SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 1 - SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH SOUNDS I.VOWELS : 1.Long vowels : (5) / i: / in beat , mean , peace / / in bird , fern , purse / a: / in card , half , past / / in board , torn , horse / u: / in food , soon , loose 2.Short vowels : (6+1) / / in bit , pin , fish / e / in bet , men , yes / / in bat , man , gas / / in but , come , rush / / in pot , gone , cross / / in put , pull , push / / when a vowel isn’t stressed on : alive , system… */ / is usually found in “-y” at the end of words : many, happy */ u / in actual ,fluctuate, actuate … 3.Diphthongs : / / in here , beard , fierce / / in air , cairn , scarce / / in moored , tour / / in paid , pain , face / / in tide , time , by / / in avoid , loin , boy / / in home , most , post / / in loud , growl , house 4.Triphthongs : (diphthong + / / ) / / in layer , player / / in fire , liar / / in loyal , royal / / in lower , mower / / in power , hour 5.Semi-vowels : / h / in how , home , habit / r / in red , race , radio / j / in yes , yard , yellow /w / in wet , wage , wall… HOW TO RECOGNIZE SOME COMMON VOWELS AND DITHTHONGS / i: / in -ea : tea , mean , meat In -e : be , me , he , she… SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 2 - in - ee : see, tree in - e+cons.+ silent e : Pete , concrete, mete… in - (c)ei : ceiling , receive , deceive in -ie : chief , field , niece , piece / / in – e at the beginning of a word: ensure, endanger… in - i+cons (+cons) : bit , risk , milk In - y+cons : mystery , rhythm / / in -e+cons (+cons) : bell , rest , let In -ea(d) : pleasure , measure ,head , bread , ready , dread / / in -a + cons. (+cons.) : hat , act , man / / in -ew : few , new , pew …. in – u+cons.+silent e : cube, cute, music ,university… / a: / in –aft : after , craft , draft , aft… In – alf : haft , staff… In -ar : car , card , artist… In -ask : ask , mask , bask , task … In -ass : pass , brass . grass , glass …. In -ast : fast , wast , last , past… In -ath : path , bath , father , rather… / / in -o + cons. (+cons.) :cost , cloth , long , off … / / in -all : all , fall , wall , tall… In -alk : walk , talk , In –au : auto , pause , august , autumn In –aw : law , saw , dawn , pawn… In –or+ cons/+ silent e :horse,port,form,short,bore,more… In –ought : ought , bought , fought , brought… In –our+ cons. : mourn , course… In –war__ : war , warm , warn , ward , warden,water…. / u:/ in –u after /j,l,r/ : june , blue , rule …. In –oo +l/m/n : fool , doom , pool , noon … In –oo+(cons.)at the end of a word : bamboo , too , aternoon … In –oo + voiced sounds : room , food , tool…( but :good/ Hood/ wood…→ / / . In –ou+ p. : soup, coupon, / / in –u +cons.(+cons.) : full , put , push , bush …. In –oo +k : look , took , rook , mook…. In –oo +voiceless sounds : foot , cook , hook…(but :hoop / Hoot / hoof…→ / / . SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 3 - / / in –ear +cons. : earth, research, earn, heard, early… In –er (+cons.): her, stern, fern, term ,nerve… In -ir (+cons.) : sir, girl, bird, first… In -or : work, worth, worst, worship… In –ur (+cons.) : fur, turn, hurt, burn… / / in –a/e/i/o when they aren’t stressed on : ability, system, communicative, compassion, photo… In –or/ ar / er at the end of a word : regular, farmer, actor… / / in o + m/n/th : somme, son, mother,wonderful,money . In u +cons. : up, cut, study, subject,much … In –lood ; blood, flood… / / in –a+cons.+silent e : face, case, date,make, late, wave… In –a (usually in stressed syllable): radio, paper, table,… In –ai : aid, maid, hail, aim, train, waiter, rain… In –ay : today, play, may, stay, say, Taylor… In –ei : eight, veil, rein, reign, neighbour… In –ey : convey, they, grey , obey, … / a / in –i+cons.+silent e :five, dive, mine, shine… In –ie : die, lie, tie, bye… In –igh : hight, night, slight,might… In –y (at the end of a word +after a cons).: cry, try, by, shy . In –uy (at the end of a word): buy, guy… *height /ha /. / / in –oi : voice, noise, boil, choice, coin, toilet, avoid… In –oy : toy, boy, enjoy, destroy, annoy… / / in –ou+cons(+cons.) : out, house, loud, round… In –ow+cons. : owl, down, brown, town, now,how… / / in –ow : know, show, slow, snow… in –o (at the end of a syllable or a word) : so, no, solo… in oa+cons. : coat, boat, foal, foam, goal, poach… In –o+cons.+silent e : phone, bone, hope, note, close… In –old : old, bold, fold, told … In –ost (in some words) : post, most, ghost … (but : cost / / , lost / / / / in -ear : clear, dear, year, tear, ear … In –eer : beer, cheer, engineer, steer, … In –ere : here, mere,atmosphere, … In –se(ri-) : serious, series, serial, … / / in –ear : bear, wear, … In –air : fair, chair, air, hair… In –ere /eir : there, their, where, … SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 4 - In –are : care, hare, dare, fare, rare… / / in –oor (some words) : poor, In –our : tour, tourist, you’re, In –su(r)/tu : sure, usual, casual, actually… EXERCISE: Note down the vowels and diphthongs you read in the following words : hit / click / interest / eaten / meat / meal / study / far / cousin / father / guitar / love /men / said / man / sand / send / bad / bed / pan / top / sport / job / four / boss / talk / doctor / more / wrong / call / box / put / look / food / tooth / full / June / fruit / foot / school / teacher / bird / together / pagoda / work / church / about / shirt / early / other / term / play / time / voice / radio / wildlife / toy / paper / type /typical / they / height / enjoy / buy / how / bowl / town / know / window / now / mouth / close / note / couch / here / where / poor / door / idea / square / ensure / tour / upstairs / dear / chair / casual //. II.CONSONANTS : 1.Voiceless sounds : / f,t,k,p,s, , , , / + / / 2.Voiced sounds : - vowels + the rest /b,d,g,dz,v, ,z, ,m,n, ,l / + / r. j , w / III. KEY TO PRONUNCIATION : 1.Voiceless + Voiceless 2.Voiced + Voiced → * “ ED” → /t/ after voiceless sounds /f,k,p,s, , , / → /d/ after voiced sounds → / id / after /t,d/ Note : Some adjectives that end in –ed : - crooked / / - naked / / - learned / / - wicked / / - ragged / / - wretched / /… * -S/ES → /s / after voiceless sounds → /z / after voiced sounds → /iz/ after /s,z , , , , , , / 4.EXERCISES : 4.1.Pronounce “ed” correctly : Loved ,locked, watched, cried, studied, stopped, worked, mended, danced, wanted, preferred, kissed, washed, translated, changed, liked, hated, rained, closed, laughed, ploughed… More exercises : Read any ‘ed’ you find in your book. 4.2.Pronounce “s/es” in a correct way : Barbers, bridges, books, bays, sunbeams, teaches, classes, beds, clothes, branches, bookcases, cakes, washes, canals, boxes, cars , brushes, seems, kisses, weekends, cages, things, cancels, changes, applicants, chooses, ways, matches, forests, raises, enjoys, finishes, tights, is, lectures… SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 5 - More exercises : Read any “s” or “es” you come across in your book. 5.Some difficulties we have to pay attention to : a. th → / / usually with lexical words : thin – thought – thank… → / / usually with grammatical words + “th”between two vowels :this,that, with,though,father ,mother,breathing… b. ch → / / watch , teacher , chair → / k / chemistry, mechanic, psychology → / / machine, machete, machination,machinery… c. s → / s / sit, see, son, so, Paris, tennis → / / in su – sure , sugar , ensure … in ssi ,-nsion : discussion, pension, expansion… → / / usually “s” between two vowels : easy, nose, trousers… Usually at the ends of a word having a voiced sound or a vowel :cars, boys, potatoes… → / / usually “s” in “-sure, -si “ in the middle of a word : measure, pleasure, vision, television… ( but: pressure…) d. f(f) → / / off , coffee → / v / of e. g → / g / gap, go , give, gift → / / usually “g” after “e,i,y” : general , genuine, giraffe, gymnastics, gypsy … f. gh → / f / laugh , cough , enough … → / - / thought, bought, ought ,high… Exercises : Choose the word(s) whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others. 1. a.design b.preserve c.basic d.physical 2. a.brother b.breathing c.either d.death 3. a.page b.game c.go d.gift 4. a.organise b.promise c.paradise d.realise 5. a.check b.cheese c.headache d.cherry 6. a.smells b.cuts c.opens d.plays 7. a.desire b.resignation c.compromise d.design 8. a.leisure b.pressure c.treasure d.pleasure 9 a.laugh b.plough c.enough d.cough 10.a.of b.coffee c.knife d.leaf 11.a.cinder b.ceiling c.cello d.celebrate 12.a.choke b.church c.chirp d.choir 13. a.house b.honest c.hundred d.head 14. a.enough b.cough c.though d.rough 15. a.surgeon b.agent c.engine d.regard SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 6 - 6. Some typical exercises: 1. Distinguishing / / from / / : worse – horse – sword - order 2. Distinguishing / / from / / : made – played – said - afraid 3. Distinguishing / / from / / : famous – space – pace - attack 4. Distinguishing / / from / / : shown – known – how - snow 5. Distinguishing / / from / / : but – run – some - bury 6. Distinguishing / / from / / : husband – useless – must - industry 7. Distinguishing / / from / / : on – none – won - son 8. Distinguishing / / from / / : dead – bean – meat – seat 9. Distinguishing / / from / / : dear – wear – fear – hear 10. Distinguishing / / from / / : wood – wool – food - foot 11. Distinguishing / / from / / : cost – most – post - cold 12. Distinguishing / / from / / : seen – sit – sure - seem 13. Distinguishing / / from / / : closure – pleasure – measure - pressure 14. Distinguishing / / from / / : threat- those- thank- think tenth – worth – breathe - death 15. Distinguishing / / from / / : news- loose- choose- close 16. Distinguishing / / from / / : village – passage- magazine- gesture 17. Distinguishing / / from / / : laugh- thought – bought- ought 18. Distinguishing / / from / / : hour – hear – hat- head 19. Distinguishing / / from / / : debt- comb- climb- bomb 20. Distinguishing / / from / / : off- wife- knife- of 21. Distinguishing / / from / / : communicate- separate- classmate- delicate 22. Distinguishing / / from / / : singer- younger – stronger- longer 23. Distinguishing / / from / / : SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 7 - learned- naked- sacred- loved 24. Distinguishing / / from / / : watched – stopped – walked- crooked 25. Distinguishing / / from / / : example- excellent- examination- exact 26. Distinguishing / / from / / : Fasten- listen- castle- meet SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH STRESS ® I.The first syllable is stressed : 1. Two-syllable N/ADJ/ADV : ‘export,n – ‘increase,n – ‘perfect,adj – ‘always,adv. ( But : guitar – canal – decoy – police – machine – manure – july – idea – ideal – patrol – marine – romance – divine …) 2. Compound adjectives, esp. “pre+____ “ : ‘outdoor – ‘oversea – ‘dark-blue 3. Compound words :”any____” , “some_____”, “____ward(s): ‘anyone – ‘somewhere – ‘afterwards … 4. Words having more than 3 syllables : * ‘animal – ‘mineral – ‘propety – ‘elephant (but :tobacco – cicada – pagoda – months of the year: October…) *’temporaty – ‘necessary – ‘barbarism – ‘communism (but : ultimatum – enthusiast – memorandum – curriculum – ephemeral) II.The second syllable is stressed : 1.Two-syllable verds/ phrasal verbs : export,v – increase,v – perfect,v – take ‘off – warm ‘up – (but:the stress comes on the first syllable when the second one is a suffix and whose ending is one of the following :-er, -ern, -en, -ie, -ish, -ow, -y ): Enter,v – govern,v – open,v – deepen,v – finish,v – study,v – follow,v (but : allow). 2.Two- syllable words having prefixes : Aboard,adv – afield,adv – alive,adj – deform,v – disarm,v – displace,v – become,v – because,conj. – belong,v… III.The stress comes on syllable just before following endings : -tion / / :conservation,n – prevention,n – pollution,n… -sion / / :discussion, expansion, pension… (but –sion / / : television , ) -( )ety/ity : society, ability, familiar -graphy : geography, photography -metry : geometry, -nomy : gastronomy, astronomy, economy SOUNDS AND STRESS. PREPARED BY NGUYEN HUU QUOC - 8 - -logy : biology, sociology, methodology -sophy : philosophy -ic : mechanic, logic, scientific, electric… (but :Catholic, Arabic, Arithmetic, Politics…) -cial / tial : special – influential - -cian : musician, electrician, physician… -( )ia : Asia, Arabia, -tual : intellectual, mutual, effectual -( )iency : proficiency, -ience : science, -eous : simultaneous, courageous IV.The last syllable is stressed : -ade : decade,n (but : centidrade, marmalade, retrograde, …} -ee : refugee,n – referee,n (but : coffee, committee, oversee,v, employee,n… ) -ese : Chinese, Japanese -eer : engineer, career, -oo : bamboo, shampoo, afternoon (but : cuckoo,n -) -ette : cigarette, serviette,n – -esque : picturesque,adj- IV. Words that have suffixes or/and prefixes are streesed on the root : Unhappily root Eg:- depend,v →dependence,n → independence,n - stand,v →understand,v →misunderstanding,n - nation,n →national,adj →international,adj V.The stress comes on the third syllable from the last one : -i+syllable : ability – familiar – political - -ate : temperate – consulate – (but:dehydrate ) -ite : appetite – opposite –dynamite – erudite -urous : adventurous – -ude : solitude - -ute : institute - (but: attribute – contribute ) -ary : diary – -ative : informative – -fy : simplify – -ise/ize : compromise – industrialize – **IT IS ADVISABLE TO LOOK UP ANY NEW WORD YOU COME ACROSS. ** Would you please help me to add phonetic symbols to this document?