Chapter # 6
Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation Tips
These English pronunciation tips will help you get the most out of your Pronunciation Power program.
Tip 1
Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling! For example, "threw" and "through", although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the "ough" in "though" and "through" represents a different sound in each word. Learn to practise what you hear, not what you see.
Tip 2
Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it. Try to visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. Think about how you are going to make the sound.
Tip 3
Listen to and try to imitate the Pronunciation Power instructor. In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation of the instructor's voice and patterns of emphasis. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.
Tip 4
The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently. It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.
Tip 5
Finally, the Pronunciation Power program is a tool to help you. But you must practise what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language. It is like going to the gym and exercising your body. Use the program to exercise your mouth a little bit each day.
Additional Exercises
This page contains additional exercises that you can do using your Pronunciation Power program.
Additional Exercise 1
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
Write down all the words that have that sound.
Check your work by using the toggle button.
Additional Exercise 2
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
Write down the words from the Sentences that have unusual spellings for that Sound.
Find other words in a dictionary that use the same spelling for that sound.
Example: Sound uw as in pool: unusual spellings - through, blue
Additional Exercise 3
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
Give 2 examples of each of the different ways of spelling a sound.
Example: Sound f as in fat: other spellings - phone/phonetic, cough/enough
Additional Exercise 4
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
List 20 words that have silent letters in them.
Additional Exercise 5
Find which vowel sounds use 2 vowels to spell a single vowel sound.
Example: country, boat
Additional Exercise 6
Find which consonant sounds use 2 consonants to spell a single consonant sound.
Example: ship, think
Additional Exercise 7
How many different ways can you spell the following sounds?
iy as in me
ow as in road
uw as in soon
U as in put
f as in staff
s as in sent
Additional Exercise 8
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
Write down 20 words. Break these words into syllables.
Check your work in a dictionary.
Additional Exercise 9
Choose a Sound in Pronunciation Power Main Menu.
Go to Exercises and choose Sentences.
Find and write down the following:
30 different 1-syllable words
20 different 2-syllable words
10 different 3-syllable words
5 different 4-syllable words
Check your work in a dictionary.
Pronunciation Glossary
These are some of the words used to talk about pronunciation. You will find them in the instructions for your Pronunciation Power program.
Air flow
The flow or passage of air out of the mouth.
Aspiration
A small "explosion" of air when you make a sound.
Auditory
Hearing (not seeing).
Clusters (blended sounds)
Two or more sounds put together to make a single sound.
Curl
A position of the tongue where the tongue is shaped in a curve, not flat.
Flatten
A position of the tongue where the tongue is flat not round.
Glide / Slide
Move the tongue as you say the sound.
Hard palate
Hard part of the roof of the mouth.
Intonation
Change in pitch of a sentence, up and down.
Lengthen sound
Make the duration of the sound longer.
Lips spread
Lips are open slightly and pulled back.
Lower
Bottom of mouth.
Pitch
Amount of height or depth of a sound.
Pressed lips
Top and bottom lips touching.
Protruded lips
Rounded lips, pushed out.
Roof
Top part of your mouth, inside.
Round lips
Make a circle with lips.
Shorten sound
Make the duration of the sound shorter.
Soft palate
Soft part of the roof of the mouth.
Tap
Touch quickly.
Tooth ridge
The hard area directly behind your top front teeth.
Top of mouth / Roof of mouth
Area of tooth ridge, hard palate and soft palate.
Unvoiced (voiceless)
The vocal cords do not vibrate.
Upper
Top of mouth.
Visual
Seeing (not hearing).
Voiced
The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords (voice box). To test whether you are making the sound voiced, put your fingers on your voice box. With a voiced sound you should feel a vibration. All vowels are voiced.