The Midnight Feast
Short story written in English with Diacritics (EwD)
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- What is EwD?
- Phonetic guide
- Story: The Midnight Feast
- Further learning
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- Phonetic guide (advanced)
What is EwD?
English is a global lingua franca, yet its complex relationship between spelling and pronunciation poses significant challenges for learners. The inconsistencies in how words are spelled versus how they are pronounced can hinder comprehension and fluency, creating barriers to effective communication and language acquisition.
This document features a short story employing the English with Diacritics (EwD) system, an initiative that aims to bridge the gap between how English words are written and how they are pronounced, in a smooth and elegant way.
Through this narrative, the use of diacritics (commonly known as accent marks) demonstrates how the frequent pronunciation ambiguities of English can be clarified directly within the text. This way, EwD aims to make learning English pronunciation more practical and intuitive, especially for those whose enjoy acquiring vocabulary through reading.
This document serves as a practical exploration of EwD's potential. By evaluating the use of diacritics in this narrative, we aim to assess their effectiveness in clarifying pronunciation.
To enhance the overall experience, two narration audios have been created for this story, one in General American (GA) accent and other in General British (GB) accent. Readers can choose to listen to one of these audios alongside reading. However, this is not mandatory, as we also want to test EwD in purely textual scenarios.
Before the story, we included a phonetic guide with information about English phonemes, vowel diacritics and other elements from the EwD didactics. We recommend consulting it for a more in-depth understanding of the EwD system. You can choose whether to consult it before or after reading the story.
Following the experience, we invite readers to respond to the feedback form created especially for this document. Completing it is essential to help us validate and improve the EwD system, and so that we can continue to invest in this endeavor.
Phonetic guide
Here we provide essential information to help readers understand and apply the EwD system for this demo story and other contents. Each subsection briefly introduces and explains a different element in the EwD didacticts. By familiarizing with these elements, learners are expected to gain a deeper insight into how EwD enhances pronunciation clarity and aids in effective communication.
Since EwD is to designed to be intuitive, people who are already familiariazed with all the English phonemes (sounds) may choose to skip this guide at first and try to learn some of the patterns and diacritics by intuition. If you decide to do so, feel free to return to this guide whenever you feel the needed. However, if you are still struggling with the English phonemes, we recommend that you at least skim Section 1 (Vowel Phonemes) just below.
1. Vowel phonemes
Phonemes are the distinct units of sound that distinguish one word from another in a specific language. Grasping the basics of English phonemes is the very first step towards improving communication skills in the language. Below we list all the vowel phonemes in English, including example words for each. For more detailed guidance on this topic, see the complete Vowel Phonemes table.
Non-rhotic vowel phonemes
These are the non-rhotic vowel phonemes – vowel phonemes not influenced by a following “r”. Note that, for only four of these phonemes, there are slight differences between the GA and GB accents.
❓Note on underlined terms
| Phoneme | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ⟨long-a⟩ | /eɪ/ | h[a]t[e], w[ay] |
| ⟨short-a⟩ | /æ/ | h[a]t, h[a]ppy |
| ⟨long-e⟩ | str.: uns.: /i(ː)/ |
|
| ⟨short-e⟩ | /ɛ/ | b[e]t, b[e]tting |
| ⟨long-i⟩ | /aɪ/ | b[i]t[e], [I], t[y]p[e], m[y] |
| ⟨short-i⟩ | /ɪ/ | |
| ⟨long-o⟩ | h[o]pe, g[o], r[oa]d | |
| ⟨short-o⟩ | h[o]p, c[o]pper | |
| ⟨long-oo⟩ | str.: uns.: /u(ː)/ |
|
| ⟨short-oo⟩ | /ʊ/ | f[o͝o]t, p[ü]t, c[oul]d |
| ⟨long-u⟩ |
str.: uns.: /ju(ː)/ |
|
| ⟨short-u⟩ |
/ʌ/ | c[u]t, d[u]mmy, l[ô]ve, am[ô]ng t[o᷍u]ch, d[o᷍e]s, bl[o᷍o]d |
| ⟨ah⟩ | f[a̍]ther, sp[a̍] | |
| ⟨ow⟩ | /aʊ/ | h[ow], [ou]t |
| ⟨aw⟩ | s[aw], c[au]se | |
| ⟨oy⟩ | /ɔɪ/ | b[oy], n[oi]se |
| ⟨ə⟩ |
/ə/ | [a]gree, exc[e]ll[e]nt, rec[i]pe, ph[o]netic, [u]pŏn, vari[ou]s̩, cert[a͢i]n |
- Same sound as ⟨ah⟩ in General American (🇺🇸). This is the father-bother merger.
Rhotic vowel phonemes
And next are the rhotic vowel phonemes – vowel phonemes influenced by a following “r”. These constitute the major distinction between the GA and GB accents, as all of them are pronounced differently between these accents. This is because GA is a rhotic accent, while GB is a non-rhotic accent.
❓Note on underlined terms
| Phoneme | Sound (🇺🇸) | Sound (🇬🇧) | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⟨air⟩ | /ɛɚ/ | /ɛə/ | [air], c[are], th[ĕr]e |
| ⟨eer⟩ | /ɪɚ/ | /ɪə/ | b[eer], h[ere], n[ear] |
| ⟨ire⟩ | /aɪɚ/ | /aɪə/ | f[ire], p[yre] |
| ⟨oor⟩ | /ʊɚ/ | /ʊə/ | p[oor], y[öur], y[öu’r]e, t[öur] |
| ⟨ure⟩ |
str.: /jʊɚ/ uns.: /jɚ/ |
str.: /jʊə/ uns.: /jə/ |
|
| ⟨ur⟩ |
/ɝ/ | /ɜː/ | h[er], f[ir]st, t[ur]n, w[o͡r]d, w[e͡r]e, [e͡ar]th, j[o͡ur]nal |
| ⟨ahr⟩ |
/ɑɹ/ | /ɑː/¹ | f[ar]ther, c[ar], [a̍r]e |
| ⟨owr⟩ |
/aʊɚ/ | /aʊə/ | h̥[our], [our] |
| ⟨awr⟩ |
/ɔːɹ/ | /ɔː/ | [or], h[or]se, dīnos̩[aur] |
| ⟨ər⟩ |
/ɚ/ | /ə/² | li[ar], p[er]hăps, elĭx[ir], mart[yr], s[ur]prīse, cŏl[or], cŏl[our] |
- Same sound as ⟨ah⟩ in General British (🇬🇧) and other non-rhotic accents. This is the father-farther merger.
- Same sound as ⟨ə⟩ in General British (🇬🇧) and other non-rhotic accents. This is the Marta-martyr merger.
For more detailed guidance, see the complete Vowel Phonemes table.
2. Introduction to the EwD Method
Achieving fluency in English requires not only a grasp of vocabulary and grammar but also a good understanding of pronunciation patterns. The EwD didactic method – called EwD method for short – is designed to make this process more streamlined by clarifying the complexities of English pronunciation through a structured and individualizable learning path. It revolves around a systematic approach that combines well-defined pronunciation rules with a minimal use of diacritics.
The primary purpose of these diacritics is to highlight the specific words that deviate from the most common pronunciation patterns. This targeted application ensures that learners can focus on the exceptions without being overwhelmed by too many visual markings.
Intuition before formal learning
When approaching the intricacies of English pronunciation, it's often more effective to first develop an intuitive grasp rather than diving straight into formal rules. As such, the EwD system is designed to gradually build your familiarity with English pronunciation patterns, through practical exposure and contextual learning.
Instead of overwhelming yourself with all the detailed pronunciation rules or diacritical marks right from the start, we recommend first engaging with the story in this survey. This approach allows you to intuitively grasp the natural flow of the language and the patterns highlighted by EwD. As you progress, you’ll find that the rules do little more than reinforce the intuitive grasp you may have already begun to develop.
However, if you're curious, you are welcome to explore the full set of pronunciation rules to get a general sense on how EwD streamlines the learning process.
3. Stress patterns
Mastering English pronunciation involves understanding its stress patterns, which are crucial for both clear speech and effective listening. As a stress-timed language, English relies on the placement of stress within words and syllables to convey meaning and maintain the natural rhythm of speech.
The table below outlines the formal rules for determining stressed syllables in different types of words. While it's useful to understand these rules, we recommend not focusing heavily on memorizing them right away. Instead, allow your intuition to guide you as you engage with the story in this survey, as mentioned in the previous section. The rules are here to reinforce and clarify the patterns you may naturally begin to recognize through exposure and practice.
❓Note on stress notation
❓Note on Priority column
| Scenario | Stress position | Examples | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 syllables | number, sentence, hundred | 1 | |
| 3+ syllables | family, excellent, particular, tec̤hnology | 1 | |
| Words with vowel digraphs | afraid, disease, delight, pursuit | 2 | |
| Short verbs | replace, begin, complete, correct | 1 | |
| Long verbs | separate, experiment | 1 | |
| Verbs ending in |
open, enter, favor*, embolden, remember | 2 | |
| Words with strong endings | genetic, education, musician, material, notorious̩ | 3 | |
| Words with strong marks (Deviations from the above patterns) |
matūre, tĕmperature, nōtice, pĭcture, refér | 4 |
See stressed syllable rules in detail
4. Vowel marks
Vowel marks, as referred to in EwD, are diacritics applied to vowels. They serve two functions at the same time: first, they indicate which phoneme should be pronounced, being applied in words where phoneme ambiguities exist; second, they clarify whether the syllable is stressed or unstressed, thus being employed to address potential stress ambiguities as well. The specific format (design) of each diacritic is tailored to resolve phoneme ambiguities, while its vertical positioning – either above or below the vowel – signals the syllable's relative stress within the word.
Vertical positioning
In EwD, vowel marks are placed above in stressed syllables – these are called strong marks – and below in unstressed syllables – these are called weak marks. Keep in mind that English words may have more than one stressed syllable, depending on their length and other factors – they usually are limited to one or two stressed syllables though.
List of vowel marks
Here's the explanation for the vowel marks that were used in the story. Remember: as explained in Section 2, all diacritics are used sparingly in EwD, only to solve ambiguities, so you won't see them in every word to which each one could potentially be applied.
❓Note on vowel digraphs/trigraphs
| Examples | Indicates... | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Macron |
||
| 2. Breve |
Short pronunciation² | |
─ 3b. Line |
─ |
Shifted pronunciation³ |
| 4a. Circumflex |
Reduction to ⟨short-u⟩ |
|
| 4b. Circumflex Below |
Reduction to ⟨ə⟩ |
|
| 5a. Rounded Circumflex |
Reduction to ⟨ur⟩ |
|
| 6. I-Dot |
Reduction to ⟨short-i⟩ | |
| 7. Ring |
- The “x” is a wildcard for any vowel letter, for the purpose of diacritic demonstration.
- For information on how the two length marks (Macron and Breve) are applied, see Rule No. 4 – Natural Vowels.
- See the Subsection below (Shifted vowels) for details.
Shifted vowels
Complementing the previous table, here's the GPM for all vowel graphemes with non-standard pronunciation (called shifted vowels) that occurred in the story. These receive the Umlaut or Line marks to indicate the shift to alternative phonemes.
❓Note on vowel digraphs/trigraphs
| Grapheme(s) | Phoneme | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ä¹ | äi | äy¹ | ⟨short-e⟩ | |
| ëa | ë¹ | ⟨long-a⟩ | |
| ï | ⟨long-e⟩ | |
| ö | öu o̤u |
⟨long-oo⟩ | ro̤utïne² |
| ü¹ o̤ |
⟨short-oo⟩ | |
| a̍¹ | ⟨ah⟩ | |
| a̍r(r) | ⟨ahr⟩ | |
| o̍u | ⟨aw⟩ | |
| o̍r | o̍ur¹ | ⟨awr⟩ | |
| e̍i | e̍y¹ a̍i¹ | a̍y¹ |
⟨long-i⟩ |
- Does not occur in the story, but it's shown here for didactic purpose.
- Note that <e>, as a rule, is always silent (not pronounced) at the end of the word. When this is not true, diacritics are applied (such as in the word “clïchë” shown above). For clarification, see Rule No. 1 – The Final Silent E.
- Also note that <gh> is always silent (not pronounced) after vowels. This is true for all English words, not just the ones shown above. For clarification, see Rule No. 6 – Silent Consonants.
- Not actually a shifted vowel case. The diacritic in this word is used only to indicate stress.
5. Compound words
Compound words are a common class of words in English. They are formed by combining two or more words (called components) to create a new one with a combining or unique meaning, e.g. “toothbrush” or “mailbox”.
For a few compound words, EwD employs the Middle Dot
Below are the EwD-marked compound words that appeared in the story:
| Word |
|---|
| midnight |
| elsewhĕre* |
| battleground |
NOTE – Keep in mind that this resource is used very sparingly in standard EwD, as for most compound words, it is deemed unnecessary. Furthermore, it is never used directly in the text, but inside tooltips, as shown above. For more information, see Rule No. 5 – Compound Words.
6. Hard exceptions
And finally, here we provide specific pronunciations for words that are treated as hard exceptions in the EwD system, showing how they are pronounced in a notation akin to Detailed EwD. The notation uses the "‹›" characters as a way to indicate local respelling of letters that rarely represent the given sounds. Keep in mind that this notation is not EwD, and it is never used directly in the text.
| Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| of ¹ | o‹v› |
| one(s) | ‹wun(s)› |
| once | ‹wun›ce |
- The pronunciation of the word “of” is usually not indicated in EwD contents. Learners must internalize it without diacritical guidance.
Story:
The Midnight Feast
In English with Diacritics
Go to diacriticless text (standard English text without diacritics)
In a small town a greengrocer had opened a shop that was located* abôve a deep cellar. Every night, mice came in droves out of this̩ cellar into the shop. They ate apples and pĕars, grapes and nuts and did not spare the vege̥tables and potātoes ēither*. No go͝ods that we͡reᴺ in the shop were safe from the small intrūs̩ive rodents between midnight and sunrise. As long as thĕreᴺ was noise in the streets at night and cars were driving by, the mice still stayed quietly in the cellar. But as soon as the old clock on the town hall had struck midnight and it became quiet in the street, they came out in droves, enjoyed the sweet fruits and celebrated rea̬l fests, whöse remains filled the ōwner with despair every morning when he entered the shop. So he tried to protect himsĕlf agäinst* the mice. At first he set up traps all over the shop.
But the traps seemed to ōnly catch a few careless mice, while the clĕverer ones quickly le͡arned to evade these new dangers. The greengrocer escalated his efforts by introducing poison, which agäin* ōnly temporarily thinned the ranks of his nocturnal visitors. He then brought in a pair of cats, confident that they would rid him of his problem once and for all. The cats did mănạge to catch sôme of the mice, but the cellar seemed to endlessly supply more.
The situation grew dire as the greengrocer nōticed his profits sinking. Each morning greeted him with fresh havoc: gnawed fruit skins, bitten vege̥tables, and spoiled go͝ods. The continuous̩ battle with the mice was also taking its tōll on his hĕalth, leaving him weary and frustrated*. The townsfolk began to shop elsewhĕre*, drĭven away by the increas̩ing prices he had to charge to côver his losses and by the occasional mous̩e they glimpsed scurrying under the shelves.
Out of desperation, the greengrocer sought help from exterminators, but their efforts to gas̩ or smoke out the mice from the cellar failed disăstrous̩ly, ōnly mănạging to force them into the shop itsĕlf. Now, the mice didn’t even wait for midnight; they paraded around openly, emboldened by their numbers and the shop’s waning human resĭstance.
The shop became knōwn far and wide, not for its go͝ods, but for its overwhelming mous̩e population, which seemed to hăveᴺ claimed the place as their ōwn. Peo̥ple stopped referring to it as the greengrocer’s and started calling it the “Mous̩e Market”. Surprisingly, this̩ infamy turned into an odd form of töurist attraction. Sôme visitors came out of curios̩ity, ôthers for amusement, and a few for the chăllenge of catching a glimpse of the notorious̩ “Mous̩e King”, a particularly large and bold mous̩e rumored to have first led the conquest of the cellar.
The greengrocer, defeated and out of options, eventually embraced the situation. He began to charge admission to those daring eno᷍ug̈h to enter his shop. He sold mous̩e-themed memorabilia: T-shirts, mugs, and hats. He even organized nightly viewings, whĕre peo̥ple could watch the mice feast under softly glōwing lights, which seemed to enco᷍urạge their natural perfo̍rmance.
As the years passed, the “Mous̩e Market” became a staple of the town, a biza̍rre monument to the small creatures’ tenacity and cunning. The greengrocer retired comfortably on the proceeds from his transformed bu̇si̥ness, always marveling at the twist of fate that had led him there. The mice contĭnued to rule their dominion, lĭving and multiplying in peace, a thriving colony in a town that had le͡arned to appreciate them in a way no one could have anticipated.
In a twist of fate, the mice overwhelmed all efforts to control them, eventually turning the battleground into a kingdom of their ōwn and a peculiar attraction, remīnding us̩* all of the unpredictable nature of surrĕnder and coexĭstence.
In Diacriticless
If you are up for it, try reading the same story now in diacriticless English. See if you can notice an improvement in your phonetic awareness, now with a standard text without diacritics.
In a small town, a greengrocer had opened a shop that was located above a deep cellar. Every night, mice came in droves out of this cellar into the shop. They ate apples and pears, grapes and nuts and did not spare the vegetables and potatoes either. No goods that were in the shop were safe from the small intrusive rodents between midnight and sunrise. As long as there was noise in the streets at night and cars were driving by, the mice still stayed quietly in the cellar. But as soon as the old clock on the town hall had struck midnight and it became quiet in the street, they came out in droves, enjoyed the sweet fruits and celebrated real fests, whose remains filled the owner with despair every morning when he entered the shop. So he tried to protect himself against the mice. At first, he set up traps all over the shop.
But the traps seemed to only catch a few careless mice, while the cleverer ones quickly learned to evade these new dangers. The greengrocer escalated his efforts by introducing poison, which again only temporarily thinned the ranks of his nocturnal visitors. He then brought in a pair of cats, confident that they would rid him of his problem once and for all. The cats did manage to catch some of the mice, but the cellar seemed to endlessly supply more.
The situation grew dire as the greengrocer noticed his profits sinking. Each morning greeted him with fresh havoc: gnawed fruit skins, bitten vegetables, and spoiled goods. The continuous battle with the mice was also taking its toll on his health, leaving him weary and frustrated. The townsfolk began to shop elsewhere, driven away by the increasing prices he had to charge to cover his losses and by the occasional mouse they glimpsed scurrying under the shelves.
Out of desperation, the greengrocer sought help from exterminators, but their efforts to gas or smoke out the mice from the cellar failed disastrously, only managing to force them into the shop itself. Now, the mice didn't even wait for midnight; they paraded around openly, emboldened by their numbers and the shop's waning human resistance.
The shop became known far and wide, not for its goods, but for its overwhelming mouse population, which seemed to have claimed the place as their own. People stopped referring to it as the greengrocer's and started calling it the “Mouse Market”. Surprisingly, this infamy turned into an odd form of tourist attraction. Some visitors came out of curiosity, others for amusement, and a few for the challenge of catching a glimpse of the notorious “Mouse King”, a particularly large and bold mouse rumored to have first led the conquest of the cellar.
The greengrocer, defeated and out of options, eventually embraced the situation. He began to charge admission to those daring enough to enter his shop. He sold mouse-themed memorabilia: T-shirts, mugs, and hats. He even organized nightly viewings, where people could watch the mice feast under softly glowing lights, which seemed to encourage their natural performance.
As the years passed, the “Mouse Market” became a staple of the town, a bizarre monument to the small creatures' tenacity and cunning. The greengrocer retired comfortably on the proceeds from his transformed business, always marveling at the twist of fate that had led him there. The mice continued to rule their dominion, living and multiplying in peace, a thriving colony in a town that had learned to appreciate them in a way no one could have anticipated.
In a twist of fate, the mice overwhelmed all efforts to control them, eventually turning the battleground into a kingdom of their own and a peculiar attraction, reminding us all of the unpredictable nature of surrender and coexistence.
Further learning
For a more in-depth understanding of reading texts in EwD, we recommend consulting the Vowel Phonemes table and the English Pronunciation Rules. These documents provides comprehensive guidelines and examples to enhance your grasp of English pronunciation and the EwD system.
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Phonetic guide (advanced)
Optional reading.
This section is a continuation of the phonetic guide. It delves into more intricate aspects of English phonetics as structured by the EwD method. While the first part of the guide is aimed for all learners – from beginner to advanced level – this second part will cover more complex topics that could overwhelm beginners. As you become more comfortable with the basics, this guide will help you further refine your pronunciation skills and deepen your comprehension of English spelling and phonology.
7. Vowel digraphs/trigraphs
Digraphs and trigraphs are combinations of respectively two or three letters that are pronounced as single phonemes. Here's the GPM for the vowel digraphs and trigraphs that appeared in the text.
Non-rhotic
| Grapheme(s) | Phoneme | Example(s) from text |
|---|---|---|
| ai, ay, ey | ⟨long-a⟩ | remains, away, they |
| ea, ee, ēi | ⟨long-e⟩ | deap, each, ēither* |
| ĕa | ⟨short-e⟩ | pĕar |
| igh, e̍i | ⟨long-i⟩ | night, e̍ither* |
| äi | ⟨short-e⟩ | agäin* |
| ōw, oe | ⟨long-o⟩ | ōwner, potātoes |
| oo | ⟨long-oo⟩ | soon |
| o͝o, oul(d) | ⟨short-oo⟩ | go͝ods, could |
| ew, iew, ue, ui | ⟨long-u⟩¹ | few, viewing, contĭnue, fruit |
| oi, oy | ⟨oy⟩ | noise, enjoy |
| aw, a(l), a(ll), ough(t) | ⟨aw⟩ | gnaw, also, small, brought |
| ou, ow | ⟨ow⟩ | out, town |
| x᷍x² | ⟨short-u⟩ | eno᷍ug̈h |
¹ Please note that the ⟨long-u⟩ is often reduced to ⟨long-oo⟩ when preceded by <l> and <s>, e.g. “conclūde” and “suita̬ble”. When preceded by <r>, it is always reduced to ⟨long-oo⟩, e.g. “rule” (no case in the text). For more information on English vowels, see the Vowel Phonemes table.
² Any pair of letters with the Double Circumflex must be pronounced ⟨short-u⟩. For clarification, review “Circumflex” in the table of the previous section.
Rhotic (in stressed syllables)
| Grapheme(s) | Phoneme | Example(s) from text |
|---|---|---|
| ar, a̍rre | ⟨ahr⟩ | car, biza̍rre |
| ear | ⟨eer⟩ | year |
| air, ar(e), ĕar, eir, ĕr(e) | ⟨air⟩ | pair, spare, pĕar, their, thĕre |
| ir(e) | ⟨ire⟩ | dire |
| öur | ⟨oor⟩ | töurist |
| er, ir, ur, x͡r, x͡xr | ⟨ur⟩ | refér, first, nocturnal, we͡re, le͡arn |
| or | ⟨awr⟩ | morning |
EwD version: 4.0
EwD notation: Minimal EwD
-
Simple vowels are vowels represented by a sole letter. These are <a>, <e>, <i>, <y>, <o> and <u>. ↩