1. The /l/ sound

2. The /l/ sound 2 possible pronunciations (allophones)
Clear-L (Light-L) Dark-L

3. Clear-L (or light-L)
the /l/ is the same alveolar lateral as in Hungarian
Examples:
before a vowel: lip, look, love, slip, killing, taller
before /j/: value, million, volume

4. Dark-L Velarized the tongue moves to the soft palate (velum)
Followed by a consonant or a pause
The rule of L-darkening
L-darkening refers to RP only!
in GA, /l/ is dark in all positions

5. Dark-L Before a consonant: spilt belch killed else tallness
Before a pause:
pill
bell
kill
stale
tall

6. Clear-L vs. Dark-L

7. Syllabic /l/ One type of word-final /l/ is always dark
Syllabic /l/ the /l/ is found in a syllable that lacks a vowel
The /l/ is considered to take up the role of the vowel
e.g.: cycle /saɪkɫ/; channel /ʧænɫ/

8. L-vocalization in some none-standard varieties
dark-L is often articulated as an [o] like vowel
e.g.: milk /mɪok/; shelf /ʃeof/
the consonant /l/ is replaced by a vowel

9. Now it’s the experts’ turn…

10. …and here comes the self-made expert
(01:30-)

11. Practice time! People are awfully lazy in the middle of July.
The police compelled the folk dancers to leave the hall.
Gerald walked alone till about half past twelve.

12. Practice time! People are awfully lazy in the middle of July.
The police compelled the folk dancers to leave the hall.
Gerald walked alone till about half past twelve.

13. References
Balogné Bérces Katalin, Szentgyörgyi Szilárd ed., Az angol nyelv kiejtése – The Pronunciation of English. Budapest: Bölcsész Konzorcium, pp
Nádasdy Ádám. Practice Book in English Phonetics and Phonology. Budapest: Nemzeti Tankönyvkiadó, 2003.
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