Name: ________________________________

Pronunciation
Articulation focuses on making individual sounds and pronunciation focuses on stress, rhythm,
and intonation of the syllables in the word.

ORGANS OF SPEECH
 VOWEL SOUND
A vowel is a sound produced by making the vocal chords vibrate and letting the air pass through the
oral cavity without obstruction. Vowels are always part of syllables. What organs can then modify
the air flow as it passes through the oral cavity? Essentially, three: the tongue, the most active and
flexible one, and the lips and the jaw, with less freedom of movement.

The vowel sounds in English are:

Depending upon the length mark [:], the vowel sounds are divided into long and
short vowels.

DIPHTHONGS

A diphthong refers to the union of two adjacent vowel sounds occurring in the same
syllable of a word. The combination of the two sounds gives a unique vowel sound that
is distinct from both as in main, hate, bee, high, bone, few and note. Given below is a
chart of the 8 diphthongs with examples.
 PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
Which one doesn’t belong???
Circle the word that is pronounced with a different vowel sound.

1. no go do so

2. war car bar far

3. does goes foes toes

4. phone bone gone cone

5. fork work stork cork

6. dear bear wear pear

7. food book foot good

8. sew new few knew

9. five dive give hive

10. rose pose nose lose

11. sweat heat meat eat

12. rain train again pain

13. cough rough tough enough

14. clown flown town down

15. plays days stays says

 Pronunciation 2
CONSONANT SOUND

A speech sound that's not a vowel; a letter of the alphabet that represents a speech sound
produced by a partial or complete obstruction of the air stream by a constriction of the speech
organs.

In an industry, speaking clearly and understandably is very important. One factor of clear
language is the pronunciation of words. However, we sometimes forget to clearly pronounce
the sound of a particular word. For example:

Word: Five
Pronunciation: Payb – F and V sounds were not pronounced.

Word: Three
Pronunciation: Tri – Th sound was not pronounced.

Word: Tango
Tango – Proper T was not pronounced.

We will now study the different kinds of sound in the English language that greatly affect our
pronunciation.

Minimal Pairs initial /f/ and /p/

Both of these sounds are produced with just air and no voice, but the way they
are pronounced is very different.

/p/ is producing by building up the air and pressure behind lips that are
squeezed together and then releasing it, similar to making a popping sound.
This means that your mouth moves during the production of the sound and that
it is impossible to extend the sound after your mouth is open and the air has
been released.

/f/ is pronounced with your top teeth touching your bottom lip, and the sound
can be extended for as long as you like without moving your mouth just by
continuing to blow through the gap between those two parts of your mouth.
 fast past
foot put fool poo
fork pork fought port
face pace found pound
fan pan from prom
fax packs full pull
fee P fad pad
feel peel faint paint
feet peat fart part
fig pig fashion passion
fine pine fate pate
fleas please fear pier
fur per ferry perry
phrase praise fin pin
fit pit four pour
flan plan
fold polled
folk poke
fond pond
Note: Remember that when P and H are together, PH, the sound is also letter F.
Examples:
1. The Philippines
2. Phillip
3. Philadelphia
 Minimal Pairs /b/ and /v/ /v/ has the same mouth shape as
/f/, but using your voice. Put your
/b/ has the same mouth position as top teeth on your bottom lip. It is
/p/, but using your voice. Try saying possible to extend this sound for as
/p/ and then holding your neck to long as you like.
make sure that your voice is being If you are practising on your own, try
used when you say /b/. There should saying both words and making sure
be a sudden release of air as you say your pronunciation of each is
the sound, meaning that it is different, for example by looking at
impossible to extend it. your mouth shape in the mirror.

Ban van dub dove

bat vat fiber/fibre fiver

beer veer jibe jive

boat vote lobes loaves

bowl vole rebel revel

bale veil verb nerve

bent vent

bury very

bow vow

bane vein

bat vat

beer veer

bid vid

bolt volt

bowels vowels

bowl vole

curb curve
 T Sound

The American T is influenced very strongly by intonation and its position in a word or phrase. It
can be a little tricky if you try to base your pronunciation on spelling alone.

There are, however, 4 basic rules: [T is T], [T is D], [T is Silent],[T is Held].

1. Top of the Staircase [T is T]

If the T is at the beginning of a word (or the top of the staircase), it is a strong, clear T sound.

In the beginning of a word: table, take, tomorrow, teach, ten, turn Thomas tried two times.

With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR, CT, LT and sometimes NT combinations: They control the
contents.
In the past tense, D sounds like T, after an unvoiced consonant sound — f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th (but
not T).
picked [pikt], hoped [houpt], raced [rast], watched [wächt], washed [wäsht]
It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.

2. Middle of the Staircase [T is D]

If the T is in the middle of the word, intonation changes the sound to a soft D.
Letter sounds like [ledder].

Water, daughter, bought a, caught a, lot of, got a, later, meeting, better

Practice these sentences:

What a good idea. [w'd' güdäideey']
Put it in a bottle. [pü di di n' bäd'l]
Get a better water heater. [geddabedderwäder heeder]
Put all the data in the computer. [püdall the dayd' in the k'mpyuder]
Patty ought to write a better letter. [pædyäd' ride a bedderledder]
3. T is Silent
T and N are so close in the mouth that the [t] can disappear.

interview [innerview]
international [innernational]
advantage [ædvæn'j]
percentage [percen'j]

If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't hear it at all.

put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot, brought.
That's quite right, isn't it?

4. Bottom of the Staircase [T is Held]

With -tain, -tten and some TN combinations, the T is held. The "held T" is, strictly speaking, not
really a T at all. Remember, [t] and [n] are very close in the mouth. If you have [n] immediately
after [t], you don't pop the [t]—the tongue is in the [t] position, but your release the air for the
[n] not the [t]. Make sure you don't put a schwa before the [n]. An important point to
remember is that you need a sharp upward sliding intonation up to the "held T," then a quick
drop for the N.

Written, certain, forgotten, sentence

He's forgotten the carton of satin mittens.
She's certain that he has written it.
Martin has gotten a kitten.
 PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
The Throng of thermometers from the thuringian Thermometers Folks arrived on Thursday,
there were a thousand thirty-three thick thermometers. Though, instead of a thousand
thirty-six thin thermometers, which were three Thermometers fewer than the thousand
thirty-six we were expecting, not to mention that they were thick ones rather than thin ones.

Pete's niece loves to eat seeds coated with thick cheese while she sits on a heated bench and
sings with her little strings. This kid who once bit the cheek of a hot chick because she thought
she was seeing a roasted chicken also licked the leaking faucet because she thought she had a
beak and was drinking from the river.

Perry, a fat pink fairy who lives in fantasyland, and his pet Paul, a pig that is frighteningly full of
fur, went to visit Perry's paternal grandfather fairy. The grandfather fairy was praying when fat
pink Perry and furry Paul arrived. Fat pink Perry noticed a pail on a plank parallel to grandfather
fairy's favourite praying position.

Berry is called "Very Berry" because he is considered the best bet for a vet and brightest
baseball veteran in the big country of Belgium. Aside from spending time with bunnies, very
Berry is also fond of baseball bats and balls. His villa has a basement with a vault full of balls.
Very Berry is also fond of collecting bats in a vat.

How much wood could Chuck Woods' woodchuck chuck, if Chuck Woods' woodchuck could and
would chuck wood? If Chuck Woods' woodchuck could and would chuck wood, how much
wood could and would Chuck Woods' woodchuck chuck? Chuck Woods' woodchuck would
chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as any woodchuck would, if a
woodchuck could and would chuck wood.
 Liaisons – Word Connections

American Sound Spelling

Jeet?No, joo? Did you eat? No, did you?

Kweegeddit? Can we get it?
Sko! Let's go!
Jläiksmore? Would you like some more?
I shüdatoljoo. I should have told you.
Leddergeddabedderwädrheedr. Let her get a better water heater.
Holedänasek'nt! Hold on a second!
Hæojalykuhliddul more? How would you like a little more?
They doeneev'n lye kit. They don't even like it.
Doe neeven thing ka bow dit! Don't even think about it!

There are four main points where liaisons happen:

1. Consonant and Vowel:

Words are connected when a words ends in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a
vowel sound, including the semivowels W, Y and R. (You can check out the individual sounds as
well.
Spelling Pronunciation

My name is Ann. [my nay mi zæn]

American accent [amer'k' næksent]

You also use liaisons in spelling and numbers.

Spelling Pronunciation

LA [eh lay]

909-5068 [näinounäin, fäivo sick sate]

 2. Consonant and Consonant:
Words are connected when a word ends in a consonant sound and the next
word starts with a consonant that is in a similar position.

Lips Behind Teeth Throat

Unvoiced P, F T, Ch, S, Sh K, H

Voiced B, V D, J, Z, Zh G, Ng, R

For example, if a word ends with a letter from the Behind Teeth category and the next word
starts with a letter from that same category, these words are going to naturally join together.
This is the same for Lips and Throat.

Spelling Pronunciation

I just didn't get the chance [I jussdidn'tge(t)the chance]

I've been late twice. [äivbin la(t)twice]

3. Vowel and Vowel:

When a word ending in a vowel sound is next to one beginning with a vowel sound, they are
connected with a glide between the two vowels.
Spelling Pronunciation

Go away. [go(w)away]

I also need the other one. [äi(y)älso need the(y)other one]

 4. T, D, S, or Z and the Y Sound:
T + Y = CH
Spelling Pronunciation

What's your name? [Whacher name?]

Can't you do it? [Canchoo do it?]

Don't you like it? [Donchoo like it?]

D+Y=J
Spelling Pronunciation

What did you do? [Whajoo do?]

Would you help me? [Wüjoo help me?]

Did you like it? [Didja like it?]

graduation [graju(w)ation]

S + Y = SH
Spelling Pronunciation

insurance [inshurance]

sugar [shüg'r]

Z + Y = ZH
Spelling Pronunciation

How's your family? [howzher family?]

Who's your friend? [hoozhier friend?]

casual [kazhyoow'l]

usual [yuzhoow'l]