Learning to Pronounce English

8/10/2019 Learning to Pronounce English

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1.THE PHONETIC ALPHABET

A. Learning to Pronounce English

The fundamental method by which a student learns to pronounce English is by

imitating the pronunciation of English-speaking persons under conditions thatapproach as nearly as possible those of normal communication. The strange sounds

and rhythms may seem a little funny at first, but you must try to forget that, and

imitate without reservations. Your success will depend largely on the sharpness of

your ear and your ability as an imitator.

Sometimes imitation does fail, however. The instructor may pronounce a word or

sentence many times for you, and you still may be unable to say it as exactly as he or

she does. This may be because you are hearing and reproducing well only a few of the

most important sounds that make up the word. It will be of benefit to you then if the

instructor canwrite outthe word for you, sound by sound, using symbols that are

always pronounced in the same way. One of the most typical features of English is the

manner in which its unimportant, unstressed vowels are pronounced. Your attention

may not be called to these at all when youheara word spoken, but you canseethem as

clearly as the stressed vowels in a phonetic transcription. The eye is more analytical

than the ear. We can see separately all the symbols that make up a written word, but

we can hardly hear individually all the sounds that compose it as it is normally

spoken.

Most people learn things better through the eye than through the ear. Even inlearning to pronounce, when you must depend primarily on hearing, there is every

advantage in being able to have your eye aid for your ear. Something learned in two

different ways is probably four times as well learned. The ordinary spelling of an

English word sometimes has so little apparent relation to its sound that the spelling is

not useful as a guide to pronunciation.

There will be times when you may wish to write down the pronunciation of a

new word, so as to be able to recall it later. Unfortunately, we cannot remember a

mere sound clearly for very long; but a phonetic transcription will make recall easier.

When no English-speaking person is present to pronounce a word for you, your only

recourse may be to try to reconstruct the sound of the word from the symbols in a

dictionary. Practice in reading symbols will help you learn to make accurate

reconstructions.


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In other words, though you must rely chiefly on your ear and imitation to

acquire a good accent, a knowledge of the number and identity of English

sounds, the symbols used to represent them in phonetic writing, the way in

which they are produced, and a few of the laws that govern their behavior will

be a great advantage to you and will increase your chances of success. Thescience of phonetics may be considered the grammar of pronunciation;

knowledge of phonetics can help you to pronounce no less, and no more, than

knowledge of grammar can help you to speak and write.

B. Why a Phonetic Alphabet

The first step in your work with phonetics will be to familiarize yourself with a

set of symbols by means of which the important sounds of English-all those that serveto distinguish one word from another word!may be represented. There will be a symbol

for every such sound. The table of symbols used here shows theOxford Advanced

Learner's Dictionaryphonetic alphabet.

Table of Symbols

Consonant English Phonetic Consonant English Phonetic"oun#s E$a%ple Transcription "oun#s E$a%ple Transcription

p pen pen s so sU

b bad bd z zoo zu:

t tea ti: & shoe u:

d did d I d ' Asia e I

k

cat

kt

h

hat

ht

g got gat m mud md

( chat t n not nat

just )st thing I


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f fall f:l l leg leg

v voice vI s r real rI l

three r i : j your jUr

then en w warm w:rm

*o+el "oun#s English Phonetic *o+el "oun#s English Phonetic

, -iphthongs E$a%ple Transcription , -iphthongs E$a%ple Transcription

i: see si: above bv

I pit p I t e I same se I m

e check ek U go gU

land lnd aI fight fa I t

a far far aU crowd kra U d

: saw s: I boy bI

U book bU k I near n I r

u: too tu: e air er

sun s n U poor p U r

/ girl g/l


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C. *o+els

The Ele0en *o+els "oun#s o English

i: u:

I U

eI

e!"U

2a:


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The position of each of the English eleven vowels sounds is as follows:

i:high-front low-front Umid-backIhigh-front mid-central u:high-backeImid-frontalow-central Uhigh-backemid-front :low-back

Pronunciation -rills

a. Long sound

i:; words frequently used:

three green seat reach

week sheep heat each

cheese free lease maybe

see meet weak people

keep feel treat believe

feed knee clean ceiling

seem need easy these

needle peak neat evening

seed eat team scheme

week beach cheap complete

beetle leave lead the (apple)

feet leak dream receive

need mean east we

queen please leave me

seek deal lean he

sleep read tea be

deed least dean shemeet disease real B,C,D.E,G.

b. The short soundI; words frequently used:


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it give his big imitate

is live been sing think

if ink string million listen

wish minute imminent did this

with inch him thing will

rid sit pin since which

hid win pick pig children

Jim bliss lid pit finish

Nick bring ditch miss ship

rich river fill fish mirror

bitter itching middle dizzy women

sink gift widow link build

hit silk list kill busy

visit kiss six milk business

c. The long eIsound; words frequently used:

wait straight shade table vacation

explain gain safe debate station

rain tray acre tape nation

grain stay gate place neighbor

raid pay lane face eight

train slay rate page convey

rain may lake fate stapler

wait day take fade later

claim bay tale estimate April

main say sane tolerate baby

paint state name cage age

tail cake grape shade ate

plain upgrade make date ace

saint celebrate plane mistake A,H,J,K.

d .The shortesound; words frequently used:

let ten beg next any


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led pet bed blend edge

end net bet dress unless

sell egg set rebel head

tell leg left letter weather

fell get red dead again

met best den said many

men lest yes very sense

step neck less merry twelve

send well peck present settle

gem went then better friend

mess help sweat several receptionist

when fresh fellow eminent weapon

smell press length whether F,L,M,N,X.

e. The shortsound; words frequently used:

at lab ran that laugh

as ask can map aunt

ad last van half banner

am has hat catch handle

bag act bad pack perhaps

sad ban nap vary passion

cab add pas marry advanced

sat bag gas exact Saturday

pass Dad man matter handicap

math sank bath after imagine

pat mass land rabbitt understand

fast than black gather satisfactory

class band crack valley flamboyant

. The shortasound; words frequently used:

on boss comrade God car

job shop borrow art start

hot sock cotton far dark

not got doctor cart artist


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pot clock dollar arm park

rob stop Robert farm argot

part from honor are hard

lock knock bottom harm march

lot stock upon carve archery

cop drop father harbor garden

often pocket party barman margin

rock watch guitar barber garbage

odd wash chart sardine harmony

box October mark arsenal sarcasm

g. The shortsound (unstressed), andsound (stressed);words frequently used:

us bug young brother awful

up hunt touch above daughter

of luck touch done relative

just such trouble does collect

dust much double love one

nut rung enough adult condition

but number mother won America

doll Sunday month sun company

dull butter color son competition

mud utter other none imperative

bus upper Monday come another

cut result suddenly wonderful burglar

junk puppy subject tongue important

hum under Republican money consider

fun summon hundred some relevant

The shortsound (unstressed) is shown by italiced syllables.

h. The long:sound ; words frequently used:

saw cough all or portable

law bought call nor cord

awful brought fall born torn

draw sought stall order torch


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lawn court small organize before

dawn dog hall organ sore

hawk off walk gorgeous tore

raw wrong boring lord store

taught along form corporate more

Paul song corner force horse

laundry strong port original hoarse

caught cost sort pork roar

naughty salt corn floor war

August talk for door warm

i. The longUsound; words frequently used:

close pole so no over

nose coke go both loan

code noble post don't load

rose hope vocal moment roast

those chose own program toad

hole phone old soldier loaf

tone choke soul polar boat

role home total most coat

woke owe open only coal

note show motor told oath

wrote throw motive won't road

stole snow cold hold coast

whole know though coincidence cocoa

smoke clothes coconut November coach

3. The short soundUwords frequently used:

put bull wood woof goodwill

pull tour wooden hooky woodpecker

push tourist foot goody oomph

full your look shook good

lure yours hook poor curious

push should took took cure


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bullet would rookie woolen curiosity

butch could goodness brook pure

butcher gourmet hooker hood secure

pudding cook poorly nook wolf

sugar wool woodworm book woman

4. The longu:sound; words frequently used:

too proof you prove June

fool room group two argue

cool roof through do fuel

spoon soon wound to view

pool zoo route womb beautyboot loot soup whom student

goose root you who usually

noon loose glue shoe excuse

tooth crook true juice review

food knew due fruit human

moon chew sue suit music

mood flew Tuesday truth use

poodle shrew lose Luke pupil

choose news whose July cute

school few move rule Q,U.

Pronunciation -rills

A. Sentences withi::

Keep this three for me, please. She'll read the lease.

He sees me three evenings a week. Leave the sheet in the seat.

These people seem to believe me. We'll need these keys.

B.Sentences withI:


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This is it. Which fish did Bill pick?

Miss Mills thinks it's big. Is this lid his, Miss Hill?

I think Sid filled this ditch. Tim did this.

C.Sentences witheI:

They say they'll take a vacation. Ray ate the grapes.

Eight days in April, and eighteen in May. Take the same train.

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. They'll make the cake.

D.Sentences withe:

Greg said ten men fell dead. Many men begged for help.Then Fred sent Ed the pen. Mel smelled the eggs.

The weather's better in September. Let's get my friend Ted a pet.

E.Sentences with:

Jack cant understand that. Has Dad had a nap?

That man ran after his hat. Aunt Pat had a black cat.

Perhaps he laughed at the fat cat. Half the class has had it.

F.Sentences witha :

The clock stopped. It's not a lot.

Tom got the job in October. Bob parked his car in the park.

The cop robbed the arsenal. Archery is not a art or an job.

G.Sentences with(unstressed); and(stressed):

The sun comes up at seven. Mother loves the summer months.

Does Sunday come before Monday? Hasn't Gus won enough money?

Just consider another subject. They have won the soccer world cup.


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H.Sentences with::

Is the original song short or long? He walked across the small door.

Paul called the store in August. Lo saw the torch on the floor.

My daughter bought a dog and a horse. Saul ordered an organ for Paula.

I.Sentences withU:

Rose and Joseph don't know yet. Oh, did Joe go yet?

Both those boats were old. Jodie sold her coat.

No, he'll probably go home. He won't phone his coach

J.Sentences withU:

Would this be a good book? Look at this woman cook.

He shouldn't have stood on that foot. She could be a good cook.

She put away the book she took. The butcher was good but poor.

K.Sentences withu::

Do you have a loose tooth, too? He'd lose his boots in the zoo.

I'm moving to another room at noon. Who did you sue?

Whose group do you belong to? You and Luke are fool.

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Learning to Pronounce English