Vowel sounds part1
description
Transcript of Vowel sounds part1
English Vowel Sounds
Part I Juan Soto, M. A.
NOTICE
• Spelling is not a full trust worthy source for the pronunciation of English words. Some vowels can be placed in the same order in a word, but that does not necessarily mean that they will be pronounced the same way. For instance: read vs. read (past tense); lead vs. lead (metal)
/əә/ schwa (1of 9)
• Schwa is the most common sound in English. It appears in every vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
• Open your mouth slightly and let some noise out to produce this sound. It’s a short sound
• It appears in unstressed syllables • Examples:
ago effect partial method upon
/ɪ/ (2 of 9)
• Keep your lips relaxed and slightly open • It is a short sound • Examples:
gym sieve women If build busy pretty English
/u/ or /ʊ/ (3 of 9)
• Push your lips forward to make an open circle • The sound is short • The jaw is slightly open • Examples:
put look would wolf woman
/iy/ or /i/ (4 of 9) • Spread your lips to form a ‘big smile’ • The sound is long • Examples:
be the honey eat people amoeba either niece mommy sweetie ski police suite chassis debris chamois NOTE: The last three words come from French so DO NOT pronounce the final ‘s’.
/uw/ or /u/ (5 of 9) • Tense your lips as you push forward • Make a small circle • The sound is long • Examples:
do lose loose two food flu rude due new canoe through juice lieu rheumatism NOTE: The word ‘lieu’ comes from French.
/iuw/ (6 of 9)
• This sound combines /iy/ and /uw/ • The sound is short • Examples:
use music few view beauty you hue ewe
/ʌ/ (7 of 9)
• Keep your mouth slightly open • The sound is short • Examples:
up cousin trouble rough flood goes was
/ɛ/ (8 of 9)
• Spread your lips in a half-smile • Lower your jaw slightly • The sound is short • Examples:
egg step any again said says head leopard friend guest bury
/ow/ or /o/ (9 of 9)
• Lips move from a bigger to a smaller circle • The sound is long • Examples:
over go plateau owner slow oh depot though hoe groan sew soul bone brooch mauve faux NOTE: The last two words come from French.
CREDITS
• Yates, J. (2005) Pronounce it Perfectly in English (2nd Edition). Barron’s Educational Services: China