Improving Your Pronunciation Prof Myrna Monllor English 112

Improving Your Pronunciation Prof. Myrna Monllor English 112

Why is correct pronunciation important? Increases your selfconfidence. Makes what you say understandable. Makes you sound more natural, like a native speaker.

Rhythm • Words in English have stressed and unstressed syllables. Improve Mistakes • Sentences in English also have stressed and unstressed words.

Strong Words (Stressed) • Nouns • Main Verbs • Adjectives • Adverbs • Negatives (don’t, didn’t…) When you speak English, emphasize the strong words.

Weak Words (Unstressed) • • • Pronouns Forms of the verb TO BE Prepositions/Articles Auxiliary verbs Conjunctions

Vowel Sounds • The 26 letters of the alphabet do not represent all the sounds in English. The letter a for example has 5 sounds. • View the following video to listen to the pronunciation of the sounds of English http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=MPsz 6 QVZe. VE

1 Pronouncing Regular Verbs in the Past Tense

Words with /ed/ sound Base Form ends in t or d sound • • Accepted Attended Stated Communicated Divided Credited Investigated Shouted • • • Greeted Added Defeated Subtracted Quoted Suggested

Words with /t/ sound Base form of the verb ends in gh, f, c, k, g, s, ch, sh, p • • • Thanked Accomplished Changed Cooked Matched • • • Laughed Exchanged Washed Talked Mopped Worked

Words with /d/ sound Any other sound • • Achieved Learned Sponsored Dined Answered Argued Listened • • • Agreed Studied Earned Called Arrived Cried

Sentences in the Past She accepted his invitation. We looked for the book. They argued all the time. We exchanged the airplane tickets. We divided the cake into equal parts. We thanked him for the gift. Universidad del Sagrado Corazón sponsored the T. V. program. • The nurses assisted the doctor. • •

Sentences in the Past • • • The businessman attended the meeting. We danced all night. She answered the phone. They communicated through their cell phones. We apologized for our lateness. She cooked for her family. He shaved every morning. The couple dined at a nice restaurant. We listened to the radi 0 program.

Sentences in the Past • • • She sneezed loudly. She agreed to visit me. Yesterday he washed the car. Their clothes matched. They studied a lot. He earned a lot of money this year. We called him this morning. We talked to our friends. We changed our clothes.

Th sound

/Th/ initial position • • think thing thief thigh Thought three throughout • • threaten thriller thrilling throw throne thirty thin thirsty thoroughly theology theory therapist

Final/central Position • • tooth teeth truth south north fifth sixth seventh • • ethical synthesis synthetic eleventh philanthropist philanthropy photosynthesis enthusiasm enthusiastic birth monthly

/f/ gh final position • • tough rough laughing laughed cough enough Exception though, even though, although

/t/ ght • • Taught Thought Brought Caught Fought Fight tight

Pronunciation Exercise Was the thief caught by the police? Did therapist laugh at you? Life in a violent environment is tough. Experts believe access to pornography affects people’s behavior. • Even though he got a good grade, he didn’t study much. • •

Pronunciation Exercise • The therapist taught us how to exercise correctly. • I studied philosophy in the eleventh grade. • Ricky Martin is a philanthropist. • Different ethnic groups live in Brazil. • The philosopher explained the ethical issues related to abortion.

Pronunciation Exercise • • My birthday is in July, a summer month. I lost my first tooth in the fourth grade. His enthusiasm surprised me. The thief was brought to the police station in the South Bronx.

Dropping the end sound of words In English there are many words that end in with two or three consonant sounds. Text Test Mind Find Script Comb

Y sound in initial position Yourself Years Youth Yellow

Words beginning with S • • Street Staff Strange Stay Spain Spicy Spinach Spine

Shorter and Longer Vowel Sounds Leave-live Pool-pull Reach-rich Sheep-ship Heat-hit Beat-bit

Ch versus Sh Church Chicken Children Choose Challenge Chip Chin • • Shy Should Shocking Shirt Ship Shine short

V versus B • • Very Vast Vibrant Video Vaccine Vampire Vain Volume • • • Berry Bath Bean Been Biology Blood

When the ch sounds like k • • Chemistry Ache Chorus Echo Chaos Anchor Monarch Orchids

Thought Which where 3 Think 2 1 Troublesome Words island

Online Sources for Pronunciation • http: //howjsay. com • https: //www. merriam-webster. com/