Phonetics
Phonetics is concerned with how sounds are produced, transmitted and perceived (we will only look at the production of sounds). Phonology is concerned with how sounds function in relation to each other in a language. In other words, phonetics is about sounds of language, phonology about sound systems of language. Phonetics is a descriptive tool necessary to the study of the phonological aspects of a language.
A to Z Alphabets with (IPA) International Phonetic Alphabetsby (EMC) Educational Media Centre
Video 1: The Vowel Chart - The 12 Monophthongs in British English
Video 2: Diphthongs in English | INTRODUCTION | Pronunciation | IPA
Video 3: Triphthongs in English | diphthong & /ə/ combination in one syllable
Video 4: The 24 Consonant Sounds in English
Video 5: Transcribing in IPA - Part 1
Video 2: Diphthongs in English | INTRODUCTION | Pronunciation | IPA
Video 3: Triphthongs in English | diphthong & /ə/ combination in one syllable
Video 4: The 24 Consonant Sounds in English
Video 5: Transcribing in IPA - Part 1
The British Council Phonemic Chart
tephonemic_greyblue21.exe | |
File Size: | 4918 kb |
File Type: | exe |
British Council Phonemic Chart for mobiles
Sounds of English Vowels and Consonants with phonetic symbols
Connected speech
Speakers connect words when they speak naturally and it can be difficult to understand individual words. When people speak naturally, they don't say a word, stop, then say the next word. Two groups of words are brought together to facilitate rhythm. The pronunciation of the end and beginning of words may also change. These changes are part of “connected speech”.
To understand connected speech, you need to know the difference between vowels and consonants. The 5 vowels are: a, e, i, o, u. Consonants are all the other letters of the English alphabet. It will also be helpful to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), so you can learn the sounds. IPA sounds and the English alphabet are not always the same. Tophonetics is a good website that will turn a word or phrase into an IPA. Is connected speech important? Yes and No Learning connected speech in two halves: understanding it when you hear it, and recreating it when you’re speaking yourself. Yes. Understanding connected speech when it’s used is extremely important. This is how native English speakers really talk. If you can’t understand English as it’s really spoken, you’re not really able to use the language. So listening to connected speech and being able to parse it into meaning is very important. No. Producing connected speech isn’t very important. Native speakers don’t need you to use connected speech to understand you. If you speak English clearly, carefully enunciating each syllable, you may sound a bit unnatural, but you’ll certainly be understood. So being able to use connected speech yourself doesn’t have to be a priority. |
How can you improve your connected speech?1. Listen as frequently as possible
2. Use transcripts or subtitles as you listen
3. Shadowing and recording yourselfThose are great for listening, but what about speaking?
4. Have conversations Speaking naturally is really only a skill you can develop through practice. So practice speaking! Keep in mind! Speaking naturally will come with time Connected speech is about practice, not memorization. It’s important to remember: connected speech doesn’t happen randomly. This happens because it's actually easier to pronounce words this way. So yes, learn what connected speech is. Practice listening to native speakers so you can understand them even when they speak at a normal pace and the words slur together. Do your usual speaking activities. But then relax. A natural and connected speech will come. |
Weak and Strong forms in English
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Grammatical words are words that help us construct the sentence but they don't mean anything: articles, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, etc.
These words have no stress, and so they are weakened. That weakened form is called "weak form" as opposed to a "strong form", which is the full form of the word pronounced with stress. The strong form only happens when we pronounce the words alone, or when we emphasize them. Weak forms are very often pronounced with a schwa, and so are very weak and sometimes a bit difficult to hear properly. Sometimes weak forms are easy to spot, because we use contractions in the spelling to show it:
As you can see, the grammatical words "him" and "to" are unstressed and have a weak form when pronounced inside a sentence.
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Determiners/Quantifiers |
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Pronouns |
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Prepositions |
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Conjonctions |
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Auxiliaries |
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Lets do a practice!
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* Aspects of connected speech *
Speech is a continuous stream of sounds, without clear-cut borderlines between them, and the different aspects of connected speech help to explain why written English is so different from spoken English.
So, what is it that native speakers do when stringing words together that causes so many problems for students?
So, what is it that native speakers do when stringing words together that causes so many problems for students?
A. Elision
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Elision is a specific part of connected speech, the one which is responsible for all the sounds dropped and most of the letters that seem to serve no purpose in communications.
Elision is the loss of a phoneme, most commonly the last phoneme of a word, and most commonly the /t/ and /d/ sounds. Have a look at these examples:
Remember! Elision is the disappearance of sounds in speech, generally considered to make pronouncing complex combinations easier. Of course, it only occurs in certain situations. One of the most common is one already addressed in the post on rhythm: when the vowel sound in an unstressed syllable is reduced all the way to non-existence. For example: police: /p l`is/ different: /dɪfr`ənt/ interesting: /ɪntrᵻstɪŋ/ But English speakers also elide consonants. See these examples: give me: /gɪmi/ friendly: /frɛnli/ must be: /mʌsbi/ didn’t he: /dɪdnthi/ or /dɪdni/ |
word/combination |
no elision |
with elision |
asked |
[ɑːskt] |
[ɑːst] |
lecture |
[ˈlɛktʃə] |
[ˈlɛkʃə] |
desktop |
[ˈdɛskˌtɒp] |
[ˈdɛsˌtɒp] |
hard disk |
[ˌhɑːdˈdɪsk] |
[ˌhɑːˈdɪsk] |
kept quiet |
[ˌkɛptˈkwaɪət] |
[ˌkɛpˈkwaɪət] |
kept calling |
[ˌkɛptˈkoːlɪŋ] |
ˌkɛpˈkoːlɪŋ |
kept talking |
[ˌkɛptˈtoːkɪŋ] |
[ˌkɛpˈtoːkɪŋ] |
at least twice |
[əˌtliːstˈtwaɪs] |
[əˌtliːsˈtwaɪs] |
next to |
[ˈnɛkstˌtʊ] |
[ˈnɛksˌtə] |
want to |
[ˈwɒntˌtʊ] |
[ˈwɒnˌtə] or [ˈwɒnə] |
seemed not to notice |
[ˈsiːmdˌnɒttəˈnəʊtɪs] |
[ˈsiːmˌnɒtəˈnəʊtɪs] |
for the first time |
[foːðəˌfɜːstˈtaɪm] |
[fəðəˌfɜːsˈtaɪm] |
B. Linking
Linking plays a very important role in connected speech in English. It mainly occurs when there is either a consonant at the end of a word and a vowel at the beginning of the next, or when a word that ends in a vowel and one that begins with one come together.
Other examples of this would be look up [lʊ.kʌp], look out [lʊ.kaʊt], keep up [kiː.pʌp], get up [gɛ.tʌp], get in [gɛ.tɪn], climb over [klaɪ.məʊ.və], nine o'clock [naɪ.nə.klɒk], at eight o'clock [ə.teɪ.tə.klɒk], etc., where . symbolises a syllable boundary.
Other examples of this would be look up [lʊ.kʌp], look out [lʊ.kaʊt], keep up [kiː.pʌp], get up [gɛ.tʌp], get in [gɛ.tɪn], climb over [klaɪ.məʊ.və], nine o'clock [naɪ.nə.klɒk], at eight o'clock [ə.teɪ.tə.klɒk], etc., where . symbolises a syllable boundary.
- Linking /w/ and /j/
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In cases where two vowels ‘clash’ at the boundary between two words/morphemes, we essentially have two options. We can either give the second word a glottal onset, in which case we interrupt the flow of speech, or we can insert a linking element in the shape of a semi-vowel.
- A /j/ in high up, high and low, my own, I agree, They are, I am, etc. – and usually /u/ or /ʊ/ it is /w/ – as in do it, how old, however, blue eyes, two eggs, to eat, etc. |
C. Assimilation
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Assimilation occurs when a phoneme (sound) in one word causes a change in a sound in a neighboring word. For example, try saying the following pairs of words:
Sometimes when two consonant sounds are joined, it is very difficult to pronounce the new sound. A new sound is made instead. This often happens with /t/ and /j/ which make /ʧ/. Note: ʧ = ch. It also happens with /d/ and /j/ which make /ʤ/. Note: ʤ = dg. For example:
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D. Juncture
Word boundaries involving a consonant and a vowel are also linked, as we tend to drag final consonants to initial vowels or vice versa. For example:
- Get on. ( geton )
- Not at all. ( notatall )
- It´s no joke. ( snow joke)
- “nitrate” and “night rate”,
- “a name” and “an aim,” etc.
Lets do some practice
roast beef stuffed tomatoes chained together
rolled gold kind to hands a child’s voice
closed shop fan club ground floor
Aunt Mary lined paper don’t go
cracked cups raw eggs wet paint
high up a car engine no others
Veronica Edwards pit closures blind mice
rolled gold kind to hands a child’s voice
closed shop fan club ground floor
Aunt Mary lined paper don’t go
cracked cups raw eggs wet paint
high up a car engine no others
Veronica Edwards pit closures blind mice
Conclusion
Students often find pronunciation work fun and stimulating, as well as valuable. However, they will need time and confidence in order to assimilate the features of connected speech and to make them their own. Research does suggest though, that by simply drawing students' attention to these forms, you are giving them considerable help towards making sense of the language they hear.
Further sources (Fluency, Understand Native Speakers, etc.)
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