Perhaps the conversation should start with the right motivation. If your list of goals for working on pronunciation sounds like “I want good English pronunciation,” this is completely wrong. Choose a specific example, for example, “I want to speak English like Matthew McConaughey.”
The timing of the implementation of the plan also requires specification. A goal that has no time limits for execution remains just a goal. Choose a specific date for yourself, sensibly assessing your capabilities and the amount of time that you can devote to English every day.
You should have at least five “whys” that will shape your motivation. Arm yourself with a piece of paper and a pen and write down all the benefits of good pronunciation. In your list, you can safely include items about a well-paid job, personal acquaintances, travel, or maybe you plan to pack stadiums and perform songs in English.
Time to act - methods for working on pronunciation
Having carried out a little motivating preparatory work, you can begin to take direct action. We offer you the most effective exercises.
- If you are a film buff, purchase your favorite films in the original (in English), but if you prefer to sing, opt for high-quality audio recordings. Play small scenes from films, paying attention to English subtitles and the intonation of the characters. In the case of an audio track, print out the lyrics and follow the same principle. Rewind one sentence, repeat it verbatim at least 10 times. Your “solo performance” should be clear, loud and intelligible, respecting the intonation and rhythms of speech. To completely immerse yourself in the image, you can copy your idol’s gestures. Such exercises should be completed daily for at least 30 minutes.
- The next mandatory item is verification. You should not get carried away with this method; it is carried out 1-2 times a month. Play the scene and record it on a voice recorder. Listen and compare how different the result is from the original. Well, have you already reminded yourself of Matthew McConaughey?
- Your obligatory companions in working on pronunciation should be exercises to form the correct accent. By the way, it is precisely this that reveals the fact that the language is not native to you, no matter how well you juggle complex vocabulary. Stress in English (and not only) languages can be verbal or phrasal. The first in most cases does not cause difficulties, which cannot be said about the second category. When listening to texts (namely, listening, not reading), pay attention to the stressed word. Not only the pronunciation, but in some cases the meaning of what is said depends on the correctness of its definition. You can get acquainted with the theoretical foundations of phrasal stress with the help of books, which we will discuss below.
- If the very concept of transcription disheartens you, replace it with a Color vowel chart. The latter is a table in which each vowel sound is assigned a specific color. Believe me, a colorful dictionary will make learning more interesting than a ton of fancy transcription icons.
- The rhythm of the language is perfectly trained with the help of poems and tongue twisters. The advantage of such small exercises is that they do not require you to understand the vocabulary and are easily remembered thanks to the rhyme.
Choosing textbooks
We can sing along to Cher for a long time and intensely or copy DiCaprio's speech, but none of this will make sense without a minimum theoretical basis. Namely, for this we need a high-quality phonetic textbook.
- Jonathan Marks, Sylvie Donna "English Pronunciation in Use". It can rightly be called one of the most popular sources for studying the peculiarities of English phonetics. An excellent bonus to the book is the presence of audio materials.
- Ann Barker "Ship or Sheep" and "Tree or Three". The books have an identical structure, but are designed for students of different levels. “Ship or Sheep” is suitable for those who have already reached the Intermediate level. Ann Barker's brainchild differs from all other books in its comprehensive approach; here you can work with audio recordings, phonetic dictations, and a lot of exercises based on dialogues.
- Bill Bowler "Timesaver Pronunciation Activities." It will be appreciated by those who are looking for a non-standard approach to teaching a foreign language. Instead of boring rules and explanations, you will find exciting quizzes, games and a variety of crossword puzzles. Suitable even for those who have just started learning English.
- Colin Mortimer's Elements of Pronunciation is designed for a more advanced level, diving into more complex phonetic aspects and covering the most common errors. The best source for practicing intonation and stress.
- Peter Watchyn-Jones “Test Your Pronunciation” cannot be called a full-fledged textbook, since the book is a collection of exercises and tests that are recommended to be taken between theoretical lessons.
Keep up with the times: apps for working on pronunciation
It would be a real crime not to use all the know-how that has been carefully developed for our gadgets. So, TOP 5 applications for working on pronunciation.
- Sounds: The Pronunciation App. The application was developed by the authors of Macmillan publishing house, who certainly know a lot about an integrated approach to learning foreign languages. The application is presented in the form of a phonemic interactive table of the British and American versions of the language. “How do you say” is a fairly useful option that allows you not only to listen to individual words, but also to record what you say yourself. For an additional fee, you can purchase more extended word lists. Available for iPod Touch, iPhone and Android owners.
- No less popular is the English File Pronunciation application, which was developed under the strict guidance of Oxford University Press. Like Macmillan, English File Pronunciation allows you to choose between the American and British versions of the language. In the limited free demo, you get access to audio interactive chat, a 500-word dictionary, and the ability to record spoken words. Available for iPhone, Android, iPad and iPod Touch.
- Rounding out the top three is Pronunciation: Clear Speech, developed by Cambridge University Press. The application will appeal to children, as well as those who do not like monotonous routine pronunciations. All work is based on the principles of the game. Recommended for a level not lower than Intermediate; for pre-intermediate, a version of Basic Pronunciation: Clear Speech from the Start has been developed.
- Howjsay English Pronunciation is created in the form of a dictionary, downloaded from iTunes or PlayMarket, and contains more than 150 thousand words and phrases of the active American and British language. Unlike the previous ones, it requires access to the World Wide Web.
- Pronunciation King is developed in two versions (American and British), downloaded from the Play Store and does not require constant access to the Internet.
About the role of songs in learning English, watch this video:
Good, good, good morning, planet!
I don’t know about you, of course, but on my English planet (called ) it’s morning right now. And I decided to write an important informational and practical article about English transcription on a cheerful morning head. I think you don't mind). Then let's start analyzing this simple, but often raising many questions topic.
Is English transcription necessary at all?
What can I say to this?.. If they teach it in the English language school curriculum and force you to teach it, then of course you can’t get away with it! Speaking globally, its absence when learning English will not affect the results and knowledge in any way.
BUT! Since our children are still learning English, it is a matter of honor to know what transcription is in it. This is about the same as it is important to know that the Russian language has 6 cases (and this, by the way, is what makes it different from English and many others). But we can learn to speak and write words without thinking about which case should be used in them... "AND van R odil D little girl... Well, you understand me, I think.
Therefore, my verdict is that we will study it! But quickly and without any stretching for a year! A lesson or two - and "English transcription" will become the most pleasant phrase in the world...
In addition, having the ability to decipher English transcription, any schoolchild and adult will be able to read and pronounce any, even the most “terribly incomprehensible” word in the English dictionary!!!
Why was it invented?
It was invented a very, very long time ago, by the British themselves, for themselves - when they realized that they themselves could not always understand how to read this or that word.
The fact is that in the English language there are rules according to which you can read words correctly. For example, this rule: “In a closed syllable, the English letter “a” will be read like this (words ba g, la ptop)» . But at the same time, there are so many exceptions to these rules that sometimes it is impossible to remember them (for example, let’s take an exception to this rule with a word with a closed syllable t ask , in which the letter “a” is already read differently).
Well, they came up with such a concept as transcription, so that every English word could be read correctly, even without knowing the rules, but simply owning a set of transcription icons.
Sometimes you may see two variations of the same icon, this is normal. Both of them have their place. My analogies with Russian letters are very conditional. The main thing here is to hear the sound and imitate it as accurately as possible.
Transcription icons for vowel sounds
[i] or [ ı ] a sound similar to “i”, but more abrupt and firm.
[e] a sound similar to “e”, but more abrupt and firm.
[ ӕ ] a sound similar to "e", but wider.
[ ɔ ] or [ ɒ ] a sound similar to “o”, but more abrupt and open.
[ ∧ ] a sound similar to “a”, but more abrupt.
[u] or [ ʋ ] a sound similar to “u”, but more abrupt.
[i:] a sound similar to a long “i”.
[ ɔ: ] a sound similar to a long "o".
[ ɑ: ] a sound similar to a long and deep “a”.
[u:] a sound similar to a long “u”.
[ ə: ] or [ɜ:] a sound reminiscent of something between “o” and “e”.
In English there is one single transcription symbol that denotes an unstressed vowel - [ə] . It is pronounced very briefly and indistinctly. We often hear it at the end of words ending with unstressed vowels. Teacher, computer...
Transcription icons for consonant sounds
[p] sound similar to "p".
[b] sound similar to "b".
[t] sound similar to "t".
[d] sound similar to "d".
[k] sound similar to "k".
[g] sound similar to "g".
[f] sound similar to "f".
[v] sound similar to "v".
[s] sound similar to "s".
[z] sound similar to "z".
[m] sound similar to "m".
[n] sound similar to "n".
[l] sound similar to "l".
[h] a sound similar to an air "x".
[ ʃ ] a sound similar to "sh".
[tʃ] a sound similar to "ch".
[ ʒ ] sound similar to "zh".
[dʒ] sound similar to "j".
[r] sound similar to "r".
[j] a sound similar to "th". Softens vowels, e.g. [jɒ] [je] [ju:]
[w] sound made by lips.
[ ŋ ] a sound similar to “n” pronounced through the nose.
[ θ ] dull interdental sound.
[ ð ] sonorous interdental sound.
Transcription icons for diphthongs (double sounds)
[aı] or [ai] a sound similar to "ouch".
[eı] or [ei] a sound similar to "hey".
[ ɔı ] or [ɔi] a sound similar to "oh".
[aʋ] or [au] a sound similar to "ay".
[ əʋ ] or [ou] a sound similar to "oh".
[ ıə ] or [iə] a sound similar to "ee".
[ ʋə ] or [uə] sound similar to "ue".
[eə] or [ εə ] a sound similar to "ea".
Practice time
Well, we have looked at all the signs of English transcription. Children and adults remember most of them quite easily. Difficulties sometimes arise with icons indicating diphthongs or some sounds that are not at all similar to Russian. But this can be quickly corrected if you immediately consolidate everything with good practice and exercises, which is what we will do now.
I recommend purchasing and taking the online course English from scratch (from a well-known service LinguaLeo). The letters and sounds of the English language are discussed in detail. Transcription can also be well worked out. Register and try the course for free. If you like it, go ahead!..
Exercise 1
The first thing to do is to repeat several times the sound corresponding to a certain sign of English transcription. Go in order (according to the list I gave). Repeat one sound 3-5 times, while trying to associate the complex icon with the image. For example, repeating the sound [ ӕ ]
, imagine a cat, a hat, or any other image, but just let this image correspond to a word that is pronounced in English with exactly this sound. For example, I had an image in my head of a bag with such a branded badge.))
So how? Difficult? If yes, then I will share with you my ideas regarding the most “intractable” transcription signs. Please do not judge my clumsy pictures harshly. I swear, in my imagination they look much cuter)).
Icon [ ʋ ] — foot-heel image.
The word foot [fʋt].
Icon [ ɜ: ] - image of a bird.
The word bird [ b ɜ: d] .
Icon [ ʃ ] - image of a shoe.
The word shoe [ʃu:].
Icon [tʃ]- image of a chicken.
The word chick [tʃık].
Icon [dʒ]- image of a page in a textbook.
The word page.
Icon [j]- the image of a tick, the correct answer.
The word yes.
Icon [ ŋ ] - an image of a long and uneven road.
The word long.
Icon [ θ ] - image of the number three.
The word three [θri:].
Icon [ ð ] - image of a mother and baby.
The word mother.
Exercise 2
- Now we will read with you simple words with different sounds. Your task is to look at the word, listen to its pronunciation, repeat it, and then guess which transcription icon from those presented below corresponds to the sound in the word (the required vowel letters or combinations will be underlined).
[ ı ] [e] [ ӕ ] [ ɒ ] [ ∧ ] [ ʋ ] [i:][ ɔ: ] [ ɑ: ] [u:] [ɜ:]
| b ir d | f a mile | c oo l |
| p i g | b utter | f ir st |
| d oll | ea t | s i t |
| l a st | b e d | c ar |
| a pple | cl ock | m e n |
| d augh ter | p u t | cl ea n |
| d octor | fr ui t | k i tchen |
| d ar k | g ir l | d i nner |
| d oor | trolley-b u s | c a p |
| f oo t | b oo k | b a ll |
- Now you will see other words that you will also need to listen to and repeat, and then select the required transcription sign from those presented below, which corresponds to a particular sound (the required consonant letters or combinations will be underlined in the words).
[p] [b][t] [d][k] [g][f] [v][s] [z][m] [n]
[l][h] [ ʃ ] [tʃ] [ ʒ ] [dʒ] [r][j] [w][ ŋ ] [ θ ] [ ð ]
| bet w een | v ery | w indow |
| v illage | s treet | z oo |
| th in | th en | tea ch er |
| sgar | tele ph one | fiv e |
| hundre d | mus t | nigh t |
| midd le | nu m ber | p resent |
| b lack | k itten | g ive |
| kn ife | h orse | r oom |
| pi n k | spon ge | ki ng |
| pa ge | facto r y | y ou |
- The following words contain diphthongs. Listen, repeat and select the desired transcription sign for the underlined letters and letter combinations.
[aı] [eı] [ ɔı ] [aʋ] [ əʋ ] [ ıə ] [ ʋə ] [eə]
| f ear | n a me | beh i nd |
| wardr o be | ch air | t o ne |
| p oor | c a ke | t ow n |
| h here | t our | c oi n |
| br ow n | th o se | h are |
| July y | b oh | t a ble |
| tr ou sers | yell ow | b i ke |
| c are | n ear | s o |
- The final exercise in this section is to choose the correct transcription option for a word from the two proposed ones. The scheme of work is the same: we listen, repeat, and then choose.
cup[kʌp] or [kӕp]
twelve[tvelv] or [twelv]
month[mɑ:nθ] or [mʌnθ]
rain[raın] or [reın]
farm[fɜ:m] or [fɑːm]
large[lɑːʒ] or [lɑːdʒ]
spoon[spuːn] or [spɔ:n]
fair[feə] or [fıə]
say[seɪ] or [seə]
now[nəʋ] or [naʊ]
June[tʃ uːn] or [dʒuːn]
Exercise 3
Well, it’s time to write a transcription of the words yourself. I think you will succeed! A day or two - and the topic of English transcription will become so easy for you that you have never even dreamed of it)). Let me remind you once again that unstressed syllables are often designated like this [ ə ] .
after, box, write, with, open,
season, shut, round, tall, number,
shirt, plus, jam, song, yogurt, hate
Exercise 4
This exercise is to practice reading a lot of English words by transcription. For children, the best option here would be cards with English words and transcriptions for them. Some authors (for example, Nosova, Epanova) specially develop such cards - after all, they help not only to consolidate the learned transcription signs, but also to easily replenish your vocabulary. These are the interesting cards I found in the store Labyrinth. Here are the most basic topics and words:
Set “Wild Animals”
Set "Fruits"
Set "Man"
Set "Professions"
Set "School"
Set "Home"
Well, I did it, friends!
And you? Did you manage? If you have any questions, be sure to ask me. I will try to answer them.
And one more thing - on the right sidebar of my site you can find a convenient service "Transcription online"— enter any English word into the field and get its transcription. Use it!
In addition, I invite you to my delicious newsletter (you can subscribe to it at the end of this article - after the tutor selection form)! The most useful and interesting things about English and more...
Answers to the exercises:
| b ir d [ɜ:] | f a mily [ӕ] | c oo l[u:] |
| p i g[ı] | b u tter[∧] | f ir st [ɜ:] |
| d o ll [ɔ:] | ea t[i:] | s i t[ı] |
| l a st [ɑ:] | b e d[e] | c ar [ ɑ: ] |
| a pple [ӕ] | cl o ck [ɒ] | m e n[e] |
| d augh ter [ɔ:] | p u t[ʋ] | cl ea n[i:] |
| d o ctor [ɒ] | fr ui t[u:] | k i tchen [ı] |
| d ar k[ɑ:] | g ir l[ɜ:] | d i nner [ı] |
| d oor [ ɔ: ] | trolley-b u s[∧] | c a p[ӕ] |
| f oo t[ʋ] | b oo k[ʋ] | b a ll [ɔ:] |
| bet w een [w] | v ery[v] | w indow [w] |
| v illa ge[v] [dʒ] | s treet [s] | z oo[z] |
| th in[θ] | th en [ð] | tea ch er [tʃ] |
| s ugar [ʃ] | tele ph one [f] | f i v e[f][v] |
| hundre d[d] | mus t[t] | nigh t[t] |
| midd le[l] | nu m ber[m] | p resent [p] |
| b lack [b] | k itten [k] | g ive [g] |
| kn ife[n] | h orse [h] | r oom [r] |
| pi n k[ŋ] | spon ge[dʒ] | ki ng [ ŋ ] |
| pa ge[dʒ] | facto r y[r] | y ou[j] |
| f ear [ ıə ] | n a me [eı] | beh i nd [aı] |
| wardr o be [əʋ] | ch air[eə] | t o ne [əʋ] |
| p oor [ ʋə ] | c a ke[eı] | t ow n[aʋ] |
| h here [ ıə ] | t our [ ʋə ] | c oi n[ɔı] |
| br ow n[aʋ] | th o se [əʋ] | h are[eə] |
| July y[aı] | b oh [ ɔı ] | t a ble [eı] |
| tr ou sers [aʋ] | yell ow [ əʋ ] | b i ke [aı] |
| c are[eə] | n ear [ ıə ] | s o [ əʋ ] |
[ˈɑːftə], [bɒks], [raɪt], [wɪð], [ˈəʊpən],
[ˈsiːzn], [ʃʌt], [raʊnd],[tɔːl], [ˈnʌmbə],
[ʃɜːt], [plʌs], [dʒæm],[sɒŋ], [ˈjɒɡət], [heɪt]
We have received your approval, we continue to study the peculiarities of pronunciation of English sounds :) This time we’ll take paired consonants /d – t/ and /z – s/. Let's figure out how they differ from their Russian counterparts and learn how to pronounce them. Because the consonant is pronounced incorrectly can completely change the meaning of a word.
It may seem to us, Russian speakers, that these sounds are absolutely identical to our /d-t/ and /z-s/. How wrong we are: Incorrect pronunciation of these phonemes creates our typical East Slavic accent.
Causes of errors in pronunciation
- The sounds themselves are pronounced differently from ours(different articulation gives a different sound).
- These sounds do not soften before front vowels, as in Russian (yes, they do not have a paired soft sound. At all!).
- At the end of the word these sounds are not deafening(reduction of voiced consonants is one of the most common mistakes).
Today we will work on each point according to a scheme familiar to our readers: first theory, and then practice on special sets of words and tongue twisters.
Sounds of English compared to Russian: /d – t/
The sound /d/ is pronounced in words day, did, mad. A significant difference from Russian /d/ is that when pronouncing the Russian sound front of tongue presses against the inner surface of the upper teeth and gums, and the most the tip of the tongue is slightly lowered(say the word "house" and track the position of your articulatory apparatus - do you feel it?).
When pronouncing English /d/ the blunt tip of the tongue should be pressed against the alveoli(tubercles above the teeth) at right angles.
Advice: Press the tip of your tongue (not the front of it) against the alveoli (not the upper teeth).
Exercises on English sounds
Task No. 1.
doctor /ˈdɒk.tər/
middle / ˈmɪd. əl/
Another important difference from Russian /d/: English consonants are not softened before front vowels(such as Russians i, e, yu, etc.). If in a word "sofa" we will say soft /d/, then in the word "did"– the sound /d/ will be hard as a rock :)
Advice: first pronounce the consonant (according to the rules that we learned above), and then raise the middle back of the tongue to pronounce the subsequent vowel.
Task No. 2. Practice pronouncing hard /d/ before front vowels in the following words:
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/
dear /dɪər/
ditsy /ˈdɪt.si/
digital /ˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.t ə l/
Pronunciation of the English consonant sound /t/
Now let's learn how to pronounce /t/, which will be quite easy since it has the same articulation as /d/ – we bring the blunt end of the tongue to the alveoli at a right angle.
But there is one more important detail - this sound aspiration(or aspiration, as they usually say). Learn more about this English sound in the video:
Task No. 3. Practice correct articulation on the following words:
table /ˈteɪ.bəl/
task /tɑːsk/
taste /teɪst/
I will also note that the force of aspiration depends on the position:
- aspiration will be stronger before a stressed vowel: tea /tiː/
- weaker before an unstressed vowel: water /ˈwɔː.tər/
- at the end of the words, almost without aspiration: cat /kæt/
- without aspiration after the sound /s/: best /best/
Sound /t/ too does not soften before front vowels. Yes, in a word "Tina" we will say soft Russian /t/, but in the word "team"– hard English /t/.
Task No. 4. Practice pronouncing hard /t/ before front vowels:
Paired sounds in English: the absence of deafening
And now the last difficulty, which is divided into two by these two sounds: no deafening at the end of a word. For a Russian person this is very difficult: “ cod “ And “to T“ we sound the same. In English, the voicing of a sound has a semantic distinguishing function: deafen the sound - change the meaning of the word. Classic examples: bud -but (plant bud – conjunction “but”), bad -bat (bad – bat), kid -kit (child – set) etc.
Advice: clearly pronounce all consonant sounds in accordance with the reading rules. For example, listen to how singer Taylor Swift pronounces the words in the song "Bad Blood".
Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
(Honey, now there's enmity between us. You know, it was crazy love)
From 0:36 to 0:48
Task No. 5. Here is a set of words ending in /d/ and /t/. Say them according to the transcription, without deafening the /d/ sound at the end.
mi d/mɪ d/
mi tt/mɪ t/
ma d/mæ d/
ma t/mæ t/
fee d/fiː d/
fee t/fiː t/
ca d/kæ d/
ca t/kæ t/
co d/kɒ d/
co t/kɒ t/
bo d/bɒ d/
bo t/bɒ t/
bi d/bɪ d/
bi t/bɪ t/
ba d/bæ d/
ba t/bæ t/
be d/be d/
be t/be t/
we d/we d/
we t/we t/
wa d/wɒ d/
wha t/wɒ t/
fa d/fæ d/
fa t/fæ t/
ha d/hæ d/
ha t/hæ t/
ho d/hɒ d/
ho t/hɒ t/
le d/le d/
le t/le t/
a dd/æ d/
a t /æ t/
Tongue twisters for English sounds
Finally, practice a few tongue twisters. For convenience, the sound /d/ is marked in bold:
- D an's D a d is a goo d d river.
- D olly D ale d ances with D avy D ail, D avy D ail d ates to D olly D ale.
- If a d octor is d octoring a d octor, d oes the d octor d oing the d octoring have to d octor the d octor the way the d octor being d octored wants to be d octored or d oes the d octor d octor the way he usually d octors?
Now onto the sound /t/.
- The t rip by t rain t ook t iresome t wen t y t wo hours.
- T ake t en pre tt y t eapo t s and pu t t wen t y t wo pla t es on the t able.
- T im t old T om a t rue s t ory abou t t wen t y- t wo t all t rees. That T im plan t ed a t a moon t ain t op.
Pronunciation of English consonants /z – s/
The sound /z/ is pronounced in words z one, his ,rose . It differs from our / з/ in that when pronouncing the Russian sound the tip of the tongue is wide, and is located at the base of the lower front teeth, A air passes through the gap between the front of the tongue and the teeth(say the word "umbrella" and monitor the position of your articulatory apparatus).
For English sound /z/ the tip of the tongue rises again closer to the alveoli(but does not touch them), and the air passes through the gap formed between the alveoli and the tip of the tongue.
Advice: Place the tip of your tongue closer to the alveoli. Please note that you should feel the air flow going straight ahead, and not in different directions.
Learning the sounds of English
Task No. 1. Practice correct articulation on the following words:
zany /ˈzeɪ.ni/
bozo /ˈbəʊ.zəʊ/
result /rɪˈzʌlt/
reason /ˈriːzən/
president /ˈprezədənt/
The next important point is similar to the previous group of sounds: /z/ is not softened. Word "winter" we pronounce it with a soft /z’/, whereas in the word "zipper"– /z/ hard.
Advice: First, complete the articulation of the consonant and only then raise the middle back of the tongue to pronounce the subsequent vowel.
Task No. 2. Practice pronouncing hard /z/ before front vowels in the following words:
zero /ˈzɪə.rəʊ/
zipper /ˈzɪp.ər/
zebra /ˈzeb.rə/
lazy /ˈleɪ.zi/
hazy /ˈheɪ.zi/
Voiceless /s/ in English
Articulationally, it is pronounced in the same way as /z/, but without the participation of the voice. The difference from Russian / s / is the same - the tip of the tongue is raised to the alveoli, and the sound is formed by a stream of air passing through a narrow gap between the tip of the tongue and the alveoli.
Another difference - the sound /s/ is stronger and longer than Russian: pronounced more intensely, energetically and for a long time, especially in the final position: miss.
Advice: place the tip of your tongue closer to the alveoli, and note that English / s / is a longer sound than Russian.
Task No. 3. Practice correct articulation on the following words:
salad /ˈsæl.əd/
I draw your attention again that the /s/ sound is not softened. For example, the word "force" pronounced with a soft /s/, and "seen"- with hard.
Task No. 4. Practice pronouncing hard /s/ before front vowels:
silly /ˈsɪl.i/
sister /ˈsɪs.tər/
Paired sounds in English: exercises
I will repeat again about a typical mistake for us - deafening the final sound and thus changing the meaning of the word: buzz -bus (buzz – bus), rise -rice (rise - rice). Listen to Stephen Curtis Chapman ring out the /z/ sound in the song "His Eyes".
Hi s eye s are alway s upon us; Hi s eye s never clo s e in sleep. And no matter where you go, You will always s be in Hi s eye s, in Hi s eye s.
(His eyes are always looking at us, his eyes never close in sleep. And no matter where you go, you will always be in his eyes)
From 0:47 to 1:11
Task No. 5. You know it :) Practice clearly pronouncing the correct sound at the end of a word.
bu zz/bʌ z/
bu s/bʌ s/
ri se/raɪ z/
ri ce/raɪ s/
a s /æ z/
a ss /æ s/
bag s/bæg z/
back s/bæk s/
noi se/nɔɪ z/
voi ce/vɔɪ s/
wi se/waɪ z/
ni ce/naɪ s/
no se/nəʊ z/
overdo se/ˈəʊ.və.dəʊ s/
clo se/kləʊ z/
lachrymo se/ˈlæk.rɪ.məʊ s/
tho se /ðəʊ z/
adipo se/ˈæd.ɪ.pəʊ s/
blue se/blaʊ z/
mou se/maʊ s/
advi se/ədˈvaɪ z/
vi ce/vaɪ s/
cau se/kɔː z/
sau ce/sɔː s/
limb s/lɪm z/
bit s/bɪt s/
hi s/hɪ z/
mi ss/mɪ s/
Tongue twisters in English for practicing sounds
- He rou s e s, open s hi s eye s, ri s e s and go s to Z oe.
- A Z ulu z oologist vi s ited Z urich z oo on Tue s day to e x amine do z en s noi s y z ebra s, do z en s la z yli z ard s and do z en s cra z y chimpan z ee s from a de s ert on Z an z ibar.
- S ue i s s i x teen thi s s ummer and C e c ile was s eventeen la s t S Sunday.
- S wan s wam over the s ea, s wim, S an s wim. S wan s wam back again. Well s wum, S wan!
- A s ingle s inger s ings a s ad s ong about six ty- s i x s i s ters s itting by the s ea at s un s et.
See you again, friends!
Next time we will focus on a new group of sounds. By the way, I would be grateful if you could tell me in the comments which sounds to make out. See you on our blog! 🙂
Unfortunately, correct English pronunciation is rare, even among foreign language teachers. This is due to the initially irrational choice of teaching methods. Many people still prefer the grammar-translation system, which consists of rote learning of words and learning the rules. In fact, it is necessary to practice English pronunciation from the very beginning of learning a foreign language. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to correct fixed errors.
1. The main thing is regularity of classes. You don't have to spend hours every day learning phonics and practicing. By devoting at least half an hour a day to lessons, you will soon notice positive results.
2. Look beyond textbooks and computer resources. Try to approach the task at hand creatively. Many experts claim that even singing in a foreign language helps improve English pronunciation.
3. Use a voice recorder. When listening to short texts recorded by native speakers, try to repeat the speech as accurately as possible. This is necessary to improve intonation, which differs significantly from Russian. Do this simple exercise at least a couple of times a week.
4. Watch movies and TV shows. Listen to how the person on the screen pronounces consonants and vowels, what syllables stand out in his speech. It is also worth paying attention to what shape the presenter or actor’s mouth takes during a conversation or monologue.
5. Listen to the radio. The benchmark for quality English pronunciation is undoubtedly the BBC.
6. If possible, be sure to involve a family member or friend in the activities. This will allow you not only to practice your speaking skills, but also to notice errors in pronunciation.
7. Practice in front of a mirror. While studying phonetics, you will understand that the pronunciation of seemingly identical sounds in Russian and English is radically different. You will have to constantly monitor the position of your lips and tongue.
8. Use multiple trusted sources of information. Be sure to combine textbooks and Internet resources, communication with real people and video lessons. You may also be interested in tongue twisters, which will help you develop the necessary speed of pronunciation without loss of quality.
9. Choose only one pronunciation option. There are many varieties of English: American, English, Australian and so on. From the point of view of “correctness”, the optimal solution can be considered the English of Oxford and Cambridge. Having studied one accent in detail, move on to the next. It is not worth exploring several options at the same time.
10. Read out loud. Various dialogues are especially useful in this regard (they allow you to train intonation).
11. Pay attention to the emphasis. Please note that English pronunciation may imply the presence of 2 stresses in the same word.
12. When learning new words, memorize them immediately with correct pronunciation and stress. Under no circumstances should you try to write down the pronunciation in Russian letters: this step will make all your efforts fruitless.
13. Learn to write transcription. Many textbooks are equipped with an audio course with phonetic dictations. Don’t neglect this monotonous but incredibly useful exercise: working on your mistakes will definitely help you learn not only to speak beautifully, but also to better understand your interlocutor. You will no longer confuse words that are pronounced almost the same.
Useful resources
Is it possible to improve English pronunciation without any cost at all? Yes. For this purpose, there are useful sites on the Internet that help solve the problem completely free of charge and no less effectively. We have selected the most effective and modern resources:
- http://www.englishcentral.com is a wonderful site that has hundreds of useful videos with native speakers. Some of them are dedicated to explaining certain aspects of pronunciation, others are designed for you to repeat them after the announcer. Educational, colorful and not at all boring.
- http://www.learnenglish.de - basic information about the pronunciation of words in English is collected here. Attention is also paid to particularly complex sounds. Visitors can write a dictation, listen and repeat a tongue twister or poem.
- http://sozoexchange.com - with the help of this resource you will not only improve your English pronunciation, but also expand your vocabulary. Native speakers explain the meaning of words and talk in detail about how to pronounce them correctly. A fairly large database of information will be useful even to advanced people.
- http://www.englishclub.com is a useful foreign resource that will be of interest to those who want to improve their English pronunciation in a short time. The information on the site is aimed more at beginners. The presence of tables and accompanying images can greatly facilitate the learning process.
- http://www.soundsofenglish.org - an interesting site for students and teachers. Here you can find detailed information about the correct pronunciation of sounds, sentence intonation, and stress. Also in a separate section you can find interesting games and exercises to practice your acquired knowledge.
- http://esl.about.com - there are a variety of oral exercises designed for any level of language proficiency.
Textbooks
You won’t be able to improve your English pronunciation only with the help of various websites, interesting videos and communicating with other people: you need a system, a basis for studying the subject. Textbooks are required. Most of the books on the proposed list are available on the Internet:
- English Pronunciation in Use (Sylvie Donna, Jonathan Marks)- a fairly popular course for improving pronunciation. The collection of textbooks is designed for people with different levels of foreign language proficiency. The authors introduce the reader to the basics of phonetics, gradually leading him to the intricacies of this issue. All books are supplemented with audio materials.
- Ship or Sheep, Tree or Three (Ann Barker). These two books have the same structure, only Ship or Sheep is considered a textbook for more advanced students (starting with Intermediate). Working with the textbook is accompanied by constant listening to audio recordings. With the help of these books, you can not only get the correct pronunciation, but also write phonetic dictations, pronounce dialogues, and improve pronunciation. The manual is divided into many subtopics. Experience shows that diligent implementation of the exercises in this course helps to overcome even serious errors in pronunciation.
- Timesaver Pronunciation Activities (Bill Bowler). A good book for those who want to make learning phonetics a fun process. The author's non-standard approach allows you to transform boring rules into exciting quizzes, crosswords, games, and all kinds of exercises. This manual will certainly be of interest to beginners and those who speak English at an intermediate level.
- Elements of Pronunciation (Colin Mortimer). This textbook is intended for more advanced students. With the help of the manual, you can analyze the most difficult aspects of pronunciation and eradicate existing errors. The book is accompanied by many literate dialogues for a comprehensive study of the subject. Much attention is paid to stress and intonation.
- Test Your Pronunciation- a collection of various tests compiled by Peter Wacyn-Jones. This book is definitely recommended for use in breaks between studying difficult rules and dry theory. Depending on your level of knowledge, you can choose a suitable manual. You should not pick up the book only if you have only recently started learning the language. Each of them contains about 60 tests, many of which are recorded on disk. Each text is designed in such a way that the student can not only test knowledge, but also systematize diverse information. This book performs an extremely important task: it helps to establish a strong connection between the spelling of words and the pronunciation of various sounds. Another plus is the most creative approach.
Practice is the key to good results
Naturally, just studying and doing exercises will not give the desired result: you must practice regularly. For this we recommend.
When learning English, students usually face problems with pronunciation. Russian accent sounds scary! Even if you have perfect knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, this does not solve the problem with your accent. If you want to learn how to improve your English pronunciation, this article will be a great help and guide for you. Below are effective ways to achieve perfect pronunciation.
Do you want to speak perfect English? Then it's time to work on your articulation!
It is known that the English alphabet has 26 letters, and the number of sounds is almost twice as large - 44. While in many languages 1 letter means one sound, English letters can reproduce up to 4 sounds, and in exceptional words - the number of sounds per one letter reaches seven.
If your native language is Russian, then difficulties in pronunciation are quite reasonable and logical, because articulation has huge differences. The sounds are similar, but during pronunciation the organs of articulation function differently. And yet, how to learn to pronounce words correctly? We present to your attention some useful recommendations.
Articulation is the totality of the work of the pronunciation organs. When we pronounce any speech sound, all active organs are involved (uvula, palate, teeth, lips, tongue). When learning English, the primary task is to tame the language, tune it in the right way.
Mastering the pronunciation of English is not as easy as it might seem at first. If you are wondering how to improve your English pronunciation, let's try to look at the main points that can help you form a base of pronunciation habits. Let's look at the features of English pronunciation:
- There is a bump behind your upper front teeth, feel it with your tongue. Then you need to pronounce the consonants: n, d, t, l. After this, pronounce the same sounds in Russian: n, d, t, l - during pronunciation, your tongue is pointing towards your teeth. Do the exercise several times to feel the difference. Repeat the exercises, using them as a tongue trainer.
- Now let’s look at the sounds [ð] and [θ] (in the text they are designated by the letter combination “th”). Standing in front of a mirror, stick out the tip of your tongue and bite it lightly. Then say the phrase: “This Thursday is Thanksgiving. Be thankful for this thing, that thing, and those things.”
There are no analogues to these sounds in the Russian language. You cannot replace these sounds with Russian “s”, “z”, “f”. Remember to stick out the tip of your tongue when pronouncing.
The sound [ð] is pronounced as voiced using the voice, and the sound [θ] is voiceless, barely audible during pronunciation.
For example, words with the sound [ð]:
- [ðei] they – they;
- [ðen] then – then;
- weather - weather.
Words with sound [θ]:
- tenth - tenth;
- myth - myth;
- faith - faith.
A big misconception is the fact that in words ending with ING it is necessary to pronounce the sound [g]. There is only an ending with a nasal sound [ŋ]. The image below shows where the back of the tongue and the roof of the mouth are located. Now you need to touch your back to the sky and say the desired word, for example, waiting or looking.
Let's talk about the sound [æ]. To understand the pronunciation of this sound, open your mouth as wide as possible, lower your chin and say “a”. This is exactly what this English sound sounds like, it appears when “a” is between consonants. When speaking Russian, we don't open our mouths that wide. For comparison, we suggest you pronounce two words: “car” and its English translation “car”. Do you feel the difference?
When pronouncing the sound “h”, just imagine that you are warming your hands in the winter cold. During exhalation, you should get a light, almost silent sound [h]. Now say the word “house”.
The sound [w] is pronounced as follows. Place your lips in a position as if you are reaching out to kiss someone, or as if you are about to whistle. Then prepare a lit candle and try to blow it out, keeping your lips in the above position while making a sound. If the candle goes out, it means you did everything absolutely right! Example words: wet, well.
Pronunciation of the sound [r]. English differs from the pronunciation of the Russian “R” in its softness and the absence of a specific Russian “growl”. When pronouncing a sound, the tip of the tongue should be raised to the tubercle behind the upper teeth. The tongue should be motionless, but tense. You can also lightly pinch your cheeks with your fingers and pronounce the Russian sound “r”, trying to rid the sound of growling and vibrations with your tongue. Use the word rat as a simulator.
Use all the recommendations provided as a simulator, and to consolidate, watch a video lesson in which you can learn in practice how the organs of articulation work. More information on phonetics and pronunciation of English sounds is available at the link below:
Learn English wisely
Follow the correct and useful tips on how to improve your English pronunciation:
1. Regular classes. Spend at least 30 minutes a day on lessons related to learning English. Then you will definitely succeed in consolidating and improving your skills. Don't waste time and do regular classes on your own or in a group. Spend more time on English, then you will definitely master it!
2. Books alone are not enough! While the book only gives us theory, practice is more than important. Many people practice speaking English by singing foreign songs - take this method into account. Everyday communication in English is also very useful.
3. Decide on pronunciation options. The most common types of pronunciation are American and British. Explore this aspect and remember that it is not worth studying several types of pronunciation. In the video below you can familiarize yourself with British and American pronunciation of English:
4. Watch movies in English. Today on the Internet there are many films with subtitles that help both in learning new words and in reinforcing the rules of pronunciation. Listen to the pronunciation of consonants and vowels. Observe the articulation of the speaker's mouth and tongue as they pronounce words.
5. To improve your English pronunciation, listen to audio recordings of native speaker dialogues, and then try to reproduce the dialogue. Record your speech on a voice recorder and then compare it with the original recording. This will help improve your English pronunciation.
6. Listen to radio podcasts, such as the BBC, which set the standard for literacy and pronunciation.
7. If possible, enlist the support of another person, for example, a member of your family. Practice speaking together! One head is good, but two are even better, because this way you can correct each other’s mistakes and improve together. Learning to pronounce English will give you more positive emotions in tandem with other people.
8. Learn the transcription of words. Use the transcription to gain an in-depth understanding of the pronunciation of words.
9. Learn words correctly. Have you learned a new word? Immediately check its phonetic composition or listen to its pronunciation several times on the Internet. This is more than useful, because at the same time you study not only the speech aspect, but also the rules of reading in English.
10. When studying phonetics, be sure to practice in front of a mirror. Watch the position of your lips and tongue. Study materials on sounds as much as possible; the characteristics for each sound will help you study pronunciation issues in detail.
11. Instead of endlessly asking yourself the same question: “How to deliver English speech?” — practice and force yourself to learn a few tongue twisters. always had a positive effect on the development of English pronunciation. Be sure to put them into practice. Start with a simple tongue twister: “I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.”
12. Grammar and practical tasks - reading - speaking - working on mistakes - this is the ideal formula that will lead you to success!
13. Read aloud and practice intonation with dialogue.
14. Always pay attention to stress: unlike Russian, English words can contain two stresses.
15. When learning new words, remember their correct pronunciation and stress. Do not write English words in Russian transliteration.
16. An audio course full of phonetic tasks is the most useful thing in working on the perfect accent. Don't neglect it and work through each exercise diligently. With the help of phonetic exercises, you can achieve beautiful speech and correct understanding of words that are pronounced the same, but have different meanings. For example, sheep (sheep) and ship (ship).
17. Discover the secrets of perfect pronunciation from native speakers themselves! Find conversation circles with native speakers in your city.
18. Use mobile apps such as EnglishPronunciation. Listen to how certain English words sound, and then take tests - the correct pronunciation is guaranteed.
19. When speaking English, don't even think about rushing. Pronounce words slowly and correctly, pronouncing every syllable and sound. Use correct pronunciation publications.
Practice pronunciation of English on the computer
We live in the era of information technology, and it would be stupid not to take advantage of the opportunities that the Internet provides us. Below we have prepared for you a list of resources that can be of great help to you.
- Even on your favorite social network there is a group where they practice English pronunciation. Join one of these groups and practice with like-minded people!
- There is even a separate social network to improve pronunciation - totalingua.com. Using the service is absolutely free. What a pleasure it is to improve your speaking skills with a true native speaker, right?
- interpals.net is a social network where people communicate in the language you are learning. Don't miss the opportunity and gain knowledge directly from a native speaker.
Now you know how to improve your English pronunciation, study hard and achieve excellence in learning English! We sincerely hope that with our tips, English pronunciation will cease to be your weak point!
A selection of useful videos for practicing correct English pronunciation
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