Tongue twisters

[l]

Luke Luck likes lakes.

Luke's duck likes lakes.

Luke Luck licks lakes.

Luck's duck licks lakes.

Duck takes licks in lakes Luke Luck likes.

Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes.

[r]

• Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.

• Ray Rag ran across a rough road.

Across a rough road Ray Rag ran.

Where is the rough road Ray Rag ran across?

Sounds [w], [j]

[w] is a consonant, constrictive, bilabial, sonorant, oral.

A rticulation: Look at the diagram. The vocal cords vibrate. The soft palate is raised and the air goes to the mouth cavity. The back part of the tongue is raised to the soft palate. The sides of the tongue are raised and the air goes along the central part of the tongue. The lips are firmly rounded and slightly protruded.

Task 1 Listen and say the sound (B64).

[w]is usually spelled:

w week wet way warm well weather windy away always twelve swim

wh what white which where

other spellings one language question quiet square

Note: qu is often pronounced [kw].

[w] is not pronounced in some words: answer two who whole write wrong

Task 2 Listen and say these phrases and sentences:

1. swimming in warm water 6 the wrong word

2. twenty-one words 7 the whole world

3. What's the answer? 8 question and answer

4. quarter to twelve on Wednesday 9 Where will you be waiting?

5. twenty-two languages

Task 3 Pronounce aloud:

[w] - [v]: we - V, west - vest, wet - vet, went - vent, very - well, wheel - veal, while - vile;

[w] - [f]: wife - five, very - fairy, wine - fine, water - photo, wood - foot, via - fire, vast - fast;

[j] is a consonant, constrictive, mediolingual, sonorant, oral.

A rticulation: Look at the diagram. The vocal cords vibrate. The soft palate is raised and the air goes to the mouth cavity. The front part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate. The sides of the tongue are raised and the air goes along the central part of it. The lips are generally neutral or spread.

Task 4 Listen and say the sound (B65).

[j] is usually spelled:

y yes yesterday year young

u [ju:] usual student university

ew [ju:] new view interview

other spellings beautiful queue Europe

Task 5 Listen and say these phrases and sentences:

1. a young university student

2. a beautiful view

3. waiting in a queue for an interview

4. the European Union

5. I usually walk to work but I used the car yesterday.

Note: American speakers don't pronounce [j] in some words like new and student.

Are you a new student? without [j]: Are you a new student?

Tongue twisters

[w]

• I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.

• While we were walking, we were watching window washers wash Washington's windows with warm washing water.

[j]

You know New York.

You need New York.

You know you need unique New York.

Task 6 Pronounce correctly and spell the words:

[met], [maɪn], [taɪm], [meɪn], [`sʌmə], [laɪn], [`leɪzɪ], [slaɪs], [felt], [let], [əuld], [sɪlɪ], [fɪlm], [laɪf], [ni:d], [nɒt], [naɪt], [ɪn'saɪd], [men], [naɪs], [faund], [mɔ:dn], [ga:dn], [pɪŋk], [sɪŋ], [`æŋgə], [`læŋwɪdʒ], [`dʒʌŋgl], [θɪŋk], [reɪn], [rɔ:], [praɪm], [breɪn], [fraɪ], [raɪt], [ru:m], [gra:s], [rest], [tri:], [jes], [ju:], [nju:], [`jeləu], [kjuə], [mju:t], [fjuəl], [wɔ:m], [wɔ:k], [həumwə:], [twaɪs], [swi:t], [wə:ld], [kwɪk].

Task 7 Transcribe the following sentences:

1. Many men many minds.

2. Better die standing than live kneeling.

3. Lady Luck dislikes losers.

4. In youth and beauty wisdom is but rare.

5. Robert reads books regularly.

6. He was singing a nice English song.

7. Didn’t this waiter work in Washington last winter?

Task 8 Read the dialogue and act it in pairs: