Sounds of EnglishSounds of English

The sounds of English are grouped The sounds of English are grouped into three.into three.

These are the:These are the:

VowelsVowels

Consonant soundsConsonant sounds

DiphthongsDiphthongs

VOWEL SOUNDSVOWEL SOUNDS

Vowels - may be defined as those sounds which are produced without blocking or constricting the passage of air. They are formed by the movement of the tongue and the lips. These sounds are further classified into three depending on which part of the tongue is active in their production.

They are called front vowels if the front part of the tongue is active; central or middle vowels if the middle part is active; and back vowels if the rear part is active.

These sounds may also be described These sounds may also be described either as high mild or low depending either as high mild or low depending on the height of the jaw when they are on the height of the jaw when they are produced. Furthermore, they may be produced. Furthermore, they may be considered as round, spread, and considered as round, spread, and neutral depending on the shape of the neutral depending on the shape of the shape of the lips as they are produced. shape of the lips as they are produced.

Finally they may also be described as Finally they may also be described as the tense or lax depending on whether the tense or lax depending on whether or not there is tightening in the throat.or not there is tightening in the throat.

Vowels form the core of most syllables. Vowels form the core of most syllables. They also carry information about stress They also carry information about stress

(Pennington, 1996)(Pennington, 1996)

/i/

Front Central Back

/0/

/c/

/u/

/U/

/æ/

/ε/

/e/

// //

// //

/D/

/αα//

High

Medium

Low

Figure 4: Vowel Chart

Notice that your lips should be spread Notice that your lips should be spread as, you produce the following vowels:as, you produce the following vowels:

/i/ as in beat, heat, leak, key, meet, seat, /i/ as in beat, heat, leak, key, meet, seat, amoeba, Caesar, Phoenixamoeba, Caesar, Phoenix

/l/ as in bit, hit, lick, kit, sit, grill, been, /l/ as in bit, hit, lick, kit, sit, grill, been, captain, marriage, delicatecaptain, marriage, delicate

/e/ as in abate, hate, lake, Kate, sate, Cay, /e/ as in abate, hate, lake, Kate, sate, Cay, mate, cape, gaol, grate,mate, cape, gaol, grate,

//εε/ as in bet, bread, let, set, any, second, / as in bet, bread, let, set, any, second, jeopardy, Leonard, spreadjeopardy, Leonard, spread

/æ/ as in bat, hat, lack, sat, man, anger, /æ/ as in bat, hat, lack, sat, man, anger, sack, cap, jam, hamburgersack, cap, jam, hamburger

Your lips should be neutral (neither Your lips should be neutral (neither spread nor rounded) as you produce the spread nor rounded) as you produce the

following vowels:following vowels:

/// (schwa) as in about, particular, lesson, solution, towel, sofa, moment

// as in mother, love, onion, oven, brother, judge, cup, cut, much

This time, round your lips as you produce the following vowels:

/u/ as in boot, hoot, balloon, soon, taboo, /u/ as in boot, hoot, balloon, soon, taboo, cocoon, pool, music, groomcocoon, pool, music, groom

/U/ as in pull, book, could, would, sugar, /U/ as in pull, book, could, would, sugar, push, pull, hook, cookpush, pull, hook, cook

/o/ as in boat, coat, hope, phone, own most, /o/ as in boat, coat, hope, phone, own most, chose, loan bestowchose, loan bestow

/c/ as in bought, caught, hawk, pawn, jaw, /c/ as in bought, caught, hawk, pawn, jaw, law, saw, draw, thoughtlaw, saw, draw, thought

//αα/ as in dark, father, arm, farm, party, / as in dark, father, arm, farm, party, sergeant, psalm, balm, calmsergeant, psalm, balm, calm

Consonant Consonant soundssounds

These are sounds which are produced These are sounds which are produced when the passage of air is either when the passage of air is either completely or partially obstructed.completely or partially obstructed.

There are two main groups of There are two main groups of consonants:consonants:

a.a. PLOSIVES PLOSIVES these are sounds formed by these are sounds formed by

completely obstructing the stream of completely obstructing the stream of air with either the lips or the tongue air with either the lips or the tongue and then suddenly releasing it. and then suddenly releasing it.

Consonant Consonant SoundsSounds

b. CONTINUANTSb. CONTINUANTS

these are sounds formed by partially these are sounds formed by partially blocking the stream of air with the blocking the stream of air with the lips or the teeth. Continuants are lips or the teeth. Continuants are further classified into fricatives, further classified into fricatives, affricates, and approximants.affricates, and approximants.

Consonant Consonant SoundsSounds

According to manner of articulation, According to manner of articulation, consonants are classified as nasals, consonants are classified as nasals, stops, fricatives, affricates and stops, fricatives, affricates and approximants. According to place of approximants. According to place of articulation, consonants are classified as articulation, consonants are classified as bilabial (lips), alveolar (alveolar or gum bilabial (lips), alveolar (alveolar or gum ridge), velar (velum or soft palate), ridge), velar (velum or soft palate), labiodental (lips and teeth), palatal (hard labiodental (lips and teeth), palatal (hard palate), glottal (glottis). palate), glottal (glottis).

These consonants may be described as These consonants may be described as either voiceless or voiced. They are either voiceless or voiced. They are considered voiced when the vocal considered voiced when the vocal cords vibrate as the sounds are cords vibrate as the sounds are produced, and voiceless when they produced, and voiceless when they don’t. example of voice consonants don’t. example of voice consonants are /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /are /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, //, //, /зз/, /, and /and /d d зз/. The following are examples of /. The following are examples of voiceless consonants: /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, voiceless consonants: /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /∫/, //∫/, /θθ/, and //, and /†š/†š/..

Read aloud the following Read aloud the following wordswords

Breath – breatheBreath – breathe bath – bathebath – bathe

choke – jokechoke – joke they – daythey – day

false – fallsfalse – falls fission –visionfission –vision

speech – spitsspeech – spits she – see she – see

edge – etchedge – etch knife – knivesknife – knives

bat – patbat – pat thought - taught thought - taught

Diphthongs Diphthongs

a diphthong is a combination of two vowel a diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds blended in one syllable. It has no sounds blended in one syllable. It has no longer duration than a pure vowel sound longer duration than a pure vowel sound to the other. In the production of a to the other. In the production of a diphthong, the tongue moves from one diphthong, the tongue moves from one vowel sound to the other.vowel sound to the other.

The The diphthongs diphthongs

are:are:[ai][ai] [ou][ou] [oi][oi] [au][au] [ei][ei]

SlightSlight growgrow soilsoil brownbrown paintpaint

LightLight knowknow coycoy downdowngraingrain

CryCry sowsow boyboy ouchouch reignreign

GlideGlide rowrow boilboil toweltowelfeignfeign

DriveDrive bestowbestow broilbroil endowendow deigndeign

What are the pitfalls of Filipino speakers What are the pitfalls of Filipino speakers of English? These are the sounds not of English? These are the sounds not found in our mother tongue and have to found in our mother tongue and have to be learned as new sounds. be learned as new sounds.

Vowels:Vowels: [e] [[e] [æ] [o] [æ] [o] []

Consonants: [f] [v] [] [t] [θθ] [d] [dЗЗ] [z] [] [z] [ЗЗ]]

Here is partial list of words some Filipino Here is partial list of words some Filipino speakers often find difficult to pronounce speakers often find difficult to pronounce

distinctly.distinctly.mum – mom – ma’ammum – mom – ma’am

cup – cop – capcup – cop – capblonde – bland – blendblonde – bland – blendgrin – greengrin – greensow – sawsow – sawno – gnawno – gnawcoat – caughtcoat – caughtcalled - coldcalled - coldthought – taughtthought – taughtmeat – met - matemeat – met - mate

hut – hot - hat hut – hot - hat adopt – adapt – adeptadopt – adapt – adept live – leavelive – leave it – eat- eightit – eat- eight loan – lawnloan – lawn slow – slaw (coleslaw)slow – slaw (coleslaw) law – lowlaw – low roll – roleroll – role speech – spitsspeech – spits cut – cot- catcut – cot- cat