Some common words with [ı] are: it, is, in, big, chin, dinner, dish, finish, fish, gift, give, him, his, kiss, listen, mix, pick, pig, pitch, quick, rich, rib, really, sick, simple, until, will, win and wish.
To practice:
1) First practice saying all the words in the [i] column on the next page.
2) Then practice saying all the words in the [e] column.
3) Next practice saying a word in the [i] column and the word in the same line under the [e] column.
4) Now say a word in the [i] column, then the word in the [ı] column, and the word in the [e] column.
Exercise 3
Using the vowels learned in this chapter and the Paresol chart at the end of the book, work with a partner to fill in the blanks below:
-
We really think the fish and chips are impressive.
[ w___ r___l___ θ___nk ðə f___ʃ æn ʧ___ps ar ___mpr___s___v ]
-
Living in this city is very interesting.
[ l___v___ŋ ___n ð___s s___d___ ___z v___r___ ___ntrəst___ŋ ]
-
It will be impossible to be there at six o’clock.
[ ___t w___l b___ ___mp___səbl tə b___ ð___r ___t s___ks əklak ]
-
Immigration is an important issue these days.
[ ___məgr___ ___ʃən ___z ən ___mportənt ___ʃ___ ð___z d___ ___z ]
-
She shipped the sheepskin rugs in tins to the ten teens.
[ ʃ___ ʃ___pd ðə ʃ___psk___n r___gz ___n t___nz tə ðə t___n t___nz ]
You can check your answers in Appendix A at the end of the book.
[ u - ʊ - ʌ - a - æ ]
In this next section you will practice three vowels that are common in the English language, but are very rare in other languages: [ʊ], [ʌ], and [æ]:
The sounds [u] and [a] are often used in English, the same as they are in most languages such as Chinese,
Japanese, Spanish, and German. The sounds [ʊ], [ʌ], and [æ] are not used in many languages, but can be produced by practicing them in a series as shown below. The sound [ʊ] is between the sounds [u] and [ʌ]. The sounds [ʊ] and [ʌ] are both between the sounds [u] and [a]. The sound [æ] is produced by making the sounds [a] and [e] at the same time while also opening the mouth more and moving the back of the tongue closer to the back of the mouth. It might be helpful to think of it as sounding similar to a scream. The words below are selected according to North American pronunciation. Although the sounds [u], [ʊ], [ʌ], [a], and [æ] appear in all other standard pronunciation dialects, they might not correspond to the words on the next page.
Practice this while paying attention to the relationship between the sounds:
[bubʊbʌbabæ - bæbabʌbʊbu]
[dudʊdʌdadæ - dædadʌdʊdu]
[mumʊmʌmamæ - mæmamʌmʊmu]
[lelælelælelæ] [rılirælirʌli]
To practice:
1) First practice saying a word in the [u] column and the word in the same line under the [a] column.
(boom – Bach, room – rock, fool – fall …)
2) Now say a word in the [u] column, then the word in the [ʊ] column, then the word in the [ʌ] column and the word in the [a] column.
(boom – book – buck – Bach, room – rookie – run – rock …)
3) Then say each word in each line
(boom – book – buck – Back – back, room – rookie – run – rock – rack …)
4) Finally say all five words together in each line.
(boom/book/buck/Back/back, room/rookie/run/rock/rack … )
Exercise 4
Using the vowels learned in this chapter and the Paresol chart at the end of the book, work with a partner to fill in the blanks below:
-
Would you look under the wood box in the back?
[ w___ʤə l___k ___ndr ðə w___d b___ks ___n ðə b___k ]
-
Truth was under attack in two new books.
[ tr___θ wəz ___ndr ət___k ın t___ n___ b___ks ]
-
The rookie broke through with an outstanding batting average.
[ ðə r___k___ br___k θr___ w___θ ən æʊtst___nd___ŋ b___d___ŋ ___vreʤ ]
-
They should view the bulding as a good model.
[ ðei ʃ___d vj___ ðə b___ld___ŋ æz ə g___d m___dl ]
-
I couldn’t prove it unless I used a computer.
[ ai k___dn pr___v ıt ___nl___s ai j___zd ə kəmpj___dr ]
You can check your answers in Appendix A at the end of the book.
Chapter
4
Consonants
In this chapter you will learn the consonants used in English. Consonants are any sounds that are not vowels. In other words, the sounds are not open.
There are many more consonants in any language than there are vowels. Consonants are any sounds that are not vowels (open sounds). While vowels are usually written with the letters a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y, consonants are usually
written with the letters b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, and z. Sometimes r and y are vowels. There are also sets of letters that make up consonants such as ch, sh, and th.
First we will practice the easiest and most common consonants used in English.
Simple Consonants:
[b]: baby [beibi], cable [keibl], brown [bræun], bathtub [bæθtʌb]
Billy brought a box of baby bibs.
[bıli bradə baksə beibi bıbz]
[d]: dish [dıʃ], order [ordr], advertise [ædvərtaiz], said [sed]
At dinner I ordered a little salad and a dish of noodles.
[ædınr ai ordrdə lıdl sælʌd ænə dıʃə nudǝlz]
[f]: fish [fıʃ], fox [faks], after [æfdr], photographer [fətagrəfr]
Fifty-five foreigners from far away left for France.
[fıfdifaiv forenrz frʌm far əwei lef fr fræns]
[g]: going [goiŋ], give [gıv], egg [eig]
Guests argued aggressively over the gorgeous gifts.
[gests argiud əgresıvli ovr ðə gorʤəs gıfs]
[h]: hello [helo], hamster [hæmsdr], human [hjumən], ahead [əhed]
Humans who help hundreds have hopeful lives are happy.
[hjumənz hu help hʌndrədz hæv hopfʊl laivz r hæpi]
[k]: kite [kait], cat [kæt], actor [ækdr], quickly [kwıkli], actually [ækʃli]
Kangaroos can kick extremely actively if caught.
[kæŋgəruz kən kık ekstrimli ækdıvli ıf kat]
[l]: love [lʌv], really [rıli], fall [fal]
We should only look at really long-term goals.
[wi ʃʊd onli lʊkæ rıli laŋtrm golz]
[m]: music [mjuzık], lamp [læmp], farm [farm]
Many impossible dreams come true.
[meni ımpasəbl drimz kʌm tru]
[n]: nose [noz], funny [fʌni], entertainment [enərtainmen]
Never enter personal identification numbers unless you are alone.
[nevr enr prsənl aidenəfəkeiʃən nʌmbrz ʌnles jur əlon]
[p]: piece [pis], opportunity [apərtunıdi], camp [kæmp]
Perhaps people will open up the packages.
[prhæps pipl wıl opn ʌp ðə pækeʤəz]
[r]: ring [riŋ], early [rli], other [ʌðr]
Every Saturday afternoon I rest for several hours.
[evri sædrdei æfdrnun ai resfr sevrl æʊrz]
[s]: song [saŋ], basket [bæsket], force [fors]
She eats several baskets of strawberries unless we stop her.
[ʃi itsevrl bæsgetsə straberiz ʌnles wi stapər]
[t]: telephone [teləfon], interesting [ıntrəstiŋ], boat [bot]
Tell him to get two tickets to Taiwan.
[telım tə getu tıkəts tə taiwan]
[v]: violin [vaiəlın], over [ovr], give [gıv]
Every one of our loaves is above average.
[evri wʌn əvar lovzıs əbʌv ævreʤ]
[w]/[hw]: one [wʌn], with [wıθ], where [hwer], when [hwen], why [hwai]
When we whisk whipped cream we put the spoon somewhere.
[wen wi hwısk hwıpkrim wi pʊðə spun sʌmhwer]
[z]: zebra [zibrə], visible [vızəbl], pickles [pıklz]
Zebras grazed leisurely in fields of reeds and shrubs.
[zibrəz greizd liʒrli ın fıldzə ridz æn ʃrʌbz]
The consonants above are written using letters from the alphabet. There are other consonants that are written using special symbols used only when we work on pronunciation. These are a little more difficult than the consonants above.
Complicated Consonants:
[ʃ]: shopping [ʃapiŋ], fashion [fæʃən], finish [fınıʃ]
Surely we should finish shopping before rushing off to the fashion show.
[ʃrli wi ʃʊd fınıʃ ʃapiŋ bifor rʌʃiŋ aftə ðə fæʃən ʃo]
[ʧ]: child [ʧaild], watching [waʧiŋ], spinach [spınıʧ]
Cheap watches cost too much in Charleston.
[ʧip waʧəz kas tu mʌʧ ın ʧarlztən]
[ʒ]: garage [gəraʒ], measure [meiʒʊr]
I treasure my leisure time and find pleasure in my decision to retire.
[ai treiʒr mai liʒr taim æn faind pleiʒr ın mai dısıʒən tə ritair]
[ʤ]: jam [ʤæm], ledger [leʤr], edge [eʤ]
George just jumped over the edge.
[ʤorʤ ʤʌs ʤʌmpdovr ðə eʤ]
[ð]: this [ðıs], other [ʌðr], bathe [beið]
That’s the brother of the star.
[ðætsðə brʌðr əðə star]
[θ]: think [θiŋk], author [aθr], math [mæθ]
Thank you for thinking of both things.
[θeiŋkiu fr θiŋkiŋ ə boθiŋz]
[ŋ]: ringing [riŋiŋ], hungry [hʌŋgri], Hong Kong [haŋkaŋ]
I think I was dreaming I had wings and was singing songs.
[ai θiŋk ai wəz drimiŋ ai hæd wiŋz æn wəz siŋiŋ saŋz]
[ʔ]: cotton [kaʔn], button [bʌʔn], eaten [iʔn]
Have you ever eaten cotton candy at the carnival?
[hævjə evr iʔn kaʔn kændi aʔðə karnǝvl]
[j]: yellow [jelo], you [ju]/[jə], saying [seijiŋ]
Yesterday I saw you buying a yellow yacht.
[jesdrdei ai sajə baijiŋ ə jelo yat]
Note: The sounds [i] and [j] are almost the same. To make the consonant [j] you should make the vowel [i] and then make it tighter. Also notice that the consonant [j] is usually found at the beginning or end of a word or inside a word next to the vowel [i].
Exercise 5
Using the consonants learned in this chapter and the Paresol chart at the end of the book, work with a partner to fill in the blanks below:
-
These problems are extremely complicated.
[ ___i___ p__ablə___ ___ ar e___ ___ ___ ___imli ___a___ ___ ___ı___eidəd ]
-
Charlie tried to measure the yellow cotton jacket.
[ ___a___ ___i ___ ___aid tə mei___r ðə ___e___o ka___n ___ækət ]
-
She was singing a song written at the turn of the century.
[ ___i ___ʌ___ si___i___ ə sa___ ___ı___n æɁðə trn əðə ___en___ʊri ]
-
I think they thought about the theory for three thousand years.
[ ai ___i___k ___ei ___a___ əbæʊt ðə ___ıri fr ___ ___i ___æʊ___nd ___ır___ ]
-
Thomas usually works on his homework a few hours every night.
[ ___aməs ___u___li ___rks an hız ___o___ ___ ___ ___ ə f___u æʊr___ e___ ___i nai___ ]
You can check your answers in Appendix A at the end of the book.
Practicing Consonants
In this chapter you will practice the more difficult consonants used in English. While you are practicing, please pay very close attention to the difference between how they sound in English and how they sound in your native language.
In North American English there are some consonants that are not used in other languages. In this chapter you will learn how to make these sounds. There are also some consonants that are very similar to those used in other languages, but it is useful to practice so you can produce the same sounds as those made by native English speakers.
[ r / l ]
Probably the most difficult sounds in English are [r] and [l]. Each language has a slightly different way of making these consonants. The [r] sound is produced by flattening the back and sides of the tongue so that the sides of the tongue are firmly pressed against the back teeth. The front of the tongue is raised slightly, but not allowed to touch the top of the mouth or the teeth. Air passes smoothly over the front of the tongue without any stop. The [l] sound is produced by narrowing the back and sides of the tongue so that the sides of the tongue do not touch the teeth or any part of the mouth. The front of the tongue is raised and pressed softly against the roof of the mouth or the back of the front upper teeth. Air passes smoothly over the sides of the tongue without any stop.
The sounds indicated by the letter “r” in other languages are sometimes different than the English [r]. For example, the Japanese sounds that are indicated by the letter “r” or the Spanish rolled “r” are not as continuous and smooth. In the English [r] and [l] sounds the tongue at all times allows air to
pass smoothly without any stop, either over the front or sides.
Practice saying the following making sure to keep the air flowing smoothly without any pause: [ralaralaralarala] [loroloroloroloro] [rulurulurulurulu]
To practice:
1) Next practice saying a word in the [r] column and the word in the same line under the [l] column.
(pray – play, car – call, rack - lack …)
2) Now say a word in the [r] column, then the word in the [l] column, and the word in the [r] column.
(pray – play – pray, car – call – car, rack – lack – rack …)
3) Finally say both words together in each line.
(pray/play, car/call, rack/lack …)