From: Robert Wilson
Message: 584
Date: 2003-08-15
>i pronounce "one ear" and "two ears" as [wVnijr\] and [t_huM\ijr\z],
> No doubt emphasis plays its part, but, to me, English has the initial
> glottal stop whenever there is no liaison.
> The liaison rule operates for utterances like <an ear>, constituted
> of a
> single iambic foot : [�@ "nI@], but it does not in the case of <one
> ear>,
> <two ears>,
> In utterances like <one ear>, <two ears>, that are constituted of two
> trochaic feet each, isn't the glottal stop compulsory : ["�wAn
> '�?I@],
> ["�thu '�?I@z]?
>
> Of course I leave aside "donkeys' years". :-)
>
> Jean-Paul G. POTET, FRANCE