Consonant sounds

Use your voice for some consonant sounds:

[b], [d], [g], [v], [z], [w], [r], [l], [m], [n], [N] (ring), [G] (jam), [j] (yes), [Z] (vision), [D] (the feather)

Don’t use your voice for some consonant sounds:

[p], [t], [k], [f], [s], [S] (shoe), [C] (cherry), [T] (thin)

Are these consonants voiced or unvoiced? Write (v.) or (unv.)

[p] _______	[f] ________
[t] ________	[v] ________
[z] _______	[D] ________
[k] ________	[T] ________
[g] ________	[N] ________

Sound [p]

126. First practise the target sound /p/ in words from the dialogue. Read the words aloud.

The sound /p/ is louder before a vowel, and fairly loud before 'l' or 'r'.

One-syllable words: pot pie piece spoon plate plane please

Two-syllable words: pencil Peter pepper pocket Poppy postcard pulling Paris airport stupid practise plastic people apple

(The strong stress is always on the first syllable in these words.)

Two-syllable words: surprised perhaps

(The strong stress is always on the second syllable in these words.)

Three-syllable words: passenger newspaper potato impatient pepper pot.

Note on word stress: Word stress doesn't usually change. Bold is used to show you which part of the word is strongly stressed, i.e. which syllable is always pronounced more LOUDLY and s l o w l y than the other(s).

Note on sentence stress: Sentence stress changes with the speaker's meaning. Underlining is used here to show you which words in the sentence are being strongly stressed, i.e. which words are pronounced more LOUDLY and s l o w l y than the others:

It's a piece of potato pie on a plastic plate. Peter is surprised.

The sound /p/ is often quieter at the end of a word.

an envelope with a stamp Help! a pipe

What happens to the quiet sound if the next word begins with a vowel?

a cup of tea Help us!

The sound /p/ is usually quiet and sometimes almost silent before a consonant. Listen and repeat.

empty upstairs dropped help me helpful perhaps Mr Tupman stop shouting stop talking stop pulling

127. Track 39. Listen to the dialogue, paying attention to the target sound. Notice that it is sometimes louder or quieter. Then read the dialogue and fill the gaps (1-6) and (a-f) with the correct words from the boxes. Numbers 1 and a) have been done as examples.

Words 1-6 have a louder /p/ sound:

past pocket passports policeman pepper potato

Words a-f have a quieter /p/ sound:

upstairs stop envelope cup dropped help

Passports, Please

(Mr and Mrs Tupmon are at the airport. They hove just got off the plane from Paris)

OFFICIAL: Passports, please!

MR TUPMAN: Poppy! Poppy! I think I’ve lost the 1 passports!

MRS TUPMAN: How stupid of you, Peter! Didn't you put them in your 2__________ ?

MR TUPMAN: (emptying his pockets) Here's a pen ... a pencil, my pipe ... a postcard ... an a) envelope with a stamp... a pin…

MRS TUPMAN: Oh, b) __________ taking things out of your pockets. Perhaps you put them in the plastic bag.

MR TUPMAN: (emptying the plastic bag) Here's a newspaper an apple ... a pear… a plastic c) __________ … a spoon… some paper plates... a piece of 3 __________ pie … a 4 __________ pot…

MRS TUPMAN: Oh, stop pulling things out of the plastic bag, Peter. These people are getting impatient.

MR TUPMAN: Well, d) __________ me, Poppy.

MRS TUPMAN: (to official) We've lost our passports. Perhaps we e) __________ them on the plane.

OFFICIAL: Then let the other passengers 5__________, please.

MR TUPMAN: Poppy, why don't you help? You aren't being very helpful. Put the things in the plastic bag.

OFFICIAL: Your name. please?

MR TUPMAN: Tupman.

OFFICIAL: Please go f) ___________ with this 6__________ , Mr Tupman.

Listen to the dialogue again to check your answers. Then practice reading the dialogue aloud.