The vowel sound /e/ as in ‘hen’.
Read the instruction to learn how to make the sound /e/.
T
he
tongue is in the front part of the mouth. The front of the tongue is
raised to the hard palate but not so high as for/
ı
/.
The air passage is rather wide, the jaw is lowered and the distance
between the upper and lower teeth is wider than in pronouncing /ı
/.
The
lips are loosely spread.
Listen to the target sound and the words and repeat. Look at the mouth diagrams to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound. Transcribe the words.
/e e e/
|
Spelling variations for the /e/ sound. |
Highlighted bold letters are pronounced as /e/. |
|
e eo ea ei ay |
sensible, wren, beg, bent, gentle, generosity leopard, jeopardy head, wealth, measure, pleasure, thread, leather leisure, Leicester, friend says |
Read these words with the sound /e/. Transcribe them.
Men, death, check, end, lemon, sweat, head, red, shelf, bury, leisure, measure, met, friend, leg, ready, burier, friendship, set, said, bell, test, many, press.
Listen to the sentences and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.
‘It’s best for your pet’s health to rest’, said an educated vet to a wealthy gentlemen.
Educated men have always measured every word they said.
Twenty-seven shepherds hesitated before entering the sheep-pen.
It’s a real pleasure to rest on a nice leather sofa.
A red leather jacket was well presented on the display.
The weather was wet and windy when the men were mending the fence.
Listen and copy the intonation and voice modulation on the CD.
L
et
us gaily tread
the measure,
Make the most of fleeting leisure;
Every moment brings a treasure,
Of its own especial pleasure…
Let us gaily tread the measure.
Listen to the dialogues. Intone them. Learn and reproduce, paying attention to the pronunciation of the sounds /e/ and /æ/, intonation and tempo.
Dialogue 1
- When?
- Next Wednesday.
- Yes?
- Take the ten-past-ten bus.
- Yes…?
- Get there at ten.
- Yes.
- Any questions?
- Yes!
Dialogue 2
- Ben said there were ten men.
- Ken said there were twenty men.
- Ben said the men were dressed in red.
- Ken said the men were dressed in yellow.
- Ben said the men were dead.
- Ken said the men were dead.
- Ben said ten men.
- Ken said twenty.
The vowel sound /æ/ as in “bag”.
R
ead
the instruction to learn how to make the long sound /æ/.
The mouth is more open than for /e/. The tongue is in the front part of the mouth. The front of the tongue is rather low. The air passage is wider than for the English /e/. The jaw is lowered.
Listen to the target sound and the words and repeat. Look at the mouth diagrams to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound. Transcribe the words.
/æ æ æ/
|
Spelling variations for the /æ/ sound. |
Highlighted bold letters are pronounced as /æ/. |
|
a |
Japanese, barrage, nationalities, bad, happened, land, understand, activity, prank, miraculous, panther, ragged, man, actually |
Read these words with the sound /æ/. Transcribe them.
Mad, bag, ham, sang, back, has, pan, can, tram, hat, cash, stand, bank, catch, match.
Listen to the sentences and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.
A black fat cat was sad when he couldn’t grab a slice of ham.
It can be quite a challenge to manage a marriage.
A man who looked unhappy sang a sad bad mad romantic song.
As a habit I add some tomato to my hamburger.
Standing hand in hand, the man asked Jan for her hand in marriage.
Can you manage to carry those magazines back to the rack?
Listen and copy the intonation and voice modulation on the CD.
W
hat
was that?
It was the cat!
Pall ashore in fashion steady,
For the clergyman is ready
To unite the happy pair.
Listen to the tongue twister. Learn it by heart. Practice saying it as quickly as you can. Be careful not to mispronounce the target sound
/ æ /.
Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
Practice reading the tongue twister as quickly as you can. Be careful not to mispronounce the target sound / æ /.
A slightly fat cat sat on a mat and ate a bad fat rat;
Kat said: “Let him go to bed, because he looks sad,
Almost already dead, he isn’t even fat and has a black hat”.
Listen to the dialogues. Intone them. Learn and reproduce, paying attention to the pronunciation of the sounds / i: / and / ı /, intonation and tempo.
Dialogue 3
- Have you got a marrow, Mr Sparrow?
- A marrow, madam? Yes,… there’s this one, and that… and there’s that.
- Oh, that’s a nice fat marrow. Yes, I’ll have that. Will you wrap it in paper for me?
- Gladly, Mrs Bradley. There you are. Now, madam… apples? Or… carrots, perhaps?
- Er… Actually, it’s Miss Bradley, Mr Sparrow.
Dialogue 4
- Alfred owns a bank, Ann.
- I’m going to marry Frank, Dad.
- Harry owns a jam factory, Ann.
- I want to marry Frank, Dad.
- Marry Alfred, Ann. Or marry Harry.
- Frank, Dad! I’m going to marry Frank!
- Ann, you’re mad!
- I’ve had a word with Grandfather.
- Your grandfather’s mad too!
- Dad…
- Yes?
- I’m glad you didn’t marry Miss Parry.
Listen to the words with sounds /e/ and /æ/ in contrast and repeat. Look at the mouth diagrams to help you position your lips.
|
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
|
men guessed fed hem hetero wren |
man gassed fad ham hank rank |
bed pet ten said breath kettle |
bag pat tan sad bandage candle |
e/
æ/
e/
æ/
Read the contrasted sounds / e / and / æ /. Transcribe the words.
ten - tan den - dad mesh - mash deb - dab
bet - bat let – land dead - Dad mess - mass
pen - pan set – sand sex - sacks teg - tag
Read the following sentences. Mind the right articulation of the sounds / e / and / æ /.
It’s best to rest, said the vet to the pet.
Ted met his best friend and they went to test the bell.
The fat cat sat on the man’s black hat.
Check if the burier is ready.
Many men have hats on their heads.
Can Sam measure cash in that black bag?
Listen to the tongue twister. Learn it by heart. Practice saying it as quickly as you can. Be careful not to mispronounce the target sounds /e/ and /æ/.
Mary Mac's mother's making Mary Mac marry me. My mother's making me marry Mary Mac. Will I always be so Merry when Mary's taking care of me? Will I always be so merry when I marry Mary Mac?
Listen to the dialogue. Intone it. Learn and reproduce, paying attention to the pronunciation of the sounds /e/ and /æ/, intonation and tempo.
Dialogue 5
- Get a pet, Pat.
- Alan, I’ve got a pet. I’ve got a cat!
- That terrible black cat outside?
- Terrible?
- That smelly cat?
- Alice is an elegant cat.
- Mm. Well, perhaps that cat at the back isn’t Alice.
- Alice! Puss-puss! Alice! Alice, you haven’t met Alan. Puss-puss!... Now Alan, this is
Alice.
- Yes, Pat (sniffs). Yes, that’s Alice.
********************************
Learn the following graphical rules:
Vowel / e / is represented in spelling by:
the letter “e” in closed accented syllables (red)
the diagraphs “ea” before “d”, “th” (bread, weather), “s” /3/ (pleasure, measure);
in words: heavy, pleasant, peasant, health, wealth, meant, breakfast, weapon, any, many, says, said and some other such like.
“ie” (friend)
“ei” + /3/ (leisure)
letter “u” (bury)
Vowel / æ / is represented in spelling by:
the letter “a” in closed syllables (bag, glad)
Note: A number of disyllabic words with the accented letter “a” in an open syllable fall under this rule (family, cavity, palate)
Find Ukrainian equivalents to the proverbs and sayings, learn them:
/ e /
Many men, many minds.
Better to do well than to say well.
Better late than never, but better never late.
All is well that ends well.
Better an egg today, that a hen tomorrow.
Wealth is nothing without health.
No weather is ill when the wind is still.
Two heads are better than one.
Eat at pleasure, drink with measure.
/ æ /
No living man all things can.
Who chatters to you will chatter of you.
Habits cure habits.
Healthful habits make healthy body.
One man, no man.
He who hatches matches hatches catches.
That’s the man who sat on my hat in the tram.
A black cat sat on a mat and ate a bad fat rat.