Pronunciation of English words online (listen). English letters and their transcription
Once again, after listening to the people around me and watching the episode of America's Next Top Model, where the incomprehensible “Christian Lacroy” and “Hermes” appeared, we decided to prepare this post.
If you want to argue, then please don’t do it here. We checked every entry, so if you haven’t heard with your own ears how Christian Lacroix said that his last name is pronounced “Lakroich”, then please don’t argue. We examined a dozen websites of people who don't go out to fashion shows and checked the correct pronunciation. We did not include those in which there were discrepancies in the review.
Since there is a big problem with the accent icon in the editor, we will highlight accents with a capital letter.
Alexander McQueen - [Alexander McQueen]
Giorgio Armani - [giorgio armani]/[giorgio armani]
Balmain - [balman]. Here, please pay attention: the brand is French, so the combination ai is read as “a”. Some particularly advanced people, of course, also read “Balmain,” but you’re not one of them, right?
Bulgari - [bulgari]
Burberry - [burberry]. No matter what anyone says. don't believe me? Listen.
Byblos - [byblos]
Cacharel - [kasharEl]
Carolina Herrera - [Carolina Herrera]
Cartier - [cartier]
Céline - [celine]
Chanel - [shanEl]. Well, you should know this, like Our Father.
Chloé - [cloe]
Christian Dior - [Christian DiOr]. One more Our Father.
Christian Louboutin - [Christian Louboutin]. Listen
Christian Lacroix - [Christian Lacroix]
Clarins - [clarAns]
Dior Homme - [diOr Ohm]. By the way, a note. Homme means "male, male" and is always and everywhere read as [Om]. Femme means “female, woman,” and is always and everywhere read as [fAm]. Accordingly, the names of the perfumes “for him” - pour homme - will be read [pUR Om], and “for her” - pour femme [pUR fAm].
Dolce & Gabbana - [Dolce End Gabbana]/[DolchengabAna]/[DolchegabAna]
Dsquared - [diskEirt]. There is also a lot of controversy about this name, but that is how it is pronounced.
DKNY (Donna Karan New York) - [DI KEY N UAY, DONNA KARAN NEW YORK]
Emilio Pucci - [emilio pucci]
Escada - [escada]
Estée Lauder - [estE Lauder]. There is also an interesting story here. The name seems French, although the brand is American. Therefore, in such abnormal eclecticism, such a hybrid as [estE lauder] turned out. Listen.
Ermenegildo Zegna - [ermenegildo zegna]. But this is a must-know for all men.
Etro - [ethO]
Hermès. A very interesting story is happening with this brand. All over the world, including in Russia and Ukraine, ordinary people pronounce the brand name as “HerMes”. But it's not right. French people, whose land, in fact, gave birth to this brand, read the brand name as “ermE”. And they do it correctly from the point of view of French phonetics - the first letter is silent, the emphasis is on the last syllable, the last letter is not readable. But the French people forget that proper names can be exceptions to any rule. The founder of the brand was called Thierry Hermès, so the only correct pronunciation of the brand is [ermEs], with a slight aspiration on the first syllable. You can listen.
Hublot - [yublo]
Guy Laroche - [guy laroch]
Gianfranco Ferré - [genreAnco ferE]
Givenchy - [givenchy]. The founding father of the brand was named Hubert de Givenchy [Hubert de Givenchy]
John Galliano - [John Galliano]
Jean-Paul Gaultier - [Jean-Paul Gaultier]
Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]
Gucci - [guchi]
Guess - [gEs]. The vowel is something between “E” and “E”
Lacoste - [laKost]
Karl Lagerfeld - [karl lagerfeld]. And tell these smart Anglomaniacs that Lagerfeld is German.
Levi Strauss - [Left Strauss]. Listen.
Loewe - [lowe]. Listen.
Louis Vuitton - [luI vuitOn]/[luI vitOn]/[luI vuitton] - in all three cases the “n” is pronounced through the nose
LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) - [el ve em ash], [louis vuitton moët hennessy]. Listen.
Stella McCartney - [Stella McCartney]
Mandarina Duck - [Mandarina Duck]
Max Mara - [max mAra]
Miu Miu - [miu miu]
Moschino - [MoskIno]. The designer's name is Franco Moschino
Nina Ricci - [Nina Ricci]
Paul Smith - [Paul Smith]
Pierre Cardin - [pierre cardan]. This is ideal. People often say “cardEn” in Russia. The main thing is not to be “cardin”.
Prada - [prada]. Designer - Miuccia Prada [miUcha Prada]
Ralph Lauren - [Ralph Lauren] - again a French-American linguistic setup.
Robert Piguet - [robEr pigE]
Salvatore Ferragamo - [selvatore ferragAmo]
Seiko - [seiko]
Sergio Rossi - [SERGEO Rossi]
Sonia Rykiel - [Sonia Rykiel]
Shiseido - [shiseido]
Tommy Hilfiger - [Tommy HilfIge(r)]. English language, so the last letter is soft to read
Tissot - [tissO]
Ulysse Nardin - [Ulysse Nardin]. "U" is more like "Yu". Listen.
Van Cleef & Arpels - [van Cleef & Arpel]
Versace - [versAce]
Viktor & Rolf - [Victor and Rolf]
Wyler Genève - [Wyler Genève]
Yohji Yamamoto - [Yoji Yamamoto]
Yves Saint Laurent - [Yves Saint Laurent]
Zuhair Murad - [ZuhEr Murad]
For those who are especially advanced in the affairs of fashion brands, but not particularly advanced in matters of phonetics, we advise you to view, listen, and read this post by fashion blogger Brian Boy- there he mentions many brands that we have not covered here.
That's probably all. Pronounce the names of your favorite brands correctly!
In English classes, students groan: “Why are the rules of reading in English so confusing?”
One reason is that English . Sometimes they kept their spelling, sometimes they changed it to suit themselves. In good old England, words were often spelled the way they were read, so one word could be spelled in many different ways. Take Shakespeare's manuscripts, for example - all this chaos is there in full view.
Eventually, the spelling of words was standardized and recorded in dictionaries, but... As you learn English, you will notice that a word is often read completely differently from how it is spelled. And usually there are historical reasons for this.
There is some good news. Although many English words are written, it would seem, “as God wishes,” there are a number of rules. But be careful, because for every rule there is an exception.
English has more than 1,100 ways of writing 44 individual sounds, more than any other language. But let studying be a game for you, not a duty.
Learn with our tips!
- Write down words that you have problems with in a notebook. Underline the part of the word that is most difficult for you.
- Use a dictionary, not a spell checker! Unfortunately, you can't always trust her.
- Learn words with all kinds of prefixes and suffixes, for example: biography - auto biography, child hood and so on.
- Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. We have already said: every rule has its exception. We'll talk about this below.
“i” is written before “e” (exception is after “c”)
One of the first reading rules taught in English classes. The rule works for words that have a long “ee”, as in shield(shield).
Examples: piece (part), niece (niece), priest (priest), thief (thief).
But after “c”: conceive (comprehend, plan), receive (receive), receipt (receipt; not to be confused with recipe).
For words in which the sound “a” or “i” is pronounced, the opposite is true:
“a”: eight (eight), neighbor (neighbor), reign (reign), weight (weight)
“i”: either, height, feisty, sleight
Exceptions: seize (grab), weird (strange), conscience (conscience, consciousness), efficient (effective), etc.
silent letters
The English language is full of unpronounceable letters. The question arises: why do the English insert letters into words and then simply not pronounce them?..
The silent witness, or What is the unpronounceable letter
Unpronounceable letter ( silent letter) is a letter that should appear in a word, even if we don’t read it. More than half of the letters of the alphabet can act as unpronounceable letters. They can be at the beginning of a word, at the end or in the middle - you won’t even realize from the sound of the word that they are there.
Examples of unpronounceable letters:
a— thread(a thread), bread(bread), thread(step)
b — lamb(lamb), bomb(bomb), womb(womb)
c— scissors(scissors), science(the science), scent(aroma)
d— edge(edge), bridge(bridge), badge(icon)
e - see below
h - honor(honor), honest(honest), school(school)
k — knot(node), knight(knight), knowledge(knowledge)
l — talk(speak), psalm(psalm), balm(balm)
n — hymn(hymn), autumn(autumn), column(column, column)
p— pneumatic(pneumatic), psalm(psalm), psychology(psychology)
s— isle, island(island), aisle(passage, e.g. in an airplane cabin)
t— listen(listen), rustle(rustle) whistle(whistle)
u — biscuit(cookies; not biscuits!), guess(a guess), guitar(guitar)
w— write(write), wrong(wrong), wrist(wrist)
Unpronounceable “e”
The unpronounceable “e” is the most common unpronounceable letter. There are several strict rules for writing words that end in an unpronounceable “e”.
When you add a suffix to such a word and that suffix begins with a consonant, the stem of the word does not need to be changed.
force (strength) + ful = forceful (strong)
manage (manage) + ment = management (management)
sincere (sincere) + ly = sincerely (sincerely)
If the suffix begins with a vowel or with “y”, then the “e” before the suffix must be omitted.
fame + ous = famous
nerve + ous = nervous
believable (plausible) + y = believable (plausible)
criticise (criticize) + ism = criticism (criticism)
Exceptions: mileage (distance in miles), agreeable.
Prefixes and suffixes
When you add a prefix to a word, you usually don't need to change the base of the word.
anti + septic = antiseptic (antiseptic)
auto + biography = autobiography (autobiography)
de + mobilize = demobilize (demobilize)
dis + approve = disapprove (disapprove)
im + possible = impossible (impossible)
inter + national = international (international)
mega + byte = megabyte (megabyte)
mis + fortune = misfortune (failure)
micro + chip = microchip (microchip)
re + used = reused (recycled)
un + available = unavailable
When you add a suffix to a word, it often changes the base of the word. Below are a few rules. As always, there are exceptions, so if you're not sure how to spell a word, consult a dictionary.
Words ending in a consonant
If the suffix starts with a consonant, just add it to the stem, don't change anything.
Example: treat (treat; treat) + ment = treatment (treatment; attitude).
Doubling a consonant
For most words with a short vowel sound that end in a single consonant, that consonant doubles when you add a suffix that starts with a vowel (ing, er, ed, est).
mop (to wash) + ing = mopping (to wash)
big (large) + est = biggest (largest)
hot (hot) + er = hotter (hotter)
For words that end with an “l” after a vowel, this “l” is doubled.
model + ing = modeling
travel (to travel) + er = traveler (traveler)
Exceptions
For some words ending in “r”, “x”, “w”, “y”, the doubling rule does not apply.
fear (to be afraid) + ing = fearing (fear, afraid, fearful)
box (to box, not box!) + er = boxer (boxer)
know (know) + ing = knowing (knowledge, knowing, knowing)
play (play) + ing = playing (game, playing, playing)
And if a word has two consonants at the end or more than one vowel, the consonant is also not doubled.
maintain (maintain) + ing (two vowels a + i) = maintaining (maintenance)
keep (keep) + er (two vowels e + e) = keeper (keeper; owner)
hang (hang) + er (two consonants n + g) = hanger (hook)
Word endings
Words ending in “ce” and “ge”
When you add a suffix starting with “a” or “o,” the “e” remains.
manage (perform) + able = manageable (doable)
notice (notice) + able = noticeable (noticeable)
courage (courage) + ous = courageous (courageous)
Exception: prestige (prestige) + ous = prestigious (prestigious)
Words ending with “ie”
When you add “ing” to verbs that end in “ie,” the “e” is dropped and the “i” changes to “y.”
die (die) - dying (dying, dying, dying)
lie (lie) – lying (lying, lying, lying)
tie (to tie) - tying (tying, tying, tying)
Words ending in “y” after a consonant
When you add suffixes such as “as”, “ed”, “es”, “er”, “eth”, “ly”, “ness”, “ful” and “ous” to a word ending in “y” ” after the consonant, “y” changes to “i” before the suffix.
eighty (eighty) + eth = eightieth (eightieth)
duty (duty) + es = duties (responsibilities)
lazy (lazy) + ness = laziness (laziness)
mystery (mystery) + ous = mysterious (mysterious)
beauty (beauty) + ful = beautiful (beautiful)
multiply (multiply) + ed = multiplied (multiplied)
cozy (cozy) + ly = cozy (cozy)
Words ending in “y” after a vowel
“y” is preserved before suffixes such as “er,” “ing,” or “ed.”
destroy (destroy) - destroying - destroyed
buy (buy) - buying - buyer
play (play) - playing - player
You may be confused by some of the discrepancies in spelling and reading rules that are caused by . It's not that this option is better and that option is worse, you just need to stop at one, learn it and stick with it. Try not to mix one with the other.
The rules of reading and writing are like a weather forecast: we can rely on them, but we cannot count on them to help us out every time. Therefore, it is very important to read more in English so that the sound of words and their style merge into a single image.
The following method is perfect for this purpose: listening to English books while simultaneously viewing the original text.
10 English classic books narrated by native English speakers
Mother Goose by W. W. Denslow - “Mother Goose”, W.W. Denslow
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter - “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, Beatrix Potter
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Audiobook by Lewis Carrol - “Alice in Wonderland”, Lewis Carroll
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Mark Twain
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - “A Tale of Two Cities”, Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - “Pride and Prejudice”, Jane Austen
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley - “Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus”, Mary Shelley
The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde - “The Happy Prince and Other Tales”, Oscar Wilde
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, Arthur Conan Doyle
It happens that native English speakers ask forgiveness from those who study it... Because the pronunciation of English words and their spelling are so different. So be it, we will accept their apology. After all, anyone who is determined to learn English can handle any difficulties!
Are you surprised by English reading rules? Share with us in the comments :)
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Now you have already passed the first stage of learning English - you have learned the alphabet. You already know what the letters are called and know how to write them. But this does not mean at all that you can read any word in English correctly. In addition, you need to improve your pronunciation with the help of a professional teacher or tutor so as not to make mistakes at first.
Unlike many other foreign languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian), where words are read the same way they are written, you just need to learn how the letters are pronounced. In English, everything is much more complicated and confusing. But remembering the simple laws of reading words in English. Very soon you will realize that things are much simpler.
The thing is that in English the number of sounds predominates over letters, and in order to convey them in writing, it is necessary to combine several letters in a certain order. And this is done in various ways. And the pronunciation and recording of some sounds depends on what letters surround them. And all this needs to be remembered!
To make it easier to remember letter combinations, English linguists have developed a number of rules for reading words in English. Even if you know the language well enough, it is still advisable to double-check an unfamiliar word in the dictionary, make sure of its translation and remember the transcription, that is, how it is pronounced.
At school, most teachers only briefly mention how to reproduce words in English or do not talk about them at all. They refer students to dictionaries with transcriptions, citing the fact that “there are many exceptions to the reading rules.” Protect your children from such teachers!
Yes it is. Indeed, there are many exceptions to the rules for reading words in English. But this does not mean at all that we should remain silent about them. Rather, on the contrary, first of all you need to talk about them. Still, most words follow rules.
Knowing the basic rule of how words are read correctly, it will be much more interesting and easier for you to learn the language itself. And exceptions can be remembered as they come during training, repeating the rules that these words do not so stubbornly refuse to obey.
Rule for reading words
Bye! Successes!Technique of reading English according to Zaitsev’s method
We all love to show off the latest branded item. But, alas, not all of us, even the most advanced ones, know how to correctly pronounce the names of brands and famous clothing brands. Once again, after listening to the girls around me (by the way, they are often quite stylish), and after watching an episode of the program “America’s Next Top Model”, which featured Christian Lacroy and Hermes, which I did not understand, I finally decided to write this post. Today we will learn how to correctly pronounce brand names.
If you want to argue, then please don’t do it here. I checked every entry, so if you haven’t heard with your own ears how Christian Lacroix said that his last name is pronounced “Lakroich”, then please don’t argue with me. I wandered through dozens of websites of people who do not leave fashion shows and checked the correct pronunciation. I did not include those in which there were discrepancies.
Since there is a big problem with the accent icon in the console, I will highlight accents with a capital letter. Sometimes several pronunciation options are possible.
Alexander McQueen - [Alexander McQueen]
Giorgio Armani - [giorgio armani]/[giorgio armani]
Balmain - [balmAn]. Here, please pay attention: the brand is French, so the combination ai is read as “a”. Some particularly advanced people, of course, also read “Balmain,” but you’re not one of them, right?
Bulgari - [bulgari]
Burberry - [burberry].
Byblos - [byblos]
Cacharel - [kasharEl]
Carolina Herrera - [Carolina Herrera]
Cartier - [kartE]
Céline - [celine]
Chanel - [chanEl].
Chloé - [cloe]
Christian Dior - [Christian DiOr].
Christian Louboutin - [Christian Louboutin].
Christian Lacroix - [Christian Lacroix]
Clarins - [claRance]
Dior Homme - [diOr Ohm]. By the way, a note. Homme means "male, male" and is always and everywhere read as [Om]. Femme means “female, woman,” and is always and everywhere read as [fAm]. Accordingly, the names of perfumes “for him” - pour homme - will be read [pUR Om], and “for her” - pour femme [pUR fAm].
Dolce & Gabbana - [Dolce End Gabbana]/[DolchengabAna]/[DolchegabAna]
Dsquared - [diskEirt]. There is also a lot of controversy about this name, but that is how it is pronounced.
DKNY (Donna Karan New York) - [DI KEY N UAY, DONNA KARAN NEW YORK]
Emilio Pucci - [emilio pucci]
Escada - [escada]
Estée Lauder - [estE Lauder]. There is also an interesting story here. The name seems French, although the brand is American. Therefore, in such abnormal eclecticism, such a hybrid as [estE lauder] turned out.
Ermenegildo Zegna - [ermenegildo zegna]. But this is a must-know for all men.
Etro - [Etro]
Hermès. A very interesting story is happening with this brand. All over the world, including in Russia, ordinary people pronounce the brand name as “HerMes”. But it's not right. French people, whose land, in fact, gave birth to this brand, read the brand name as “ermE”. And they do it correctly from the point of view of French phonetics - the first letter is silent, the emphasis is on the last syllable, the last letter is not readable. But the French people forget that proper names can be exceptions to any rule. The founder of the brand was called Thierry Hermès, so the only correct pronunciation of the brand is [ermEs], with a slight aspiration on the first syllable.
Hublot - [Yublo]
Guy Laroche - [guy larOche]
Gianfranco Ferré - [genreAnco ferE]
Givenchy - [givenchy]. The founding father of the brand was named Hubert de Givenchy [Hubert de Givenchy]
John Galliano - [John Galliano]
Jean-Paul Gaultier - [Jean-Paul Gaultier]
Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]
Gucci - [guchi]
Guess - [gEs]. The vowel is somewhere between “E” and “E”
Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]
Lacoste - [laKost]
Karl Lagerfeld - [karl lagerfeld]. And tell these smart Anglomaniacs that Lagerfeld is German.
Levi Strauss - [Left Strauss].
Loewe - [lowe]. Listen.
Louis Vuitton - [luI vuitOn]/[luI vitOn]/[luI vuitton] - in all three cases the “n” is pronounced through the nose
LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) - [el ve em ash], [louis vuitton moët hennessy].
Stella McCartney - [STELLA MAC CARTNEY]
Mandarina Duck - [Mandarina Duck]
Max Mara - [max mAra]
Miu Miu - [miu miu]
Moschino - [MoskIno]. The designer's name is Franco Moschino
Nina Ricci - [Nina Ricci]
Paul Smith - [Paul Smith]
Pierre Cardin - [pierre cardan]. This is ideal. They often say “kardEn” - this is also acceptable. The main thing is not to be “cardin”.
Prada - [prada]. Designer: Miuccia Prada [miUcha Prada]
Ralph Lauren - [Ralph Lauren] - again a French-American linguistic setup.
Robert Piguet - [robEr pigE]
Salvatore Ferragamo - [selvatore ferragAmo]
Seiko - [seiko]
Sergio Rossi - [SERGEO ROSSI]
Sonia Rykiel - [Sonia Rykiel]
Shiseido - [shiseido]
Tommy Hilfiger - [Tommy HilfIge(r)]. English language, so the last letter is soft to read
Tissot - [tissO]
Ulysse Nardin - [Ulysse Nardin]. "U" is more like "Yu".
Van Cleef & Arpels - [van Cleef & Arpel]
Versace - [versAce]
Viktor & Rolf - [Victor and Rolf]
Wyler Genève - [Wyler Genève]
Yohji Yamamoto - [Yoji Yamamoto]
Yves Saint Laurent - [Yves Saint Laurent]
Zuhair Murad - [ZuhEr Murad]
This article may be useful to those who learns English on his own, wants learn to read in English or improve your pronunciation. As a rule, beginners find it difficult to pronounce the sounds of the English language correctly. The main method, which is offered in various textbooks and online lessons, is to listen to English speech and try to pronounce the words after the speaker, imitating him. However, improving pronunciation in this way is very difficult, since our speech apparatus is accustomed to Russian articulation, that is, a certain position of the lips, mouth muscles, and tongue.
Even if you have an ear for music, you will need an experienced teacher and educational literature. I would like to immediately warn the reader that You should not set yourself the task of achieving “Oxford pronunciation.” And not because it is impossible. The fact is that in Great Britain people speak several dialects, and their pronunciation is different: even in London, not to mention England, it is very different. Famous English phonetician Mr Higgins said that by pronunciation he could determine in which part of London a person lived. Announcers of official channels of British television, BBC radio and, probably, professors at Oxford, London or Cambridge universities have exemplary pronunciation.
“If you are learning English, intending to travel around England, and want to be understood there, do not try to become perfect in the language, because if you succeed, no one will understand you.<…>There is no perfectly accurate English, there is decent English, which we call "good"<…>.»
Back in school I read a funny text on this topic: “When I arrived in England, I thought I knew English”. Here is a translation of a short excerpt from it:
“When I first came to England in 1938 I thought I knew English quite well. In Europe, my knowledge of the language seemed sufficient.
In England I faced two difficulties: firstly, I did not understand people, and secondly, they did not understand me. It was easier with the texts. Every time I read an editorial in the Times, I understood everything perfectly, the only thing I couldn't make out was whether the Times behind or against something. But then I attributed this to my insufficient knowledge of the language.
My first step towards success was that people finally began to understand me, while I still did not understand them. At this stage I did most of the talking. Soon I began to understand the English, and all thanks to my friend, who revealed to me the secret of English pronunciation, namely inarticulate English mumbling".
Yes, that’s how it is, the English pronunciation is slurred)) But this is only at first glance. So we begin our English lessons for beginners, and let's set ourselves a modest but realistic goal - learn to read English and at the same time master “good” English pronunciation. And this requires patience and persistent systematic practice. But before we begin our course of lessons, let's figure out why there is an opinion that the most difficult thing in the English language is learning to read.
Why is it “spelled Liverpool but pronounced Manchester” or how to read in english is the word correct?
Really, Words in English are read completely differently than they are written. I wondered about this question for a long time and finally figured it out. And the wonderful book “My Favorite Sounds”, the authors of which were O.M., helped me in this. Korchazhkin and R.M. Tikhonov. From it I learned that, it turns out, there are three basic principles on which the spelling system of any language is built:
- phonetic principle, when the letter fully reflects the sound composition of the word: as we speak, so we write (Latin);
- morphological principle, when the letter reflects only part of the sound composition of the word (Russian language);
- historical principle when the spelling of a word is explained by historical traditions and does not coincide with the pronunciation (English).
So, approximately 400-500 years ago, the English pronounced words in the same way as they wrote them, that is, for example, the word knight in Old English was pronounced , the silent letters k, gh were then read. But time passed, and the sound side of the language underwent serious changes, while the spelling of words remained virtually unchanged, it remained the same as it was in the 15th century.
This determines a huge number of rules and patterns, which need to be remembered so that the same letter is read differently depending on the type of syllable or the letters that surround it. But you can figure everything out if you understand the basic principles of the English language. It's clear why In English, words are read completely differently from how they are written?
Then let's figure out how to learn to read words in English correctly
Sometimes when learning English, beginners use textbooks in which English words are written in Russian letters. But this approach also presupposes appropriate pronunciation. What a horror to hear English spoken in Russian! What do the authors of such textbooks think? After all, anyone who does NOT learn to pronounce English sounds correctly from the very beginning risks not learning to understand the interlocutor at all.
In a spelling system based on morphological as well as historical principles, the same letter can convey different sounds. Let's take, for example, the Russian language. So the letter “g” in the word “goal” is pronounced as “g”, in the word “boot” - “k”, “his” - “v”, “easy” - “x”. But such changes are minor and there are not many of them.
However, in English everything is much more complicated. Firstly, it only has 6 vowels A,O,E,I,U,Y, but each is read in 4 ways, depending on the type of syllable. Secondly, vowels form combinations with other vowels, so-called diphthongs (there are 8 in total) and there are also 2 triphthongs.
Yes, learning to read in English is not easy. But what if you learn English on your own, without a teacher? How to learn to read English words? This is where it comes to the rescue transcription. Don't be afraid of this word!
Transcription is a system for recording the sound image of a word using transcription icons, which represent letters of the Latin and Greek alphabet. The transcription was invented by the French scientist Paul Passy in 1889.
Phonetic transcription signs
Transcription words are written in square brackets. To indicate the length of a sound, a colon is placed after it. Transcription can be used to record exactly how each word is read, regardless of how it is spelled. Transcription is a kind of international code with which you can record the sound image of a word in any language.
English pronunciation and English sounds
Sounds of English you must immediately learn to pronounce correctly, because most English sounds are very different from similar Russian sounds.
Skipping all the theory that abounds in phonetics textbooks, in this course I will touch on the main differences between Russian and English sounds and talk about typical mistakes in pronunciation, drawing on theoretical concepts only as needed.
But let's start with the most important thing, namely, what distinguishes English pronunciation from Russian. This tongue position(1) and articulation strength (2).
- Tongue position. This is especially noticeable when we are silent. Check yourself here. Are you silent now? What position is your tongue in? I’ll try to guess, if you are Russian, then your tongue lies in a mound, tightly adheres to the teeth with the front part (it seems to be cramped in the mouth), the tip is bent downwards and is located at the lower teeth. This position is called dorsal. What about the Englishman? In this case, his tongue will be pulled back, lie flat and bent upward, and its tip will be located at the very alveoli or does not even reach them. The alveoli are the tubercles above the upper teeth.
- Power of articulation. Energetic Englishmen pronounce words by exhaling forcefully and tensing their mouth muscles. But Russians don’t strain, moving their lips weakly, they pronounce sounds easily, deafen the consonants at the end, and in general, they are lazy.
What's the matter? Some say this because of the Russian character, others because of the anatomical features of the structure of the speech apparatus. Who knows…
So, practice, even when you are silent, keep your tongue concave in your mouth, pressing the tip to the alveoli, and now you have already taken the first step towards becoming a real Englishman.
For those who want to improve their pronunciation, English lessons with native speakers in the section
Learn English on your own, Friends! See you in the next reading lessons! Tatyana Nabeeva, course author
