Contents

PREFACE 4

KEY TO PHONEMIC AND OTHER SYMBOLS 5

ACADEMIC THEMATIC SYLLABUS 6

NOTES ON ENGLISH PHONETICS 7

THE ORGANS OF SPEECH 7

ARTICULATION BASIS OF ENGLISH 8

THE ENGLISH VOWEL SYSTEM 8

THE ENGLISH CONSONAT SYSTEM 11

VOWEL REDUCTION 12

ASSIMILATION 14

WORD STRESS 16

ENGLISH INTONATION. ITS COMPONENTS 17

THE SEGMENTS OF THE INTONATION GROUP 18 THE SYSTEM OF SCALES 19

TERMINAL TONES 24

SENTENCE STRESS 27

LOGICAL STRESS 30

SOME RULES OF SYNTAGMATIC DIVISION 30

GRAPHICAL RULES 33

TONGUE TWISTERS 41

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS 45

WORD STRESS 45

LINKING OF WORDS IN CONNECTED SPEECH 46

ASSIMILATION 47

RHYTHM AND RHYTHMIC GROUPS 53

SCALES AND TERMINAL TONES 54

WORD PHONETIC ANALYSIS MODEL 58

SENTENCE PHONETIC ANALYSIS MODEL 58

PREPARATORY TESTS 59

PEDAGOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF PRONUNCIATION ERRORS 63

PHONETIC AND GRAMMAR TERMS 65

RECOMMENDED LITERATURE 70

Preface

English Pronunciation Made Simple: An Introductory Course for Students of English is designed to help first-year students acquire correct articulation, practise rhythm and basic intonation patterns of the English language. The book is an attempt to fill a real gap in the materials available on practical phonetics.

The bulk of the theoretical material on English practical phonetics presented in the manual has been used for many years in teaching first-year students and has, in the authors’ opinion, passed the test of time.

In preparing the manual for publication, the authors have enlarged the original material by including exercises in practising English articulation and intonation, the list of tongue twisters, preparatory tests and a list of phonetic and grammar terms with transcription.

The material presented has been developed for use in the classroom as well for students working alone.

The manual concentrates on elements of pronunciation which help students to overcome difficulties in acquiring English pronunciation, understand and be understood in English as well as develop a competence for effective speaking.

Key to phonemic and other symbols

Vowels

Short vowels	Long vowels	Diphthongs
/pit, it wet, end cat, apple run, up hot, opposite put, would ago, doctor  	/i:/ see, eat part, arm saw, always too, you her, early	day, eight  my, eyes boy, join low, open how, out near, here hair, where tourist

Consonants

/b/ bee, about /d/ do, side /f/ fat, safe // go, big /h/ hat, behind /j/ yet, you /k/ key, week /l/ led, allow

/m/ map, lamp /n/ nose, any /p/ pen, sop /r/ red, around /s/ soon, us /t/ ten, last /v/ vet, live /w/ wet, swim

/z/ zoo, loves /general, age / hang, hoping /that, other thin, bath ship, push measure, usual chin, catch

Other symbols

/ 

 

 the Low Fall

m the High Fall

m the Low Rise

m the High Rise

↑m Accidental/Special Rise

m the Fall-Rise

m Rise-Fall

m the stressed syllable of the Sliding Scale

m the stressed syllable in the Scandent Scale