Some handy pronunciatin tips to Bear In Mind

SOME HANDY PRONUNCIATIN TIPS TO BEAR IN MIND

• T may be elided in ….nts. E.g. conten t s, sof t ness, sof t ener, tex t book, tas t eful, tas t eless

• P may be elided in …..mps, …..mpt. E.g. jum p ed, cam p ed,

• D may be elided in …ndg. E.g. strange

• Your intonation will certainly improve if you try harder to imitate the patterns that native speakers use.

• When we speak quickly

“ Would you ……? & Do you …….?” are often pronounced /wudgI/ or /dgI/

STRESS IN NUMBERS:

• It is often difficult to hear the difference between these numbers. Notice the different stress:

   

•    

Thir ty thir teen .

Listen to these pair of numbers and repeat them with the correct stress.

30 13

40 14

50 15

60 16

70 17

80 18

90 19

• If you just list the teen words – thirteen, fourteen, fifteen etc.- the stress pattern becomes  
• The stress pattern in –teen words is   when followed by a noun or when they are listed, and   when they are not.

There were thir teen guests at the dinner table.

The box contained four teen toy soldiers.

Listen and circle the dates you hear .

• a)     He died in 1117 / 1170 .
• b)     He became king in 1216 / 1260 .
• c)     It was published in 1719 / 1790 .
• d)     It was opened in 1813 / 1830 .
• e)     He was defeated in 1815 / 1850 .
• f)   It was written in 1516 / 1560 .
• g)     It was founded in 1415 / 1450 .
• h)      War broke out in 1618 / 1680 .
• i)   It was singed in 1714 / 1740.
• j)   They were married in 1514 / 1540.

• k) She was born in 1913 / 1930.

• l)       He resigned in 1918 / 1980.

• a)     He died in 1117 / 1170 .
• b)     He became king in 1216 / 1260 .
• c)     It was published in 1719 / 1790 .
• d)     It was opened in 1813 / 1830 .
• e)     He was defeated in 1815 / 1850 .
• f)   It was written in 1516 / 1560 .
• g)     It was founded in 1415 / 1450 .
• h)      War broke out in 1618 / 1680 .
• i)   It was singed in 1713 / 1730 .
• j)   They were married in 1514 / 1540 .

• k) She was born in 1913 / 1930 .

• l)       He resigned in 1918 / 1980 .

G

In some of these words g is sounded. In some it is silent. Put them in the correct column.

gnome, sing, dignified, gnaw, resignation, ignite, gnat, ignition, reign,recognition, ignore, foreigner, resign, foreign,signature, ignorance, campaign, significance, gnash

gnome noun (in children's stories) an imaginary very small old man with a beard and a pointed hat, who lives underground and guards gold and other valuable objects or an earth spirit

gnaw (BITE verb

ignite verb formal

gnat /n{t/ noun [C]

to bite or chew (something) repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually destroying it

gnash :to bring (teeth) forcefully together because of anger

to (cause to) start burning or explode

In the film there were green monsters which roared and gnashed their teeth.

ignition / noun [U]

a very small flying insect that bites animals and people

Gnats are often found flying in swarms above stagnant water.

The ignition in an engine is the electrical system that causes the fuel to burn or explode in order to start the engine.

Sounded g

Silent g

gnome, sing, dignified, gnaw, resignation, ignite, gnat, ignition, reign,recognition, ignore, foreigner, resign, foreign,signature, ignorance, campaign, significant, gnash ANSWER KEY:

Sounded g

Silent g

Ignite

Signature

Recognition

Ignorance

Dignified

Ignore

Ignition

Significant

resignation

Gnome

Foreign

Sign

Gnat

Campaign

Gnaw

Resign

Foreigner

gnash

Linking in common expressions

• In fast speech,consonants at the end of the words often link on to the next word, if the next word starts with a vowel.

watch out come on What’s up?

• How do you think the following expressions are pronounced when they are said quickly?

• shut up
• Come in
• Come on
• Watch out
• What’s up
• Wake up

• Forget it
• Look out
• Hold on
• Pick it up
• Get out
• Have a nice time

• How do you think the following expressions are pronounced when they are said quickly?

The expressions below link together in a different way when they are said quickly. What’s the rule for each group? Listen and decide.

Clear off

Clear out

Mind your own business

Pay attention

Carry on

Hurry up

Here you are

Go on

Go away

In A the final r – normally silent in British English – is sounded, and links on to the next word:

Mind you r o wn business!

In B there is an extra sound /j/ between the vowel sound at the end of the first word and the vowel sound at the beginning of the next word:

Pa y / j / a ttention th e / j / a pple me / j / and you

In C there is an extra sound /w/ between the vowel sound at the of one word and at the beginning of the next word:

Here we / w / are you / w / and I

Look at these expressions: nex t please! Please d to meet you!

• In fast speech, the letters t and d at the end of words are often silent when the next word starts with a consonant.

• Listen to the following expressions and practice them saying

I don’t know

Sit down

I’ve changed my mind .

Mind the step

Come and see me

Get dressed

HOMOGRAGHS & HOMOPHONES

• A homograph is a word spelt like another, but with a different meaning or pronunciation.

I won’t de sert you.

They were stuck in the de sert.

• A homonym is a word spelt and pronounced like another, but with a different meaning.

I’m talking about the present , not the future.

We got her a set of glasses as a leaving present .

Listen to the sentences and circle the words you hear.

• Sub ject
• Mi nute
• Con duct
• Mi nute
• Sub ject
• Con duct
• Sub ject

• Which sub ject did you hate most at school?
• Just give him a mi nute amount of this medicine.
• She got a prize for good con duct at school this term.
• Who is going to mi nute this meeting?
• He’s a British sub ject, isn’t he?
• I won’t be a mi nute darling.
• They’re going to con duct an enquiry into the problem.
• I won’t sub ject you to any more questions.

How are the words in black in the following sentences pronounced? Write in the phonemic transcription in each case.

• They had a big row about money last night.
• Shall we sit in the row ?
• She had a pink bow in her hair.
• He gave a bow to the audience.
• There was a strong wind blowing.
• Can you wind down your wind down?

• Close the door please.

• You are too close to the microphone.
• A large tear rolled down her cheek.
• There was a small tear in her dress.
• They’re broadcasting the concert live .
• Where do you live ?

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS BECAUSE OF THEIR PRONUCIATION

• If you agree, rise / raise your hand.
• Why are you so out of breathe / breath ?
• What’s the use / ju:s/, /ju:z/ of arguing?
• She watched the sun rise/raise over the mountain top.

• Breathe / breath deeply and relax.

• I’m going to bathe / bath the baby.
• Can I use / ju:s/, /ju:z/ your pen?
• You must bathe/bath that cut in salt water.

• I would accept your excuse, except the part about losing the watch.
• need your advice . Please advise me on this.
• The trouble with many adolescents is that they never seem to grow out of adolescence .
• She was afraid of him after seeing his bizarre behavior at the county's annual bazaar .
• He will break the car brake if he keeps pushing on it like that.
• Every breath counts, so breathe deeply now.
• We went over to the capitol to see the legislators. The capital of Connecticut is Hartford. The state is running out of capital .
• His clothes were made of cloths of many different colors.

• We used a coarse sandpaper, of course .
• She complimented her sister on the way her scarf complemented her blouse.
• She was confident that her confidant had given her good information.
• She didn't seem conscious of the fact that her husband has no conscience .
• I kept a weekly diary during those years that I worked on the dairy farm.
• Any cool dessert would taste great out here in the sandy desert .
• The prisoner tried to devise a clever device to help him escape.
• She thought her dog would die after it drank that bowl of blue dye .
• What effect does this have on you? How does it affect you?
• I can run farther than you, but let's discuss that further after the race.

• In less than an hour , the voters in our town are going to vote for us.
• As he led his soldiers into battle, his feet seemed made of lead .
• The lightning striking all around them, the sailors proceeded in their task of lightening the cargo.
• I am loath to associate with people who loathe me. My shoes are so loose that I'm going to lose them.
• The moral of this story is that the morale of a military unit is extremely important.
• My great-great-grandfather, a naval officer in the Civil War, was killed when he was struck in the navel by a cannonball.
• Whatever has passed us by is now in the past .
• You must have patience in dealing with the patients in this clinic.
• They climbed to the mountain peak to take a peek at the sunrise.

• The high school principal said today that the principal problem with today's youth is their lack of moral principles
• We will now proceed to the part that should precede the ending.
• Jeremiah would prophesy whenever he felt the people needed to hear a prophecy .
• We'll have to be quite quiet . Quit making noise!

• FORMS OF LIE AND LAY

• person

• participle form

• perfect form

• past

• present

• I am lying in bed

• I have lain in bed

• I lay in bed

• I lie in bed

• first

• she is lying in bed

• she has lain in bed

• she lay in bed

• third

• she lies in bed

• I am laying it down

• I have laid it down

• I laid it down

• first

• I lay it down

• she is laying it down

• she has laid it down

• she laid it down

• third

• she lays it down

The letters ‘ph’

• The letters ‘ ph ’ are usually pronounced /f/ wherever they come in a word.Can you find any exceptions to this rule in the following words?

• Photographer
• Sphinx
• Phrase
• Prophecies
• Philosophy
• shepherd
• Physical
• Phenomenon
• Graphic
• Phobia