them to mean something completely different).


I strongly urge that IPA create a symbol for us that reflects our 'i'; where our "long" 'i' represents the 'i' in the British reading of "pig" and "king"; which we pronounce the same as the 'ee' in how we say "feet". And, a separate symbol which reflects what we call "short" 'i'; in how we say "pig" , which is a cross between the British 'i' in the British "pig" and the British 'e' in the British "peg".


American Engish is not being fairly represented by IPA.


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