Unit 1 Pronunciation worksheet

Phonetic symbols – vowel sounds Intermediate

1 Look at the symbols for vowel sounds.

Short vowel sounds
/ɪ / /e/ /æ/ /ɒ/ /ʊ/ /ʌ/ /ə/
big pen cat dog put sun letter

The symbol /ː/ means the sound is long.

Long vowel sounds
/iː/ /ɑː/ /ɔː/ /uː/ /ɜː/
see car more two bird

1.1   Listen and repeat.

2 Write these words under the correct symbol in the chart in exercise 1.
push heart red cool hot eat ran four
hit about first bus build friend group foot
flat wash does meet start walk work doctor

1.2   Listen, check, and repeat.

Word stress
3 1.3   Listen and put the words in the correct column according to the
stress pattern.
regret mobile typical education foreign
immediate ambitious Internet economic reception
correct community

1 country
2 polite
3 important
4 grandfather
5 population
6 experience

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 2 Pronunciation worksheet
-s at the end of a word Intermediate

The pronunciation of -s at the end of a word can be /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/.

1 /s/   In these words, the final -s is pronounced /s/.

2.1   Listen and repeat.
shops hits parents laughs likes stops chefs
hates months wants

2 /z/   In these words, the final -s is pronounced /z/.

2.2   Listen and repeat.
friends comes has eggs goes news gives
does sees clothes lessons sings travels pens
moves

3 /ɪz/   In these words, the final -s is pronounced /ɪz/.

2.3   Listen and repeat.
nurses washes raises watches misses switches
buses challenges places wages revises

4 Put these words into the correct column.

changes surfs maths sells buildings loves
organizes beaches weeks learns sentences wants
breathes cooks matches

/s/ /z/ /ɪz /

groups jobs lunches

2.4   Listen, check, and repeat.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 3 Pronunciation worksheet
Phonetic symbols – consonants Intermediate

1 Many phonetic symbols for consonants are easy.

/b/ /k/ /r/ /d/
/bɪg/ /kæn/ /rʌn/ /duː/
big can run do
/l/ /s/ /j/
/lɪv/ /sɪt/ /jes/
live sit yes

3.1   Listen and repeat.

2 These symbols are less obvious.

/θ/ /ð/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/
/θɪŋk/ /ðəʊz/ /ʃʊd/ /telɪvɪʒn/
think those should television
/tʃ/ /dʒ/ /ŋ/
/wɒtʃ/ /dʒʌst/ /brɪŋ/
watch just bring

3.2   Listen and repeat.

3 Write the words in the correct box according to the sound underlined.
thought tongue this age machine bath mature
church share measure bank gadget pleasure mother
weather fetch thanks German wash hang revision

/θ/ /tʃ/ /ʃ/

/ð/ /dʒ/ /ʒ/

/ŋ/

3.3   Listen, check, and repeat.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 6 Pronunciation worksheet
Word stress Intermediate

1 The unstressed syllables in words are often pronounced as the weak

sound /ə/.
This is the most common vowel sound in spoken English.
/ə/ /ə/ /ə/ /ə/ /ə/
global policeman performance

6.1   Listen and repeat.

2 6.2   Listen to these words. Write in the /ə/ sounds.

/ə/ /ə/
conversation sociable customer

politeness preparation personal

banana apartment intelligent

attention international surprising

6.2   Listen again and repeat.

3 Complete the sentences with another form of the word in bold.

Mark the /ə/ sound in both words.
/ə/ /ə/ /ə/ /ə/
1 I love his photographs. He’s definitely my favourite photographer .

2 Dave studied politics at university, but he never wanted to become a  .

3 Technology advances so quickly these days. It’s impossible to imagine what

changes there will be in the next 20 years.

4 Bill doesn’t seem to like vegetables. I can’t understand why he’s a  .

5 The role of employment agencies is to help find suitable workers.

6 I know anything’s possible in football, but do you think England winning the
World Cup again is a real  ?

6.3   Listen and check. Repeat the sentences, paying attention to the /ə/ sounds in
both words.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 7 Pronunciation worksheet
Sentence stress Intermediate

1 The main stress in a sentence is on the words that give key (important)
information.
7.1   Listen to the beginning of a conversation in a menswear department.

A Can I help you?

C Yes, please. I’m looking for a jumper.
A What size are you?

7.2   We understand the message with just the key words.

A Help?
C Yes. Jumper.
A Size?

2 Read the conversation and underline the words that give key information.
(The number in brackets shows how many words to underline in each line.)

A Can I help you? (1)

C Yes, please. I’m looking for a jumper. (2)
A What size are you? (1)
C I usually take a large. (1)
A And what colour are you looking for? (1)
C Some kind of green? (1)
A What about this one? Do you like this? (2)
C No, I think the style is nice, but it’s too bright. (4)
A Well what about this one then? It’s a much darker green. (3)

C Oh, yes, I like that one much better. Is it made of cotton? (4)

A Yes, and it’s machine-washable. (3)

C That’s great. Can I try it on? (3)
A Of course. The changing rooms are over there. (3)

3 7.3   Listen to the conversation. Notice the stress on the key words.
Listen and repeat.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 8 Pronunciation worksheet
Weak sounds Intermediate

1 To get a natural rhythm in English, some ‘grammatical’ words are often

unstressed. Look at the examples in the chart.

Auxiliary verbs is ​are ​was ​were ​do ​did ​has ​have ​would ​can

Articles a ​the
Pronouns he ​she ​it ​we ​you ​they ​that ​which
Prepositions at ​by ​for ​from ​in ​of ​on ​with

When they are unstressed, they are pronounced with a weak form.
She’s from /frəm/ Scotland.
Are /ə/ you sure?

8.1   Listen and repeat.

These words are only stressed when used at the end of a sentence, or
for emphasis.

Sentence stress
2 The main stress in a phrase or sentence is on key information.
Underline the key words in this phone conversation.

Assistant  Hello. Phoneaflight. Can I help you?

Customer  Yes. I’m looking for a flight to Paris.
A When would you like to travel?
C I was hoping to travel on Friday, at about 9.00 in the morning.
A OK. Do you want to travel from London?
C Yes, please. If you can make it Heathrow, that would be great.
A Right … I’m looking at a flight that leaves at 9.40. Would that be OK?
C That would be fine.
A And when were you thinking of returning?
C It’s just a single I need. Can I pay for it now?
A Sure. Can you give me your credit card details?
C It’s a VISA card, number 0494 …

8.2   Listen and check key words.

3 Find the unstressed words in the conversation in exercise 2, and write a /ə/
symbol above them.

4 Practise reading the conversation aloud. You will only have time to repeat
the lines if you say the weak sounds naturally!

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

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 Unit 9 Pronunciation worksheet
Linking in connected speech (1) Intermediate

1 Word-linking is very important if you want to speak fluently.

Any word that begins with a vowel
sound links with the word before it.
you’d asked about it
/jədɑːskt/ /əbaʊtɪt/

she’d have explained it

/ʃiːdəv/ /ɪkspleɪndɪt/

Two vowel sounds link using the

sounds /w/ or /j/.
to us she asked
/tʊwəs/ /ʃiːjɑːskt/

9.1   Listen and repeat.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

2 There are many links in the whole sentence.

If you’d asked her about it,

she’d have explained it all to us.

9.2  Listen and repeat the parts of the sentence you hear, until you can
say the whole sentence.

3 Read these sentences aloud, marking the linking between groups of words.
1 He could have gone home.

2 She might have left early.

3 I should have written it down.

4 We shouldn’t have spent all our money.

5 If they’d seen him, they’d have told him.

6 She wouldn’t have got the job if she hadn’t passed her exam.

9.3   Listen and check.

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 Unit 10 Pronunciation worksheet
Diphthongs Intermediate

!
Diphthongs are two vowel sounds which run together.
near  /nɪə/
= /ɪ/ + /ə/ = diphthong /ɪə/
here  /hɪə/
hair  /heə/ = /e/+ /ə/ = diphthong /eə/
share  /ʃeə/

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

1 Write the words from the box next to the correct diphthong.
where clear stay know sure phone high
shy enjoy poor beer aloud now noise
bear weigh

1 /ɪə/ = /ɪ/ + /ə/ here

2 /eə/ = /e/ + /ə/ hair
3 /eɪ/ = /e/ + /ɪ/ pay
4 /əʊ/ = /ə/ + /ʊ/ go
5 /aɪ/ = /ɑː/ + /ɪ/ my
6 /ɔɪ/ = /ɔː/ + /ɪ/ boy
7 /aʊ/ = /ae/ + /ʊ/ how
8 /ʊə/ = /ʊ/ + /ə/ tour

10.1   Listen and check.

2 Transcribe the words in the sentences in phonetic script.

They are all diphthongs.
1 We caught the /pleɪn/ to the /saʊθ/ of /speɪn/ .

2 The /bɔɪ/ in the red /kəʊt/ said that he /ɪnˈdʒɔɪd/ the journey.

3 I’ve /nəʊn/ Sally for /ˈnɪəli/ /faɪv/ years.

4 She’s /ˈweərɪŋ/ a red /rəʊz/ in her /heə/ .

5 Not many people /sməʊk/ /paɪps/ these /deɪz/ .

6 He /laɪks/ to /raɪd/ a big black /ˈməʊtəbaɪk/ .

10.2   Listen and check.

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 Unit 11 Pronunciation worksheet
Linking in connected speech (2) Intermediate

!
When have is used as an auxiliary verb, it is unstressed. The ‘h’ is
not pronounced and the weak form is used: /əv/. It is linked with
the word before it.
You should have /ʃʊdəv/ stopped for a rest.
When have is a full verb, it is stressed. The ‘h’ is pronounced and
the strong form is used: /hæv/. It cannot be linked with the word
before it.
You should have /ʃʊd hæv/ a rest.

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

1 11.1  
Listen and repeat.
1 You should have stopped for a rest.
2 You should have a rest.
2 Mark the /ə/ sound and the link on have in one sentence
in each pair. Read the sentences aloud.
1 a He must have won the lottery.
b He must have a lot of money.
2 a They can’t have an ice cream yet.
b They can’t have eaten it already!
3 a You should have let me cut your hair!
b You should have a proper haircut.
4 a You could have a break soon.
b You could have broken something!
11.2   Listen, check, and repeat.

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 Unit 12 Pronunciation worksheet
Ways of pronouncing ou Intermediate

1 12.1  The letters ou are pronounced in many different ways.

Listen and repeat.
/ɔː/   four /aʊ/  doubt

/uː/   group /əʊ/  though

/ʌ/   country /ə/  delicious

/ʊ/  would

Refer to the separate Phonetic symbols pdf

2 Underline the word with the different pronunciation.

1 /ʊ/ would should shoulder could

2 /ɔː/ your sour court pour

3 /aʊ/ accountant country count fountain

4 /ɔː/ though ought bought thought

5 /ʌ/ enough tough rough cough

6 /ə/ anonymous mouse enormous furious

7 /ʌ/ trouble double doubt country

8 /uː/ through group though soup

12.2   Listen and check.

3 Transcribe the words in phonetic script.

1 It’s the /θɔːt/ that /kaʊnts/  .
2 There’s an /ɪˈnɔːməs/ /maʊs/ in the kitchen.
3 I have no /daʊt/ that my boss will be /ˈfjʊəriəs/  .
4 You /ɔːt/ to do something about that /kɒf/  .
5 I have a lot of /ˈtrʌbl/ with noisy /ˈneɪbəz/  .

12.3   Listen and check.

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