TRANS-

trans- BrE AmE træn t s trænz, trɑːn t s, trɑːnz —For English as a foreign language learners, the form træns is acceptable in all contexts in all kinds of English. Actual usage preferences are fairly complex. —In the choice between s and z forms we can distinguish various phonetic contexts according to the sound with which the stem begins, as follows. (1) Before a voiceless sound (trans ˈ form) , s is usual. (2) Before l (trans ˈ late) and before an unstressed vowel sound ( ˈ transit) , s is usual though a minority use z . (3) Before other consonants (trans ˈ gress, trans ˈ mit) , and before a stressed vowel sound (trans ˈ act) , the tendency is for British English to prefer z , but American English to prefer s . This also applies in any word where the prefix is felt as separate ( ˌ trans ˌ conti ˈ nental) . —For the vowel, Received Pronunciation prefers æ , although a substantial minority use ɑː , and some words have variants with ə ; American English always has æ . —Before a stem beginning with s the final consonant sound is often lost (trans + scribe giving transcribe træn ˈskraɪb ).