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Reading of Stressed Vowels in Combination with Letter ”r”
VOWEL LETTERs + “R”
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vowel |
+ “r” + vowel + vowel + ”r” + vowel + ”l/n” |
+ “r” + consonant + final “r” |
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Aa |
[εə] fair, fare |
[α:] farm, far |
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Ee |
[ıə] here, hero, neon |
[3:] herbal, her |
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Ii |
[aıə] liar, fire, giant |
[3:] firm, fir |
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Oo |
[ boar, more |
[ north, for |
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Uu |
[(j)υə] pure, sure, fuel |
[3:] surf, fur |
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Yy |
[aıə] tyrant |
[3:] byrd |
:]
:]-
Reading of Vowel Digraphs*
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Aa |
Ee |
Ii |
Oo |
Uu |
Yy |
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Aa |
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[i:] formulae |
[eı] aid [aı] balalaika [æ] plaid [e] said
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[α:] aunt [ɔ:] August [ɒ] sausage [əυ] aubergine |
[eı] way [e] says [ə] always [ı] Monday
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Ee |
[i:] sea [eı] great [ıə] idea [e] bread |
[i:] need |
[i:] ceiling [eı] beige [aı] either [e] leisure |
[i:] people [ıə] theory [e] leopard |
[(j)u:] neutral [jυə] Europe |
[i:] key [ı] money [eı] they |
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Ii |
[ə] Parliament [aıə] diamond |
[aı] tie [i:] achieve [ı] Freddie [e] friend |
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[ıə] patriot [aıə] lion |
[aıə] triumph |
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Oo |
[əυ] oak [ɔ:] broad
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[u:] shoe |
[ɔI] boil [ə] tortoise [ı] connoisseur
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[əυ] brooch [u:] food [υ] foot [Λ] blood |
[əυ] soul [u:] you [υ] could [aυ] thousand [Λ] courage [ɒ] cough [ɔ:] ought |
[ |
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Uu |
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[u:] true [υə] cruel |
[(j)u:] juice [ı] biscuit |
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[aı] buy |
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Yy |
[aıə] hyacinth |
[aı] bye |
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[(j)əυ] yoga |
|
|
ı]
loyal
Principles of Reading Vowel Digraphs
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The 1st letter is read in its primary long meaning: sea [i:], oak [əυ], etc.;
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The 2nd letter is read in its primary long meaning: neutral [u:], either [aı], etc.;
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Two letters are read in their primary short meanings, forming a diphthong: beige [eı], they [eı], boil [ɔI], oyster [ɔI];
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One of the letters is read in its primary short or secondary meaning: aunt [ɑ:], theory [ıə], etc.
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Reading of Unstressed Vowels.
Vowels in unstressed syllables in disyllabic and polysyllabic words usually denote the neutral sound [ə] and short [ı].
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The letters ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘y’ denote the sound [ı]: rocket, bandit, funny.
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The letters ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’ denote the sound [ə]: Poland, bottom, cactus.
BUT -age [ı] (message), -ate [ə/ı] (delicate), -ible [ı/ə] (terrible).
|
LETTER |
MEANING(S) |
EXAMPLES |
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Bb |
[b] |
Boy, baby |
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Cc |
[s] – before e, i, y [k] [∫] – before unstressed vowels |
City, cycle Come , cat Social, musician, delicious, special |
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Dd |
[d] – after vowels & voiced consonants in endings [t] – after voiceless consonants in endings |
Played, rained Stopped, watched |
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Ff |
[f] [v] |
Fine, film of |
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Gg |
[dʒ] – before e, i, y [g] [ʒ] – in words of French origin |
Gym, gentle, angel Game, grow !!!girl Garage, rouge, beige |
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Hh |
[h] |
Hello, hamster |
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Jj |
[dʒ] |
Jane, joy |
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Kk |
[k] |
Kettle, kitchen |
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Ll |
[l] |
Lemon, little |
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Mm |
[m] |
Money, mirror |
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Nn |
[n] |
Nose, novel |
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Pp |
[p] |
Pepper, pick |
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[k] – at the end of words [kw] |
Unique, technique Quarrel, quality |
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Rr |
[r] |
Right, reality |
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Ss |
[s] – at the beginning of words, after voiceless consonants in endings [z] – after vowels & voiced consonants [∫] [ʒ] |
Son, stops, caps
Mends, advertise impression, sugar insurance Measure, pleasure, usual, illusion |
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Tt |
[t] [t∫] [∫] |
Take, water Nature, future, Nation, education, initial, ambition |
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Vv |
[v] |
Van, cover |
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Ww |
[w] |
Wood, wet |
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Xx |
[ks] [k∫]\[gz] [gʒ] – before a stressed vowel |
Box, fox Luxury\ luxurious Luxury |
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Zz |
[z] |
Zero, zebra |
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The letter combinations ‘vowel + the letter ‘r” give the neutral [ə]: dollar, dinner, doctor, nature.
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In the letter combination ‘vowel + vowel + consonant’ (-ial, -ion, -our, -ous etc.) we pronounce the neutral [ə]: initial, division, labour, generous.
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In the letter combinations ‘vowel + consonant + consonant (+ consonant/vowel)’ (-able, -ance, -ent etc.) we pronounce [ə]: capable, attendance, student.
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In the letter combinations ‘consonant + vowel + consonant (+ vowel)’ we can pronounce:
a) the neutral [ə]: freedom;
b) the neutral [ə] or short [ı]: careless;
c) the neutral [ə] or short [υ]: awful.
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The letters ‘o’ and ‘u’ in an open syllable and after a stressed syllable have their primary long meanings: sambo [əυ], costume [ju:].
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An unstressed vowel is not pronounced, as a rule, in the following cases:
a) e+ l\n (at the end of a word): seven [\sevn];
b) i+l (at the end of a word): pupil [\pju:pl];
c) o+n (at the end of a word): lesson [\lesn]