The Sound of English Published by Pronunciation Studio 37 Gray’s Inn Rd | London | WC1X 8PQ | 0207 4040777 | www.pronunciationlondon.co.uk Free Sample of Introduction Chapter Visit www.thesoundofenglish.org/order/ to purchase the full 130 page version (e-book or book + 3cds). A Practical Course in British English Pronunciation
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Sound English · 2018. 9. 19. · 77-80 Diphthong Vowel Sounds-81-82< o > 7 88 - 99 89-90 Nasal Consonants 91-92 ŋ vs ŋg 93-94 < a > 8 100 - 111 101-102 Affricate Consonants
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The Sound of English
Published by Pronunciation Studio
37 Gray’s Inn Rd | London | WC1X 8PQ | 0207 4040777 | www.pronunciationlondon.co.uk
Free Sample of Introduction Chapter
Visit www.thesoundofenglish.org/order/ to purchase the full 130 page version (e-book or book + 3cds).
A Practical Course in British English Pronunciation
"I was always dreading the English director's words: could you please tone down your Spanish accent? Recording TV commercials in English when English is not your first language is a tall order. It has been just amazing how in a few weeks I could go back to the recording studios and sound with much more clarity and finesse. ‘The sound of English’ is a unique method whose simplicity will help you, first to unlearn all the accumulative pronunciation mistakes acquired in the process of learning English as a foreign language and then teach you - in an easy and practical way - all the tricks you need to know in order to sound like a native speaker. Highly recommended to all of those who want get their command of the English language to another dimension." Javier Fernandez-Pena, Spanish Voice-over Artist
"Very well written. I especially like the drills; very well-thought out and amusing too.... Excellent!" Steve Collins, Author
"'The Sound of English' really encapsulates Joseph and the Studio’s teaching in the last 6 years and is even better structured than the last book (‘An English Accent’).” Kay Ng, Student
"Most importantly, the course book offers a remarkably solid structure to a notoriously difficult and changeable subject, i.e. the spoken word. Studying pronunciation on this course book puts the student at ease and provides answers to the many questions a learner may have.” Arianna Willis, Student
"I really like this book. Especially, the examples you use (like the ones for diphthong vowels), very easy to visualize and remember. My congratulations on this work." Daria P, English Teacher
“Very ‘user friendly’ and well elaborated system of teaching & studying English pronunciation.” Alisa Kartyshova, English Teacher
“Excellent: clear, easy to use and well structured.” Sigrid W, English Teacher
“It's a very lovely book and I really enjoyed it . I would recommend it to anybody passionate about English phonology.”Alma Alia (5 Star Review on Amazon)
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The Sound of Englishby Joseph Hudson
Index1 Introduction2 How to Use the Book3 IPA Chart
1 Introduction2 How to Use the Book3 IPA Chart
1 Introduction2 How to Use the Book3 IPA Chart
1 Introduction2 How to Use the Book3 IPA Chart
Chapter/Page Sounds Sound
Comparison Spelling & Sound
Intro4 - 15
5-6 Consonants7-8 Vowels - 9 ‘ghoti’ Introduction
10 Schwa
116 - 27
17-18 Fricative Consonants 19-20 θ vs ð 21-22 < s > Endings
228 - 39
29-30 Long Vowels 31-32 ɪ vs i: 33-34 Silent < r >
340 - 51
41-42 Plosive Consonants
43-44 Glottal Stop vs /t/ 45-46 < ed > Endings
452 - 63
53-54 Short Vowels55 /h/ Fricative - 56 < h > Function
57-58 Silent Letters
564 - 75
65-66 Approximant Consonants
67 Weak ə vs ɪ68 Weak ɪ vs i 69-70 < oo >
676 - 87
77-80 Diphthong Vowel Sounds - 81-82< o >
788 - 99
89-90 Nasal Consonants 91-92 ŋ vs ŋg 93-94 < a >
8100 - 111
101-102 Affricate Consonants
103-104 Long vs Short Vowels 105-106 Contractions
112 -130 Answer Key131-132 Glossary133 Acknowledgements & Further Reading
112 -130 Answer Key131-132 Glossary133 Acknowledgements & Further Reading
112 -130 Answer Key131-132 Glossary133 Acknowledgements & Further Reading
112 -130 Answer Key131-132 Glossary133 Acknowledgements & Further Reading
English is a confusing language to pronounce. Its 19 vowel and 25 consonant sounds, joining rules, weak forms, stress and intonation all present challenges. Perhaps the most confusing aspect of all is the way written English can appear so different to its spoken form.
This course is designed to take the student step by step through all of these tricky areas of speech. Using clear explanations, drills and exercises, ‘The Sound of English’ is practical, fun and designed to gradually build accuracy and confidence.
In particular the course teaches:
• How to pronunce every vowel and consonant sound of English.• IPA (Phonetic) symbols for every sound. • The rules of joining and sound selection.• Weak/strong structures of speech.• Accurate use of intonation patterns and stress.• Advanced listening skills.
The course is ideal for those who have a high intermediate to proficient level of English, no previous knowledge of pronunciation or phonetics is required. The book and audio are designed for self-study or classroom use.
Throughout the book and on all audio recordings, a neutral English accent model is used, sometimes known as ‘Received Pronunciation’ or ‘BBC English’, so the course is also suitable for anybody who would like to learn the sounds and structures of this accent.
The course was written and produced at the Pronunciation Studio speech school in London where the method was developed through years of working with students from all over the globe; over 10,000 students having studied our courses since 2007.
You can find out more about the course including additional materials, classes and teachers on the website www.thesoundofenglish.org. We hope you enjoy the course, please let us know how you get on with improving your English pronunciation!
‘The Sound of English’ contains 9 chapters, each of which is split into the following sections:
• Sounds: how to pronounce every vowel & consonant sound.• Sound Comparison: focus on difficult sounds that can be confused.• Spelling & Sound: how to turn written English into accurate pronunciation.• Structure: how to join sounds and use the weak forms in connected speech.• Intonation: use of pitch, rhythm, stress and patterns.
Each section contains a mixture of explanations, drills, exercises and audio recordings as follows:
The answer key is found at the end of the course, pages 112-130.
How to Use the Book
- Listen to the following exchange.
A “What would you like?”B “A cup of tea.”
- Which words are stressed?- Of the stressed words, which words are strongest?
! In spoken English we stress content words.! One word in every sentence is more stressed than the others.
! Normally the last content word is the most stressed word.
EXERCISE
- Match the content words on the le! with the content words on the right.
DRILL
- Repeat the rhythm followed by each sentence from the exercise:
. x . X. x . X | a pair of shoes
Sentence Stress | Intonation
a
pairpintleg
bunchbagglassbookjointloaf
of
beefbreadpoemswineshoesmilkflowerslambcrisps
2.16
2.17
Explanations appear ingrey boxes
Exercises should be completedthen checked in the answer key
Drills should be repeated withthe audio until produced accurately
Audio recordings are shown with this symbol
2
✦ IPA is phonetic script, it shows us the sounds to pronounce rather than spelling.✦ The script is very useful for improving accuracy in pronunciation.✦ You will learn each sound and symbol as you progress through the course.
IPA Sound Chart
Other symbols used in IPA:
IPA Symbols
Symbol Meaning Example ˈ stressed syllable ˈcarpet ˌ secondary stressed syllable ˌfanˈtastic / / IPA marks /ˌfænˈtæstɪk/ < > Written English marks < fantastic > ↘ ↘↗ ↗ Intonation pattern symbols. ↘Yes
t lY tool✦ We use the articulators: tongue, lips & teeth, to block air.
✦ The places where we block air in English are shown below.
EXERCISE
- Listen to the recording and match the sounds in the boxes with their articulation diagrams (number 1 has been done). The arrows point to the place of articulation.
- Check your answers in the answer key on page 112.
Consonant Articulation | Sound
t lY tool-f< q
C,e ,;1
wl il)'') ' Y'+Af
f / v m / p / b θ / ð k / g / ŋ t / d / l / n h / ʔ
✦ A neutral English accent has 19 vowel sounds.✦ There are 3 types of English vowel sound - short, long and diphthong.✦ English spelling does not always show us which sound to pronounce.✦ We will learn how to pronounce each individual vowel sound on this course.
✦ Spoken English is divided into function and content words.
✦ Function words carry only grammatical meaning, such as:
✦ Content words carry real meaning such as:
EXERCISE
- In the sentences below, underline the function words:
1. Can we go for a swim in the sea?2. It’s a beautiful day in the South of England.3. How do you want to pay for this, sir?4. Jessica Smith is required in ‘Arrivals’ immediately.5. When you get to the station, give me a call.6. Would you like some of my carrot cake?
✦ Intonation shows us the speaker’s attitude to what they are saying.
DRILL
- Repeat after the recording:
1. a)↘Yes b)↘↗Yes c)↗Yes2. a)↘No b)↘↗No c)↗No
EXERCISE
- Listen to the conversations and circle the answer you hear:
1. Are you married? Yes ↘ ↘↗ ↗2. Did you enjoy the !lm? Yes ↘ ↘↗ ↗3. Can you a"ord this meal? Yes ↘ ↘↗ ↗4. You’re drunk, aren’t you? No ↘ ↘↗ ↗5. Is this your !rst class? No ↘ ↘↗ ↗6. Did you eat all the chocolate? No ↘ ↘↗ ↗
- Look at the dictionary entry for the word “personally”:
- What differences do you notice between the spelt and the IPA versions?
✦ IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) shows the way we pronounce words.✦ In English, the pronunciation of a word often differs from its spelling, making IPA a very useful study tool to improve your pronunciation.
✦ Stress is marked in IPA using the symbol / ˈ/.
EXERCISE
i) Write the words from the box below into the chart next to their IPA transcription.ii) Write the silent consonant from each word into the 3rd column.
- Listen to the recording to check your answers and practise saying the words.
IPA | Postscript
0.21
personally /!pɜ:sənli/
Word IPA Silent Consonant(s)
1 autumn ˈɔ:t#m n
2 half hɑ:f l
3 læm
4 n#ʊ
5 ˈaɪl#nd
6 laɪt
7 ˈkʌb#d
8 raɪt
9 ˈɒf#n
10 ˈhænbæg
cupboard island half often write know light lamb handbag autumn
EXERCISE - sentence 2 ʻWho took Paulʼs watchʼ uses only rounded vowels.
Introduction | Spelling & SoundEXERCISE1. choose 2. lose 3. played 4. author 5. said 6. put 7. gone 8. food9. slow 10. worn 11. wall
Schwa | Spelling & Sound- around /əˈraʊnd/, manner /ˈmænə/, sailor /ˈseɪlə/, cactus /ˈkæktəs/- /ə/ appears in every IPA transcription (in bold above).
EXERCISE
Function & Content | Structure- ʻgoʼ and ʻwalkʼ are stressed because they carry meaning.- The other words ʻshallʼ, ʻweʼ, ʻforʼ, & ʻaʼ are all grammatical words used to gel the
sentence.
EXERCISE1. Can we go for a swim in the sea?2. Itʼs a beautiful day in the South of England.3. How do you want to pay for this sir?4. Jessica Smith is required in ʻArrivalsʼ immediately.5. When you get to the station, give me a call.6. Would you like some of my carrot cake?
Schwa Function Words | Structure- Function words pronounced with schwa in the passage: ʻtoʼ, ʻforʼ, ʻaʼ, ʻofʼ, ʻbutʼ, ʻtheʼ, ʻareʼ, ʻthereʼ, ʻaʼ, ʻhaveʼ, ʻatʼ.
Usage | IntonationEXERCISE1. ATTITUDEi) In the first version, the father is excited and interested, in the second he is
uninterested and a little rude.ii) The fatherʼs intonation is falling in both examples, the main difference is that he
starts from a much higher pitch in the first example. This shows more emotion. In thesecond version, he starts his phrase quite low, showing disinterest.
2. IMPLICATIONi) In the first version, we understand that person B really felt the film was good. In thesecond version, he is not entirely sure, he is showing reservation, we are expecting him to say something less positive now.ii) In the first version, person B uses falling intonation on ʻit was goodʼ, whereas in the
second version he uses fall-rising intonation, known as an implicational fall-rise.
3. REPETITION- The first question is asking for new information, person A does not know the answer and uses falling intonation. The second time she asks, she already knows the answer, she is repeating the question and for this reason uses rising intonation.
IPA | Postscript- The IPA version shows us a silent < r >, a long vowel /:/ and a silent < a >. It also indicates the pronunciation of the vowels /ə/ and /i/.