VOWELS

Try saying the following: AaAwOuOo

We get these distinctions due to the change in the lip movement.

VOWELS contd.

20 Vowel sounds

VOWELS contd.

Vowels are classified into “Monophthongs” and “Diphthongs” i.e. single vowel sounds or combination of two vowel sounds together.

The “Monophthongs” are further classified as “short” sounds and “long” sounds.

MONOPHTHONGS

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘ih’ = /i/

Placement: Raise the tongue high and to the front of the relaxed mouth. Open the mouth only slightly. Make a voiced sound.

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Big FishMiss ListBuild FinishGym EnglishSymbol SwiftPretty BusyDish WomenConditioner TechnicalTradition Addition

bit my lip skinny dipknit mittens hit-skippet the kitten flip my lid

Phrases

Words‘ih’ = /i/

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘ih’ = /i/

Jim is in the picture. English is a difficult languageMiss smith is thin. Sift the flour for the cakeBring chicken for dinner. Finish the fried fishListen to this ridiculous list This is a symbolIs it difficult? She's sitting on the seat

The pretty women are busy in the gym

Bill lives in the middle of the city

Phil, sit still and take your pill. The bridge is a pretty sight.

Sentences

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘ee’ = /i:/

Placement: The tongue is high leaving only a tiny space with the mouth almost shut. The teeth are close together with a tense chin and mouth. The lips form a smile and the sound is voiced. This is a long vowel sound.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘ee’ = /i:/

Eel Wheel SpreeEat Feet FleaEqual Meal AgreeEast Week Me

tea and cookies keep the peacepeach tree please be neatbe a sweetie green beansagree with me lean on me

Words

Phrases

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘ee’ = /i:/

Jeanie do you see the bees? "Bees can be mean,” said Steve.Please freeze the peas The police is on the sceneNeither he nor she believes me The beans are sweetWe can easily read the agreement Please open the chassisHow deep is the sea? Read the passage slowlyMy niece is in the suite The debris is heavy

Jeannie and Mandy teach reading to people.

Do you want tea with honey or cream?

Sleet falls every week of January. Sweets are just the thing I need.

Sentences

MONOPHTHONGS contd. /i/-/i:/

CONTRASTING SOUND PRACTISE

Bit/beet beat Ship/sheepSit/seat Lick/leakRip/reap His/he'sLip/leap Chip/cheapLive/leave Rich/reachDid/deed Dip/deepHill/heal heel he'll Fist/feast

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Six sheep were sick on the ship.

Please peel the beet and string the beans.

Jim eats cheap chips She’s as thin as he is.He leaves me this measly little meal.

She seems to me to be mean.

/i/-/i:/CONTRASTING SOUND PRACTISE

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘Oo’ = /Ʊ/

Placement: Lips are pushed out and slightly rounded. The tongue is midway. A short voiced sound is made.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘Oo’ = /Ʊ/

Book Put WouldWoman Push SuperbCould Look WolfCrook Brook Should

push a cart Cookbooktook a look shook uppush and pull took my booklook out catch the crookgood looking wool coat

Words

Phrases

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘Oo’ = / Ʊ/

She looks goodLook in the cook book for a good puddingHe would if he couldShe shook her right foot.The woman took a good look at the crookIt should be good willThe woman took a good look at the wolfShe took the bookYou should use a cookbookHe had a sad look when he stood by the brook.

Sentences

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘oo’ = /u:/

Placement: Lips are rounded with tongue midway in the mouth. The jaw is fairly high. Make a long voiced sound. The lips are formed ready for a kiss.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘oo’ = /u:/

Fool NewsPool DueCool BlueDo TuesdayLose FlewWho CanoeTwo ShoeLoose ThroughFood JuiceSoup RheumatismLieu Flu

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘oo’ = /u:/

blue moon Recruitsay the truth cool shoestrue blue boot camp

Sue knew the truth This is fool proofChoose blue for the new room

Ruth wanted new blue shoes for school

It blooms soon in June. My shoe is looseThe news is too gloomy Don't lose the toolsWho made the soup? Luke and Sue had a cool drink. The bluebird flew due south. Bruce fell into the pool.

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

CONTRASTING SOUND PRACTISE

‘oo’ = /u:/Full/fool Pull/pool Stood/stewed Nook/nuke Would, wood/wooed Hood/who'd Lou couldn't fool SueStu wouldn't move the cooking stoolThe good pool room is booked for Tuesday at noonThe cook stood and looked at his new shoesPull out of the game of poolShe stewed as she stood in the sunWho'd think of looking under the hoodHe would have wooed her if she allowed

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘eh’ = /e/

Placement: The relaxed tongue is in the middle of the mouth. The jaw and face are also relaxed. Open the mouth and drop the lower jaw slightly making a voiced sound (mid position).

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Egg AgainEnergy Says Step SaidWednesday MeadowMany HeadFriend LeopardGuest StepMemory Dealt

‘eh’ = /e/

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Send Ben for his friend Ed likes eggs everyday.Let's rent a tent Esther never gets upsetThere are only eggs for the guest

The leopard entered the meadow

Fred said it again and again Put your head against the bedThere are many kegs in the cellar

Emily entered the contest Wednesday

Is there anything else I can do for you?

November eleventh is Ellen's anniversary.

‘eh’ = /e/

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘eyh’ = /æ/

Placement: The lower lip is stretched open with a slight jaw drop. The mouth forms the shape /_\ . It is a sound which is voiced. This sound is a combination of the /a:/ and /e/ sounds. The jaw drops for /a:/ and opens wide simultaneously for /e/.

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Apple CanadaAmble CrabAtlas SmashAbsent Drank

‘eyh’ = /æ/

At the moviesAmple proofAesthetically speakingAmble along

Words

Phrases

Sentences

‘eyh’ = /æ/

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.Can we cable a message to Canada?You need to ask the administrationAbsent minded professor

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

/e/ - /æ/MONOPHTHONGS contd.

CONTRASTING SOUND PRACTISE

Lend/land Guess/gasLeft/laughed Men/manPen/pan Messed/mastBed/bad Said/sadBeg/bag Wreck/rackHead/had Set/satMet/mat Said/sadPet/pat Brett/Brad

MONOPHTHONGS contd. /e/ - /æ/

CONTRASTING SOUND PRACTISE

The man laughed and then left.

Fran passed the pen into the man's left hand.

I guess Ann and Ed ran out of gas.

Can Ted send a letter to Stan and Pam?

The pet cat sat on the bed. Pat had a red rag on her head.The men said it had a sad ending.

The next guest patted Fred on the back.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘a’ - /Ə/

Placement: This is just a tiny movement of the throat with the mouth opening very slightly making a voiced sound. This is the most important sound in the English language and most commonly mispronounced.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘a’ - /Ə/

Urgent UmbrellaAlas GovernmentEnter SupportOppose AmericaEnergy Again

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Come again another dayRussia is a cold countryI love to read about the Amazing facts Inappropriate behavior is not tolerableSanta and Banta are friendsNovember is the eleventh month

‘a’ - /Ə/

‘uh’ - //

Placement: The mouth is opened slightly and the tongue is relaxed. It is a short closed sound which is voiced. This sound is followed by an abrupt closing of the mouth/jaw.

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

‘uh’ - //

Us PluckBus CutUgly TonOther Stuck

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Words

Phrases

under the sun mud puddleugly duckling a month agoUndone funny bunnyenough is enough cut the cakesome fun honey bun

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aa’ - /a:/

Placement: The tongue is relaxed, flat, and low behind the lower teeth. Imagine a dentist asking you to open the mouth, and stretch the sound produced

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aa’ - /a:/

Ask GraphArt ScarfAnswer HeartAfter Harm

Blast CraftFast LastPast GrassLaugh Mast

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aa’ - /a:/

Jack you're a master bat lasherHe seemed to danceThe plane was on the tarmacAt last he got a chance to dance with herI can’t ask her father to start the car down the path!We have a class nowHe laughed out aloudThe car broke downShe lived farI took part in the art competitionThe chancellor demanded the castle.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aw’ - / Ɔ/

Placement: The tongue is relaxed in a wide-open mouth with the jaw dropped. The tongue is resting on the bottom of the mouth. The lips are rounded. The sound is voiced.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aw’ - / Ɔ/

SWOT FrogOperation HotOdd CopOctober What

hop scotch fox trothot shot stop and shopdrop the mop hot spotodd jobs 50 watt bulbcrop-top Mopping is my job

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aaw’ - /Ɔ:/

Placement: Start with /aw/ where the tongue is low and tense, the lips tight, and the jaw dropped and make a longer sound bringing the lips to a ‘oh’ formation.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. ‘aaw’ - /Ɔ:/

(INITIAL) (MEDIAL) (FINAL)all awful always boss wrong taught Awe flaw Thawoff often August fall broad across Raw draw Straw

also ought audience song bought naughty Law claw Jaw

call it off call it quitscall the shots all talkwalk all over It's all wrong.Is Paul's hair long or short? How much does coffee cost?What is the reward for the lost dog?Did you make a long-distance call?

MONOPHTHONGS contd. er/a’=/3://Ə/

Placement: The American /3:/ is pronounced with a roll of the tongue with a long aaaa sound, ‘aaarrrrr’.The British sound is similar to a long “schwa”. Here the ‘r’ that comes after the ‘aaa’ sound is silent.

MONOPHTHONGS contd. er/a’=/3://Ə/

curd nerd

burnt dearth

first burst

MONOPHTHONGS contd. Eh I Oo Uh Ae AwBet Bit Book But Bat Bought

Check Chick Cook Cut Cat CaughtDesk Did Push Does That DotDebt Fit Foot Fun Frank FrockFence Grit Good Gut Gallery Got

Get Kill Cook Cud Catch CotKed Lit Look Lump Lamp LotteryNet Pit Put Putt Pack PopcornPet Pick Pull Puck Patch Proper

Peck Sit Stood Putt Parrot PropagateSaid Sip Shook Shut Shack Shock

MONOPHTHONGS contd. Ee Oo Ah aw ERBeet Boot Bath born burp

Cheek Cooed Cart corn curdDeal Drool Dart dawn dirtFeel Fool Far bored burn

Greet Glue Grass glory GirlHeat Who Heart horse hirsuteJeans Juice Jar jaunt germKey Cool Calm Call curl

Meek Moose Mass morning mirthNeil Noose Nazi Lawn lurkPeel Pool Pass pour Pearl

Bead Bid I bid for the rare beadBeat Bit The beat is a bit strongCheek Chick The chick’s cheeks are softDeed Did Sam did the deedEat It Don’t eat it.Feet Fit The new shoes don’t fit my feetGreen Grin The Martians grin was greenHeat Hit The heat hit hard, last summerJeep Jill Jill’s jeep is here

MONOPHTHONGS contd.

Jeep Jill Jill’s jeep is hereKeep Kill Why keep killing students with workLeap Lip He bumped his lip when he leapedMeat Mill We are hitting meat in the mill todayNeat Knit Nick knitted a neat sweaterPeel Pill Don’t peel that pillSteal Still He still stealsThief Thing The thief took my thing

MONOPHTHONGS contd.