If you have problems saying something like ‘Young rats in black hats’ or ‘The cat sat on my hat’ Then this video on phonetics will be handy as it will help you practise this open ‘a’ (ahhhhhhh!) sound. https://youtu.be/l3Y0jZY0d8g Serena’s blog
/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/ /rɔɪjÉ™l/ /vɔɪs/…… Continue reading The diphthongs /eɪ/ /ɔɪ/
 /eÉ™/ for care This sound is in the words: air, chair, hair, their, there, tear (v). The transcriptions of the words above are: /eÉ™/ /keÉ™/ /tʃeÉ™/ /heÉ™/ /ðeÉ™/ /ðeÉ™/ /teÉ™/ /ÊŠÉ™/ for tour In English words the sound is in: tour, plural, and Europe. The transcriptions of the words above are: /tÊŠÉ™/ /’plÊŠÉ™rÉ™l/ /’jÊŠÉ™rÉ™p/ Click
Diphthongs are formed by more than one vowel sounds put together. There are a lot of English words with diphthongs in them even if we can only see one vowel written in the words. Like many words in English, the best way to know how to pronounce the word is by hearing it or by…… Continue reading The diphthongs /aɪ/ / aÊ‹/
/É”:/ for door This sound is a long ‘o’ and it sounds a bit similar to the exclamation Spanish ‘oh’. In English words the sound is in: door, sure, shore (sea), paw (an animal’s foot),and boredom. The transcriptions of the words above are: /dÉ”:/ /ʃɔ:/ /ʃɔ:/ / pÉ”:/ /bÉ”:dÉ™m/  / Éœ:/ for bird This…… Continue reading /É”:/ for door & / Éœ:/ for bird
I have a friend who works as a receptionist (as many people on this island do), who one day complained about one of the worst moments she constantly finds herself in at work. ‘I have a problem at work that I just can’t seem to get right’ she said. ‘I don’t know what I say wrong,…… Continue reading Phonetics long vowel sounds VS short vowel sounds /i:/ /I/
Click for activity
This sound is a long ‘u’. In English words the sound is in: shoe, two, you, flue and  new. The transcriptions of the words above are: /ʃu:/ /tu:/  /ju:/ /flu:/ /nju:/
This short sound is like Spanish ‘u’. Examples for this sound are in the words: book, look, foot, should. The transcription of these words are: /buk/ /luk/ /fut / /ʃud/
This short sound like the ‘o’ in Spanish . Examples for this sound are in the words: knot, not, cotton, shop. The transcription of these words are: /nÉ’t/ /nÉ’t/ /kÉ’tÉ™n/ ʃɒp/
