Rules of consonants

Rule: realization and elision of “r”.We pronounce “r” before a vowel, but we do not pronounce it before a consonant.. Now read these phrases correctly: The door The open door The book T

Rule: /p/, /t/ and /k/ are very strong.

These consonants are fortis sounds in English We pronounce them with a lot of

muscular effort You have to give them a lot of emphasis

Packet

Train

Make

Black

Take

Book People Critic Top Companion

Time Come Example Picnic Pen

Biscuit Ok Two Simple kate

Your book is on the table

Who took it?

The cat is attacking the rat

Put it in your pocket

Just a moment !

They paint some pictures of people

Can you pass the coffee cup?

Rule: Omit the “g” in “-ng”

Do not pronounce the “g” in the termination “-ng” Only pronounce “ nasal n”.To say “ nasal n” , open your mouth and elevate the back of your tongue

Long

Coming

Waiting

Reading

Ring

Going Song Playing Bang Sitting

Writing Painting Following Ringing Beginning

Strong Listening Wrong Finishing singing

Reading is very interesting

Armstrong is singing a song

The meeting is taking long

He is shouting and playing

I’m finishing reading

The wrong bell is ringing

Rule : omit the “a” in pal” tal” cal” nal”

“-mal”

We do not pronounce the “a” in these terminations

Only pronounce /pl/ for “-pal”, /tl/ for “-tal”, /kl/ for “cal”,

/nl/ for “-nal”, and /ml/ for “-mal”.

Principal

Municipal

Capital

Mortal

Total

Brutal Mental Accidental Chemical Practical

Local Classical Internal Virginal Original

Communal Animal Normal Mammal Formal

Practice reading the following sentences Pay attention to the terminations

She’s a typical local woman

He’s the traditional logical man

That’s a conventional political problem

Some mammals are brutal animals

Rule: omit “u” in “-ful”

The “u” in termination “-ful” is never pronounced We only pronounce /fl/

for “-ful”

Beautiful

Careful

Useful

Artful

Colourful

Purposeful Handful Grateful Wonderful Doubtful

Peaceful Meaningful Helpful Thankful Powerful

Read carefully

I’m grateful and thankful to you for this beautiful present

She’s not sure, she’s doubtful

Be careful with that wonderful picture!

A dictionary is a very useful book

Rule: omit “l” in “-alf”, “-alk”, “-alm”.

Never pronounce the “l” in these terminations

Only pronounce / a:f / for “-alf”, / o:k / for “-alk”, and /a:m / for “-alm”.

Half

Calf ChalkWalk TalkPsalm PalmCalm

Read these phrases

Half past one

A nice calf

A piece of chalk

Go for a walk

A quiet talk

Sing a psalm

Read my palm

Stay calm

Rule: omit “l” in “could”, “should”, “would”.

Read carefully

I’m sorry I couldn’t help you

You should be more careful

Would you come here, please?

Rule: realization and elision of “r”.

We pronounce “r” before a vowel, but we do not pronounce it before a

consonant

Realization of “r”.

Before a vowel

Read

Road

Mary

Ring Rin Press

Very Protect Sorry

The doctor in the office

The author of the book

The player at the match

Elision of “r”.

Before a silence or a consonant

Teacher

Doctor

Modern

Actor Editor Form

Center Car Authors

Waiter Girl Order

The doctor works

The author writes

The player plays

Rule: pronunciation of “the”.

“The” is pronounced “δe” before a consonant.

The door The cat The house

“The” is pronounced “δI” before a vowel.

The apple The orange The institute

Now read these phrases correctly:

The door

The open door

The book

The other book The rat

The angry rat

The horse The only horse Pass me the salt

Remember: “u”, “y”, and “w” are semi-consonants.

Pronounce “δe” before them.

E.g.: The uniform The young boy The white house

Is it “ δ or e” “ δ i” .

Shop

Answer

Girl

Umbrella

Husband

University

Egg

Waiter

Story Album Invention Yankee Kiss Arrest Hat Underground

Computer Express

Pronouncing "the"

Normally, we pronounce "the" with a short sound (like "thuh") But when "the" comes before a vowel

sound, we pronounce it as a long "thee".

vowel sound we write we say

A the apple thee apple

I the ice-cream thee ice-cream

O the orange thee orange

U the ugly fruit thee ugly fruit

It is important to understand that it is what we say that matters, not what we write It is the sound that matters, not the letter used in writing a word So we use a long "thee" before a vowel sound, not

necessarily before a vowel Look at these cases:

the house consonant (h) thuh house consonant sound the hour consonant (h) thee our vowel sound the university vowel (u) thuh youniversity consonant sound

the umbrella vowel (u) thee umbrella vowel sound

The pronounciation of “s” in the plural, possessive and third person singular of

the simple present tense.

v+ -/z/

“s” v- -/s/

silibant -/iz/

V+ /z/ When the proceding sound has vibration, “s” is pronounced /z/.

Plays

Girls

Doors

Verbs Comes Runs

Bill’s Does Calls

Loves Sam’s Mary’s

V- /s/ When the preceding sound has no vibration, “s” is pronounced /s/.

Shorts

Kate’s

Books

Sits Hopes Drinks

Cups Writes Maps

Thinks Marks Cloths

Silibant /iz/ When the preceding sound is a silibant: /s/,

/z/, /dΖ/, /tς/, /ς/or /Ζ/, the “s” is pronounced /iz/

Watches

Organizes

George’s

Reaches Garages Crashes

Closes Humanizes Judges

James`s Switches Dances

The pronunciation of “ed” in the past tense and

past participle

V + /d/

-ED V- /t/

“t” or “d” /id/

V+ /d/ When the preceding sound has vibration, “ed” is pronounced /d /.

ed

Declined

Loved

Called Listened Opened

Lived Phoned Combined

Offered Married

V- /t/ When the preceding sound has no vibration,“ed” is pronounced /t/.

Parked

Passed

Watched

Worked Switched Walked

Matched Crashed Looked

Danced Marked Reached

T or D /id/ When the preceding sound is “t” or “d”, “ed” is pronounced /id/.

Wanted

Recorded

Rested

Started Divided Repeated

Evaporated Dedicated Ended

Waited Invented Needed

Exceptions:

The following adjectives ending in -ed are always pronounced with /Id/:

Aged – Blessed – Crooked – Dogged – Learned – Naked – Ragged

The past simple tense and past participle of all regular verbs end in -ed For example:

base verb (v1)

past simple (v2)

past participle (v3) work worked worked

In addition, many adjectives are made from the past participle and so end in -ed For example:

I like painted furniture

The question is: How do we pronounce the -ed?

The answer is: In 3 ways - /Id/ or /t/ or /d/

If the base verb ends in one of

these sounds: example base verb*: examplewith -ed: pronouncethe -ed: extra syllable?

unvoiced

/t/

no

voiced all other sounds,for example

/d/

Note that it is the sound that is important, not the letter or spelling For example, "fax" ends in the letter "x" but the sound /s/; "like" ends in the letter "e" but the sound /k/.

Sounds commonly mispronounced.

Compare these pairs of sounds : B/V

Practise pronouncing these contrasting pairs:

Boat/vote

Berry/very

Bowels/vowels Lib/live

Tb/tv Globe/glove Read correctly these words:

Bag

Gloves

Board

Very

Volleyball

Live Baseball Dive Back Black

Bottle Drive Job Move Double

Evening Book Have Body Tv

Over Heavy Violin Vacant Begin Read these sentences:

A big violin is over the tv

This is a heavy bag of berries There’s a table in the living room.The job is vacant

Sounds commonly mispronounced

Compare these pair of sounds: δ/d.

Contrasting pairs:

Read these words correctly

Mother

Sunday

Breathe

Door That Under

Father Inside Clothes

This Dentist Together

Somebody The

Dog Now the sentences:

Somebody opened the door

That day was Sunday

They don’t study together

The dentist has dirty clothes

Sounds commonly mispronounced.

Practice these contrasting sounds: θ/S

Pronounce these contrasting sounds:

Read correctly the words

Anything

Something

Thirsty

Inside

Birthday

Song Bath Sun Thank Sometimes

Sentence Third Send Everything Some

Now read the sentences:

I sometimes sing something in the bath

The third sentence complicates everything

Thank you for everything

Sam was thirsty in his birthday