One of the typical problems learners of English frequently come across is how to pronounce the endings in regular past English verbs. When I mean regular I mean all the ones that end in -ed/d like ‘walk>walked’, ‘study>studied’. There are actually some simple rules that will help students get this right almost all the times.…… Continue reading /id/ /d/ or /t/ in regular past verbs?
The sound /r/ is quite different to the Spanish /r/. The English /r/ is not articulated with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. Rather the front of the tongue (not the tip!) curls upwards and rises towards the top of the mouth cavity. Another big difference between Spanish /r/ and…… Continue reading Phonetics: English sounds /r/
/dʒ/ for job Words with this sound can come with: J like in the word jam /dʒæm/ g like in magic /ˈmædʒik/ dg like in judge /dʒʌdʒ/ dj like in adjective /ˈædʒektɪv/ /j/ for yes The spelling of this sound is: y like in the word yes /jes/ i like in onion /ˈʌnjən/ u…… Continue reading Phonetics English consonants /dʒ/ /j/
/ʃ/ for sheep This sound has a lot of different spellings. Spelt ‘sh’: shoe /ʃʊː / ‘ch’ like in the word ‘machine’ /mə’ʃiː n/ -s, -ss like in: sure and passion /ʃʊə/ or /ʃɔː / /’pæʃən/ -ti like in the word nation /ˈneɪʃən/ -ci like in special /ˈspeʃəl/ -ce like in ocean /əʊʃən/ -si like…… Continue reading Phonetics: /ʃ/ /tʃ/
/ɵ/ for three Always spelt ‘th’. Some words with this sound are: thief, method, health, breath. The transcription of these words are: /θi:f/ /’meθəd/ /helθ/ /θri:/ This sound is made without the effect of vocal cords and placing the tip of the tongue on the back of our two front our upper teeth (incisor). Listen…… Continue reading Phonetics: /ɵ/ & /ð/
/k/ for cat Regularly spelt with c, cc, q, or k . Sometimes k is in the spelling of the word but it is not pronounced like in know or knife. Some words with this sound are: cat, cake, consequence The transcription of these words are: /kæt/ /keik/ /’kɒnsəkwəns/ /g/ for game Regularly spelt with…… Continue reading Phonetics /k/ & /g/
/t/ for ten Regularly spelt with t, tt or th. Some words with this sound are: ten, little, sit. The transcription of these words are: /ten/ /lɪtl/ /sɪt/ /d/ for dog Regularly spelt with d or dd. Some words with this sound are: dog, deed, dear, suddenly, hard. The transcription of these words are: /dɒɡ/…… Continue reading Phonetics: English consonants /t/ /d/
/p/ /b/ /p/ for pen Regularly spelt with p o pp and but not in the word hiccough /’hikʌp/ Sometimes p is in the spelling of the word but it is not pronounced like in psychology that sounds as if it were ‘s’ or cupboard were this letter is silent. Ph usually sounds like British…… Continue reading Phonetics: The English consonants /p/ /b/
/eɪ/ for eight This sound is in the words: eight, plate, ate, mate, cake, made. The transcriptions of the words above are: /eɪt/ /pleɪt//eɪt/ /meɪt/ /keɪk/ /meɪd/ /meɪd/ /ɔɪ/ for toy In English words the sound is in: toy, voyage, oil, royal, voice, lawyer, boy. The transcriptions of the words above are: /tɔɪ/ /rɔɪjəl/ /vɔɪs/…… Continue reading The diphthongs /eɪ/ /ɔɪ/
/eə/ for care This sound is in the words: air, chair, hair, their, there, tear (v). The transcriptions of the words above are: /eə/ /keə/ /tʃeə/ /heə/ /ðeə/ /ðeə/ /teə/ /ʊə/ for tour In English words the sound is in: tour, plural, and Europe. The transcriptions of the words above are: /tʊə/ /’plʊərəl/ /’jʊərəp/ Click
