English phonetics. English phonetics with pronunciation
1. Vowels- no obstruction is created for the air during pronunciation. At the same time, the pressure is minimal.
2. Consonants- the throat tract narrows, completely or partially blocking the air flow. He overcomes obstacles by changing his direction in one way or another.
In writing, all sounds are displayed using phonetic transcription - a special way of transmitting sounds, in which each of them has its own written symbol. The transcription absolutely accurately conveys all the features of the sound, demonstrating longitude and stress.
It should also be noted that in English words can be in a strong or weak form. When a word is stressed, it is considered to be in the strong form. If the word is not stressed, then it, accordingly, is in a weak form. Often conjunctions, pronouns and prepositions appear in the weak form. For example, in the preposition of, the sound [ɒv] is a strong form, and the sound [əv] is a weak form. In almost all cases, the appearance of the weak form is explained by replacing the stressed vowel in the strong form with an unstressed [ə], but in all other cases the sound is shortened. In the transcriptions of all English textbooks, sounds are displayed in a strong form, because, knowing the strong form of a sound, you can quite easily turn it into a strong form.
It is important to know:
1. In English, sounds are never softened, but are always pronounced firmly.
2. Sounds are not doubled, for example, the word running is pronounced [ˈrʌnɪŋ].
Differences between phonetics of English and Russian languages
English, however, like every other language, has its own characteristics. To understand them, it is necessary to consider the differences between the phonetics of English and Russian:
1. In the Russian language, there is no division among vowels into short and long. In the English language there is a similar division, and replacing a long sound with a short one can lead to significant changes, even changing the meaning of the word. In phonetic transcription, long vowels are indicated by the sign [:].
2. In addition, in English, all vowels are divided into monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are called vowel sounds, the sound of which does not change throughout. For example, a bed. Diphthongs same - these are vowel sounds that consist of two parts pronounced within the same syllable. Example: - old.
3. Also in the English language there is one more feature: voiced vowels located at the end of a word or before a voiceless consonant are not deafened. In other words, they are not replaced by a voiceless vowel sound. After all, deafening sounds can change the meaning of the entire word.
4. Consonants in English are pronounced firmly, regardless of the next vowel. In the Russian language, softening is possible: for example, before the vowel sound [i] - [silence].
Articulation of sounds. Speech apparatus
In general, the articular apparatus is the same for everyone. Only the pronunciation of sounds differs, which depends on the characteristics of a particular language. The speech apparatus itself consists of the following organs:
- language;
- hard and soft palate;
- lips;
- teeth.
In addition, behind the upper teeth there are special tubercles, or alveoli. Most of the sounds in English are produced in the mouth because the tongue and lips are very mobile and their movements can be combined in a variety of ways. Just behind the alveoli is the hard palate, and the soft palate is directly at the root of the tongue.
The vocal apparatus also includes the vocal cords. For example, when creating voiceless consonants, the vocal cords are completely relaxed. When they are tense, the air passing through them causes the ligaments to vibrate, which is why we hear voiced consonants or vowels.
English intonation
In English, intonation is a complex combination of pitch, rhythm of pronunciation, phrasal stress and tempo. Also, intonation is one of the most basic means of expressing what a person says. The melody can also be different. Just as in the Russian language, the melody of the English language is divided into two main types:
1. Descending tone, which is used mainly to express categorical and complete statements. All affirmative sentences are pronounced in a descending tone. In addition, it is used in narrative and imperative speech. In English this happens especially sharply and deeply.
2. Rising tone, which is used to express the incompleteness of what is said, uncertainty and lack of categoricalness. For example, it is widely used in enumeration. It should be mentioned that the English rising tone is very different from the Russian rising tone. Indeed, in Russian sentences the tone rises at the beginning of the sentence, and in English - at the end.
A characteristic feature of the rhythm of the English language is that stressed syllables in a sentence are pronounced at approximately equal intervals of time. That is why the speed with which unstressed syllables are pronounced directly depends on the number of unstressed syllables located on both sides of the stressed syllable. If there are fewer unstressed syllables, they are pronounced much faster.
Written representation of stress and melody in English:
["] - is placed before a stressed syllable only if it is not final.
signs [↘] and [↗] - used before the final syllable as a replacement for the accent mark. An arrow pointing down indicates a lower voice in the syllable it precedes. An arrow pointing up indicates raising the voice in the final syllable and in subsequent unstressed ones. For example: ↘Tellme.
Descending tone
A falling tone in English is a smooth fall of the voice in stressed syllables (you can give an example of a ladder along which stressed syllables descend). In this case, the voice drops very sharply precisely on the last stressed syllable. If we compare it with the Russian language, here the rise in tone occurs gradually in each stressed syllable, moreover, it does not sound sharp. The English falling tone is somewhat reminiscent of command intonation in monosyllabic tones:
Halt! - Stop!
Drink! - Drink!
Falling tone (or FallingTone) is the tone of sentence completeness, affirmation and certainty. That is why it is used in the following situations:
1. At the end of exclamatory sentences. Example:
What a flash of lightning!
2. At the end of short narrative sentences. Example:
3. At the end of imperative sentences, which carry a command, prohibition or order. Example:
Don't drink this water!
4. At the end of special offers which begin with an interrogative pronoun. Example:
What is your name?
Why are you smiling?
Where is my dog?
5. In the second part of the dividing questions. This happens in cases where the narrator is confident in what was said in the first part of the sentence and does not need confirmation that he is right. Example:
Water is cold, isn't it?
6. When saying greeting. Example:
7. When highlighting an appeal in a sentence. Example:
Jack, we will see you in a day.
8. When an application at the end of a sentence is highlighted. Example:
He is my friend, a driver.
9. At the end of the subordinate clause, which is located before the main one, but only when the last sentence should be pronounced with a rising tone. Example:
When you arrive, will I see you?
Rising tone
The main distinguishing feature of the rising tone of the English language from Russian is that the first syllable is pronounced rather low, and after it there is a slow rise until the last stressed syllable. Eg:
Can you give it to me?
Are you sure you will come?
If we draw another analogy with the Russian language, then this tone is somewhat reminiscent of the intonation of a person who asks again with some degree of surprise: I’m already home. - At home? The rising tone is the tone of incompleteness, doubt, uncertainty. This is why the following are often used with a rising tone:
1. In sentences with a common subject. Example:
My teacher and I left the class-room.
2. In the case when adverbial is at the beginning of the sentence. Example:
Last week there were a lot of problems.
3. Everything homogeneous members of the sentence which are listed. This does not apply to the last member if it is the end of a sentence. Example:
I see many cars, trees, buses and benches on the street.
4. General issues, which begin with modal or auxiliary verbs and require a “Yes” or “No” answer. Example:
Have you ever been in California?
5. The last part of the dividing question, when the questioner wants more specific information because he is not sure of what he said in the first part. Example:
You are a student, are n't you?
6. First half of the question which involves choice. Example:
Do you like coffee or tea?
7. An imperative sentence, which expresses a polite request. Example:
Will you give me our telephone?
8. Subordinate clause, which comes before the main clause. Example:
As soon as I come back home, I will call you.
9. Words of gratitude or farewell; also the phrase all right. Example:
It should be remembered that if a phrase is pronounced with a descending tone, then it is perceived as threat.
Descending-rising tone
In English speech, the falling-rising tone is used to demonstrate various emotions, from objection to doubt. Rise and fall happens:
Within the same word.
Within two adjacent syllables.
Within two syllables, between which there is one (or more) unstressed syllables.
Conventionally, our vocal range can be represented as two horizontal parallel lines. If we pronounce something in a descending-rising tone, then our voice first of all decreases to its lowest value and then gradually rises. However, it does not reach the maximum value. If we compare this tone with the Russian language, then the intonation of the phrase: “But I won’t come!” is approximately the same.
In addition to confirming various facts, the descending-ascending tone sometimes carries a certain subtext. This happens in the following cases:
1. When clarification.
I think he's a teacher.
2. When friendly weak objection:
I "m affraid you are wrong.
3. During assumptions which is being questioned.
What color was that bus? It could be white.
4. With contrast and juxtaposition.
There are a lot of pencils, but not pens.
Types of stress
There are three types of stress in English.
Word stress- highlighting a separate syllable in a word. In English transcription, verbal stress is indicated by a special sign [‘], which is placed before the syllable under stress.
Phrase stress call the stronger reproduction of individual words of a sentence in comparison with other words. Often only significant words fall under this stress:
Nouns;
Adverbs;
Interrogative pronouns;
Demonstrative pronouns;
Nouns;
Semantic verbs.
And possessive and personal pronouns and all function words, as a rule, cannot be stressed.
And finally logical stress. There are times when it becomes necessary to highlight a particular word in a sentence that seems most important to the person speaking. It is in this case that those words that are normally unstressed may fall under stress, and some significant words may lose phrasal stress.
Word stress
Word stress is the emphasis on one or more syllables within one word. At the same time, the pronunciation of the stressed syllable is more energetic, the muscles are more tense. Word stress is one of the most important parts of a word because it helps differentiate grammatical forms from each other. In addition, in English, word stress can be used to distinguish one part of speech from another. Example:
`export is a noun meaning "export";
To ex`port is already a verb meaning to export.
Another distinctive feature of the English language is that the stress in a word is placed before the stressed syllable, and not on the vowel sound, as in the Russian language. Words that have four or five syllables can have two or even three stresses at once. In this case, one of them will still be the main one and will be indicated by an accent sign from above, and all minor ones will be indicated by the same accent sign, but only from below. Example:
Demon`stration - display, demonstration.
Cases of changes in word stress
In English, all words that consist of three or more syllables necessarily have two equivalent stresses. In addition, compound adjectives, verbs with adverbs, and many compound nouns can also have two accents.
Also, some numerals can have two stresses (meaning numerals from thirteen to nineteen). One stress will fall on the first syllable, and the second will fall on the suffix teen.
Often words that have two stresses can lose one of them under the influence of neighboring words. For example, if there is a stressed word before it, then only the second stress will remain.
My number is eighteen.
But if a word with two stresses is followed by a stressed word, then the first of them loses the second stress.
She has sixteen pens.
Word stress in words with a separable prefix
Sometimes in English the formation of words occurs with the help of prefixes, which change the semantic meaning of the word, although they do not change its belonging to one or another part of speech. Each of the prefixes below has its own meaning. Therefore, words with similar prefixes can have two meanings that are equivalent to each other: one of them is in the word itself, and the other is in the word with the prefix.
The most commonly used English prefixes are:
1. Prefixes with a negative meaning:
perfect - imperfect
fortunately - unfortunately
appear - disappear
2. The prefix re-, the meaning of which is “again”, “again” (corresponds to the prefix re- in Russian):
3. The prefix miss-, the meaning of which is “incorrect”:
understand - missunderstand
3. Prefix pre-, the meaning of which is “before”, “before”:
hystory - prehystory
4. The prefix inter-, the meaning of which is “among”, “between”:
national - international
5. Prefix ex-, the meaning of which is “former”:
president - expresident
6. Prefix sub-, the meaning of which is “under”:
divide - subdivide
7. The prefix ultra-, the meaning of which is “over”, “ultra”:
light - ultralight
It should also be noted that in the English language there are a great many prefixes that have completely or partially lost their true meaning. Such words are often not divided and are not perceived by a person as a unit with a prefix: discuss, refuse, repeat, and so on.
Cases of stress in compound words
Compound words are words that have two different roots. There are several ways to spell these words:
Hyphenated;
Separately.
But, despite this, in semantic terms they are one whole. In Russian there are also compound words: blue-yellow, plane, fireproof, and so on.
For the most part, the stress in compound words should fall on the first part:
But there can also be two stresses equal to each other at once:
If both parts of a compound word are adjectives, then they will also have two stresses:
A verb followed by a postpositional adverb also always has the same stress. This is explained by the fact that the postposition itself changes the meaning of the verb:
Pronunciation of vowel sounds in the third or fourth type of syllable
As we already know, the pronunciation of a stressed vowel sound directly depends on the type of syllable. And the type of syllable, in turn, can be determined by which letters follow the stressed vowel.
If the syllable type is third, then after the stressed vowel there is the letter r. In this case, the vowels are read as long sounds. Eg:
corner - [`kɔ:nə]
turn - [tə:n]
If the syllable type is fourth, then after the vowel there is the letter r, and after it there is a vowel. Accordingly, we read vowel sounds in word types such as diphthongs or three-term components. Eg:
fire - [faiə]
tyrant - [`taiərənt]
There are some notes though:
1. The letter u, located after the sounds [r, dʒ] in the fourth type of syllable, we always read as [uə]:
jury - [`dʒuəri].
2. If a word contains two letters r at once, then we read the vowel located in front of them as a closed syllable:
hurry - [`hʌri].
Phrase stress
Phrase stress is the emphasis by voice on individual words in a phrase or sentence. Compared to the English language, the Russian language does not have such a pronounced emphasis on words - after all, the stress falls on almost every word. Our speech seems more fluent. But in the English language there is a peculiar alternation of unstressed and stressed syllables, which gives the sentence the necessary rhythm. And although our language also has a fairly large number of complex words, the rhythm of sentences is not as prominent as in the case of English sentences. If we pronounce English speech based on Russian rules, then our reading will seem to be reading syllables. That is why it is so necessary to know all the features and rules of phrasal stress in the English language.
Parts of speech in English that can be stressed:
Nouns
The `teacher is in `classroom.
Adjectives
The table is `red.
Numerals
Adverbs
Semantic verbs
I `want to `be your boyfriend.
Interrogative and demonstrative pronouns
`When will you come?
`This is a pencil.
Unstressed words in English are:
Possessive and personal pronouns
Give`me`yourpen.
Articles
`The notebook is red.
Your cake is good, `but I like candies.
Particles
I want `to see you again.
Prepositions
We will go `to Paris.
Verb to be
He to be is a good driver.
Modal verbs
I`can speak Spanish rather good.
Auxiliary verbs
Sometimes modals and auxiliary verbs can also be stressed. This happens in the following cases:
At the end of a syntagm and a sentence in the position after an unstressed syllable:
I know who you`are.
In short negative forms:
I `can't give it to you.
In answers to general questions:
First a general question:
`Are you serious?
If the negative form is complete, then only the particle will be stressed, but not the verb:
I don't like you!
In English, any stress is indicated on letters by the symbol "`", which is placed immediately before the stressed syllable.
Logical stress
In addition to phrasal and verbal stress, which exist in a sentence on a permanent basis, in the English language there is also logical stress - this is also the highlighting of a certain word in a sentence more strongly than others using stress. This type of stress is used to somehow contrast one word with another, as well as to enhance the meaning of the word. Example:
I saw this picture.
In this case, we contrast “I” with other pronouns “You” and “You”.
Based on the fact that logical stress goes beyond the boundaries of simple phrasal stress, we can make sure that exactly the word that would be unstressed in another situation is highlighted in a sentence - for example, an article, a preposition, and so on.
She sit "on chair not "on the bed.
It should be noted that within one sentence there can be exactly as many variants of logical stress as there are words in it. In this case, everything will depend on which word the speaker wants to highlight, and this, accordingly, depends on the purpose of the utterance.
English alphabet
There are 26 letters in the English language, which can represent 48 sounds in writing.
A [ei] Nn [en]
Bb [bi:] Oo [ou]
Cc [si:] Pp [pi:]
Dd[ di: ] Qq [ kju: ]
Ee[ i: ] Rr [ a: ]
Ff[ ef ] Ss [ es ]
Gg[ dʒi: ] Tt [ ti: ]
Hh[eitʃ]Uu[ju:]
Ii [ai] Vv [vi:]
Jj[ dʒei ] Ww [ `dʌbl `ju: ]
Kk[ kei ] Xx [ eks ]
Ll[el]Yy[wai]
Mm[ em ] Zz [ zed ]
Phonetic transcription
If you do not yet know the English alphabet, then first of all you need to learn all 26 letters and learn to read them correctly. Phonetic transcription is a graphic representation of sounds, each of which is necessarily written in square arches.
In general, each language has a certain number of sounds that make up words. We hear sounds in human speech, and letters are used in writing.
The sound composition is extremely irregular - it is constantly changing. In contrast, the graphic representation of words almost never changes. Another difference between the pronunciation of sounds and their graphic representation is that the English language has 44 sounds, and the Latin alphabet used in the language has only 26 letters. That is why the same letter can have several sound variations, depending on its position in the word. In order to simplify the study of the English language, phonetic transcription is used, in other words, a graphic display system in which each sound has a corresponding graphic sign. Below are graphic symbols to represent the sounds of the English language.
Vowels:
[ɔi] - cowboy
[juə] - Europe
[aiə] - empire
Consonants:
[ʒ] - treasure
Classification of sounds in English
In English, sounds are divided according to the following criteria.
Vowel sounds(English vowels) are those sounds that are classified as pure musical tone. The air that passes through the vocal cords when speaking vibrates. The oral cavity is wide open, so there are no barriers to air - air passes freely. In this case, muscle tension is evenly distributed throughout the speech apparatus.
Unlike vowel sounds, during pronunciation consonant sounds(English consonants) exhaled air encounters a partial or complete barrier, and its friction against the walls of the barrier creates the very noise that is a distinctive feature of consonant sounds. When pronouncing sonants and voiced consonants, the vocal cords vibrate, but in the case of voiceless sounds they are not involved and do not take part in articulation. Muscle tension is concentrated specifically at the site of the obstruction. The width of the passage directly affects the intensity of the noise - the larger the gap, the weaker the sound. Those consonant sounds during the pronunciation of which the voiced component exceeds the noise are called sonorous(or sonants), yet other sounds are called noisy.
The English language has twenty-four consonant sounds (seven of them are sonorant), and twenty vowel sounds.
Rhythmic groups
A rhythmic group is a rather small (when compared with a semantic group) unit of division of the flow of speech, unique to the English language. The basis of any rhythmic group is the stressed syllable. It should be noted that in English there are two or more semantic groups in one sentence. Accordingly, in each semantic group there is exactly the same number of rhythmic groups as there are stressed syllables located in it. It turns out that the rhythmic group is just one stressed syllable and all those unstressed syllables that belong to it.
When unstressed syllables are located before the stressed syllable, they are called pre-stressed. And when unstressed syllables are found after a stressed syllable, they are called unstressed. For example, in the sentence "Take that" there is only one rhythmic group, which consists of one overstressed syllable and one stressed syllable.
And the sentence “I `couldn’t `tell you about it `then” consists of three rhythmic groups:
1. "I couldn't"
3. "about it `then".
The first of them contains one stressed and one pre-stressed syllable; in the second group - one overstressed and one stressed syllable; in the third group - one stressed syllable and three pre-stressed syllables.
Each of the rhythmic groups is articulated together, without any pauses, as if it were one word that consists of several syllables. Unstressed words must be pronounced at the same time as the stressed word, regardless of their number. Example:
Yoy can't left `him.
According to the amount of time spent on pronunciation, three unstressed words are equal to one stressed word "left".
Consonant sounds. Classification
If, during articulation of air, the flow encounters an obstacle in the oral cavity and, breaking it, passes through the gap, then such sounds are called consonants. The main difference between such sounds and vowel sounds is that when air is decelerated through certain parts of the articulatory apparatus, noise occurs.
There are different principles for classifying consonant sounds in English. The criteria for separating these sounds can be as follows:
Active organs of articulation and place of obstruction;
The method of noise generation and the location of the obstacle;
Superiority of the musical component or noise;
The number of foci making up the noise.
If we take into account the functioning of the vocal cords, then all consonant sounds can be divided into voiced and voiceless. The strength of the air flow and the level of muscle tension are much higher during the articulation of voiceless consonant sounds, so the term from the Latin language “fortis”, that is, “strong”, is used to denote them. When articulating voiced consonants, all these indicators are significantly lower, so the term “lenis”, that is, weak, is used to designate such sounds.
Some of the consonant sounds are contrasted, for example, [t] and [d]. Other sounds, such as [r], [h], [l], [w], [m], [n], do not have their own pairs.
Depending on the position of the active organs of articulation relative to the place of obstruction, consonant sounds can be divided into labial, lingual or pharyngeal. Labials, accordingly, can also be divided into labiolabial and labiodental.
Lingual sounds are divided into back-lingual, middle-lingual and front-lingual. When articulating anterior lingual vowels, the front part of the tongue touches various parts of the soft palate. According to this principle, sounds are also divided into interdental, alveolar, posterior alveolar and palatal-alveolar consonant sounds. The middle lingual consonant sound [j] is formed as a result of the middle part of the tongue touching the hard palate.
Rear lingual consonants, namely [k], [g], [N], appear after bringing the posterior lobe of the tongue to the hard palate. There is also a pharyngeal consonant sound ([h]), which is formed in the pharynx.
The famous philologist L.V. Shcherba proposed to designate certain provisions of the language with the following terms:
Apical position - the upper part of the tongue is directed upward;
Kakuminal structure - the upper part of the tongue is moved away from the alveoli, and its middle part is directed downward;
Dorsal structure - the upper part of the tongue is lowered, and its middle part touches the hard palate.
It should also be noted that if, during the formation of a consonant, the sound exceeds noise, then noisy consonants appear, and if the musical component exceeds, then sonants appear. Frictional, as well as occlusive-frictional consonant sounds can have either one or two obstructions in their articulation. According to this principle, they are divided into single-focus and bifocal consonant sounds.
There are a total of twenty-four consonant phonemes in the English language.
Vowel sounds. Classification
Many famous researchers of English phonetics from different countries have tried to classify vowel sounds in some way. All proposed classifications differed significantly from each other, because they were based on different principles: the complexity of the sound structure, the position of the tongue or lips, brevity or longitude. Below are the main criteria by which vowel sounds can be classified:
By stability of pronunciation;
According to the horizontal position of the tongue;
According to the vertical position of the tongue;
By their longitude;
By the position of the lips;
By the strength of articulation at the end of pronouncing sounds;
According to the degree of tension of the speech organs.
If we divide all vowel sounds according to the horizontal position of the tongue during articulation, we get something like this:
Front sounds ([x], [e] and, as well as diphthongs and);
Sounds of the front row moved back ([I], as well as diphthongs and );
Mixed vowel sounds ([q], [A] and [W]);
Back row sounds shifted forward ([u] and [a:], as well as diphthongs and);
Back sounds ([L] and [O], as well as diphthong).
During the articulation of sounds of the first two groups, the tongue is raised towards the hard palate and alveoli. To pronounce mixed vowel sounds, the back of the tongue rises evenly. To articulate the last two groups, the tongue rises towards the soft palate.
Also, all vowel sounds can be divided according to the degree of vertical elevation of the tongue, then we get the following classification:
High pitch sounds (, [u], [i] and );
Mid-rise sounds (, , [q], [W] and [e]);
Low rise sounds ([R] [O], , [a:], [au], [A], and [x]).
In addition, all these subclasses can also be divided into wide and narrow options:
High lift in a narrow version ( and );
Wide option ([u] and [I]);
Medium rise in narrow version (, [W] and [e]);
Wide option ([q], [L] and );
Low rise in narrow version ( and [A]);
Wide variant (, [аu], [x], [а:] and [O]).
According to the position of the lips during articulation, all vowel sounds can be divided into unrounded and rounded.
In addition, when classifying sounds, their duration can be taken into account. Then vowel sounds are divided into:
Short monophthongs ([A], [q], [O], [u], [e], [x] and [i]);
Long monophthongs ([R], [W] and [L]);
Diphthongs (, , , , , , and [аu]);
Diphthongoids ( and ).
Monophthongs are those vowel sounds during the pronunciation of which all speech organs are completely motionless. Diphthongs are vowel sounds, during the articulation of which there is a smooth transition from one arrangement of the speech organs to another, because all the elements of a diphthong are one full-fledged phoneme. The first element of each diphthong is the nucleus, and the second is the glide. In this case, the emphasis constantly falls on the core.
Diphthongoids are special vowel sounds of the English language, when pronounced, there is a subtle change in the position of the speech organs from one element to the next, because all elements of diphthongoids are very similar in the method and nature of articulation. This type of sounds is considered intermediate - between monophthongs and diphthongs.
In general, the English language has twenty vowel phonemes: ten monophthongs, eight diphthongs and two diphthongoids.
In English, the length of sounds is not something static and unchanging. This is explained by the fact that there is a so-called positional longitude of sounds. In other words, the same vowel sounds can have different sound durations. This, in turn, depends on several factors at once: on the number of syllables in a word, on stress, on the position of a syllable in a word, and so on. If the syllable is final and stressed, then diphthongs and long vowels will have the greatest sound in this position. In the position before the sonorant sound their length will be slightly less, and before voiced and voiceless consonants - even less. In addition, unstressed sounds are shorter than stressed sounds.
We should also talk about the vowel sound [x]. The British claim that vowels in the position before a given sound have a longer duration than long vowels. Before voiced consonants, this feature is even more pronounced.
Another characteristic feature that distinguishes the English language from the Russian language is the so-called truncation. Truncated vowels are short sounds that are stressed in a syllable that ends in a voiceless sound. For example, or. This feature is explained by the fact that in this position, when pronouncing a vowel sound, weakened articulation is not observed. In addition, when approaching the end, the sound intensity does not decrease in any way. It’s just that a vowel sound is suddenly interrupted by a subsequent consonant sound. Untruncated vowel sounds in English are called diphthongs, unstressed vowels and long monophthongs. They can be in an open syllable at the end or in a closed syllable, which is located before a voiced consonant. Eg, .
Rules for pronunciation of combinations of English sounds
In English, when pronouncing certain combinations of vowel sounds, or combinations of vowels and consonants, it is necessary to pay special attention to the transition from one phoneme to another. For successful articulation, you need to be able to relax your speech apparatus, in particular your lips and tongue. There are three stages in the formation of sound combinations:
Attack - movement of the organs of the articulatory apparatus and adoption of the starting position;
Exposure - the speech apparatus adheres to the accepted position for some time;
Indentation - relaxation of organs after the articulation process.
It should be noted that in the process of sound formation, all phases merge into a certain chain when the final phase is superimposed on the initial phase of the next sound combination.
Assimilation, elision and adaptation
When phonemes are connected into unique chains, the speech apparatus adapts to a very rapid change in position for a more comfortable change from one articulation to another. In this process, even the sound quality itself can change. This is called assimilation, or assimilation.
Assimilation is a process when a consonant sound changes during the speech stream under the influence of a neighboring one, and it is noticed that one sound becomes similar to another. Articulation can be partial, when different variants of phonemes are present, and complete, when the sound is completely similar to the neighboring one.
When a consonant sound changes under the influence of a vowel sound, adaptation occurs. If, during careless speech, the articulation of a sound is not fully realized, then this process is called elision.
There are several types of assimilation:
Assimilation by direction;
Assimilation in accordance with the location of the obstacle;
Assimilation by lip work;
Assimilation by the method of noise generation.
The first type of assimilation is divided into three subtypes:
Regressive;
Progressive;
Double assimilation.
When the direction of assimilation is progressive, the previous sound affects the subsequent one. For example, in the word "style" the sound [t] lost its aspiration under the influence of the previous fricative sound [s].
In regressively directed assimilation, the previous sound affects the subsequent one. For example, in the word seventh the sound [n] became dental under the influence of the consonant sound [T].
During mutual assimilation, both sounds that are nearby mutually influence each other, conveying some of the features of their articulation. For example, in the word “twin” the consonant [t] is slightly rounded, and the sound [w] is deafened.
Combination of voiceless and voiced consonants
If a word contains a voiced consonant after a voiced consonant, then it does not affect it, that is, it does not muffle it:
Also, a voiceless consonant does not become more voiced under the influence of the next voiced consonant:
But there are some exceptions. Sounds such as [r], [l], and [w] may be partially muted after plosive sounds. See for yourself:
In this case, the consonant sound [w] will be pronounced as if together with the previous consonant sound.
How stop consonants are combined
A combination of stop consonants in one place of formation: alveolar, labial and velar.
During the articulation of such a combination of sounds, the organs of the speech apparatus practically do not change their position when moving from one sound to another. In other words, there is no complete obstacle, and no explosion occurs at the boundary of two sounds. At this stage, the explosion is replaced by a dull or voiced pause. Therefore, it is the second sound that ends with an explosion:
I like green apples
A combination of plosive consonants in different places of formation.
When two stop sounds are adjacent, but from different places of formation, complete obstruction at the end of the articulation of the first phoneme occurs only when the speech apparatus is already prepared to pronounce the second sound. There is also a loss of explosion. Instead of this explosion, a ringing or dull pause appears. In addition, the length of this pause, necessary for “rebuilding” the articulatory apparatus, is much longer than in the above case:
For example, to pronounce labial and alveolar plosives, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli until the lips close to articulate the following sound:
A combination of plosives and nasals.
If, when pronouncing two plosive sounds, instead of the first explosion there is a pause (the path for the air flow to exit is blocked), then when a plosive and nasal sound are combined, a so-called “nasal explosion” occurs. The complete obstruction disappears during the articulation of the nasal consonant, and the air flow leaves the oral cavity. Therefore, in order for a nasal explosion to occur, you should not remove the complete obstruction until you are ready to articulate the subsequent sound.
Stop making this
Combination of sonants with other consonants
Three sonants, which are combined with a noisy consonant sound, are capable of forming a syllable. That is why they are called sonants. It is worth noting that these sounds are not always able to form a syllable, but only in those cases when they are located in a final position out of stress after a noisy consonant sound or with a previous silent vowel sound that follows a noisy consonant.
Other sonorant sounds (such as) are not sonants, since they are not able to form syllables (even the sound [N], which is equal in duration to a sonant). This sound can only be articulated with the vowel sound that forms the syllable. And the sound [j] is pronounced only with a subsequent consonant sound, creating a syllable. The letter combinations wr and wh are always pronounced as a single consonant sound - [w], [h] or [r] - and each forms a syllable with only the following vowel sound. Examples:
Combination of plosive consonants with lateral sonant [l]
The combination of nasal and plosive consonants provides a path for airflow, which disappears when the obstruction of the first sound disappears through the nasal cavity. The same process can occur when combining the sounds kl, gl, pl, bl, tl and dl. After the first sound is pronounced, the obstacle has not yet closed, but the speech apparatus is already completely ready for the articulation of the sound [l]. After this, the obstacle opens and the air flow passes along the gap that has appeared between the tongue and the palate. This process is also called longitudinal explosion. After aspirating a voiceless consonant, the sound [l] is muffled, but only partially.
Muted:
Not muted:
In addition, combinations of sounds and in the position before stressed vowel sounds are pronounced together:
Semantic segments in a sentence
If a sentence is long enough, then a person simply physically cannot speak it in one breath, which is why it is divided into parts - the so-called semantic segments. A certain semantic segment can consist of one or several words, a simple common clause or a subordinate clause.
For example, take the sentence “This is the picture that Erica painted.” This sentence can have only two semantic parts - “This is a picture” and “which Erica painted” (subordinate clause). But if we begin to divide each semantic group into further segments, then this may violate the entire meaning of this sentence. It should be noted that dividing any sentence into segments directly depends on the speed at which we pronounce it. If we say “This is the picture that Erica painted” quickly enough, then there will be absolutely no need to divide it into segments.
At the border of two semantic groups there are pauses, which also play an important role. To graphically display such pauses, special icons | are used, which are placed after the last word of the semantic segment.
We all remember the Soviet cartoon and the phrase “You can’t pour water on soup.” In this sentence, a semantic pause can be placed both after the word “impossible” and after the word “soup”. And the difference between these two proposals will be simply huge!
Pour over soup | cannot be watered.
You can't pour soup on | water.
Separating semantic groups in writing is done using commas, but this does not happen in all cases. This is especially true for the English language, where the placement of punctuation marks follows completely different laws.
Sounds in English
Vowel sounds
Pronunciation of vowel sounds in English
The good news is that the English language only has six vowels. But these six letters can convey as many as twenty-two vowel sounds (this is not such good news, but there is still a chance to learn them). All sounds of the English language, in particular vowels, differ significantly from the sounds of the Russian language. And if consonant sounds determine how well English-speaking citizens will understand you, then vowel sounds will tell them about the speaker's accent (British, American, etc.). Our person, speaking Russian, is not able to hear the obvious difference between vowel sounds precisely because there are no analogues in his native language. In order to pronounce them correctly, you need to additionally train your articulatory apparatus - repeat these same sounds many times. It is quite difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish these sounds by ear, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to learn how to pronounce them correctly. In principle, this is where learning English begins.
Basic rules for correct pronunciation of English sounds:
Correct articulation is needed, that is, the correct position of the organs of the articulatory apparatus and their specific movements;
If the articulation is correct, then you need to correctly pronounce this or that sound. It is recommended to do this by checking your pronunciation with speech standards;
You need to repeat it until you get it right. The most important thing here is training;
If it doesn’t work out, train some more!
English sound [i:]. Pronunciation
In English, this sound is considered a diphthongized monophthong (a rather complex name). This is a long vowel sound.
The length of the sound is a very important detail of pronunciation, since an English-speaking person can easily determine how long the sound you are pronouncing is. In addition, it is the length of the vowel sound that can radically change the semantic meaning of a word (both for the listener and for the speaker).
The articulation of this sound can be explained approximately as follows: the sound originates in the depths of the mouth, and then moves from there forward and slightly upward. In other words, a sound consists of two similar (but by no means identical) sounds, smoothly flowing from one sound to another. At the end of the articulation of the sound, the middle of the tongue rises high.
If we draw an analogy with the Russian language, then this sound is very reminiscent of our “I”:
In writing, this sound is conveyed by the letter “E” if it is followed by a consonant sound, and then by a silent “e”; also - using a combination of letters ea, ee, ei, ie. There is one exception - key - [ki:].
English sound [i]. Pronunciation
This sound of the English language is pronounced briefly, easily and abruptly, without any tension. The position of the tongue during articulation is almost the same as in the case of the sound [i:], only the lips are somewhat stretched and almost passive. In the position before the consonant sounds [m, n, l], this sound becomes slightly longer, and in the position before the voiceless consonant sounds it is pronounced very briefly.
[kritik] - critic
Designation of the sound [i] in writing:
The letter "I" if it is followed by one or more consonants.
kiss, sit, kid, big.
The sound “E”, which is in an unstressed position in a word.
English sound [e]. Pronunciation
When articulating this sound, the mouth is slightly open, the lips are slightly stretched or completely passive, most of the tongue is moved to the front of the mouth, and its tip is located near the lower teeth. All consonants that are in position before a given sound are never softened.
text - [ text ]
In writing, this sound is denoted by the letter “E,” but only in cases where it is followed by one or more consonant sounds.
English sound [æ]. Pronunciation
In English, the sound [æ] is more open than the previous sound [e]. When articulating this sound, the middle lobe of the tongue is slightly raised, the lower jaw is lowered, the lips are completely neutral, and the tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth. All consonants that are in a word before a given sound are never softened.
If we compare this sound with the Russian alphabet, then we simply do not have an analogue.
lamp - [læmp]
plan - [plæn]
The sound [æ] is represented in writing using the letter “A”, which is read as [æ] only in cases where it is followed by one or more consonant sounds.
Differences in pronunciation between the sounds [æ] and [e]
Despite the fact that both these sounds are short, the difference in their pronunciation lies precisely in the degree of openness. For example, the sound [æ] is a very short sound, during the articulation of which the tongue is positioned in such a way that it is as flat as possible, while the lower jaw is dropped quite low. On the contrary, when articulating the vowel sound [e], the jaw is practically not lowered, the jaw moves right up to the base of the lower teeth, and the lips are somewhat stretched.
Englishsound[ʌ]. Pronunciation
This English sound is short. When articulating, the tongue is in almost the same position as when silent, but its middle lobe is slightly raised and touches the soft palate. In this case, the lips compress slightly, and the distance between the jaws is quite large.
Due to the fact that this sound is truncated, it is pronounced with some tension.
The consonant sound [ʌ] is expressed in writing in several ways:
Using the letter u, followed by one or several consonants;
Using the letter o and the consonants v, th, m, n.
English sound [a:]. Pronunciation
This sound of the English language is open, drawn-out. During its articulation, the tongue is pulled back to some extent from the teeth and is located low in the mouth, its root is pressed (just as during a medical examination by a doctor). The mouth is slightly open and the lips are passive.
spark - [ spa:k ]
after - [a:ftə]
In writing, this sound is conveyed in several ways:
Using a combination of letters a and r;
Also by using the letter a placed before nt, th and f;
Using the combination a-s - any consonant sound.
The only exception in this case is the word "aunt".
English sound [o]. Pronunciation
This English sound is short and open. When articulating, the upper lip is slightly raised and the lower lip touches the teeth. In this case, the lower jaw drops strongly down, the tongue is located low in the mouth, and its tip is located at some distance from the teeth.
In order to learn how to pronounce this sound correctly, you need to open your mouth in the same way as when articulating the vowel sound [A], but your lips are slightly rounded.
office - [ɔfis]
The English sound is [ɔ:]. Pronunciation
When articulating this sound, the lips are very rounded, but, unlike the pronunciation of the Russian sound O, they are not stretched at all. In this case, the root of the tongue is pressed down, and the tip of the tongue is located at some distance from the teeth. The lower jaw drops.
This sound is pronounced protractedly.
horn - [hɔ:n]
already - [ ɔ:redi ]
English sound [u]. Pronunciation
This English consonant is short. When articulated, the lips are slightly rounded, and the tip of the tongue is somewhat lowered and distant from the teeth. The tongue is pulled back, and its posterior lobe touches the soft palate, but not as far or high as when pronouncing the Russian sound U.
This sound must be pronounced briefly, without any tension.
Englishsound[u:]. Pronunciation
This English sound is considered a diphthong. Its articulation differs at different stages of pronunciation: the beginning of the sound is more open than its end. When pronouncing, the tongue moves slightly back, rising upward. When the articulation of sound ends, the tongue is at the very top, touching the soft palate, and the lips are slightly rounded, but not at all elongated.
This sound should be pronounced tensely and drawn out.
goose - [gu:s]
The English sound is [ə:]. Pronunciation
When articulating this sound, the entire tongue is slightly raised, its surface is flat, the lips are tense and somewhat stretched. In this case, the teeth are exposed, and the distance between the jaws is quite small.
This sound is pronounced without much tension.
It should be noted that the British pronounce this sound (or a sound as close as possible to it) in cases where they do not know what to say.
girl - [gə:l]
bird - [bə:d]
The sound [ə:] is expressed in writing in several ways:
Using the vowels u, y, e and i when followed by the consonant r;
Using a combination of ear and consonant sound.
The English sound is [ə]. Pronunciation
In English (as well as in Russian), vowel sounds are somewhat shortened in an unstressed position. This sound cannot be pronounced correctly separately from other sounds, since it is always out of stress.
In order to avoid mistakes when pronouncing it, you must constantly concentrate on the stressed vowel sound.
letter - [letə]
paper - [peipə]
Englishsound[ei]. Pronunciation
This sound is also a diphthong and combines two different sounds - [i] and [e]. The entire sound is pronounced completely together, without any pauses. The main element of sound (also called the core) [e] is always in the stressed position. The second part (or slide) is always in a weak position.
table - [teibl]
English sound [ai]. Pronunciation
This sound is a diphthong. When articulating the first element of this sound - [a] - the tongue rests on the lower teeth, it is located quite low in the oral cavity. At the same time, both its anterior and posterior parts rise to the hard palate.
In writing, the sound [ai] can be expressed in several ways:
Using the letter i, if followed by a consonant, and then a silent e;
Using the sound y, located at the end of a monosyllabic word (then it is read as [ai]);
Before combinations of the letters gh, nd and ld, the sound і is also read as [ai].
English sound [ɔi]. Pronunciation
This is a diphthongized sound of the English language. It combines two elements - [i] and [o]. When articulated, the lips are in a neutral position. The most important point in this case is that the first element of the sound should be pronounced without any participation of the lips, and the second element turned into a kind of Russian Y.
voice - [vɔis]
poison - [pɔizn]
Using the combination of letters oi;
Using the combination of letters oy.
English sound [au]. Pronunciation
This sound combines two elements - [a] and [u]. When articulating the first element, the front part of the tongue rests on the lower teeth, and the tongue is located very low in the mouth (while its front and back parts are raised towards the palate). As for the sound [u], it is pronounced somewhat indistinctly.
brown - [braun]
There are several options for transmitting this sound in writing:
Using the combination of letters ou;
Using a combination of letters ow.
In this case, the only exceptions are the words country and cousin.
The English sound is [uə]. Pronunciation
This sound also consists of two different elements. When articulating this sound, the lips are slightly rounded, but in no way stretched.
The second element is pronounced somewhat indistinctly.
There is also another variety of this sound - [juə], in which the sound [j] is pronounced like the Russian “th”.
cruel - [kruəl]
surely - [ʃuəli]
usually - [ju:ʒuəli]
Englishsound[iə]. Pronunciation
This English sound, like some previous ones, consists of two different elements. It is necessary to know that any consonant sound in front of it is never softened.
appear - [əpiə]
There are several options for transmitting this sound in written form:
Using the letter e followed by an r and then a vowel;
Using the combination of letters ear;
Using the letter combination eer.
The English sound is [ɛə]. Pronunciation
This English sound is also considered a diphthong, that is, it combines two different sounds. In this sound, the open sound [e] transitions quite smoothly into its neutral version.
were - [wɛə]
staircase - [stɛəkeis]
There are several options for rendering this diphthong in writing:
Using the combination of letters a+r+e;
Using the combination of letters air;
Using a combination of letters eir, but exclusively in one word - their.
Consonants
English sound [m]. Pronunciation
The articulation of this sound is very close to the Russian sound M, but there is one difference: when pronouncing the English sound, the lips are closed somewhat more tightly.
It belongs to stop consonants, since during its articulation the organs of the speech apparatus close and then open.
English sounds [p, b]. Pronunciation
The sound of these consonants is very similar to the sound of the Russian sounds B and P, but the difference between them is that the English versions are pronounced with some aspiration. In other words, during articulation, the lips are first in a closed position and then suddenly open.
It should also be noted that the combination of letters ph is often read as [f].
photo - [ `foutou ]
English sound [f]. Pronunciation
If we compare this sound with the Russian F, it is pronounced somewhat more energetically. Refers to the stop consonants of the English language.
photo - [ `foutou ].
English sound [v]. Pronunciation
This sound is pronounced in the same way as the Russian B, but has one difference: when articulating at the end of the sound, deafening does not occur. Also refers to stop consonants.
English sounds [t, d]. Pronunciation
The articulation of these sounds also resembles the articulation of the Russian consonants T and D, but the difference between them is that the English sounds are pronounced with some aspiration. In addition, these sounds are never softened before a vowel or at the end of a word. It should also be mentioned that the unvoiced sound [t] both at the beginning and at the end of a word is pronounced more energetically.
English consonants [n, l, s, z]. Pronunciation
The articulation of these sounds is practically no different from the articulation of their Russian variants. When pronouncing, the upper part of the tongue rises to the alveoli, and the air flow passes between them.
visit - ["visit]
It is also necessary to mention that there are several options for transmitting sounds [s, z] in writing:
Using the letters Ss or Zz;
Using the combination of letters ss;
Using the letters Cc in position before some vowels.
English sound [w]. Pronunciation
The articulation of this English sound is reminiscent of the Russian sound U, but differs in that the lips are somewhat rounded and move forward slightly.
Eg:
English sound [θ]. Pronunciation
This sound has no corresponding analogue in our language. This sound is dull. When articulating, the tongue completely relaxes, and its front part, in combination with the tips of the teeth, creates a narrow gap, slightly pressing against each other. The exhaled air passes strongly through this gap. In this case, the tip of the tongue should not protrude beyond the upper teeth or touch them too tightly, since a completely different sound may be obtained - [t]. The teeth should be exposed, in particular the upper ones, but the lower lip should not touch them.
thick - [θik]
Timothy - [timəθi]
There is only one option for displaying this sound in written form - using a combination of letters th:
In some pronouns;
At the end of a word in the position before the letter e;
Also, if this sound at the end of a numeral forms ordinal numbers.
English sound [ð]. Pronunciation
The articulation of this sound is very similar to the articulation of the previous sound [θ] - all organs of the articulatory apparatus occupy approximately the same position. The only difference can be considered that the sound [ð] is voiced.
When pronouncing this sound, you should remember that the lips are in no way obliged to touch.
Just like the previous one, this sound is displayed in written form using a combination of letters th:
In the article the;
In some pronouns.
Difference in pronunciation between the sounds [θ] - [s] - [t]
Due to the fact that in our language there is no such sound as [θ], some are trying to replace it with [s] or [t], which can lead to a complete change in the semantics of the word. After all, [θ] is interdental, that is, during its articulation, the front part of the tongue is located between the teeth. The vowels [t, s], on the contrary, are alveolar.
sick - [sik] and thick - [θik]
In the process of learning a foreign language, students face many difficulties. A comparative analysis of two phonological systems makes it possible to highlight the difficulties that arise in the study of phonetic phenomena.
In the English language there are phonemes that have absolutely no correspondence in the Russian language, as well as phonemes that, although similar, differ to one degree or another.
English articulation is characterized by the following features:
The exhaled air is supplied in short, abrupt portions, in contrast to the Russian smooth, melodious manner of pronunciation;
The tongue is pulled back more, its back is spread out, the tip of the tongue when pronouncing consonants is located vertically to the plane of the palate, in contrast to the Russian manner of articulation, when it is adjacent to the teeth with the entire front part;
The upper lip is slightly stretched, as when smiling, the corners of the lips are motionless, the lips do not protrude and are not strongly rounded, as in the Russian language.
When studying English pronunciation, you should pay attention to the following three features that distinguish it from Russian pronunciation:
§ Vowel sounds. In the English language, long and short vowel sounds (phonemes) are distinguished - this is a phenomenon unfamiliar to the Russian language. For example: no matter how long you lengthen the vowel “o” in the word “cat”, the meaning will not change.
In English, this distinction must be strictly observed; the meaning of the word depends on the length of the vowel, for example:
port (port) - pot (pot)
sheep (sheep) - ship (ship)
fool (fool) - full (whole, complete)
§ Consonant sounds. In the Russian language, it is customary to “stun” final voiced consonants and pronounce the corresponding unvoiced consonants instead, for example: we pronounce bread as [hlep], flag as [flak], lion as [lef]. In English, final voiced consonants cannot be “stunned”, as this leads to a change in the meaning of the word:
bed (bed) - bet (bet)
bad (bad) - bat (bat)
had (had) - hat (hat)
This mistake is as unacceptable as replacing a voiced consonant with a voiceless one before a vowel in Russian (for example, in the word “daughter”, replace [d] with [t], you get “dot”; “zhar-ball”).
§ Consonant sounds. Another feature of the Russian language is the softening of consonants (palatalization), when, along with hard consonants, there are corresponding soft ones, which has a word-distinctive character: horse - horse, weight - all. In English, consonants are not softened and are always pronounced firmly. When pronouncing the Russian “I love”, an Englishman will pronounce “Lublu”.
· Pronunciation of English vowels and consonants
Vowel phonemes (20)
Long vowel phonemes (5): [J], [R], [L], [H], [W].
Short vowel phonemes (7): [I], [e], [x], [O], [u], [A], [q].
Diphthongs (8):
With sliding to sound [I]: , , ;
With glide to sound [u]: , or ;
With sliding to the sound [q]: , , .
Consonant phonemes (24)
Whistling and hissing
[s, T, S, C, h]
Sonants (close to voiced consonants)
[ m, n, N, w, l, r, j ]
English consonants are also classified according to the way they are formed:
1. Stop consonants, formed by complete closure of the articulating organs of speech, they are divided into:
a) Explosive, when, when opening a barrier, a stream of air produces a strong explosive sound: ;
b) Sonants (close nasals), when pronounced, the soft palate lowers, closing the passage of air through the oral cavity, and a stream of air is directed through the nasal cavity: .
2. Frictional consonants, when pronounced, there is only some convergence of the articulating organs of speech, they are divided into:
a) Noisy (fricatives), when the gap formed is not too wide and the pronunciation is dominated by friction noise: ;
b) Sonants (slotted non-nasal), when pronounced, the passage for the air stream is slightly wider and the air is directed along the entire plane, or along the sides of the tongue: .
3. Stop-frictional (affricates), when pronounced, a complete obstruction gradually turns into an incomplete one: .
§ Vowel sounds (20)
All vowel sounds are voiced; when pronounced, the vocal cords vibrate; they are the sounds of a musical tone. When pronouncing vowel sounds, the speech organs do not close and do not form a significant barrier to the air leaving the lungs.
Long vowel sounds
Basically, English vowel sounds are monophthongs, when pronounced, the articulation does not change throughout the entire period of sound.
But among the long vowel sounds there are also two diphthongoids - [J] and [H]. During the articulation of these sounds, some change occurs in the position of the speech organs, so their sound is not uniform at the beginning and end of utterance.
Short vowel sounds. All English short vowel sounds are stressed truncated vowel sounds, closely adjacent to the consonant sound that follows them (but without weakening in intensity towards the end). To make a short vowel truncated, it is necessary to move on to the articulation of the subsequent consonant as soon as possible.
In addition, the duration of the shortest vowel sound depends on whether the subsequent consonant sound is voiced or voiceless (if it is at the end of the word). Before voiced consonants at the end of a word, the short stressed vowel is slightly lengthened, but before voiceless consonants it remains very short.
Diphthongs
Diphthongs are absent in Russian, but are characteristic of English. Diphthongs are complex sounds consisting of two vowel sounds pronounced together.
The first of its constituent vowels (the core) is stressed and syllable-forming. The second element of the diphthong (glide) is very short, the tongue usually does not reach the position necessary to pronounce it. The longitude of a diphthong (the longitude of its first element) approximately corresponds to the duration of historically long monophthongs. The second element of the diphthong is very short. In the final position before the pause, diphthongs are pronounced protractedly, before voiced consonants somewhat shorter, and before voiceless consonants very briefly.
In modern English speech the following trends can be traced: a) the first element is lengthened; b) the second element is reduced and has a neutralizing tendency towards the phoneme [q].
· Consonants (24)
A typical mistake of students is the fact that most consonant sounds in the English language are easily replaced by “similar” Russian ones, and the main attention is focused on vowel sounds.
When pronouncing vowel sounds, all attention should be focused on the stressed vowel sound of the word. You can ignore the quality of pronunciation of the remaining, unstressed vowels.
Consonant sounds all require increased attention. In terms of articulation, almost no sound coincides completely with its Russian counterpart. It is necessary in no case to confuse voiced and unvoiced sounds, not to deafen them at the end of a word and not to soften them before vowel sounds, as is customary in the Russian language.
English consonant sounds are characterized by the following features:
1. Strength of articulation. Based on the strength of exhalation, English consonant sounds are divided into strong (voiceless) consonants = 9. They have more intense articulation because when they are pronounced, the vocal cords do not vibrate, and the sound effect is achieved by energetic exhalation of air.
And weak (voiced) consonants = 15. When pronouncing them, the vocal cords vibrate, and the pressure of the exhaled air stream is sluggish. The sound of the voice dominates the noise.
Among English consonant sounds, 8 pairs can be distinguished, consisting of voiceless and voiced phonemes, respectively: [p] - [b], [t] - [d], [k] - [g], [f] - [v], [ s] - [z], [S] - [Z], [C] - [G], [T] - [D].
2. Aspiration (aspiration) after voiceless plosive consonants.
Aspiration, or aspiration, is the acoustic effect of a stream of air in the form of a weak exhalation that occurs when a barrier is quickly opened. If Russian articulation is characterized by a slow opening of the barrier, then in the English it is instantaneous and very energetic. A stream of air noisily escapes directly from the lungs, and not from the oral cavity. As a result, an exhalation or aspiration is heard between the end of a voiceless plosive consonant and the beginning of the next vowel sound. For training, you can hold a sheet of paper at mouth level; when pronouncing aspirated words, it should clearly deviate. Aspiration is most pronounced before stressed vowels, especially long ones.
Stop consonants
Friction consonants
Stop-frictional consonants
Stop-frictional (or affricates) sounds are characterized by the fact that their beginning is the pronunciation of a stop consonant [t] or [d], and their ending is the pronunciation of a fricative sound at the same place of formation as [S] or [Z]. They are a type of stop noisy consonants.
When pronouncing consonant sounds, the air encounters various obstacles on its way, formed by the active organs of speech: tongue, lips, teeth and alveoli.
If the organs of speech close so that they completely block the passage for air, then we pronounce a stop consonant. Such consonants are also called plosives, since when the speech organs open, a small explosion is heard. Russian consonants [p, b, t, d, k, g] and English consonants belong to stop plosive sounds.
If air passes out through the nasal cavity, then such closing sounds are called nasal. Examples of nasal stops are Russian [n, m] and English [n, m, ? ].
If the organs of speech do not close completely, but leave a narrow passage - a gap for air, then we pronounce a fricative consonant. In Russian the fricative sounds are [s, z, f, v, sh, zh, l], in English the fricative consonants are [i, р, ?, ?, s, z, h, f, v, w, r, j, l]. Among the consonants there are occlusive fricative sounds. They are called so because the opening of the barrier occurs slowly; the complete obstruction becomes a gap. In Russian these are sounds [ts, ch], and in English [t?, d? ].
An obstacle to the path of exhaled air can be formed by various speech organs. If the lower lip comes closer to the upper lip, then labiolabial consonants appear. In Russian these are sounds [p, m], in English [p, m, w]. If the lower lip touches the upper teeth, then such consonants are called labiodental. In Russian these are sounds [f, v], in English - [f, v].
If the tip of the tongue is between the lower and upper front teeth, then the interdental consonant is pronounced: [i, p].
Russian consonants [t, d, n, l, s, z] are dental, since the end of the tongue rises to the inner surface of the upper teeth. English consonants [t, d, l, s, z] are alveolar, as the tip of the tongue touches or rises to the alveoli.
Based on the functioning of the vocal cords, voiceless and voiced consonants are distinguished. When pronouncing voiceless consonants, the glottis is open and the exhaled air passes through the larynx silently. With voiced consonants, the vocal cords are close and tense. The exhaled air causes them to vibrate, resulting in a ringing consonant sound. In Russian, the sounds: [b, v, g, d, zh, z, l, m, n, r, c] are voiced consonants, and the sounds: [k, p, s, t, f, x, ch, sh, sh] - voiceless consonants. In English, voiced sounds include: [b, v, g, d, z, l, m, n, r], and voiceless sounds include [k, p, s, t, f, t?, ?, and, h ].
Compare:
Voiced consonants:
Voiceless consonants:
To classify vowels, various positions of the tongue relative to the hard palate are considered, as well as which part of the tongue is involved in articulation and how high the back of the tongue rises to the hard palate.
Front vowels are distinguished when the tip of the tongue rests on the base of the lower teeth, and the back of the tongue comes quite close to the hard palate: English vowel [i:] and Russian [and].
If the tongue is pulled back and the tip of the tongue is lowered, and the back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate, we pronounce back vowels: the English sound [a:] and the Russian sounds [o] and [u].
By the position of the lips, rounded and unrounded vowels are distinguished. For example, when pronouncing the Russian sound [u], the lips are rounded and moved forward: [u] is a rounded vowel. When pronouncing [i], the lips are slightly stretched, but not pushed forward: the vowel [i] is an unrounded vowel.
The quality of the vowel depends on the tension of the muscles of the speech organs: the more tense the articulation, the clearer and brighter the sound. Accordingly, tense and unstressed vowels are distinguished. For example, the English vowel is pronounced with more stress than [i].
In the methodological literature on the German language there are:
Phonemes that are the same in two languages;
Phonemes that have features of similarity, but do not coincide completely;
Phonemes that are missing in one of the languages.
The phonemes of the first group are considered the easiest to learn. The assimilation of the second group of phonemes is complicated by the transfer and interfering influence of similar, but not completely coinciding phonetic elements.
The third group of phonemes is considered the most difficult to master. Knowledge of the most important general patterns in the language being studied, especially those that are absent in the sound system of the native language, facilitates the development of auditory pronunciation skills.
The most important differences between German phonemes and Russian ones are
the following:
*Longitude and shortness of German vowels.
Solid attack of vowels.
Non-palatalized pronunciation of consonants before front vowels, [i]; [y:], [y].
Aspiration of voiceless consonant phonemes [р], [t], [k].
Stress (in compound words, in words with separable and inseparable prefixes).
Phrase stress (unstressed position of articles, negations, prepositions, conjunctions, personal and reflexive pronouns).
Intonation (of simple, motivating and interrogative sentences: with and without a question word, complexly composed and complexly subordinated sentences).
Work on all these phenomena, one way or another, is provided for in the current teaching materials in the German language.
The following tasks are solved in the initial training course:
1. Formation of auditory-pronunciation skills, that is, the correct pronunciation of all studied sounds in the flow of speech, understanding of all sounds when perceiving the speech of other people.
Expected result - students are able to:
Correctly pronounce sounds in isolation as part of a word, phrase, or in the flow of speech.
Consciously control the reproduction of sounds that have no analogues in the native language.
Isolatedly, in a word, phrase, in a stream of speech, distinguish sounds by ear.
2. To develop rhythmic and intonation skills, that is, intonation and rhythmically correct speech formatting and understanding the speech of others. Expected result - students are able to:
Correctly reproduce the intonation of the language being studied, while expressing various emotional shades.
Distinguish the intonation structure of phrases in foreign language speech.
From the point of view of acoustics, all sounds in nature, including the sounds of speech, are vibrations of air particles that arise as a result of vibrations of any elastic body or air enclosed in a hollow vessel.
Sounds, the source of which are periodic (equal in duration) vibrations, are called tones. Sounds that appear due to non-periodic vibrations, i.e. vibrations of different lengths are called noise. Speech sounds are formed using both tones and noises. From an acoustic point of view, vowels are tones, consonants are noises.
The noise occurs at the point of obstruction created by some active organ in the extension pipe. When an air stream overcomes an obstacle, non-periodic oscillations occur, which produce noise.
The tone of the voice is formed by periodic vibrations of the vocal cords. These vibrations are communicated by a stream of air exhaled from the lungs. The vocal cords vibrate not only with the entire mass of their body, but also with individual parts. As a result of the vibration of the entire body mass, the strongest and lowest tone, the so-called fundamental tone, appears.
General characteristics of vowel sounds
The vowel is always based on the voice. A vowel is an open sound, since the exhaled air stream does not encounter any obstacles on its way through the resonators and passes calmly through the extension pipe. In the area of the extension pipe, vowels receive their own color - timbre. By moving, the active organs change the volume and shape of the resonator (primarily the oral cavity), and thus different sounds are formed.
When learning pronunciation, you need to remember that:
a vowel sound is formed when a sound wave passes freely through the extension pipe;
vowel sound is the result of tension in the entire speech apparatus (starting with the vocal cords and ending with the lips);
a vowel is a low-air sound: the force of exhalation when pronouncing a vowel is less than the force of exhalation when pronouncing a consonant. You can verify this in the following way: bring your palm to your mouth and first pronounce any vowel sound, and then, for example, the sound “v”. You will feel how much stronger the stream of exhaled air is in the second case.
The German vowel system has 15 monophthongs and 3 diphthongs.
Based on duration, long and short vowels are distinguished.
According to the degree of openness, open and closed vowels are distinguished.
Long vowels are usually closed, while short vowels are open. The exceptions are long open [e:] and long open [a:].
According to the position of the tongue in the horizontal plane, vowels are divided into front and back sounds. Front vowels are pronounced with the tongue moving forward. When pronouncing back vowels, the tongue is pulled back.
According to the degree of rise of the back of the tongue to the palate, vowels of high, middle and low rise are distinguished. When articulating high vowels, the back of the tongue is raised as high as possible, and the gap between the back of the tongue and the palate is very narrow. Accordingly, when articulating medium and low vowels, the back of the tongue does not rise so high, forming a wider gap with the palate.
Based on the participation of the lips in articulation, vowels are divided into rounded and unrounded. Rounded vowels are pronounced with intense protrusion of the rounded lips forward, unrounded vowels - with a neutral position of the lips.
The vowel system of the German language can be represented in the form of a so-called triangle or quadrangle of vowels, reflecting all of the above characteristics.
The front vowels are grouped around the left vertical line, and the back vowels are grouped around the right vertical line. Three horizontal levels represent the degrees of lift: high, medium and low. Rounded vowels are located to the right of the vertical line, unrounded vowels are located to the left.
In addition to the sounds mentioned above, the German language has a sound that is a reduced version of [e:] or [e]. This sound occurs only in the unstressed position. Its peculiarity is to reduce the tension of articulation.
The German language has vowel sounds that begin with the articulation of one vowel and end with the articulation of another. Both components connect the sliding movement of the pronunciation organs. Such sounds are called diphthongs. The first component of a diphthong is stressed; it is always a short, open sound, clear in quality. When articulating it with the lower jaw, the jaw should be strongly lowered. The second component is unstressed, short and closed. The German vowel system includes three diphthongs: [ao], [sh].
Features of German vowels:
The presence of phonemic opposition between long and short vowels;
The presence of rounded front vowels [у:], [Y], [ш:], [њ];
Greater tension in the articulation of vowels (greater tongue tension, lip activity);
German vowels are high in tone, since during their articulation the tongue is moved forward;
Stability of pronunciation of German monophthongs;
Long vowels in unstressed position lose part of their length (the phenomenon of quantitative reduction);
Lack of qualitative reduction of unstressed vowels (except for the reduced version of the phoneme [e:]);
German vowels at the beginning of a word or root are pronounced with a hard attack (knaklaut). At the beginning of the articulation of a vowel, a sharp closing and opening of the vocal cords occurs, which is accompanied by a sound resembling a click.
General characteristics of consonant sounds:
The basis of every consonant is noise, since when consonants are formed, an exhaled stream of air certainly encounters an obstacle that it will overcome, which is accompanied by noise. This noise is perceived by us as a consonant.
Different movements of the organs of the speech apparatus form different types of obstruction: if the pronunciation organs close, a stop is formed. If they get close to each other, a gap will form. Finally, the pronunciation organ can vibrate in the stream of exhaled air.
The noise may occur:
From the explosion of a stop formed by two organs of speech;
From the friction of an exhaled stream of air in a narrow gap;
From the vibration of the pronunciation organ in the flow of exhaled air.
Depending on what kind of barrier is formed in the extension pipe, the following types of consonant sounds are distinguished.
The obstruction is formed in the extension pipe with the participation, as a rule, of two pronunciation organs: active and passive. Based on the active organ, consonants are divided into:
Labials: [р], [b], [v], [f], [m], [рf]
Front-lingual: [d], [t], [z], [s], , [n],
Middle language: [z], [j]
Rear lingual: [k], [g], [?]
Uvular: [g], [x].
Pharyngeal: [h].
Based on the passive organ (place of articulation), consonants are divided:
Labials: [p], [b], [m]
Dental: [v], [f]
Alveolar: [d], [t], [z], [s], , [n]
Palatal (place of articulation - hard palate): [z]., [j]
Velars (place of articulation - soft palate): [k], [g], [?], [x]
The vocal cords may also be involved in the pronunciation of consonants. As a result of the activity of the vocal cords during the articulation of consonant sounds, a tone can arise in the larynx, which is added to the noise underlying the consonant, in accordance with how the noise is combined with the tone in the consonant.
Features of German consonants:
In German there is no phonemic contrast between hard and soft consonants. Only some consonants are softened and only in a certain position:
German voiceless consonants [р], [t], [k] are pronounced with aspiration;
Voiced consonants are characterized by incomplete voicing;
There are no long consonants in German. The double spelling of a consonant serves as an indicator of the brevity of the previous vowel;
German sonants [m], [n] are pronounced with greater intensity and for a longer period of time compared to Russian ones.
The phonetic minimum for elementary school should include all sounds and phonetic phenomena that are characteristic of foreign language pronunciation and cause certain difficulties for students, and teachers, when developing pronunciation skills in students, should pay attention to working with sounds that are absent in their native language.
Main function of language – be a means of communication between people. Through language, people ensure mutual understanding in the process of work and everyday life, express and make accessible to others their thoughts, feelings, moods and desires.
The English alphabet compared with Latin and Russian
Latin alphabet |
The Russian alphabet is proportional to the Latin one | English alphabet | Names of English letters |
| Aa | Ahh | Aa | |
| Bb | BB | Bb | |
| Cc | Tsts//Kk | Cc | |
| Dd | Dd | Dd | |
| Ee | Her//Uh | Ee | |
| Ff | Ff | Ff | |
| Gg | GG | Gg | |
| Hh | - | Hh | |
| II | Ii | II | |
| Jj | - | Jj | |
| Kk | Kk | Kk | |
| Ll | Ll | Ll | |
| mm | Mm | mm | |
| Nn | Nn | Nn | |
| Oo | Ooh | Oo | |
| Pp | pp | Pp | |
| - | |||
| Rr | RR | Rr | |
| Ss | Ss//Zz | Ss | |
| Tt | Tt//Tsts | Tt | |
| Uu | Ooh | Uu | |
| Vv | Vv | Vv | |
| Ww | Sound [w] symbol. Beech. "U" | Ww | [‘dAblju:] |
| Xx | - | Xx | |
| Yy | Yikes | Yy | |
| Zz | Zz | Zz |
Vowel sounds in English
Table of English vowel phonemes compared with Russian ones
Monophthongs – vowels with stable (fixed) articulation : , [i], [u], , [e], [q], [W], [L], [O],[P], [x], . There are 12 monophthongs in total.
Diphthongs – vowels with unstable (moving) articulation: , , , , , [ Fq ], [ u q ], [ i q ] ,with emphasis on the first element. There are 8 diphthongs in total.
Thrifthongs - a combination of three vowel sounds in one syllable: , [ au q ], sequentially pronounced with emphasis on the first element. Only 2 triphthongs.
Table of English vowel phonemes compared with Russian ones
| Phonetic sign | Russian consonance phoneme |
Russian phoneme | Examples | |
| 1 | Drawing long | [AND] | Been, sea | |
| 2 | [i] | Unstressed corresponding to the short sound of the letter “y” in Russian | [Y] | Big, in |
| 3 | [e] | Doesn't lose its clarity | [E] | Set |
| 4 | [x] | Always percussive. There is no consonance in the Russian language | - | Bad, plan |
| 5 | Long deep | [A] | Ask, far | |
| 6 | [O]=[P] | Brief percussion | [ABOUT] | Long, body |
| 7 | [L] | Long drawn-out incomplete [o] | [ABOUT] | All, door |
| 8 | [u] | Brief percussion | [U] | Room, book |
| 9 | Drawing long | [U] | ||
| 10 | [A] | Reduced (weakened) in a pre-stressed syllable in Russian | [A] | Bus, come |
| 11 | [W] | Stressed long, not a diphthong, but rather the second element of the diphthong [yo] | [Yo] | Bird, girl |
| 12 | [q] | Short, relaxed, always in a non-stressed position | Ay | Letter, August |
| 13 | Diphthong | [HEY] | Stay, case | |
| 14 | = | Diphthong | [OU] | Go, hope |
| 15 | Diphthong | [AY] | Eye, my | |
| 16 | Diphthong | [AU] | Now, out | |
| 17 | = | Diphthong | [OH] | Boy, noise |
| 18 | Diphthong | [IE] | Dear, real | |
| 19 | = | Diphthong | [EA] | Care, air |
| 20 | = | Diphthong | [UA] | Poor, Europe |
| 21 | Triphthong | [AIA] | Fire | |
| 22 | Triphthong | or | Our |
Consonant sounds and letters in English
Table of phonetic and graphic signs of consonants
Consonants- speech sounds, opposed to vowels and consisting of voice or only noise, which are formed in the oral cavity, where a stream of air encounters various obstacles.
Table of phonetic and graphic signs of consonants
| Examples | |||
| [p] voiceless [b] voiced | Labial-labial, stop-plosive. Corresponds to Russian P, B, but is pronounced with great aspiration: floor, ball | Paper, part, pressure; Big, block, basic. | |
| [t] voiceless [d] voiced | Alveolar, plosive, apical. Corresponds to Russian: tone, Don. | Tame, time, temple; Drop, dead, do. | |
| [k] voiceless [g] voiced | Posterior palatal closure-plosives (the closure of the back of the tongue with the soft palate). S.R.: code, year. | Keep, kick, key; Gain, gallon, game. | |
| Phonetic sign voiceless/voiced consonant | Graphic sign (letter and its alphabetical name) | Classification by place and method of education |
Examples |
| [m], [n] syllabic sounds (one or with another sound) | Labial-labial, octopus-nasal sonant and alveolar, octopus-nasal sonant. | Mother, must; Nail, neglect. | |
| [N] letter combination | ng=n+g | Consonant velar, occlusive-nasal sonata. | Angle, single. |
| n+g=[N] | The tip of the tongue is at the lower teeth, the front of the tongue does not touch the upper teeth. S.R.: slang . | English | |
| [l] “lateral”; syllabic | Ll | Alveolar, nasal sonant. “Lateral” because when it is pronounced, the sides of the tongue are lowered, and thus an exit is formed for the respiratory stream. S.R.: Lord, elevator. | Labial, land, logical. |
| [f] voiceless [v] voiced | Labial-dental, fricative, similar to the corresponding Russian consonants: currency, forum. | Family, fast; Victory, voice. | |
| [T], [D] letter combination [T]=t+h voiceless [D]=t+h voiced | Consonant sounds are interdental, fricative. To prepare articulation, repeat the “silent” exercises. In writing, both of these consonants are expressed by the letter combination Th [‘ti:’eitS] | Both, thanks This, that. | |
| [s] voiceless [z] voiced | Alveolar, fissure. The tip of the tongue is behind the upper teeth, raised towards the alveoli, the lips are slightly stretched. Compared to the Russians, they seem to be muffled, not as whistling. S.R.: moan. | Class, session, scale; Freeze, physics, precise. | |
| [S] voiceless [Z] voiced | can be expressed by the letters “j” “s” |
Anteropalatine, fissure. The tongue is slightly further from the teeth than with [s], [z]. The timbre is softer than that of the corresponding Russian consonants. | Machine, ship, shop; Measure, treasure, pleasure. |
| [G] is a continuous sound, consisting of the elements [d] and [Z]. The letter has the sound [G] and [g]. | In writing, this sound is represented by two letters Gg: [G], [g] and the letter j, which represents only the sound | In the Russian language, a similar sound occurs only at the junction of words, when the unvoiced sound [tsh] turns into a voiced [dzh]. The starting position is for the tip of the tongue to be lightly pressed against the alveoli, then, tearing away, it moves to the [zh] position. | Jet, jib, jug. |
| a continuous sound made up of elements | Occurs only in the letter combination [k] and [w]. Qu before vowels, the letter Qq is found separately only in a few words, proper names | Compare Russian quota, square, quarter etc., which came from both Greek and Latin. | Quickly, quite, quota. |
| , | Rendered as Xx, read at the end of a word and before a consonant and often as between a vowel |
Compare Russian expert, exam. | Text, six; Exam, exist. |
| Phonetic sign voiceless/voiced consonant | Graphic sign (letter and its alphabetical name) | Classification by place and method of education |
Examples |
| [r] | Rr | Transalveolar, slit; sonant. The tip of the tongue is raised to the back of the alveolar bulge, achieving an almost “r”-shaped sound. | Write, wrong, read. |
| [h] barely audible exhalation | Hh | Consonant glottal, fricative; occurs only before vowels; (general meaning) occurs at the moment of formation of the laryngeal gap between the vocal cords before pronouncing a vowel. | Habit, half, hand. |
| [C] voiceless, stop [t] + fricative [S]=[C]. In writing it is expressed through ch, tch. [G] voiced. In writing it is expressed by the letter j, usually before the vowels e, i, y. | Ch, tch, j | Consonants are alveolar, anteropalatal, occlusive fricative. The [C] sound is reminiscent of Russian. “shhh!” In terms of hush, shut up, stop. The sound is pronounced without a voice. [G] resembles the Russian pronunciation of the word “jam”, where [j] merges into one sound. | Inch, branch, change. |
| [w] is voiced, occurs only before vowels (with the exception of the phoneme [h]). | Ww [‘dAblju:] | Consonant fricative. At the beginning of articulation, the hole between the lips contracts, then the lips barely noticeably stretch to the sides. Lip protrusion is not allowed. The teeth do not touch the lower lip. | Well, wet, will. |
| [j] occurs only before vowels. In writing it is often expressed with the letters u, y [j], i [j]. | i, u, y | Consonant fricative. When pronounced, the gap between the tongue and the palate is wider than with the Russian “y”, and therefore it seems weaker and makes less noise. | Tutor, tune, cue. |
Transcription Transliteration Spelling
Transcription- this is the writing of a text (word, phrase) that allows you to identify as accurately as possible all the subtleties of the pronunciation of the language, without taking into account its graphic and spelling norms.
Easy ways to teach English phonetics.
Many students and schoolchildren are faced with the problem that they do not understand the phonetics of the English language, but they demonstrate success in learning grammar, vocabulary, understand English text well and overcome the language barrier well. Why is it that if a native speaker utters two or three words, we encounter difficulties of misunderstanding? To do this, you should use the golden rule in English phonetics.
The student should try to learn to speak like a native speaker. To do this, you should pay great attention to studying the phonetics of the English language at the initial stage. The first thing you should pay attention to is abbreviations (for example, was not, but wasn’t, that is, pronounce quickly and without pauses and change the grammatical structure (instead of I’m going to - I’m gonna).
Another way to get as close as possible to English phonetics is to watch films in English, while it is important to hear English speech; for convenience, you can use subtitles in Russian to understand the essence of the film. You can also listen to English-language songs on your player or in the car.
This product was released by Jolly Learning Ltd. The main goal is to teach children to read. The technique is actively used all over the world. The program consists of the following elements: activity book, finger phonics, parent/teacher guide, pupil book, workbook, writing practice, songs.
As you know, Karl stole corals from Clara, and Karl stole Clara’s clarinet. But not all happiness lies in the clarinet. Happiness lies in correctly delivered diction, as well as a British-American accent, which we will have to develop today with the help of numerous tongue twisters.
A dialect is a non-standard language that has its own characteristics and, differing from the standard version, is widely used in a certain area. Today we will look at how to learn to distinguish which dialect we are dealing with, and whether it is worth studying each individual dialect in the English language system. In addition, you will have a unique opportunity to find out how multiple dialects differ from each other.
Surely, when you began your acquaintance with the English language, you noticed that this language has a significant difference between the way a word is written and pronounced. Unlike our Slavic languages, in English words are rarely read the same way as they are written. That is why learning English includes familiarization with the phonetics of speech.
Learning any foreign language begins with learning its alphabet. After this, it turns out that these letters sound and are used in words differently. So in the English language there are 26 letters, but as many as 48 sounds that are indicated by these letters. The rules of pronunciation of sounds, letters and, accordingly, words are studied by the phonetics of the English language.
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of speech and the sound structure of language (syllables, sound combinations, patterns of combining sounds into a speech chain).
Theoretical phonetics of the English language explores the close relationship between spoken, internal and written language. But phonetics as a whole studies not only the linguistic function, but also the material side of its object: the work of the pronunciation apparatus, as well as the acoustic characteristics of sound phenomena and their perception by native speakers. This is practical phonetics of the English language. It is no coincidence that we mention the theoretical and practical components. The fact is that sounds, as intangible phenomena, are those elements of the language system that allow words and sentences to be embodied in material sound form. Otherwise, oral communication would be impossible. This is the importance of English phonetics and why we have dedicated a separate article to it.
English Phonetics for Beginners
In one of the recent ones, we talked about how English sounds and the syllables in which they are used are pronounced, and presented them in tables with pronunciation - transcription. Then they found out that transcription is a very convenient tool for understanding how the English language sounds.
Transcription is special symbols that indicate how speech sounds should be pronounced. Transcription helps you understand the difference between spelling and pronunciation in English.
As we have already said, there are 48 sounds in the English language. This means that 48 signs of English transcription have been created - one sign for each sound:
Vowels. 6 letters: a, e, i, o, u, y |
|||
Consonants. 21 letters: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z |
|||
Each letter sounds a certain way, but sometimes two letters at once represent the same sound, as can be seen in the tables. This combination of letters is called a digraph. Examples of digraphs:
- gh [g] – ghost
- ph [f] – photo [‘foutou]
- sh [ʃ] – shine [ʃaɪn]
- th [ð], [θ] – think [θɪŋk]
- сh – chess.
A vowel sound that smoothly passes from one to another is a diphthong. Examples of diphthongs:
- ea – bread
- ie – friend
- ai – again [əˈɡen]
- au – autumn [ˈɔːtəm].
It is important to consider that the number of letters and sounds in a word may vary. For example, the word “help” has 4 letters and 4 sounds, and the word “six” has three letters but 4 sounds.
Practical phonetics of the English language
In we mentioned the inextricable connection between English phonetics and anatomy. Phonetics exercises are designed specifically to turn theoretical knowledge into skills for correct English pronunciation of words and sentences. In addition, practical phonetics of the English language helps to hear and understand the speech of its native speakers.
In practice, we all feel how, when pronouncing sounds, the air encounters barriers formed by our tongue, lips, teeth and even alveoli. Depending on this, two types of consonant sounds are distinguished: voiceless and voiced:
But these are not all the options. A more detailed classification distinguishes consonant sounds in English according to the specific obstacles that the air encounters:
- Stop consonants. The organs of speech close so that they completely block the passage for air: [p, b, t, d, k, g].
- Nasal consonants. Air passes out through the nasal cavity: [n, m, ŋ].
- Friction consonants. The organs of speech do not close completely and a narrow passage remains - a gap for air: [θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, s, z, h, f, v, w, r, j, l].
- Stop-frictional consonants. The barrier opens slowly and at the same time turns into a gap: [tʃ, dʒ].
- Labial consonants. The lower lip comes closer to the upper: [f, v].
- Interdental consonants. The tip of the tongue is located between the lower and upper front teeth: [θ, ð].
- Alveolar consonants. The tip of the tongue touches or rises to the alveoli: [t, d, l, s, z].
As for vowel sounds, they are also not the same. They are influenced by different positions of the tongue relative to the palate:
- Front vowels. The tip of the tongue rests on the base of the lower teeth, and the back of the tongue comes quite close to the palate: [i:].
- Back vowels. The tongue is pulled back and the tip of the tongue is lowered, and the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate: [a:].
At first glance, this classification may seem difficult, but believe me, in practice you will feel and immediately understand what’s what. And understanding the origin of the sound will help you pronounce it correctly. Well, for children it is advisable to combine the study of English phonetics with games. For example, like in this phonics exercise:
English Phonetics Exercises
To practice English pronunciation, you must also take into account emphasis- that is, highlighting one or more syllables in a word. A stressed syllable is pronounced more energetically, with greater tension in the speech organs. Stress helps you distinguish words and understand their meaning, both on their own and in context. For example:
- to ex`port(verb “export”)
- `export(noun “export”).
The second important aspect of pronunciation of phrases and sentences is intonation. Through intonation we understand or “explain” whether a sentence is a narrative, a question, a request, or an exclamation.
The simplest exercise on English phonetics is performed in Beginner (Elementary) level classes:
- Write your name in English.
- Now spell out your name.
- Do the same with three to five more names (you can think of friends, family members and/or classmates).
You can practice English phonetics in this way:
- Spell the words: Yes, Last, Key, Yellow, Funny, Girl, Toy, Now, Sleep, Drama, Kiss, King.
- Say the words according to the transcription: Yes, Last, Key, Yellow, Funny, Girl, Toy, Now, Sleep, Drama ["dra:mə], Kiss, King
