A guide to
speaking and pronouncing colloquial American English
Second Edition
Ann Cook
Illustrated by
Holly Forsyth Audio by Busy
Signal Studios
BARRON'S
This book is
dedicated to Nate Cook.
Also, my
special thanks for their extensive contributions to my editor, Dimitry Popow,
Carolyn Jaeckin, Dr. Maria Bruno, Karina Lombard, Dr. Hyouk-Keun Kim, Ph.D.,
Karl Althaus, Adrian Wong, Sergey Korshunov, and Jerry Danielson at Busy Signal
Studios.
©
Copyright 2000
by Ann Cook, http://www.americanaccent.com
Prior edition
copyright © 1991 by Ann Cook.
Portions of
this book were previously published by Matrix Press.
©
Copyright 1989 by Matrix Press
All
right reserved.
No
part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photostat, microfilm,
xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval
system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the
publisher.
All
inquiries should be addressed to: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 250 Wireless
Boulevard Hauppauge,NY11788 http://www.
barronseduc. com
International
Standard Book No. 0-7641-1429-8 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.
99-75495
PRINTED IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 987654321
Желательно
иметь
шрифт WP
Phonetic
Read This First
CD 1 Track 1. 12
Accent versus
Pronunciation. 13
"Which Accent Is
Correct?". 13
"Why Is My Accent So
Bad?". 13
Less Than It Appears ... More Than
It Appears. 13
Language Is Fluent and
Fluid. 14
A Few Words On Pronunciation
CD
1 Track 2. 14
Voiced Consonants? Unvoiced
Consonants?. 15
Preliminary Diagnostic Analysis
CD 1 Track 3. 17
Chapter 1
American Intonation. 18
The American Speech Music
CD 1 Track 4. 18
What to Do with Your Mouth to Sound
American. 18
American Intonation Do's and
Don'ts. 18
What Exactly Is Staircase
Intonation?. 19
Three Ways to Make
Intonation. 20
Exercise 1-1: Rubber Band Practice
with Nonsense Syllables CD 1 Track
5. 20
Staircase Intonation
CD 1 Track 6. 21
Statement Intonation with
Nouns. 21
Statement Intonation with
Pronouns
CD 1 Track 8. 22
Exercise 1-3; Noun and Pronoun Intonation
CD 1 Track 9. 22
Statement Versus Question Intonation
CD 1 Track 10. 22
Emotional or Rhetorical Question
Intonation. 23
Exercise 1-4: Sentence Intonation Test
CD 1 Track 11. 24
Exercise 1-5: Four Main Reasons for
Intonation
CD 1 Track 12. 24
Exercise 1-6: Pitch and Meaning
Change
CD
1 Track 13. 24
Exercise 1-7: Individual
Practice
CD 1 Track 14. 25
Exercise 1-8: Meaning of
"Pretty"
CD 1 Track 15. 25
Exercise 1-9: Inflection
CD 1 Track 16. 25
Exercise 1-10; Individual
Practice
CD 1 Track 17. 26
Exercise 1-11: Translation
CD 1 Track 18. 27
Exercise 1-12: Create Your Own
Intonation Contrast
CD 1 Track 19. 27
Exercise 1-13: Variable Stress
CD 1 Track 20. 28
Exercise 1 -14: Make a Variable
Stress Sentence
CD 1 Track 21. 28
Application of Intonation
CD 1 Track 22. 28
Exercise 1 -15: Application of
Stress
CD 1 Track 23. 29
How You Talk Indicates to
People How You Are
CD 1 Track
24. 29
Exercise 1-16: Paragraph Intonation
Practice
CD 1 Track 25. 30
Exercise 1-17: Staircase Intonation
Practice
CD 1 Track 26. 30
Exercise 1-18: Reading with
Staircase Intonation
CD 1 Track 27. 30
Exercise 1-19: Spelling and
Numbers
CD 1 Track 28. 31
Exercise 1-20; Sound/Meaning Shifts
CD 1 Track 29. 31
Exercise 1-21: Squeezed-Out Syllables CD 1 Track
30. 32
Syllable
Stress CD 1 Track 31. 32
Syllable Count Intonation
Patterns. 32
Exercise 1-22: Syllable Patterns
CD 1 Track 32. 32
Exercise 1-22: Syllable Patterns
continued
CD
1 Track 32. 33
Exercise 1-22; Syllable Patterns
continued
CD 1 Track 32. 34
Exercise 1-23; Syllable Count Test
CD 1 Track 33. 35
Word Count Intonation Patterns
CD 1 Track 34. 36
Exercise 1-24: Single-Word
Phrases
CD 1 Track 35. 37
Descriptive Phrases
CD Track 36. 37
Exercise 1-25: Sentence Stress with
Descriptive Phrases
CD 1 Track 37. 38
Exercise 1 -26: Two Types of
Descriptive Phrases
CD 1 Track 38. 38
Exercise 1 -26: Two Types of
Descriptive Phrases continued
CD1 Track
38. 38
Exercise 1-27: Descriptive Phrase
Story—The Ugly Duckling
CD1 Track 39. 39
A Cultural Indoctrination to American
Norms. 39
Exercise 1-28: Sentence Stress with
Set Phrases
CD 1 Track 41. 40
Exercise 1-29: Making Set
Phrases
CD 1 Track 42. 40
Exercise 1-30: Set Phrase Story—The
Little Match Girl
CD 1 Track 43. 41
Contrasting a Description and a Set
Phrase. 41
Exercise 1-31: Contrasting
Descriptive and Set Phrases
CD 1 Track 44. 41
Exercise 1-32: Two-Word Stress
CD 1 Track 45. 42
Descriptive Phrase
Set
Phrase. 43
Summary of Stress in Two-Word
Phrases. 44
Exercise 1-33; Nationality
Intonation Quiz CD 2 Track 1. 44
Exercise 1-34: Contrasting
Descriptive and Set Phrases
CD 2 Track 2. 45
Exercise 1-35: Contrast of Compound
Nouns
CD 2 Track 3. 45
Exercise
1-36: Description and
Set Phrase Test
CD
2 Track 4. 46
Exercise 1-37: Descriptions and Set
Phrases—Goldilocks
CD 2 Track 5. 47
Grammar in a Nutshell
CD 2 Track 6. 47
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About
Grammar... But Were Afraid to Use. 47
Exercise 1-38; Consistent Noun
Stress in Changing Verb Tenses
CD 2 Track 7. 48
Exercise 1-39: Consistent Pronoun
Stress In Changing Verb Tenses
CD 2 Track 8. 49
Exercise 1-40: Intonation in Your
Own Sentence
CD 2 Track 9. 50
Exercise 1 -40: Intonation in Hour
Own Sentence continued
CD 2 Track
9. 51
1-40: Intonation in Your Own
Sentence continued CD 2 Track 9. 52
Exercise 1-41: Supporting Words
CD 2 Track 10. 52
Exercise 1 -42: Contrast
Practice
CD 2 Track 11. 53
Exercise 1 -43; Yes, You Can
or No, You Can't?
CD 2 Track
12. 53
Exercise 1 -44: Building an
Intonation Sentence
CD 2 Track
13. 53
Exercise 1 -46: Regular Transitions
of Nouns and Verbs
CD 2 Track 15. 55
Exercise 1-47: Regular Transitions
of Adjectives and Verbs
CD 2 Track
n. 56
Exercise 1-48; Regular Transitions
of Adjectives and Verbs
CD 2 Track 17. 56
The Miracle Technique
CD 2 Track 18. 56
A Child Can Learn Any
Language. 57
Exercise 1 -49: Tell Me Wədai
Say!
CD 2 Track
19. 57
Exercise 1-50: Listening for Pure
Sounds
CD 2 Track 21. 57
Exercise 1-51 : Extended Listening
Practice
CD 2 Track 22. 58
Reduced Sounds
CD
2 Track 24. 58
Reduced Sounds Are
"Valleys". 58
Exercise 1-52; Reducing Articles
CD
2 Track 25. 59
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds
CD 2 Track 26. 59
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds continued
CD 2 Track 26. 60
Exercise 1-53; Reduced Sounds continued
CD 2
track 26. 61
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds continued
CD 2 Track 26. 62
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds
continued
CD 2 Track 26. 63
Exercise 1 -53: Reduced Sounds
continued
CD 2 Track 26. 63
Exercise 1-54: Intonation and
Pronunciation of "That"
CD 2 Track 27. 64
Exercise 1-55: Crossing Out Reduced
Sounds
CD 2 Track 28. 65
Exercise 1-56; Reading Reduced
Sounds
CD 2 Track 29. 65
Word Groups and Phrasing
CD 2 Track 30. 65
Pauses for Related Thoughts, Ideas,
or for Breathing. 65
Exercise 1-57: Phrasing
CD Track 31. 66
Exercise 1-58: Creating Word
Groups
CD
2 Track 32. 66
Exercise 1-59: Practicing Word
Groups
CD 2 Track 33. 66
Exercise 1-60: Tag Endings
CD 2 Track 34. 67
Chapter 2.
Word Connections
CD 2 Track 35. 68
Exercise 2-1 : Spelling and
Pronunciation
CD 2 Track 36. 68
Liaison Rule 1 : Consonant /
Vowel 69
Exercise 2-2: Word Connections
CD 2 Track 37. 69
Exercise 2-3: Spelling and Number
Connections
CD 2 Track 38. 69
What's the Difference Between a
Vowel and a Consonant?. 69
Exercise 2-4: Consonant / Vowel Liaison
Practice
CD 2 Track 39. 69
Exercise 2-4: Consonant / Vowel Liaison Practice continued
CD 2 Track 39. 70
Liaison Rule 2: Consonant / Consonant 70
Exercise 2-5: Consonant /Consonant
Liaisons
CD 2 Track 40. 70
Exercise 2-6: Consonant / Consonant
Liaisons
CD 2 track 41. 71
Exercise 2-7: Liaisons with TH
Combination
CD 2 Track 42. 71
Exercise 2-8: Consonant / Consonant
Liaison Practice
CD 2 Track 43. 72
Liaison Rule 3: Vowel /
Vowel 72
Exercise 2-9: Vowel / Vowel Liaison
Practice
CD 2 Track 44. 72
Liaison Rule 4: T, D, S, or Z +
Y.. 73
Exercise 2-10; T, D, S, or Z + Y
Liaisons
CD 2 Track 45. 73
Exercise 2-10: T, D, S, or Z + Y Liaisons
continued
CD 2 Track
45. 73
Exercise 2-10: T, D, S, or Z + Y Liaisons
continued
CD 2 Track 45. 74
Exercise 2-11:T, D, S, or Z + Y Liaison
Practice
CD 2 Track 46. 74
Exercise 2-12; Finding Liaisons and
Glides
CD 2 Track 47. 75
Exercise 2-13: Practicing
Liaisons
CD 3 Track 1. 75
Exercise 2-14: Additional Liaison
Practice
CD 3 Track 2. 75
Exercise 2-15: Colloquial Reductions
and Liaisons
CD 3 Track 3. 76
Exercise 2-15: Colloquial Reductions and Liaisons continued
CD 3 Track 3. 76
Exercise 2-16: Liaison Staircases
CD 3 Track 4. 77
Chapter 3.
Cat? Caught? Cut?
CD 3 Track 5. 77
Exercise 3-1 : Word-by-Word and in a
Sentence
CD 3 Track 6. 80
Exercise 3-2: Finding [æ], [ä], and
[ә] Sounds
CD 3 Track 7. 80
Exercise 3-3: Vowel-Sound
Differentiation
CD 3 Track 8. 80
Exercise 3-4: Reading the [æ]
Sound
CD 3 Track 9. 81
Exercise 3-5: Reading the [ä]
Sound
CD
strack 10. 81
A Lät of Läng, Hät Walks in the
Garden. 81
Exercise 3-6: Reading the [ә]
Sound
CD 3 Track 11. 81
What Must the Sun Above Wonder
About?. 82
Chapter 4.
The American T
CD
3 Track 12. 82
Exercise 4-1 ; Stressed and
Unstressed T
CD 3 Thick 13. 82
Exercise 4-2: Betty Bought a Bit of
Better Butter
CD 3 Track 14. 82
Betty Bought a Bit of Better
Butter 82
Exercise 4-3: Rute 1—Top of the
Staircase
CD 3 Track 15. 83
Exercise 4-3; Rule 1—Top of the
Staircase continued
CD 3Track
15. 83
Exercise 4-4: Rule 2—Middle of the
Staircase
CD 3 Track 16. 83
Exercise 4-5: Rule 3—Bottom of the
Staircase CD3
Track 17. 84
Exercise 4-5: Rule 3—Bottom of the
Staircase continued
CD 3 Track
17. 84
Exercise 4-6: Rule 4—"Held T" Before
N
CD 3 Track 18. 84
Exercise 4-7: Rule 5—The Silent
T
CD 3 Track 19. 85
Exercise 4-9: Karina's T Connections
CD 3 Track 21. 86
Exercise 4-10: Combinations in Context
CD 3 Track 2: 86
Exercise 4-11 : Voiced and Unvoiced
Sounds with T.. 87
Exercise 4-12: Finding American T
Sounds CD 3 Track 24. 87
Voiced Consonants and Reduced
Vowels. 87
3. Like sound with like
sound. 88
Chapter 5.
The El
CD 3 Track 25. 88
L and Foreign Speakers of
English. 88
Location of Language in the
Mouth. 89
L Compared with T, D, and N.. 89
Exercise 5-1 : Sounds Comparing L
with T, D, and N
CD 3 Track 26. 90
Exercise 5-1 ; Sounds Comparing L
with T, D and N continued CD 3 Track 26. 90
Exercise 5-2; Sounds Comparing L
with T, D, and N
CD 3 Track 27. 91
What Are All Those Extra Sounds I'm
Hearing?. 91
Exercise 5-3: Final El with
Schwa
CD 3 Track 28. 92
Exercise 5-4: Many Final Els
CD 3 track 29. 92
Exercise 5-5: Liaise the Ls
CD 3 Track 30. 92
Exercise 5-6: Finding L Sounds
CD 3 Track 31. 93
Exercise 5-7: Silent Ls
CD3Track32. 93
Exercise 5-8: Hold Your Tongue!
CD 3 track 33. 93
Exercise 5-9: Little Lola
CD 3 Track 34. 94
Exercise 5-11 : Final L
Practice
CD 3 Track 36. 94
Exercise 5-12: Thirty Little Turtles
In a Bottle of Bottled Water
CD 3 Track 37. 95
Exercise 5-13: Speed-reading
CD 3 Track
». 95
Exercise 5-14: Tandem Reading
CD 3 Track 39. 95
Voice Quality
CD 3 Track 40. 96
Exercise 5-15: Shifting Your Voice
Position
CD 3 Track 41. 96
Chapter 6.
The American R
CD 3 Track 42. 96
Exercise 6-1: R Location
Practice
CD 3 Track 43. 97
Exercise 6-2 : Double Vowel with
R
CD 3 Track 44. 97
Exercise 6-3: How to Pronounce
Troublesome Rs CD
3 Track 45. 98
Exercise 6-4: Zbigniew's Epsilon
List
CD 3 Track 46. 99
Exercise 6-5: R Combinations
CD 3 Track 47. 100
Exercise 6-6; The Mirror Store
CD 3 Track 48. 100
Exercise 6-7: Finding the R
Sound
CD 3 Track 49. 100
Follow-up Diagnostic
Analysis
CD 3 Track 50. 101
Chapters
1-6 Review and Expansion. 102
Miscellaneous Reminders of
Intonation. 103
Review Exercise 1 : To have a
friend, be a friend. CD 3 Track 51. 104
Review Exercise 2: To have a friend,
be a friend.
CD 3 Track 52. 104
7. Combination of concepts
1-6. 105
Review Exercise 3: Get a Better
Water Heater!
CD 3 Track 53. 105
Review Exercise 4: Your Own
Sentence CD 3 Track 54. 105
Review Exercise 5: Varying
Emotions
cd 3 Track 55. 106
Review Exercise 5: Varying
Emotions continued
CD 3 Track 55. 106
Review Exercise 6: Realty?
Maybe!
CD 3 track 56. 106
Review Exercise 7: Who Did It? I
Don't Know!
CD 3 Track 57. 107
Review Exercise 7: Who Did It? I
Don't Know! continued
CD 3 Track
57. 107
Review Exercise 8: Russian
Rebellion
CD 3 Track 58. 107
Review Exercise A: Contrasting
Descriptive and Set Phrases CD 3 Track 59. 108
Review Exercise B: Intonation Review
Test
CD 3 Track 60. 108
Review Exercise C: Modifying
Descriptive Phrases
CD 3 Track 61. 109
Review Exercise D; Modifying Set
Phrases
CD 3 Track 62. 109
Review Exercise E: Two- and
Three-Word Set Phrases
CD 3 Track 63. 109
Review Exercise F: Three-Word Phrase
Summary
CD 3 Track
64. 110
Review Exercise G: Three-Word Phrase
Story—Three Little Pigs CD 4
Track 1. 110
Review Exercise H: Sentence
Balance—Goldilocks
CD 4 Track
2. 111
Review Exercise I: Multiple
Modifiers with Set Phrases CD 4 Track 3. 111
Review Exercise J: Compound
intonation of Numbers
CD 4 Track 4. 112
Review Exercise K: Modify ing
Three-Word Set Phrases CD 4
Track 5. 112
Review Exercise L: Four-Word Phrase
Story—Little Red Riding Hood CD 4 Treck
6. 112
Review Exercise M: Building Up to
Five-Word Phrases
CD 4 Track 7. 113
Review Exercise 9: Ignorance on Parade
CD 4 track 8. 114
Review Exercise 10: Ignorance on
Parade Explanations.
CD 4 Track 9. 114
Review Exercise 10: Ignorance on
Parade Explanations continued CD 4 Track 9. 115
Chapter 7.
Tee Aitch
CD 4 Track 10. 116
Exercise 7-1 : The Throng of
Thermometers
CD 4 Track 11. 116
Run Them All Together
[runnemälld'gether] 117
Anticipating the Next
Word. 117
Exercise 7-2: Targeting The TH
Sound
CD 4 Track 12. 117
Exercise 7-3: Tongue Twisters
CD 4 Track 13. 117
Chapter 8.
More Reduced Sounds
CD 4 Track 14. 118
Exercise 8-1 : Comparing [u] and
[ü]
CD 4 Track 15. 118
Exercise 8-2: Lax Vowels
CD
4 Track 16. 118
Exercise 8-3; Bit or Beat?
CD 4 Track 17. 120
Exercise 8-4: Bit or Beat? Bid or
Bead?
CD 4 Track 18. 120
Exercise 8-5: Tense and Lax Vowel
Exercise
CD 4Track 19. 120
Exercise 8-6: The Middle "I"
List
CD 4 Track 20. 121
Exercise 8-7: Reduction Options
CD 4 Track 21. 122
Exercise 8-8: Finding Reduced
Sounds
CD 4 Track 22. 122
Exercise 8-9: How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck
Chuck?
CD 4 Track 23. 123
Exercise 8-10; Büker Wülsey's
Cükbük
CD 4 Track 24. 123
Exercise 8-11: A True Fool
CD 4 Track 25. 123
Exercise 8-12: Nonverbal
Intonation
CD 4 Track 26. 123
Chapter 9.
"V" as in Victory
CD
4 Track 27. 124
Exercise 9-1 : Mind Your Vees
CD 4 Track 28. 125
Exercise 9-2: The Vile VIP
CD 4 Track 29. 125
Exercise 9-3: Finding V Sounds
CD 4 Track 30. 125
Exercise 10-1 : When S Becomes
Z
CD
4 Track 31. 125
Exercise 10-2: A Surly Sergeant
Socked an Insolent Sailor
CD 4 Track 32. 127
Exercise 10-3: Allz Well That Endz
Well
CD 4 Track 33. 127
Exercise 10-4: Voiced and
Unvoiced Endings in the Past Tense CD
4 Track 34. 127
Exercise 10-5: Finding S and Z
Sounds
CD 4 Track 35. 127
Exercise 10-4; Application Steps
with S and Z
CD 4 Track 36. 128
Exercise 10-7: Your Own Application
Steps with S and Z
CD 4 Track 37. 128
Chapter 11.
Tense and Lax Vowels. 128
Exercise 11-1; Tense Vowels
CD 4 Track 38. 129
Exercise 11 -2: Tense Vowels
Practice Paragraph
CD 4 Track 39. 129
Exercise 11-3: Lax Vowels
CD 4 Track 40. 130
Exercise 11-4: Lax Vowels Practice
Paragraph
CD 4 Track 41. 130
Exercise 11-5: Take a High-Tech
Tack
CD 4 Track 42. 131
Exercise 11 -6: Pick a Peak
CD 4 Track 43. 131
Grammar in a Bigger
Nutshell 131
Exercise 11-7: Compound Nouns and
Complex Verbs
CD 4 Track 44. 131
Exercise 11-7: Compound Nouns and
Complex Verbs continued
CD 4 Track
44. 132
Exercise 11-7; Compound Nouns and
Complex Verbs continued
CD 4Track 44. 133
Exercise 11-8: Your Own Compound
Nouns
CD 4 Track 45. 133
Exercise 11-9: Your Compound Nouns
and Complex Verbs
CD 4 Track 46. 134
Exercise 11-10: Practical
Application—U.S./Japan Trade Friction CD 4 Track 47. 135
Exercise 11-11: Presidential
Candidates' Debate
CD 4 Track 48. 136
Chapter 12.
Nasal Consonants
CD 4 Track 49. 137
Exercise 12-1: Nasal Consonants
CD 4 Track 50. 138
Exercise 12-2: Ending Nasal
Consonants
CD 4 Track 51. 138
Exercise 12-3: Reading Nasal
Consonant Sounds
CD 4 Track 52. 138
Exercise 12-4: Finding [n] and [ng]
Sounds
CD 4 Track 53. 138
Chapter 13.
Throaty Consonants. 139
Exercise 13-1: Throaty
Consonants
CD 4 Track 54. 139
Exercise 13-2: The Letter X
CD 4 Track 55. 139
Exercise 13-3: Reading the H, K, G,
NG, and R sounds
CD 4 Track 56. 140
Exercise 13-4: Glottal Consonant
Practice Paragraph
CD 4 Track 57. 140
Final Diagnostic Analysis
CD 4 Track 58. 141
Chapters
1-13. Review and Expansion. 142
Review Exercise 1-1: Rubber Band
Practice with Nonsense Syllables. 142
Review Exercise 1-2; Noun
Intonation. 142
Review Exercise 1-3: Noun and
Pronoun Intonation. 142
Review Exercise 1-4: Sentence
Intonation Test 142
Review Exercise 1-6: Pitch and
Meaning Change. 143
Review Exercise 1-7: Individual
Practice. 143
Review Exercise 1-8: Meaning of
"Pretty," "Sort of," "Kind of," and "Little". 143
Review Exercise 1-9:
Inflection. 143
Review Exercise 1-10: Individual
Practice. 143
Review Exercise 1-11:
Translation. 143
Review Exercise 1-12: Create Your
Own Intonation Contrast 143
Review Exercise 1-13: Variable
Stress. 143
Review Exercise 1-14: Make a
Variable Stress Sentence. 144
Review Exercise 1-15: Application of
Stress. 144
Review Exercise 1-17: Staircase Intonation
Practice. 144
Review Exercise 1-18: Reading with
Staircase Intonation. 144
Review Exercise 1-19: Spelling and
Numbers. 144
Review Exercise 1-20: Sound/Meaning
Shifts. 144
Review Exercise 1-21: Squeezed-Out
Syllables. 144
Review Exercise 1-22: Syllable
Patterns. 145
Review Exercise 1-25: Sentence
Stress with Descriptive Phrases. 145
Review Exercise 1-23: Syllable Count
Test 145
Review Exercise 1-24: Single-Word
Phrases. 145
Review Exercise 1-26: Two Types of
Descriptive Phrases. 145
Review Exercise 1-27: Descriptive
Phrase Story—Snow White and The Seven Dwarves. 145
Review Exercise 1-28: Sentence
Stress with Set Phrases. 146
Review Exercise 1-29: Making Set
Phrases. 146
Review Exercise 1-30: Set Phrase
Story—Our Mailman. 146
Review Exercise 1-31: Contrasting
Descriptive and Set Phrases. 146
Review Exercise 1-32: Two-Word
Stress. 146
Review Exercise 1-34: Contrasting
Descriptive and Set Phrases. 146
Review Exercise 1-35: Contrast of
Compound Nouns. 147
Review Exercise 1-36: Description
and Set Phrase Test 147
Review Exercise 1-38: Consistent
Noun Stress in Changing Verb Tenses (5 disk) 147
Review Exercise 1-39: Consistent
Pronoun Stress in Changing Verb Tenses. 148
Review Execise 1-40: Intonation in Your Own
Sentence. 148
Review Exercise 1-41: Supporting
Words. 148
Review Exercise 1-42: Contrast
Practice. 148
Review Exercise 1-43: Yes, You Can or No, You Can't?. 149
Review Exercise 1-44: Building an
Intonation Sentence. 149
Review Exercise 1-45: Building Your
Own intonation Sentences. 149
Review Exercise 1-46: Regular
Transitions of Nouns and Verbs. 149
Review Exercise 1-47: Regular
Transitions of Adjectives and Verbs. 149
Review Exercise 1-48; Regular
Transitions of Adjectives and Verbs. 149
Review Exercise 1-51; Extended
Listening Practice. 149
Review Exercise 1-53: Reduced
Sounds. 149
Review Exercise 1-55: Crossing Out
Reduced Sounds. 151
Review Exercise 1-56: Reading
Reduced Sounds. 151
Review Exercise 1-57:
Phrasing. 151
Review Exercise 1-60: Tag Endings. 151
Review Exercise 2-1: Spelling and
Pronunciation. 151
Review Exercise 2-4: Consonant /
Vowel Liaison Practice. 151
Review Exercise 2-8: Consonant/Consonant
Liaison Practice. 151
Review Exercise 2-9: Vowel / Vowel
Liaison Practice. 152
Review Exercise 2-11: T, D, S, or Z + Y
Liaison Practice. 152
Review Exercise 2-12: Finding
Liaisons and Glides. 152
Review Exercise 2-13: Practicing
Liaisons. 152
Review Exercise 3-1: Word-by-Word
and in a Sentence. 152
Review Exercise 3-3: Vowel-Sound
Differentiation. 152
Review Exercise 3-4: Finding the æ,
ä, ә Sounds. 152
Review Exercise 3-5: Reading the [æ]
Sound. 153
Review Exercise 3-6: Reading the [ä]
Sound. 153
Review Exercise 3-7: Reading the [ә]
Sound. 153
Review Exercise 4-1 : Stressed and
Unstressed T.. 153
Review Exercise 4-3: Rule 1—Top of
the Staircase. 153
Review Exercise 4-4: Rule 2—Middle
of the Staircase. 153
Review Exercise 4-5: Rule 3—Bottom
of the Staircase. 153
Review Exercise 4-6: Rule 4—"Held T"
Before N.. 153
Review Exercise 4-7: Rule 5—The
Silent T.. 153
Review Exercise 4-10: T Combinations in Context 154
Review Exercise 4-11: Voiced and
Unvoiced Sounds with T.. 154
Review Exercise 5-2: Sounds
Comparing L with T, D, and N.. 154
Review Exercise 5-3: Final El with
Schwa. 154
Review Exercise 5-4: Many Final
Els. 154
Review Exercise 5-5: Liaise the
Ls. 154
Review Exercise 5-7: Silent
Ls. 154
Review Exercise 5-8: Hold Your
Tongue! 154
Review Exercise 5-9: Bill and
Ellie. 154
Review Exercise 5-11 : Final L
Practice. 154
Review Exercise 5-12: A Frontal Lobotomy?. 155
Review Exercise 5-13:
Speed-reading. 155
Review Exercise 5-14: Tandem
Reading. 155
Review Exercise 6-1 : R Location
Practice. 155
Review Exercise 6-2: Double Vowel
Sounds with R.. 155
Review Exercise 6-3: How to
Pronounce Troublesome Rs. 155
Review Exercise 6-4: Zbignlew's
Epsilon List 155
Review Exercise 6-5: R
Combinations. 155
Review Exercise 6-6: Roy the
Rancher 155
Review Exercise C: Modifying
Descriptive Phrases. 155
Review Exercise D: Modifying Set
Phrases. 156
Review Exercise E:Two- and
Three-Word Set Phrases. 156
Review Exercise F: Three-Word Phrase
Summary. 156
Review Exercise I: Multiple
Modifiers with Set Phrases. 156
Review Exercise J: Compound
Intonation of Numbers. 156
Review Exercise K: Modifying
Three-Word Set Phrases. 156
Review Exercise L: Three Word Phrase
Story—The Amazing Rock Soup. 156
Review Exercise M: Building Up to
Five-Word Phrases. 156
Review Exercise 7-1: The
Thing. 157
Review Exercise 8-1 : Comparing [u]
and [ü] 158
Review Exercise 8-2: Lax
Vowels. 158
Review Exercise 8-4: Bit or Beat?
Bid or Bead?. 158
Review Exercise 8-5: Tense and Lax
Vowel Review Exercise. 158
Review Exercise 8-6: Middle "I"
List 158
Review Exercise 8-10: [ü]
Paragraph. 158
Review Exercise 8-11: [u]
Paragraph. 159
Review Exercise 9-1: Mind Your
Vees. 159
Review Exercise 10-1: S or
Z?. 159
Review Exercise 10-2: Sally at the
Seashore. 159
Review Exercise 10-3: Fuzzy
Wuzzy. 159
Review Exercise 11-1: Tense
Vowels. 159
Review Exercise 11-3: Lax
Vowels. 159
Review Exercise 11-7: Compound Nouns
and Complex Verbs. 160
Review Exercise 12-1: Nasal
Consonants. 161
Review Exercise 12-2: Ending Nasal
Consonants. 161
Review Exercise 12-3: Reading Nasal
Consonant Sounds. 161
Review Exercise 13-1: Throaty
Consonants. 161
Review Exercise 13-2: The Letter
X.. 161
Review Exercise 13-3: Reading the H,
K, G, NG, and R sounds. 161
Chinese Intonation
Summary. 163
The Japanese R = The American
T.. 168
The Spanish S = The American S,
But... 170
The Spanish R = The American
T.. 170
The Spanish D = The American Th (voiced) 170
The Spanish of Spain Z or C = The
American Th (unvoiced) 170
The Spanish I = The American Y (not
j) 171
The Doubled Spanish A Sound = The
American O, All or AW Spelling. 171
The Spanish O = The American
OU.. 171
The Russian R = The American
Т. 175
The Korean R = The American
T.. 180
Exercise 1-4: Sentence Intonation Test 181
Exercise 1-15: Application of Stress. 181
Exercise 1-17: Staircase Intonation
Practice. 181
Exercise 1-29: Making Set Phrases. 182
Exercise 1-35: Contrast of Compound
Nouns. 182
Exercise 1-36: Description and Set Phrase
Test 182
Exercise 1-48: Regular Transitions
of Adj. and Verbs. 183
Exercise 1-23: Syllable Count
Test 183
Exercise 1-51: Extended Listening
Practice. 183
Exercise 1-60: Tag Endings. 183
Exercise 2-4: Consonant / Vowel Liaisons. 183
Exercise 2-8: Consonant / Consonant Liaisons. 184
Exercise 2-9: Vowel / Vowel Liaisons. 184
Exercise 2-11 : T, D, S, or Z
Liaisons. 184
Exercise 2-12: Finding Liaisons and Glides. 184
Exercise 2-16: Liaison
Staircases. 185
Exercise 3-2: Finding [æ], [ä] and
[ә] Sounds. 185
Exercise 4-12: Finding American T
Sounds. 185
Exercise 1-51: Extended Listening
Practice. 185
Exercise 5-6: Finding L
Sounds. 186
Exercise 6-7: Finding the R
Sound. 186
Review Exercise B: Intonation Review
Test 186
Exercise 7-2: Targeting the TH Sound. 187
Exercise 8-8: Finding Reduced
Sounds. 187
Exercise 9-3: Finding V
Sounds. 187
Exercise 10-5: Finding S and Z
Sounds. 187
Exercise 11-2 and 11-4: Finding
Tense (a, e, æ) and Lax Vowel Sounds (i, ә) 187
Exercise 12-4: Finding [n] and [ng]
Sounds. 187
Exercise 13-4: Glottal Consonant
Practice. 188
Review
Section Answer Key. 188
Review Ex. 1-4: Sentence Intonation Test 188
Review Ex. 1-35: Contrast of
Compound Nouns. 188
Review Ex. 1-36: Description and Set
Phrase Test 188
Review Ex. 1-48: Adjective and Verb
Transitions. 188
Review Ex. 1-51: Extended Listening
Practice. 188
Review Ex. 1-60: Tag Endings. 189
Review Ex. 2-4: Cons. / Vowel Liaison
Practice. 189
Review Ex. 2-8: Cons. / Cons. Liaison
Practice. 189
Review Ex. 2-9: Vowel / Vowel
Liaison Practice. 189
Review Ex. 2-11 : T, D, S, or Z Liaison
Practice. 189
Review Ex. 2-12: Finding Liaisons
and Glides. 189
Review Ex. 3-4: Finding the æ, ä, ә,
and d Sounds. 189
Introduction:
Read This First........................... iv
A Few
Words On Pronunciation ................................. vii
Preliminary
Diagnostic Analysis .................................. x
Chapter 1
American
Intonation ....................................1
Staircase
Intonation ...................................................... 5
Syllable Stress
............................................................ 19
Complex
Intonation.................................................... 23
Two-Word
Phrases...................................................... 24
Grammar in a
Nutshell ............................................... 35
The
Miracle Technique ............................................... 46
Reduced Sounds
......................................................... 48
Word
Groups and Phrasing......................................... 56
Chapter 2
Word
Connections..................................... 59
Chapter 3
Cat? Caught?
Cut? .................................... 71
Chapter 4
The American T
........................................ 77
Chapter
5 The
El........................................................85
Voice
Quality ..............................................................
94
Chapter 6
The American R
........................................ 95
Follow-up
Diagnostic Analysis ................................ 100
Chapters 1-6
Review and
Expansion .................... 101
Two-,
Three- and Four-Word Phrases....................... 108
Chapter 7
Tee Aitch
................................................ 118
Chapter 8
More Reduced
Sounds ........................... 121
Middle I
List.............................................................
125
Intonation and
Attitude ............................................. 128
Chapter 9 "V" as
in Victory.................................... 129
Chapter 10
S or Z?
................................................. 131
Chapter 11
Tense and Lax
Vowels ......................... 135
Grammar in a
Bigger Nutshell.................................. 138
Chapter 12
Nasal Consonants
................................ 145
Chapter 13
Throaty
Consonants............................. 147
Final
Diagnostic Analysis......................................... 150
Chapters 1-13
Review and
Expansion ................. 151
Nationality
Guides.............................................. 172
Chinese
.....................................................................
173
Japanese....................................................................
177
Spanish
.....................................................................
180
Indian........................................................................
183
Russian
.....................................................................
186
French.......................................................................
188
German
.....................................................................
189
Korean
......................................................................
191
Answer
Key............................................................
193
Index..........................................................................
197
Welcome to
American Accent
Training. This book and CD
set is designed to get you started on your American accent. We'll follow the
book and go through the 13 lessons and all the exercises step by step.
Everything is explained and a complete Answer Key may be found in the back of
the text.
Accent is a
combination of three main components: intonation
(speech music),
liaisons
(word
connections), and
pronunciation (the spoken
sounds of vowels, consonants, and combinations). As you go along, you'll
notice that you're being asked to look at accent in a different way. You'll also
realize that the grammar you studied before and this accent you're studying now
are completely different.
Part
of the difference is that grammar and vocabulary are systematic and structured—
the letter
of the language.
Accent, on the other hand, is free form, intuitive, and creative— more the
spirit
of the language.
So, thinking of music, feeling, and flow, let your mouth relax into the American
accent.
Can a
person actually learn a new accent? Many people feel that after a certain age,
it's just not possible. Can classical musicians play jazz? If they practice, of
course they can! For your American accent, it's just a matter of learning and
practicing techniques this book and CD set will teach you. It is up to you to
use them or not. How well you do depends mainly on how open and willing you are
to sounding different from the way you have sounded all your life.
A
very important thing you need to remember is that you can use your accent to say
what
you mean and
how
you mean it.
Word stress conveys meaning through tone or feeling, which can be much more
important than the actual words that you use. We'll cover the expression of
these feelings through intonation in the first lesson.
You
may have noticed that I talk fast and often run my words together. You've
probably heard enough "English-teacher English"—where ... everything ... is
... pronounced without having to listen too carefully. That's why on the CDs
we're going to talk just like the native speakers that we are, in a normal
conversational tone.
Native speakers
may often tell people who are learning English to "slow down" and to "speak
clearly." This is meant with the best of intentions, but it is exactly the
opposite of what a student really needs to do. If you speak fairly quickly and
with strong intonation, you will be understood more easily. To illustrate this
point, you will hear a Vietnamese student first trying to speak slowly and
carefully and then repeating the same words quickly and with strong intonation.
Studying, this exercise took her only about two minutes to practice, but the
difference makes her sound as if she had been in America for many
years.
V
Please listen. You will hear the same words twice. Hello, my name
is Muoi. I'm taking American Accent Training.
iv
You
may have to listen to this CD a couple of times to catch everything. To help
you, every word on the CD is also written in the book. By seeing and hearing
simultaneously, you'll learn to reconcile the differences between the
appearance
of English
(spelling) and the sound
of English
(pronunciation and the other aspects of accent).
The
CD leaves a rather short pause for you to repeat into. The point of this is to
get you responding quickly and without spending too much time thinking about
your response.
Many
people equate accent
with
pronunciation.
I don't feel
this to be true at all. America is a big country, and while the pronunciation
varies from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the southern to the northern
states, two components that are uniquely American stay basically the same—the
speech music, or intonation,
and the word
connections or liaisons.
Throughout this
program, we will focus on them. In the latter part of the book we will work on
pronunciation concepts, such as Cat? Caught? Cut? and Betty Bought a Bit of
Better Butter; we also will work our way through some of the difficult sounds,
such as TH, the American R, the L, V, and Z.
American Accent
Training was created to
help people "sound American" for lectures, interviews, teaching, business
situations, and general daily communication. Although America has many regional
pronunciation differences, the accent you will learn is that of standard
American English as spoken and understood by the majority of educated native
speakers in the United States. Don't worry that you will sound slangy or too
casual because you most definitely won't. This is the way a professor lectures
to a class, the way a national newscaster broadcasts, the way that is most
comfortable and familiar to the majority of native speakers.
Learners can be
seriously hampered by a negative outlook, so I'll address this very
important point early. First, your accent is not
bad; it is
nonstandard to the American ear. There is a joke that goes: What do you call a
person who can speak three languages? Trilingual.
What do you call
a person who can speak two languages? Bilingual.
What do you call
a person who can only speak one language? American.
Every
language is equally valid or good, so every accent is good.
The average
American, however, truly does have a hard time understanding a nonstandard
accent. George Bernard Shaw said that the English and Americans are two people
divided
by the same
language!
Some
students learn to overpronounce English because they naturally want to say the
word as it is written. Too often an English teacher may allow this, perhaps
thinking that colloquial American English is unsophisticated, unrefined, or even
incorrect. Not so at all! Just as you don't say the T in listen,
the TT in
better
is pronounced D,
bedder.
Any other
pronunciation will sound foreign, strange, wrong, or different to a native
speaker.
v
As
you will see in Exercise 1-21, Squeezed-Out Syllables, on page 18, some words
appear to have three or more syllables, but all of them are not actually spoken.
For example, business
is not
(bi/zi/ness), but
rather (birz/ness).
Just when you
get used to eliminating whole syllables from words, you're going to come across
other words that look as if they have only one syllable, but really need to be
said with as many as three! In addition, the inserted syllables are filled with
letters that are not in the written word. I'll give you two examples of this
strange phenomenon. Pool
looks like a
nice, one-syllable word, but if you say it this way, at best, it will sound like
pull,
and at worst
will be unintelligible to your listener. For clear comprehension, you need to
say three syllables (pu/wuh/luh). Where did that W come from? It's certainly not
written down anywhere, but it is there just as definitely as the P is there. The
second example is a word like feel.
If you say
just the letters that you see, it will sound more like fill.
You need to
say (fee/yuh/luh). Is that really a Y? Yes. These mysterious semivowels are
explained under Liaisons in Chapter 2. They can appear either inside a word as
you have seen, or between words as you will learn.
Just like your
own language, conversational English has a very smooth, fluid sound.
Imagine that you are walking along a dry riverbed with your eyes closed.
Every time you come to a rock, you trip over it, stop, continue, and trip over
the next rock. This is how the average foreigner speaks English. It is slow,
awkward, and even painful. Now imagine that you are a great river rushing
through that same riverbed—rocks are no problem, are they? You just slide over
and around them without ever breaking your smooth flow. It is this
feeling that I
want you to capture in English.
Changing your
old speech habits is very similar to changing from a stick shift to an automatic
transmission. Yes, you continue to reach for the gearshift for a while and your
foot still tries to find the clutch pedal, but this soon phases itself out. In
the same way, you may still say "telephone call" (kohl) instead of (kahl)
for a while, but this too will soon pass.
You
will also have to think about your speech more than you do now. In the same way
that you were very aware and self-conscious when you first learned to drive, you
will eventually relax and deal with the various components
simultaneously.
A
new accent is an adventure. Be bold! Exaggerate wildly! You may worry that
Americans will laugh at you for putting on an accent, but I guarantee you,
they won't even notice. They'll just think that you've finally learned to "talk
right." Good luck with your new accent!
vi
I'd
like to introduce you to the pronunciation guide outlines in the following
chart. There aren't too many characters that are different from the standard
alphabet, but just so you'll be familiar with them, look at the chart. It shows
eight tense
vowels and six
lax
vowels and
semivowels.
In
some books, tense vowels are called long
and lax vowels
are called short.
Since you will
be learning how to lengthen vowels when they come before a voiced consonant, it
would be confusing to say that hen
has a long,
short vowel. It is more descriptive to say that it has a lax vowel that is
doubled or lengthened.
Tense
Vowels |
Lax
Vowels |
| ||||||||
|
Symbol |
Sound |
Spelling |
Example |
Symbol |
Sound |
Spelling |
Example | ||
|
ā |
εi |
take |
[tak] |
ε |
eh |
get |
[gεt] | ||
|
ē |
ee |
eat |
[et] |
i |
ih |
it |
[it] | ||
|
ī |
äi |
ice |
[is] |
ü |
ih
+
uh |
took |
[tük] | ||
|
ō |
ou |
hope |
[hop] |
ə |
uh |
some |
[səm] | ||
|
ū |
ooh |
smooth |
[smuth] |
|
|
|
| ||
|
ä |
ah |
caught |
[kät] |
|
Semivowels | ||||
|
æ |
ä
+ ε |
cat |
[kæt] |
ər |
er |
her |
[hər] | ||
|
æo |
æ
+ o |
down |
[dæon] |
əl |
ul |
dull |
[dəəl] | ||
Although this
may look like a lot of characters to learn, there are really only four new ones:
æ,
ä, ə,
and ü.
Under Tense Vowels, you'll notice that the vowels that say their own name simply
have a line over them: [ā],
[ē],
[ī],
[ō],
[ū].
There are three other tense vowels. First, [ä], is pronounced like the sound you
make when the doctor wants to see your throat, or when you loosen a tight belt
and sit down in a soft chair—aaaaaaaah!
Next, you'll
find [æ],
a combination of the tense vowel [ä] and the lax vowel [ε].
It is similar to the noise that a goat or a lamb makes. The last one is
[æo],
a combination of [æ]
and [o]. This is a very common sound, usually written as ow
or
ou
in words like
down
or
round.
A
tense vowel
requires you
to use a lot of facial muscles to produce it. If you say [ē],
you must stretch your lips back; for [ū]
you must round your lips forward; for [ä] you drop your jaw down; for
[æ]
you will drop your jaw far down and back; for [ā]
bring your lips back and drop your jaw a bit; for [ī]
drop your jaw for the ah
part of the
sound and pull it back up for the ee
part; and for
[ō]
round the lips, drop the jaw and pull back up into [ū].
An American [ō]
is really [ōū].
V
Now you try it. Repeat after me. [ē],
[ū],
[ā],
[æ],
[ä], [ī],
[ō].
vii
A
lax vowel,
on the other
hand, is very reduced. In fact, you don't need to move your face at all. You
only need to move the back of your tongue and your throat. These sounds are very
different from most other languages.
Under Lax
Vowels, there are four reduced vowel sounds, starting with the Greek letter
epsilon [ε],
pronounced eh;
[i] pronounced
ih,
and [ü] pronounced ü,
which is a combination of ih
and
uh,
and the schwa,
[ə], pronounced uh—the softest,
most reduced, most relaxed sound that we can produce. It is also
the most common sound in English. The semivowels
are the American R (pronounced er,
which is the
schwa plus R) and the American L (which is the schwa plus L). Vowels will
be covered in greater detail in Chapters 3, 8, and 11.
A
consonant is a sound that causes two points of your mouth to come into contact,
in three locations—the lips,
the
tip of the
tongue, and the
throat.
A consonant
can either be unvoiced
(whispered) or
voiced
(spoken), and
it can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. You'll notice that for
some categories, a particular sound doesn't exist in English.
Initial |
Medial |
Final | |||
Unvoiced |
Voiced |
Unvoiced |
Voiced |
Unvoiced |
Voiced |
parry |
bury |
apple |
able |
mop |
mob |
ferry |
very |
afraid |
avoid |
off |
of |
stew |
zoo |
races |
raises |
face |
phase |
sheet |
|
pressure |
pleasure |
crush |
garage |
two |
do |
petal |
pedal |
not |
nod |
choke |
joke |
gaucho |
gouger |
rich |
ridge |
think |
that |
ether |
either |
tooth |
smooth |
come |
gum |
bicker |
bigger |
pick |
pig |
|
|
accent |
exit |
tax |
tags |
|
yes |
|
player |
|
day |
|
wool |
|
shower |
|
now |
his |
|
ahead |
|
|
|
|
late |
|
collect |
|
towel |
|
rate |
|
correct |
|
tower |
|
me |
|
swimmer |
|
same |
|
next |
|
connect |
|
man |
|
|
|
finger |
|
ring |
viii
1. In many dictionaries, you may find
a character that looks like an upside down V, [a] and another character that is an
upside-down e
[ə], the schwa.
There is a
linguistic distinction between the two, but they are pronounced
exactly the
same. Since you can't hear the difference between these two sounds, we'll just
be using the upside-down e
to indicate
the schwa sound. It is pronounced uh.
2. The second
point is that we do not differentiate between [ä] and []].
The [ä] is pronounced ah.
The
backwards C []]
is more or
less pronounced aw.
This
aw
sound has a
"back East" sound to it, and as it's not common to the entire United States, it
won't be included here.
3. R can be considered a
semivowel.
One
characteristic of a vowel is that nothing in the mouth touches anything else. R
definitely falls into that category. So in the exercises throughout the book it
will be treated not so much as a consonant, but as a vowel.
4. The ow
sound is
usually indicated by [äu], which would be ah + ooh.
This may have
been accurate at some point in some locations, but the sound is now generally
[æo]. Town
is [tæon], how
is [hæo], loud
is [læod], and so on.
5. Besides voiced
and
unvoiced,
there are two
words that come up in pronunciation. These are sibilant
and
plosive. When you say
the [s] sound, you can feel the air sliding
out over the
tip of your tongue—this is a sibilant. When you say the [p] sound, you can feel
the air popping
out from
between your lips—this is a plosive. Be aware that there are two sounds that are
sometimes mistakenly taught as sibilants, but are actually plosives: [th] and
[v].
6. For particular points of
pronunciation that pertain to your own language, refer to the Nationality Guides
on page 172.
Throughout
this text, we will be using three symbols to indicate three separate
actions: | |
|
Indicates
a command or a suggestion. |
|
Indicates
the beep tone. |
|
Indicates
that you need to turn the CD on or off, back up, or pause. |
ix
This is a
speech analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your American
accent. If you are studying American Accent Training on your own, please contact
toll-free (800) 457-4255 or www.americanaccent.com for a referral to a
qualified telephone analyst. The diagnostic analysis is designed to evaluate
your current speech patterns to let you know where your accent is standard and
nonstandard.
Hello, my name
is______. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's a lot to
learn,
but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the American
intonation pattern pretty easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time.
1. |
all,
long, caught |
5. |
ice,
I'll, sky |
9. |
come,
front, indicate |
13. |
out,
house, round |
2. |
cat,
matter, laugh |
6. |
it,
milk, sin |
10. |
smooth,
too, shoe |
14. |
boy,
oil, toy |
3. |
take,
say, fail |
7. |
eat, me,
seen |
11. |
took,
full, would |
|
|
4. |
get,
egg, any |
8. |
work,
girl, bird |
12. |
told,
so, roll |
|
|
|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
|
E |
|
F |
1. |
pit |
1. |
bit |
1. |
staple |
1. |
stable |
1. |
cap |
1. |
cab |
2. |
fear |
2. |
veer |
2. |
refers |
2. |
reverse |
2. |
half |
2. |
have |
3. |
sue |
3. |
zoo |
3. |
faces |
3. |
phases |
3. |
race |
3. |
raise |
4. |
sheer |
4. |
din |
4. |
cashew |
4. |
casual |
4. |
rush |
4. |
rouge |
5. |
tin |
5. |
gin |
5. |
metal |
5. |
medal |
5. |
hat |
5. |
had |
6. |
chin |
6. |
then |
6. |
catcher |
6. |
cadger |
6. |
rich |
6. |
ridge |
7. |
thin |
7. |
gut |
7. |
ether |
7. |
either |
7. |
bath |
7. |
bathe |
8. |
cut |
8. |
race |
8. |
bicker |
8. |
bigger |
8. |
tack |
8. |
tag |
9. |
yellow |
9. |
breed |
9. |
million |
9. |
correction |
9. |
say |
9. |
sore |
10. |
would |
10. |
man |
10. |
coward |
10. |
surprise |
10. |
how |
10. |
peeper |
11. |
him |
11. |
name |
11. |
reheat |
11. |
summer |
11. |
soul |
11. |
palm |
12. |
lace |
|
|
12. |
collection |
12. |
runner |
12. |
people |
12. |
can |
13. |
bleed |
|
|
13. |
supplies |
13. |
kingdom |
|
|
13. |
sing |
1. |
Go
upstairs. |
|
1. |
Betty
bought a bit of better butter. | ||||||
2, |
I am going
to the other room. |
|
|
| ||||||
3.
|
My name is
Ann. |
|
2. |
Beddy bada
bida bedder budder. | ||||||
4. |
It is the
end of the bad years. |
|
|
| ||||||
5. |
Give it to
his owner. |
3. |
Italian |
Italy |
| |||||
1. |
Go(w)upstairs. |
4. |
attack |
attic |
| |||||
2. |
I(y)am going f
thee(y)əther
room. |
|
5. |
atomic |
atom |
| ||||
3, |
My nay mi
Zæn. |
|
6. |
photography |
photograph |
| ||||
4. |
Idiz
the(y)en d'v th'
bæ dyearz. |
|
|
|
| |||||
|
|
| ||||||||
5. |
G' v'
to(w)i
zon'r. |
|
7. |
bet |
bed |
| ||||
x
One
of the main differences between the way an American talks and the way the rest
of the world talks is that we don't really move our lips. (So, when an American
says, "Read my lips!" what does he really
mean?) We create
most of our sounds in the throat, using our tongue very actively. If you hold
your fingers over your lips or clench your jaws when you practice speaking
American English, you will find yourself much closer to native-sounding speech
than if you try to pronounce every ... single ... sound ... very ...
carefully.
If
you can relate American English to music, remember that the indigenous music is
jazz. Listen to their speech music, and you will hear that Americans have a
melodic, jazzy way of producing sounds. Imagine the sound of a cello when you
say, Beddy bada bida
beader budder (Betty bought a
bit of better butter) and you'll be close to the native way of saying
it.
Because most
Americans came from somewhere else, American English reflects the accent
contributions of many lands. The speech music has become much more exaggerated
than British English, developing a strong and distinctive intonation. If you use
this intonation, not only will you be easier to understand, but you will
sound much more confident, dynamic, and persuasive.
Intonation, or
speech music, is the sound that you hear when a conversation is too far away to
be clearly audible but close enough for you to tell the nationality of the
speakers. The American intonation dictates
liaisons and
pronunciation, and it indicates
mood and
meaning. Without intonation, your speech would be flat, mechanical, and very
confusing for your listener. What is
the American
intonation pattern? How is it different from other languages? Foa
egzampuru, eefu you hea ah Jahpahneezu pahsohn speakingu Ingurishu,
the sound would
be very choppy, mechanical, and unemotional to an American. Za sem
vey vis Cheuman pipples, it sounds too
stiff. A mahn frohm
Paree ohn zee ahzer ahnd, eez intonashon goes up at zee end ov evree sentence,
and has such a
strong intonation that he sounds romantic and highly emotional, but this may not
be appropriate for a lecture or a business meeting in English.
1
Do
Not Speak Word by Word
Connect Words
to Form Sound Groups
Use Staircase
Intonation
Bä |
|
|
|
|
foun. |
/////////// |
bi |
|
|
|
///////// |
////////// |
///////// |
zän |
|
|
///////// |
////////// |
//////// |
///////// |
the |
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
|
///////// |
Start a new
staircase
when you want
to emphasize
that
information, generally a noun.
+
Do not speak word by word.
If
you speak word by word, as many people who learned "printed" English do, you'll
end up sounding mechanical and foreign. You may have noticed the same thing
happens in your own language: When someone reads a speech, even a native
speaker, it sounds stiff and stilted, quite different from a normal
conversational tone.
+
Connect words to form sound groups.
This is where
you're going to start doing something completely
different than what you
have done in your previous English studies. This part is the most difficult for
many people because it goes against everything they've been taught. Instead of
thinking of each word as a unit, think of sound units.
These sound
units may or may not correspond to a word written on a page. Native speakers
don't say Bob is on the
phone, but say
[bäbizän the foun]. Sound units make a sentence flow smoothly, like peanut
butter— never really ending and never really starting, just flowing along. Even
chunky peanut butter is acceptable. So long as you don't try to put plain
peanuts directly onto your bread, you'll be OK.
2
+
Use staircase intonation.
Let
those sound groups floating on the wavy river in the figure flow downhill and
you'll get the staircase. Staircase intonation not only gives you that American
sound, it also makes you sound much more confident. Not every American uses the
downward staircase. A certain segment of the population uses rising
staircases—generally, teenagers on their way to a shopping mall: "Hi, my name
is Tiffany. I live in La Canada. I'm on the pep squad."
In
saying your words, imagine that they come out as if they were bounding lightly
down a flight of stairs. Every so often, one jumps up to another level, and then
starts down again. Americans tend to stretch out their sounds longer than you
may think is natural. So to lengthen your vowel sounds, put them on two
stairsteps instead of just one.
We're
here. I
We |
|
|
|
///////// |
're |
|
|
///////// |
///////// |
he |
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
re. |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
The
sound of an American speaking a foreign language is very distinctive, because we
double sounds that should be single. For example, in Japanese or Spanish, the
word no
is, to our
ear, clipped or abbreviated.
No |
///////// |
Clipped |
No |
|
///////// |
ou |
///////// |
///////// |
Standard
American
When you have
a word ending in an unvoiced
consonant—one that you
"whisper" (t, k, s, x, f, sh)—you will notice that the preceding vowel is said
quite quickly, and on a single stairstep. When a word ends in a vowel or a
voiced
consonant—one that you
"say" (b, d, g, z, v, zh, j), the preceding vowel is said more slowly, and on a
double stairstep.
seat |
//////////// |
Unvoiced |
see |
|
///////// |
eed |
///////// |
///////// |
Voiced |
There are two
main consequences of not doubling the second category of words: Either your
listener will hear the wrong word, or even worse, you will always sound
upset.
3
Consider that
the words curt, short,
terse, abrupt, and
clipped
all literally
mean short.
When applied to
a person or to language, they take on the meaning of upset
or
rude.
For example, in
the expressions "His curt reply
...,"
"Her terse
response...'' or
"He was very
short with me" all indicate a
less than sunny situation.
About
this time, you're coming to the point where you may be wondering, what exactly
are the mechanics of intonation? What changes when you go to the top of the
staircase or when you put stress on a word? There are three ways to stress a
word.
+ The
first way is to just get louder
or raise the
volume. This is not a very sophisticated way of doing it, but it will definitely
command attention.
+ The
second way is to streeeeetch
the word out or
lengthen the word that you want to draw attention to (which sounds very
insinuating).
+ The
third way, which is the most refined, is to change pitch.
Although pausing
just before changing the pitch is effective, you don't want to do it every time,
because then it becomes an obvious technique. However, it will make your
audience stop and listen because they think you're going to say something
interesting.
Take
a rubber band and hold it with your two thumbs. Every time you want to stress a
word by changing pitch, pull on the rubber band. Stretch it out gently, don' t
jerk it sharply. Make a looping °°
figure with it
and do the same with your voice. Use the rubber band and stretch it out every
time you change pitch. Read first across, then down.
A |
B |
C |
D | ||||
1.
|
duh duh
duh |
1. |
la la
la |
1.
|
mee mee
mee |
1.
|
ho ho
ho |
2.
|
duh duh
duh |
2. |
la la
la |
2.
|
mee mee
mee |
2.
|
ho ho
ho |
3.
|
duh
duh duh |
3. |
la
la la |
3.
|
mee
mee mee |
3.
|
ho
ho ho |
4.
|
duh duh
duh |
4. |
la la
la |
4.
|
mee mee
mee |
4.
|
ho ho
ho |
Read
each column down, keeping the same intonation pattern.
|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
1. |
duh duh
duh |
1. |
duh duh
duh |
1. |
duh
duh duh |
1. |
duh duh
duh |
2. |
ABC |
2. |
imprecise |
2. |
condition |
2. |
alphabet |
3. |
123 |
3. |
a hot
dog |
3. |
a
hot dog |
3. |
hot dog
stand |
4. |
Dogs eat
bones. |
4. |
They eat
bones. |
4. |
They
eat them. |
4. |
Give me
one. |
4
So
what is intonation in American English? What do Americans do? We go up and down
staircases. We start high and end low.
|
|
|
Every time we
want to stress a word or an idea, we just start a new staircase. That sounds
simple enough, but when and where do you start a new staircase?
Intonation or
pitch change is primarily used to introduce new
information. This means
that when you are making a statement for the first time, you will stress the
nouns.
Dogs |
|
|
bones |
///////// |
eat |
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
|
///////// |
Practice the
noun stress pattern after me, using pitch change. Add your own
examples.
1. |
Dogs
eat
bones. |
11. |
Jerry
makes
music. |
2. |
Mike
likes
bikes. |
12. |
Jean
sells
some apples. |
3. |
Elsa
wants a
book. |
13. |
Carol
paints
the car. |
4. |
Adam
plays
pool. |
14. |
Bill
and I
fix the bikes. |
5. |
Bobby
needs
some money. |
15. |
Ann
and Ed
call the kids. |
6. |
Susie
combs
her hair. |
16. |
The
kids like the candy. |
7. |
John
lives
in France. |
17. |
The
girls have a choice. |
8. |
Nelly
teaches
French. |
18. |
The
boys need some help. |
9. |
Ben
writes
articles. |
19. |
____________________ |
10. |
Keys
open
locks. |
20. |
____________________ |
+ Pause the
CD.
V
Practice the patterns five more times on your own, using your rubber
band.
5
When
you replace the nouns with pronouns (i.e., old
information),
stress the
verb.
|
eat |
|
They |
///////// |
them |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
As we
have seen, nouns
are
new
information;
pronouns
are
old
information. In
a nutshell, these are the two basic intonation patterns:
Dogs |
|
bones. |
|
eat |
|
They |
|
them. |
In
the first column, stress the nouns. In the second column, stress the verb. Fill
in your own examples at the bottom.
1. |
Bob sees
Betty. |
1. |
He
sees her. |
2. |
Betty knows
Bob. |
2. |
She
knows him. |
3. |
Ann and
Ed call the kids. |
3. |
They
call them. |
4. |
Jan sells
some apples. |
4. |
She
sells some. |
5. |
Jean sells
cars. |
5. |
She
sells them. |
6. |
Bill and
I fix the bikes. |
6. |
We
fix them. |
7. |
Carl hears
Bob and me. |
7. |
He
hears us. |
8. |
Dogs eat
bones. |
8. |
They
eat them. |
9. |
The
girls have a choice. |
9. |
They
have one. |
10. |
The
kids like the candy. |
10. |
They
like it. |
11. |
The
boys need some help. |
11. |
They
need something. |
12. |
Ellen should
call her sister. |
12. |
She should
call someone. |
13. |
The
murderer killed the plumber. |
13. |
He
killed a man. |
14. |
The
tourists went shopping. |
14. |
They
bought stuff. |
15. |
______________________ |
15. |
______________________ |
16. |
______________________ |
16. |
______________________ |
17. |
______________________ |
17. |
______________________ |
18. |
______________________ |
18. |
______________________ |
19. |
______________________ |
19. |
______________________ |
20. |
______________________ |
20. |
______________________ |
6
You
may have learned at some point that questions have a rising intonation. They do,
but usually a question will step upward until the very end, where it takes one
quick little downward step. A question rises a little higher than a
statement with the same intonation pattern.
"Here is my
car."
Here |
|
|
cä |
|
///////// |
is |
|
///// |
är. |
///////// |
///// |
my |
///// |
///// |
///////// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
"Where is my
car?"
|
|
|
|
cä |
|
|
|
|
|
///// |
är? |
Where |
|
|
|
///// |
///// |
/////////// |
is |
|
|
///// |
///// |
/////////// |
//// |
my |
|
///// |
///// |
/////////// |
//// |
////// |
|
///// |
///// |
If
you know that your car is parked outside, however, and someone doesn't see it
and asks you where it is, you might think that it has been stolen and your
emotion will show in your intonation as you repeat the question. As your
feelings rise in an emotional situation, your intonation rises up along with
them.
"Where is my
car?"
|
|
|
|
|
är? |
|
|
|
|
cä |
///// |
Where |
|
|
|
///// |
///// |
///////// |
is |
|
|
///// |
///// |
///////// |
//// |
my |
|
///// |
///// |
///////// |
//// |
///////// |
|
///// |
///// |
///////// |
//// |
///////// |
|
///// |
///// |
"Why?
Is it
gone?"
|
|
|
|
|
än? |
|
|
|
|
gä |
///////// |
Why? |
|
|
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
Is |
|
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
it |
|
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
///////// |
/// |
|
///////// |
///////// |
Pause the CD
and underline or highlight the words that you think should be stressed. Check
Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
1. |
Sam sees
Bill. |
11. |
He sees
him. |
2. |
She
wants one. |
12. |
Mary
wants a car. |
3. |
Betty
likes English. |
13. |
She
likes it. |
4. |
They
play with them. |
14. |
They eat
some. |
5. |
Children
play with toys. |
15. |
Len and
Joe eat some pizza. |
6. |
Bob and
I call you and Bill. |
16. |
We call
you. |
1. |
You and
Bill read the news. |
17. |
You read
it. |
8. |
It tells
one. |
18. |
The news
tells a story. |
9. |
Bernard
works in a restaurant. |
19. |
Mark
lived in France. |
10. |
He works
in one. |
20. |
He lived
there. |
7
Depending on
the situation, a word may be stressed for any of the following reasons:
New
Information
Opinion
Contrast
"Can't"
It
sounds like rain.
Rain
is the new
information. It's the most important word in that sentence and you could replace
everything else with duh-duh-duh.
Duh-duh-duh rain will still let
you get your point across.
V Repeat: Duh-duh-duh
rain I It sounds like rain.
Duh |
|
|
|
ray |
|
///// |
duh |
|
|
///// |
ayn. |
///// |
///// |
duh |
|
///// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
|
///// |
///// |
V
Make rain
very musical
and put it on two notes: ray-ayn.
Duh-duh-duh ray-ayn / It sounds like ray-ayn.
It
sounds like rain, but I don't think it is.
In
this case, intonation makes the meaning the opposite of what the words say:
It looks like a
diamond, but I think it's a zircon. It smells like Chanel, but at that price,
it's a knock-off. It feels like... It tastes like... These examples
all give the impression that you mean the opposite
of what your
senses tell you.
V
Practice the intonation difference between new information and
opinion:
It
sounds like rain. (It's rain.)
It sounds like
rain, (but it's
not.)
He
likes rain, but he hates snow.
Like
and
hate
are contrasted
and are the stronger words in the sentence.
It
can't rain when there're no clouds.
Contractions
(shouldn't,
wouldn't) and negatives
(no, not,
never) are important
words since they totally negate the meaning of a sentence, but they are not
usually stressed. Can't
is the
exception.
8
Practice saying
the four sentences after me. Pay close attention to the changes in pitch that
you must make to convey the different meanings intended. The words to be
stressed are indicated in bold face.
1. It sounds like
rain.
2. It sounds like
rain.
3. He likes rain, but he
hates snow.
4. It can't rain on my
parade! He can't do it. (See also Ex.
1-43 for negatives.)
Practice saying
the sentences after the suggestion and the beep tone +. You will be given only a
short time in which to reply so that you won't have the leisure to
overthink. Start speaking as soon as you hear the tone because I'll be saying
the sentence only a few seconds later.
1. Convey the information that it
really does sound as if rain is falling. +
2. Convey the opinion that although
it has the sound of rain, it may be something else. +
3. Convey the different feelings that
someone has about rain and snow. +
4. Convey the
fact that rain is an impossibility right now. +
+ Pause the CD.
V
Practice the four sentences on your own ten times.
+ Once you're familiar with moving the
stress around and feeling how the meaning changes, turn the CD on to continue
with the next exercise.
Native speakers
make a clear distinction between pretty easily
(easily) and
pretty easily
(a little
difficult). Repeat the answers after me paying close attention to your
stress.
Question: How did you like the movie?
Answer:
1.
It was pretty
good. (She liked
it.)
2.
It was
pretty good. (She didn't
like it much.)
9
Notice how the
meaning changes, while the actual words stay the same.
1. I didn't say he stole the
money. Someone else said it.
2. I didn't say he stole the
money. That's not true at all.
3. I didn't say he stole the money. I
only suggested the possibility.
4. I didn't say he stole the
money. I think someone else took it.
5. I didn't say he stole the
money. Maybe he just borrowed it.
6. I didn't say he stole the
money, but rather some other money.
7. I didn't say he stole the
money. He may have taken some jewelry.
I |
I didn't
say he stole the money. Someone else said it. |
|
It's
true that somebody said it, but I wasn't that person. |
Didn't |
I
didn't say he stole the money. That's not true at
all. |
|
Someone
has accused me and I'm protesting my innocence. |
Say |
I didn't
say he stole the money. I only suggested the
possibility. |
|
Maybe I
hinted it. Maybe I wrote it. In some way, I indicated that he stole the
money, but
I didn't
say it. |
He |
I didn't
say he stole the money. I think someone else took
it. |
|
I think
someone stole the money, only not the person you suspect did
it. |
Stole |
I didn't
say he stole the money. Maybe he just borrowed
it. |
|
I agree
that he took it, but I think his motive was different. |
The |
I didn't
say he stole the money, but rather some other
money. |
|
We agree
that he stole some money, but I don't think it's this money. |
Money |
I didn't
say he stole the money. He may have taken some
jewelry. |
|
We agree
that he's a thief, but we think he stole different things. |
Notice that in
the first half of these sentences nothing changes but the intonation.
V
Repeat after me.
10
Now,
let's see what you can do with the same sentence, just by changing the stress
around to different words. I'll tell you which meaning to express. When you hear
the tone +,
say the
sentence as quickly as you can, then I'll say the sentence for you. To test your
ear, I'm going to repeat the sentences in random order. Try to determine which
word I'm stressing. The answers are given in parentheses, but don't look unless
you really have to. Here we go.
1.
Indicate that he borrowed the money and didn't steal it. (5) +
2.
Indicate that you are denying having said that he stole it. (2) +
3.
Indicate that you think he stole something besides money. (7) +
4.
Indicate that you were not the person to say it. (1) +
5.
Indicate that you don't think that he was the person who stole it. (4)
+
6.
Indicate that you didn't say it outright, but did suggest it in some way. (3)
+
7.
Indicate that he many have stolen a different amount of money. (6) +
Practice these
sentences on your own, really exaggerating the word that you think should be
stressed. In the beginning, you're going to feel that this is ridiculous.
(Nobody
stresses this hard! Nobody talks like this! People are going to laugh at
me!)
Yet as much as
you may stress, you're probably only going to be stressing about half as much as
you should.
+ Pause the CD
and practice the sentences in random order ten times.
Another reason
you must overexaggerate is because when you get tired, emotional, or
relaxed, you will stop paying attention. When this happens, like a rubber
band, you're going to snap back to the way you originally were sounding (10
percent). So, if you just stretch yourself to the exact position where you
ideally want to be, you'll go back almost completely to the old way when
you relax. For practice, then, stretch yourself far beyond
the normal
range of intonation (150 percent), so when you relax, you relax back to a
standard American sound (100 percent).
Possibly about
this time you're thinking, Well, maybe you
do this in English, but in my language, I just really don't think that we
do this. I'd like you to
try a little exercise.
Take
the sentence I didn't say he
stole the money and translate
it into your native language. Write it down below, using whatever letters
or characters you use in your language.
_______________________________
Now
that you have written your sentence down, try shifting the stress around in your
own language by going through the stress patterns 1-7 in Exercise 1-9. Don't try
to put on a
11
particularly
American or other accent; just concentrate on stressing a different word in the
sentence each time you say it.
For example, if
your language is German, Ich habe nicht
gesagt daß er das Geld gestohlen hat, you would change
the stress to: Ich habe
nicht gesagt daß er das Geld gestohlen hat, or Ich habe
nicht gesagt daß er das Geld gestohlen hat.
If you translated
it into French, you would say, Je n'ai pas
dit qu'il a vole l'argent, or Je n' pas
dit qu'il a vole l'argent.
In
Japanese, many people think that there are no intonation changes, but if you
hear someone say, wakkanai,
you'll realize
that it has similarities to every other language. Watashi wa
kare ga okane o nusunda to wa iimasen deshita. Or
perhaps, Watashi wa
kare ga okane o nusunda to wa ümasen deshita.
No
matter how strange it may sound to you, stress each different word several times
in your language. You may notice that with some words it sounds perfectly
normal, but with other words it sounds very strange. Or you may find that in
your language, rather than stressing a word, you prefer to change the word order
or substitute another word. Whatever you do is fine, as long as you realize
where your language patterns are similar to and different from the American
English intonation patterns. Then, when you do it again, in English, it will be
much easier.
Note
An
excellent
exercise is to practice speaking your native language with an American accent.
If you can sound like an American speaking your native language, imagine how
easy it would be to speak English with an American accent.
X Pause the CD and practice shifting the
stressed words in your native language.
Below are two
sentences—the first is stressed on the most common, everyday word,
book.
Nine times out
of ten, people will stress the sentence in this way. The second sentence has a
less common, but perfectly acceptable intonation, since we are making a
distinction between two possible locations.
Normal
intonation |
Where's
the book? It's on the table. |
Changed
intonation |
Is the
book on the table or under it? It's on the
table. |
X Pause the CD and repeat the
sentences.
Write a short
sentence and indicate where you think the most normal intonation would be
placed. Then, change the meaning of the sentence slightly and change the
intonation accordingly.
Normal
intonation |
___________________________ |
Changed
intonation |
___________________________ |
12
Notice how
the meaning of the following sentence changes each time we change the stress
pattern. You should be starting to feel in control of your sentences
now.
1. |
What
would you like ? |
|
This is
the most common version of the sentence, and it is just a simple request
for information. |
2. |
What
would you like? |
|
This is to
single out an individual from a group. |
3. |
What
would you like? |
|
You've
been discussing the kinds of things he might like and you want to
determine his specific desires: "Now
that you
mention it, what would you like?" |
|
or |
|
He has
rejected several things and a little exasperated, you ask,
"If you
don't want any of these, what would you like?" |
4. |
What would
you like? |
|
You didn't
hear and you would like the speaker to repeat herself. |
|
or |
|
You
can't believe what you heard: "I'd
like strawberry jam on my asparagus." —
"What would
you like ?" |
|
+
Turn off the CD
and repeat the four sentences.
Now you
decide which words should be emphasized. Write a normal, everyday sentence with
at least seven words and put it through as many changes as possible. Try to make
a pitch change for each word in the sentence and think about how it changes the
meaning of the entire sentence.
1.________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________________
6.________________________________________________________
7.________________________________________________________
13
There is
always at least one stressed word in a sentence and frequently you can have
quite a few if you are introducing a lot of new information or if you want to
contrast several things. Look at the paragraph in Exercise 1-15. Take a pencil
and mark every word that you think should be stressed or sound stronger than the
words around it. I'd like you to make just an accent mark (') to indicate a word
you think should sound stronger than others around it.
Reminder
The three ways
to change your voice for intonation are: (1) Volume (speak louder), (2)
Length (stretch out a word), and (3) Pitch (change your
tone).
* Pause the CD and work on the paragraph
below.
Mark
every word or syllable with ' where you think that the sound is stressed. Use
the first sentence as your example. Check Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Pause the CD.
Hello,
my’ name is______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's a lot to
learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the
American intonation pattern pretty easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch, too. It's
like walking down a staircase. I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately,
and they tell me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on,
but the important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well, what do you
think? Do I?
V
Listen and re-mark the stressed words with your marker. After you've put in the
accent marks where you think they belong, take one of the colored translucent
markers and as I read very slowly, mark the words that I stress. I am going to
exaggerate the words far more than you'd normally hear in a normal reading of
the paragraph. You can mark either the whole word or just the strong syllable,
whichever you prefer, so that you have a bright spot of color for where the
stress should fall.
Note
If you do the
exercise only in pencil, your eye and mind will tend to skip over the accent
marks. The spots of color, however, will register as "different" and thereby
encourage your pitch change. This may strike you as unusual, but trust me,
it works.
* Pause the CD and practice reading
the paragraph out loud three times on your own.
14
Beware of
"Revealing" a Personality that You Don't Have!
There
is no absolute right or wrong in regard to intonation because a case can be made
for stressing just about any word or syllable, but you actually reveal a lot
about yourself by the elements you choose to emphasize. For example, if you say,
Hello,
this intonation
would indicate doubt. This is why you say, Hello ?
when answering
the telephone because you don't know who is on the other end. Or when you go
into a house and you don't know who's there because you don't see anyone. But if
you're giving a speech or making a presentation and you stand up in front of a
crowd and say, Hello,
the people would
probably laugh because it sounds so uncertain. This is where you'd confidently
want to say Hello, my
name is So-and-so.
A
second example is, my
name
is—as opposed to
my name
is. If you stress
name,
it sounds as if
you are going to continue with more personal information: My
name is So-and-so, my address is such-and-such, my blood type
is O. Since it may not
be your intention to give all that information, stay with the
standard—Hello,
my name is So-and-so.
If
you stress / every time, it will seem that you have a very high opinion of
yourself. Try it: I'm
taking American
Accent Training. I've been paying attention to pitch, too. I think
I'm quite wonderful.
An
earnest, hard-working person might emphasize words this way: I'm
taking American Accent Training (Can I learn
this stuff?). I hope to
make it as enjoyable as possible (I'll force
myself to enjoy it if I have to). Although the
only way to get it is to practice all the time (24 hours a
day).
A
Doubting Thomas would show up with: I
should
pick up on
(but I might
not) the American
intonation pattern pretty easily, (but it looks
pretty hard, too). I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand (but I think
they're just being polite).
V From
your color-marked copy, read each sentence of the paragraph in Exercise 1-15
after me. Use your rubber band, give a clear pitch change to the highlighted
words, and think about the meaning that the pitch is conveying.
× Back up the CD and practice this
paragraph three times.
× Pause the CD and practice three times on
your own.
15
Draw
one step of the staircase for each word of the paragraph. Start a new staircase
for every stressed word. There usually is more than one staircase in a sentence.
New sentences don't have to start new staircases; they can continue from the
previous sentence until you come to a stressed word. I'll read the beginning
sentences. Check the first sentence against the example. Then put the words of
the second sentence on a staircase, based on the way I read it. Remember, I'm
exaggerating to make a point.
V
Write out the rest of the staircases.
× Turn the CD back on to check your
staircases with the way I read the paragraph. × Pause the CD again to check your
staircases in the Answer Key, beginning on page 193. × Back up the CD, and listen and
repeat my reading of the paragraph while following the staircases in the Answer
Key.
16
Read
the following with clear intonation where marked.
Hello, my
name is__________________. I'm taking American Accent
Training. There's
a
lot to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as
possible. I should pick up on the American intonation
pattern pretty easily, although the only way to get it
is to practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've
been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down
a staircase. I've been talking to a lot of
Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to understand.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but the important thing is to
listen well and sound good. Well, what do you
think? Do I?
Just
as there is stress in words or phrases, there is intonation in spelling and
numbers. Americans seem to spell things out much more than other people. In any
bureaucratic situation, you'll be asked to spell names and give all kinds
of numbers—your
phone number, your birth date, and so on. There is a distinct stress and rhythm
pattern to both spelling and numbers—usually in
groups of three or four letters or numbers, with the stress falling on the last
member of the group. Acronyms (phrases that are represented by the first letter
of each word) and initials are usually stressed on the last letter. Just listen
to the words as I say them, then repeat the spelling after me.
Acronym |
Pronunciation |
IBM |
Eye Bee
Em |
MIT |
Em Eye
Tee |
Ph.D. |
Pee
Aitch Dee |
MBA |
Em Bee
εi |
LA |
Eh
Lay |
IQ |
Eye
Kyu |
RSVP |
Are Ess
Vee Pee |
TV |
Tee
Vee |
USA |
You Ess
εi |
ASAP |
εi Ess
εi Pee |
CIA |
See Eye
εi |
FBI |
Eff Bee
Eye |
USMC |
You Ess
Em See |
COD |
See Oh
Dee |
SOS |
Ess Oh
Ess |
X,Y,
Z |
Ex, Why,
Zee |
Spelling |
Pronunciation |
Box |
Bee Oh
Ex |
Cook |
See
Oh Oh Kay |
Wilson |
Dubba
You Eye El, Ess Oh En |
Numbers |
Pronunciation |
Area
Code |
213 |
Zip
Code |
94708 |
Date |
9/6/62 |
Phone
Number |
555-9132 |
17
Intonation is
powerful. It can change meaning and pronunciation. Here you will get the chance
to play with the sounds. Remember, in the beginning, the meaning isn't that
important—just work on getting control of your pitch changes. Use your
rubber band for each stressed word.
my
tie |
mai-tai |
Might
I? |
my
keys |
Mikey's |
My
keys? |
inn
key |
in
key |
inky |
my
tea |
mighty |
My
D |
I have
two. |
I have,
too. |
I
have to. |
How many
kids do you have? |
I have
two. |
I've
been to Europe. |
I have,
too. |
Why do
you work so hard? |
I
have to. |
Intonation can
also completely get rid of certain entire syllables. Some longer words that are
stressed on the first syllable squeeze weak syllables right out. Cover up the
regular columns and read the words between the brackets.
actually |
[æk•chully] |
every |
[εvree] |
average |
[ævr'j] |
family |
[fæmlee] |
aspirin |
[æsprin] |
finally |
[fyn•lee] |
broccoli |
[bräklee] |
general |
[jεnr'l] |
business |
[bizness] |
groceries |
[grossreez] |
camera |
[kæmruh] |
interest |
[intr'st] |
chocolate |
[chäkl't] |
jewelry |
[joolree] |
comfortable |
[k'mf•t'bl] |
mathematics |
[mæthmædix] |
corporal |
[corpr'l] |
memory |
[mεmree] |
desperate |
[dεspr't] |
orange |
[ornj] |
diamond |
[däim'nd] |
probably |
[präblee] |
diaper |
[däiper] |
restaurant |
[rεstränt] |
different |
[diffr'nt] |
separate |
[sεpr't] |
emerald |
[εmr'ld] |
several |
[sεvr'l] |
vegetable |
[vej•t'bl] |
liberal |
[libr'l] |
beverage |
[bev•r'j] |
conference |
[cänfrns] |
bakery |
[bā•kree] |
coverage |
[c'vr'j] |
catholic |
[cæth•l'k] |
history |
[hisstree] |
nursery |
[nrsree] |
accidentally |
[æk•sә•dent•lee] |
onion |
[әny'n] |
basically |
[ba•sә•klee] |
Note
The
~cally ending is always pronounced ~klee.
18
In
spoken English, if you stress the wrong syllable, you can totally lose the
meaning of a word: "MA-sheen" is hardly recognizable as "ma-SHEEN" or
machine.
At
this point, we won't be concerned with why
we are
stressing a particular syllable— that understanding will come later.
In
order to practice accurate pitch change, repeat the following column. Each
syllable will count as one musical note. Remember that words that end in a vowel
or a voiced consonant will be longer than ones ending in an unvoiced
consonant.
1
Syllable |
A |
B |
C |
Pattern
1a |
la! |
get |
stop |
|
cat |
quick |
which |
jump |
choice |
bit | |
box |
loss |
beat | |
Pattern
1b |
la-a |
law |
bid |
|
dog |
goes |
bead |
see |
choose |
car | |
plan |
lose |
know | |
2
Syllables |
la-la |
Bob
Smith |
for
you |
Pattern
2a |
a
dog |
my
car |
Who
knows? |
|
a
cat |
some
more |
cassette |
destroy |
red
tape |
ballet | |
a
pen |
enclose |
valet | |
pretend |
consume |
to
do | |
your
job |
my
choice |
today | |
pea
soup |
How's
work? |
tonight | |
Pattern
2b |
la-la |
wristwatch |
phone
book |
|
hot
dog |
textbook |
doorknob |
icy |
bookshelf |
notebook | |
suitcase |
sunshine |
house
key | |
project |
placemat |
ballot | |
sunset |
stapler |
valid | |
Get
one! |
modern |
dog
show | |
Do
it! |
modem |
want
ad |
19
a hot
dog is an
overheated canine |
a
hot dog is a
frankfurter |
3 Syllables |
A |
B |
C |
Pattern
3a |
la-la-la |
Worms eat
dirt. |
Joe has
three. |
|
Bob's hot
dog |
Inchworms
inch. |
Bob has
eight. |
|
Bob won't
know. |
Pets need
care. |
Al jumped
up. |
Sam's the
boss. |
Ed's too
late. |
Glen sat
down. | |
Susie's
nice. |
Paul threw
up. |
Tom made
lunch. | |
Bill went
home. |
Wool can
itch. |
Kids should
play. | |
|
Cats don't
care. |
Birds sing
songs. |
Mom said,
"No!" |
|
Stocks can
fall. |
Spot has
fleas. |
Mars is
red. |
|
School is
fun. |
Nick's a
punk. |
Ned sells
cars. |
Pattern
3b |
la-la-la |
Make a
cake. |
IBM |
|
a hot
dog |
He
forgot. |
a good
time |
I don't
know. |
Take a
bath. |
Use your
head! | |
He's the
boss. |
We're
too late. |
How are
you? | |
We
cleaned up. |
I love
you. |
We came
home. | |
|
in the
bag |
over
here |
on the
bus |
|
for a
while |
What a
jerk! |
engineer |
|
I went
home. |
How's
your job? |
She fell
down. |
|
We don't
care. |
How'd it
go? |
They
called back. |
|
It's in
March. |
Who'd
you meet? |
You
goofed up. |
Pattern
3c |
la-la-la |
percentage
(%) |
Ohio |
|
a
hot dog |
advantage |
his
football |
|
I
don't know! |
It's
starting. |
They're
leaving. |
Jim
killed it. |
Let's
try
it. |
How
are you? | |
tomorrow |
financial |
emphatic | |
|
a
fruitcake |
I
thought so. |
Dale
planned it. |
|
the
engine |
on
Wednesday |
You
took it. |
|
a
wineglass |
in
April |
external |
|
potato |
I
love you. |
a
bargain |
|
whatever |
Let's
tell
him. |
Don't
touch it. |
Pattern
3d |
la-la-la |
alphabet |
phone
number |
|
hot dog
stand |
possible |
think
about |
|
I don't
know. |
Show me
one. |
comfortable |
analyze |
area |
waiting
for | |
article |
punctuate |
pitiful | |
|
dinnertime |
emphasis |
everything |
|
digital |
syllable |
orchestra |
|
analog |
PostIt
note |
ignorant |
|
cell
structure |
Rolodex |
Rubbermaid |
20
4 Syllables |
A |
B |
C |
Pattern
4a |
la-la-la-la |
Nate needs a
break. |
Max wants
to know. |
|
Spot's a hot
dog. |
Ed took my
car. |
Al's kitchen
floor |
Jim killed
a snake. |
Jill ate a
steak. |
Bill's halfway
there. | |
|
Joe doesn't
know. |
Spain's really
far. |
Roses are
red, |
|
Nate bought
a book. |
Jake's in the
lake. |
Violets are
blue, |
|
Al brought
some ice. |
Sam's in a
bar. |
Candy is
sweet, |
|
|
|
and
so are you. |
Pattern
4b |
la-la-la-la |
She
asked for help. |
I want
to know. |
|
It's a
hot dog. |
We took
my car. |
the
kitchen floor |
He
killed a snake. |
We need
a break. |
We
watched TV. | |
He
doesn't know. |
It's
really
far. |
She's
halfway there. | |
We came
back in. |
I love
you, too. |
We
played all day. | |
|
He
bought a book. |
They got
away. |
Please
show me how. |
Pattern
4c |
la-la-la-la |
Boys ring
doorbells. |
Phil knows
mailmen. |
|
Bob likes
hot dogs. |
Bill ate
breakfast. |
Joe grew
eggplants. |
Ann eats
pancakes. |
Guns are
lethal. |
Humpty
Dumpty | |
Cats eat
fish bones. |
Inchworms
bug me. |
Hawks are
vicious. | |
|
Bears are
fuzzy. |
Ragtops
cost more. |
Homework
bores them. |
|
Planets
rotate. |
Salesmen
sell things. |
Mike can
hear you. |
Pattern
4d |
la-la-la-la |
an
alarm clock |
He said
"lightbulb." |
|
It's
my
hot dog. |
I don't
need one. |
What
does 'box' mean? |
imitation |
Ring the
doorbell. |
Put your
hands up. | |
analytic |
What's
the
matter? |
Where's
the mailman? | |
|
We like
science. |
introduction |
an
assembly |
|
my
to-do list |
my
report card |
definition |
Pattern
4e |
la-la-la-la |
potato
chip |
What
time is it? |
|
a
hot dog stand |
Whose
turn is it? |
my
phone number |
Jim
killed a man. |
We
worked on it. |
Let's
eat something. | |
analysis |
How
tall are you? |
How
old are you? | |
|
invisible |
insanity |
untouchable |
|
a
platypus |
ability |
a
maniac |
Pattern
4f |
la-la-la-la |
supervisor |
lighthouse
keeper |
|
permanently |
window
cleaner |
cough
medicine |
demonstrated |
race car
driver |
business
meeting | |
category |
January
(jæn-yə-wery) |
February
(feb•yə•wery) | |
office
supplies |
progress
report |
baby-sitter | |
|
educator |
thingamajig |
dictionary |
21
Put
the following words into the proper category based on the syllable count
intonation. Write the pattern number in the space provided. Check Answer Key,
beginning on p. 193.
Single
Words |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
l. |
stop |
__ |
5. |
analyze
(v) |
__ |
9. |
believe |
__ |
2. |
go |
__ |
6. |
analysis
(n) |
__ |
10. |
director |
__ |
3. |
sympathy |
__ |
7. |
analytic
(adj) |
__ |
11. |
indicator |
__ |
4. |
sympathetic |
__ |
8. |
mistake |
__ |
12. |
technology |
__ |
Noun
Phrases |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
1. |
tech
support |
__ |
5. |
English
test |
__ |
9. |
a fire
engine |
__ |
2. |
software
program |
__ |
6. |
airline
pilot |
__ |
10. |
sports
fanatic |
__ |
3. |
the
truth |
__ |
7. |
Y2K |
__ |
11. |
the
kitchen floor |
__ |
4. |
notebook |
__ |
8. |
Santa
Claus |
__ |
12. |
computer
disk |
__ |
Phrases |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
1. |
on the
table |
__ |
5. |
for
sure |
__ |
9. |
on the
way |
__ |
2. |
in your
dreams |
__ |
6. |
OK |
__ |
10. |
like a
princess |
__ |
3. |
last
Monday |
__ |
7. |
thank
you |
__ |
11. |
to pick
up |
__ |
4. |
for a
while |
__ |
8. |
back to
back |
__ |
12. |
a
pickup |
__ |
Sentences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
1. |
All gets
T-shirts. |
__ |
5. |
I don't
know. |
__ |
9. |
She has
head lice. |
__ |
2. |
I went
too fast. |
__ |
6. |
Bob
works hard. |
__ |
10. |
Gail has
head lice. |
__ |
3. |
Get
up! |
__ |
7. |
It' s in
the back. |
__ |
11. |
Sue's
working hard. |
__ |
4. |
Get
one! |
__ |
8. |
Buy us
some! |
__ |
12. |
I want
some more. |
__ |
Mixed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
1. |
Do it
again. |
__ |
8. |
in the
middle |
__ |
15. |
Make up
your mind! |
__ |
2. |
Joe was
upset. |
__ |
9. |
It's a
good trick. |
__ |
16. |
Tom has
frostbite. |
__ |
3. |
banana |
__ |
10. |
specifically |
__ |
17. |
Sam's a
champ. |
__ |
4. |
banana
split |
__ |
11. |
Bill
needs it. |
__ |
18. |
He's a
winner. |
__ |
5. |
categorize |
__ |
12. |
jump
around |
__ |
19. |
He likes
to win. |
__ |
6. |
child
support |
__ |
13. |
on my
own |
__ |
20. |
All
hates pork chops. |
__ |
7. |
Mexican
food |
__ |
14. |
by
myself |
__ |
21. |
He likes
ground beef. |
__ |
Make
up your own examples, one of each pattern. Make up more on your
own.
1. |
__________ |
2a |
5. |
3c |
9. |
__________ |
4c |
2. |
__________ |
2b |
6. |
3d |
10. |
__________ |
4d |
3. |
__________ |
3a |
7. |
4a |
11. |
__________ |
4e |
4. |
__________ |
3b |
8. |
4b |
12. |
__________ |
4f |
22
This is the
beginning of an extremely important part of spoken American English—the rhythms
and intonation patterns of the long streams of nouns and adjectives that are so
commonly used. These exercises will tie in the intonation patterns of
adjectives (nice, old,
best, etc.),
nouns (dog, house,
surgeon, etc.), and
adverbs (very,
really, amazingly, etc.)
One
way of approaching sentence intonation is not to build each sentence from
scratch. Instead, use patterns, with each pattern similar to a mathematical
formula. Instead of plugging in numbers, however, plug in
words.
In
Exercise 1-2, we looked at simple noun•verb•noun patterns, and in Exercise 1-22 and 1-23,
the syllable-count intonation patterns were covered and tested. In Exercises
1-24 to 1-37, we'll examine intonation patterns in two word phrases.
It's important
to note that there's a major difference between syllable
stress and
compound
noun stress patterns. In
the syllable count exercises, each syllable
was
represented by a single musical note. In the noun phrases, each individual
word
will be
represented by a single musical note—no matter how many total syllables there
may be.
At
times, what appears to be a single syllable word will have a "longer" sound to
it— seed
takes longer
to say than seat
for example.
This was introduced on page 3, where you learned that a final voiced consonant
causes the previous vowel to double.
Repeat the
following noun and adjective sentences.
|
|
|
|
Noun |
Adjective |
1. |
It's a
nail. |
It's
short. |
2. |
It's a
cake. |
It's
chocolate. [chäkl't] |
3. |
It's a
tub. |
It's
hot. [hät] |
4. |
It's a
drive. |
It's
härd. |
5. |
It's a
door. |
It's in
back. [bæk] |
6. |
It's a
cärd. |
There
are four. |
7. |
It's a
spot. [säpt] |
It's
smäll. |
8. |
It's a
book, [bük] |
It's
good.[güd] |
Write your own
noun and adjective sentences below. You will be using these examples
throughout this series of exercises.
9. It's a
____________ It's ____________
10.
It's a ____________ It's
____________
11.
It's a ____________ It's
____________
23
Nouns are
"heavier" than adjectives; they carry the weight of the new information. An
adjective and a noun combination is called a descriptive
phrase, and in the
absence of contrast or other secondary changes, the stress will always fall
naturally on the noun. In the absence of a noun, you will stress the adjective,
but as soon as a noun appears on the scene, it takes immediate precedence—and
should be stressed.
Repeat the
following phrases.
|
|
|
|
Adjective |
Noun and
Adjective |
1. |
It's
short. |
It's a
short nail. |
2. |
It's
chocolate. |
It's a
chocolate cake. |
3. |
It's
good. |
It's a
good plan. |
4. |
It's
guarded. |
It's a
guarded gate. |
5. |
It's
wide. |
It's a
wide river. |
6. |
There're
four. |
There're
four cards. |
7. |
It was
small. |
It was a
small spot. |
8. |
It's the
best. |
It's the
best book. |
Pause the CD
and write your own adjective and noun/adjective sentences. Use the same words
from Ex. 1-24.
9.
It's _____________ It's a _____________
10.
It's _____________ It's a _____________
11.
It's _____________ It's a _____________
Repeat.
|
|
|
|
Adjective
Noun |
Adverb
Adjective |
1. |
It's a
short nail. |
It's
really short. |
2. |
It's a
chocolate cake. |
It's
dark chocolate. |
3. |
It's a
hot bath. |
It's too
hot. |
4. |
It's a
hard drive. |
It's
extremely hard. |
24
5. |
It's the
back door. |
It's far
back. |
6. |
There
are four cards. |
There
are only four. |
1. |
It's a
small spot. |
It's
laughably small. |
8. |
It's a
good book. |
It's
amazingly good. |
Puase the CD
and write your own adjective/noun and adverb/adjective sentences, carrying over
Ex. 1-25.
9.
It's a _____________ It's _____________
10.
It's a _____________ It's _____________
11.
It's a _____________ It's _____________
The
following well-known story has been rewritten to contain only descriptions.
Stress the second word of each phrase. Repeat after me.
There
is a mother
duck. She lays
three eggs.
Soon,
there are three baby birds.
Two of
the birds are very
beautiful. One of them is
quite
ugly. The
beautiful
ducklings make fun of
their ugly
brother. The poo
r thing is
very
unhappy. As the
three
birds grow older, the
ugly
duckling begins to
change. His gray feathers
turn
snowy
white. His
gangly
neck becomes
beautifully
smooth.
In
early
spring, the
ugly
duckling is swimming in a
small
pond in the
backyard
of the
old
farm. He
sees
his
shimmering reflection in
the
clear water. What a
great
surprise. He is no longer
an ugly
duckling. He has grown
into a lovely
swan.
When I learned
the alphabet as a child, I heard it before I saw it. I heard that the last four
letters were dubba-you,
ex, why, zee. I thought that
dubbayou
was a long,
strange name for a letter, but I didn't question it any more than I did
aitch.
It was just a
name. Many years later, it struck me that it was a double U.
Of course, a W
is really UU. I had such a funny feeling, though, when I realized that something
I had taken for granted for so many years had a background meaning that I had
completely overlooked. This "funny feeling" is exactly what most native
speakers get when a two-word phrase is stressed on the wrong word. When two
individual words go through the cultural process of becoming a set phrase, the
original sense of each word is more or less forgotten and the new meaning
completely takes over. When we hear the word painkiller,
we think
anesthetic.
If, however,
someone says painkiller,
it brings up
the strength and almost unrelated meaning of kill.
When you have
a two-word phrase, you have to either stress on the first word, or
on
25
the
second word. If you stress both or neither, it's not clear what you are trying
to say. Stress on the first word is more noticeable and one of the most
important concepts of intonation that you are going to study. At first glance,
it doesn't seem significant, but the more you look at this concept, the more you
are going to realize that it reflects how we Americans think, what concepts we
have adopted as our own, and what things we consider important.
Set
phrases are our "cultural icons," or word images; they are indicators of a
determined
use that we have
internalized. These set phrases, with stress on the first word, have been taken
into everyday English from descriptive phrases, with stress on the second word.
As soon as a descriptive phrase becomes a set phrase, the emphasis shifts from
the second
word to the
first.
The original
sense of each word is more or less forgotten and the new meaning takes
over.
Set
phrases indicate that we have internalized this phrase as an image,
that we all
agree on a concrete idea that this phrase represents. A hundred years or so ago,
when Levi Strauss first came out with his denim pants, they were described as
blue
jeans. Now that we
all agree on the image, however, they are blue
jeans.
A
more recent example would be the descriptive phrase, He 's a real
party animal. This slang
expression refers to someone who has a great time at a party. When it first
became popular, the people using it needed to explain (with their
intonation) that he was an animal
at a
party.
As time
passed, the expression became cliche and we changed the intonation to
He's a real
party animal because
"everyone knew" what it meant.
Cliches are
hard to recognize in a new language because what may be an old and tired
expression to a native speaker may be fresh and exciting to a newcomer. One way
to look at English from the inside out, rather than always looking from the
outside in, is to get a feel for what Americans have already accepted and
internalized. This starts out as a purely language phenomenon, but you will
notice that as you progress and undergo the relentless cultural indoctrination
of standard intonation patterns, you will find yourself expressing yourself with
the language cues and signals that will mark you as an insider—not an
outsider.
When the
interpreter was translating for the former Russian President Gorbachev about his
trip to San Francisco in 1990, his pronunciation was good, but he placed himself
on the outside by repeatedly saying, cable
car. The phrase
cable
car is an image,
an established entity, and it was very noticeable to hear it stressed on the
second word as a mere description.
An
important point that I would like to make is that the "rules" you are given here
are not meant to be memorized. This discussion is only an introduction to give
you a starting point in understanding this phenomenon and in recognizing what to
listen for. Read it over; think about it; then listen, try it out, listen some
more, and try it out again.
As
you become familiar with intonation, you will become more comfortable with
American norms, thus the cultural orientation, or even cultural indoctrination,
aspect of the following examples.
Note
When you get
the impression that a two-word description could be hyphenated or even made into
one word, it is a signal that it could be a set phrase—for example, flash
light, flash-light, flashlight. Also, stress the first word
with Street (Main Street) and nationalities of food and people
(Mexican food, Chinese girls).
26
Repeat the
following sentences.
|
Noun |
Noun/Adj. |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
It's a finger. |
It's a
nail. |
It's a fingernail. |
2. |
It's a pan. |
It's a
cake. |
It's a pancake. |
3. |
It's a tub. |
It's hot. |
It's a hot tub. (Jacuzzi) |
4. |
It's a
drive. |
It's hard. |
It's a hard drive. |
5. |
It's a bone. |
It's in back. |
It's the
backbone. (spine) |
6. |
It's a card. |
It's a trick. |
It's a card
trick. |
7. |
It's a spot. |
It's a light. |
It's a spotlight. |
8. |
It's a book. |
It's a phone. |
It's a phone
book. |
Pause the CD
and write your own noun and set phrase sentences, carrying over the same nouns
you used in Exercise 1-25. Remember, when you use a noun, include the article
(a, an, the); when you use an adjective, you don't need an
article.
9. It's a_________
It's
a_________ It's
a_____________
10.
It's a_________
It's
a_________ It's
a_____________
11.
It's a_________
It's
a_________ It's
a_____________
Pause the CD
and add a noun to each word as indicated by the picture. Check Answer Key,
beginning on page 193.
27
The
following story contains only set phrases, as opposed to the descriptive story
in Exercise 1-27. Stress the first word of each phrase.
The
little match
girl was out in a
snowstorm.
Her feet were
like ice cubes
and
her
fingertips had
frostbite. She hadn't
sold any matches since daybreak,
and she had a
stomachache
from the
hunger
pangs, but her
stepmother
would beat her
with a broomstick
if she came
home with an empty coin
purse. Looking into
the bright living
rooms, she saw
Christmas
trees
and
warm
fireplaces. Out on the
snowbank,
she lit match
and saw the image of a grand dinner
table of food before
her. As the matchstick
burned, the
illusion slowly faded. She lit
another one and saw a room
full of happy
family members. On the last
match, her grandmother
came down and
carried her home. In the morning, the
passersby saw the little
match
girl. She had frozen
during the nighttime,
but she had a
smile on her face.
We
now have two main intonation patterns—first word
stress and
second word
stress. In the
following exercise, we will contrast the two.
Repeat after
me.
|
|
|
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
It's a
short nail. |
It's a
fingernail. |
2. |
It's a
chocolate cake. |
It's a
pancake. |
3. |
It's a
hot bath. |
It's a
hot tub. |
4. |
It's a
long drive. |
It's a
hard drive. |
5. |
It's the
back door. |
It's the
backbone. |
6. |
There
are four cards. |
It's a
card trick. |
7. |
It's a
small spot. |
It's a
spot light. |
8. |
It's a
good book. |
It's a
phone book |
Pause the CD
and rewrite your descriptive phrases (Ex. 1-25)
and set phrases
(Ex. 1-28).
9. |
It's a
_____________ |
It's
a _____________ |
10. |
It's
a _____________ |
It's
a _____________ |
11. |
It's
a _____________ |
It's
a _____________ |
28
Repeat the
following pairs.
First Word |
set
phrases |
light
bulb |
|
streets |
Main
Street |
|
Co. or
Corp. |
Xerox
Corporation |
|
nationalities
of food |
Chinese
food |
|
nationalities
of people |
French
guy |
Second Word |
descriptive
phrases |
new
information |
|
road
designations |
Fifth
Avenue |
|
modified
adjectives |
really
big |
|
place
names and parks |
New
York, Central Park |
|
institutions,
or Inc. |
Oakland
Museum, Xerox Inc. |
|
personal
names and titles |
Bob
Smith, Assistant Manager |
|
personal
pronouns and possessives |
his
car, Bob 's brother |
|
articles |
the
bus, a week, an hour |
|
initials
and acronyms |
U.S.,
IQ |
|
chemical
compounds |
zinc
oxide |
|
colors
and numbers |
red
orange, 26 |
|
most
compound verbs |
go
away, sit down, fall off |
|
percent
and dollar |
10
percent,
50
dollars |
|
hyphenated
nationalities |
African-American |
|
descriptive
nationalities |
Mexican
restaurant |
When you are
in a foreign country, the subject of nationalities naturally comes up a lot. It
would be nice if there were a simple rule that said that all the words using
nationalities are stressed on the first word. There isn't, of course. Take this
preliminary quiz to see if you need to do this exercise. For simplicity's sake,
we will stick with one nationality—American.
Pause the CD
and stress one word in each of the following examples. Repeat after
me.
1. an American guy
2. an American
restaurant
3. American food
4. an American teacher
5. an English teacher
When you first
look at it, the stress shifts may seem arbitrary, but let's examine the logic
behind these five examples and use it to go on to other, similar
cases.
30
The
operative word is American; guy
could even be
left out without changing the meaning of the phrase. Compare / saw two
American guys yesterday, with /
saw two
Americans yesterday. Words like
guy, man,
kid, lady, people are de facto
pronouns in an anthropocentric language. A strong noun, on the other hand, would
be stressed— They flew an
American flag. This is why
you have the pattern change in Exercise 1-22: 4e, Jim killed
a man; but 4b,
He killed a
snake.
Don't be
sidetracked by an ordinary descriptive phrase that happens to have a
nationality in it. You are describing the restaurant, We
went to a good restaurant yesterday or
We went to an
American restaurant yesterday. You would use
the same pattern where the nationality is more or less incidental in /
had French
toast for breakfast. French fry, on the other
hand, has become a set phrase.
Food
is a weak word.
I
never ate
American food when I lived in Japan. Let's have Chinese food for
dinner.
This is a
description, so the stress is on teacher.
This is a set
phrase. The stress is on the subject being taught, not the nationality of the
teacher: a French
teacher, a Spanish teacher, a history teacher.
Repeat the
following pairs.
Set
Phrase |
Descriptive
Phrase | ||
An
English teacher... |
An
English teacher... | ||
|
...teaches
English. |
|
...is
from England. |
An
English book... |
An
English book...is on any subject, | ||
|
...teaches
the English language. |
|
but it
came from England. |
An
English test... |
An
English test... is on any subject, | ||
|
...tests
a student on the English language. |
|
but it
deals with or came from England. |
English
food... |
An
English restaurant... | ||
|
. .
.is
kippers for breakfast. |
|
...serves
kippers for breakfast. |
31
Intonation can
indicate completely different meanings for otherwise similar words or phrases.
For example, an English
teacher
teaches
English, but an English
teacher is from
England; French
class
is where you
study French, but French
class is Gallic
style and sophistication; an orange
tree
grows oranges,
but an orange
tree is any kind of
tree that has been painted orange. To have your intonation tested, call (800)
457-4255.
In
the following list of words, underline the element that should be stressed.
Pause the CD. Afterwards, check Answer Key, beginning on page 193. Repeat after
me.
1. |
The White House |
21. |
convenience
store |
41. |
a
doorknob |
2. |
a white
house |
22. |
convenient
store |
42. |
a glass
door |
3. |
a
darkroom |
23. |
to pick
up |
43. |
a locked
door |
4. |
a dark
room |
24. |
a pickup
truck |
44. |
ice
cream |
5. |
Fifth
Avenue |
25. |
six
years old |
45. |
I
scream. |
6. |
Main
Street |
26. |
a
six-year-old |
46. |
elementary |
7. |
a main
street |
27. |
six and
a half |
47. |
a lemon
tree |
8. |
a hot
dog |
28. |
a sugar
bowl |
48. |
Watergate |
9. |
a hot
dog |
29. |
a wooden
bowl |
49. |
the back
gate |
10. |
a baby
blanket |
30. |
a large
bowl |
50. |
the
final year |
11. |
a baby's
blanket |
31. |
a mixing
bowl |
51. |
a
yearbook |
12. |
a baby
bird |
32. |
a top
hat |
52. |
United
States |
13. |
a
blackbird |
33. |
a nice
hat |
53. |
New
York |
14. |
a black
bird |
34. |
a straw
hat |
54. |
Long
Beach |
15. |
a
greenhouse |
35. |
a
chairperson |
55. |
Central
Park |
16. |
a green
house |
36. |
Ph.D. |
56. |
a raw
deal |
17. |
a green
thumb |
37. |
IBM |
57. |
a deal
breaker |
18. |
a
parking ticket |
38. |
MIT |
58. |
the
bottom line |
19. |
a
one-way ticket |
39. |
USA |
59. |
a bottom
feeder |
20. |
an
unpaid ticket |
40. |
ASAP |
60. |
a new
low |
32
Let's
check
and see if the
concepts are clear. Pause the CD and underline or highlight the stressed word.
Check Answer Key, beginning on page 193. Repeat after me.
1. He's a nice
guy.
2. He's an
American guy from San Francisco.
3. The cheerleader needs a
rubber band to hold her ponytail.
4. The
executive assistant needs a paper clip for the final
report.
5. The law student took an
English test in a foreign country.
6. The policeman saw
a red car on the freeway in Los Angeles.
7. My old dog has long ears
and a flea problem.
8. The new teacher broke his
coffee cup on the first day.
9. His best friend has a
broken cup in his other office.
10. Let's play football on the
weekend in New York.
11. "Jingle Bells" is a nice
song.
12. Where are my new
shoes?
13. Where are my tennis
shoes?
14. I have a headache from the
heat wave in South Carolina.
15. The newlyweds took a
long walk in Long Beach.
16. The little dog was sitting
on the sidewalk.
17. The famous athlete changed
clothes in the locker room.
18. The art exhibit was held in
an empty room.
19. There was a class reunion
at the high school.
20. The headlines indicated a
new policy.
21. We got on line and went to
americanaccent dot com.
22. The stock options were
listed in the company directory.
23. All the second-graders were
out on the playground.
33
Read the
story and stress the indicated words. Notice if they are a description, a
set phrase or contrast. For the next level of this topic,
go to page 111. Repeat after me.
There is a
little
girl. Her name is
Goldilocks.
She is in a
sunny
forest. She sees a
small
house. She
knocks
on the door, but
no
one answers. She
goes
inside. In the
large
room, there are
three
chairs. Goldilocks sits on the
biggest
chair, but it is
too
high. She sits on
the middle-sized
one, but it is
too
low. She sits on
the small
chair and it
is just
right. On the table,
there are three
bowls. There is
hot
porridge in the bowls.
She tries the
first one, but it is
too
hot; the
second
one is
too
cold, and the
third
one is
just
right, so she eats it
all. After
that, she
goes
upstairs. She
looks
around. There are
three
beds, so she
sits
down. The
biggest bed
is
too
hard. The
middle-sized
bed is
too
soft. The
little
one is just right, so she
lies
down. Soon, she
falls
asleep.
In the
meantime,
the family of
three
bears comes home —
the Papa
bear, the
Mama
bear, and the
Baby
bear. They
look
around.
They say,
"Who's been sitting in our chairs and eating our porridge?" Then they
run
upstairs. They say,
"Who's been sleeping in our beds?" Goldilocks wakes
up. She is
very
scared. She
runs
away. Goldilocks never
comes
back.
Note
Up to this
point, we have gone into great detail on the intonation patterns of
nouns. We shall now examine the intonation patterns of
verbs.
34
English is a
chronological language. We just love to know when something happened, and this
is indicated by the range and depth of our verb tenses.
I
had
already seen it by the time she brought it in.
As
you probably learned in your grammar studies, "the past perfect is an action in
the past that occurred before a separate action in the past." Whew! Not all
languages do this. For example, Japanese is fairly casual about when things
happened, but being a hierarchical language, it is very important to know what
relationship
the two people
involved had. A high-level person with a low-level one, two peers, a man and a
woman, all these things show up in Japanese grammar. Grammatically speaking,
English is democratic.
The
confusing part is that in English the verb tenses are very important, but
instead of putting them up on the peaks
of a sentence,
we throw them all deep down in the valleys!
Therefore, two sentences with strong intonation—such as, "Dogs
eat
bones"
and
"The
dogs'll've eaten the bones"
sound
amazingly similar. Why? Because it takes the same amount of time to say both
sentences since they have the same number of stresses. The three original
words and the rhythm stay the same in these sentences, but the meaning changes
as you add more stressed words. Articles and verb tense changes are usually not
stressed.
Dogs |
|
|
bones |
//////// |
eat |
|
///////// |
/////// |
///// |
|
///////// |
|
|
dogs |
|
|
|
|
|
bones. |
|
|
/////// |
'll |
|
|
|
|
///////// |
|
|
/////// |
//// |
've |
|
|
|
///////// |
|
|
/////// |
//// |
//// |
eaten |
|
|
///////// |
|
|
/////// |
//// |
//// |
/////// |
the |
|
///////// |
The |
|
/////// |
//// |
//// |
/////// |
///// |
|
///////// |
däg |
|
|
bounz |
/////// |
zeet |
|
/////// |
/////// |
/////// |
|
/////// |
|
|
däg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
bounz |
|
|
/////// |
z' |
|
|
|
|
|
////////// |
|
|
/////// |
////// |
l' |
|
|
|
|
////////// |
|
|
/////// |
////// |
////// |
vee(t) |
|
|
|
////////// |
|
|
/////// |
////// |
////// |
////// |
n |
|
|
////////// |
the |
|
/////// |
////// |
////// |
////// |
////// |
the |
|
////////// |
Now
let's see how this works in the exercises that follow.
35
This
is a condensed exercise for you to practice simple intonation with a wide range
of verb tenses. When you do the exercise the first time, go through stressing
only the nouns Dogs eat bones.
Practice this
until you are quite comfortable with the intonation. The pronunciation and word
connections are on the right, and the full verb tenses are on the far
left.
eat |
1. |
The
dogs eat the bones. |
the
däg zeet the bounz |
ate |
2. |
The
dogs ate the bones. |
the
däg zεit the
bounz |
are
eating |
3. |
The
dogs're eating the bones. |
the
däg zr reeding the bounz |
will
eat |
4. |
The
dogs'll eat the bones (if...) |
the
däg zə leet the bounz
(if...) |
would
eat |
5. |
The
dogs'd eat the bones (if...) |
the
däg zə deet the bounz
(if...) |
would have
eaten |
6. |
The
dogs'd've eaten the bones (if..) |
the
däg zədə veetn the bounz (if...) |
that have
eaten |
7. |
The
dogs that've eaten the bones (are..) |
the
däg zədə
veetn the bounz (are...) |
have
eaten |
8. |
The
dogs've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zə veetn the
bounz |
had
eaten |
9. |
The
dogs'd eaten the bones. |
the
däg zə deetn the
bounz |
will have
eaten |
10. |
The
dogs'll've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zələ veetn the bounz |
ought to
eat |
11. |
The
dogs ought to eat the bones. |
the
däg zädə eat the
bounz |
should
eat |
12. |
The
dogs should eat the bones. |
the
dägz sh'deet the bounz |
should not
eat |
13. |
The
dogs shouldn't eat the bones. |
the
dägz sh'dn•neet the
bounz |
should
have eaten |
14. |
The
dogs should've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz sh'də veetn the
bounz |
should not
have |
15. |
The
dogs shouldn't've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz sh'dn•nə veetn the bounz |
could
eat |
16. |
The
dogs could eat the bones. |
the
dägz c'deet the bounz |
could not
eat |
17. |
The
dogs couldn't eat the bones. |
the
dägz c'dn•neet the
bounz |
could have
eaten |
18. |
The
dogs could've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz c'də veetn the
bounz |
could not
have |
19. |
The
dogs couldn't've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz c'dn•nə veetn the bounz |
might
eat |
20. |
The
dogs might eat the bones. |
the
dägz mydeet the bounz |
might have
eaten |
21. |
The
dogs might've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz mydəveetn the
bounz |
must
eat |
22. |
The
dogs must eat the bones. |
the
dägz məss deet the
bounz |
must have
eaten |
23. |
The
dogs must've eaten the bones. |
the
dägz məsdəveetn the bounz |
can
eat |
24. |
The
dogs can eat the bones. |
the
dägz c'neet the bounz |
can't
eat |
25. |
The
dogs can't eat the bones. |
the
dägz cæn(d)eet the
bounz |
36
This
is the same as the previous exercise, except you now stress the verbs:
They eat
them. Practice this
until you are quite comfortable with the intonation. Notice that in fluent
speech, the th of them is frequently dropped (as is the h
in the other object pronouns, him, her). The pronunciation and word
connections are on the right, and the tense name is on the far
left.
present |
1. |
They
eat them. |
theyeed'm |
past |
2. |
They
ate them. |
theyεid'm |
continuous |
3. |
They're
eating them. |
thereeding'm |
future |
4. |
They'll
eat them (if...) |
theleed'm
(if...) |
present
conditional |
5. |
They'd
eat them (if...) |
they
deed'm (if...) |
past
conditional |
6. |
They'd' ve
eaten them (if...) |
they
dəveetn'm (if...) |
relative
pronoun |
7. |
The ones
that've eaten them (are...) |
the wənzədəveetn'm (are...) |
present
perfect |
8. |
They've
eaten them (many
times). |
they
veetn'm (many
times) |
past
perfect |
9. |
They'd
eaten them (before...) |
they
deetn'm (before...) |
future
perfect |
10. |
They'll
have eaten them (by...) |
they
ləveetn'm (by...) |
obligation |
11. |
They ought
to eat them. |
they ädəeed'm |
obligation |
12. |
They
should eat them. |
they
sh'deed'm |
obligation |
13. |
They
shouldn't eat them. |
they
sh'dn•need'm |
obligation |
14. |
They
should have eaten them. |
they
sh'dəveetn'm |
obligation |
15. |
They
shouldn't' ve eaten them. |
they
sh'dn•nəveetn'm |
possibility/ability |
16. |
They could
eat them. |
they
с'deed'm |
possibility/ability |
17. |
They
couldn't eat them. |
they
c'dn•need'm |
possibility/ability |
18. |
They could
have eaten them. |
they
c'də veetn'm |
possibility/ability |
19. |
They
couldn't have eaten them. |
they
c'dn•nə veetn'm |
possibility |
20. |
They might
eat them. |
they
mydeed'm |
possibility |
21. |
They might
have eaten them. |
they my
də veetn'm |
probability |
22. |
They must
eat them. |
they
məss deed'm |
probability |
23. |
They must
have eaten them. |
they
məsdəveetn'm |
ability |
24. |
They can
eat them. |
they
c'need'm |
ability |
25. |
They can't
eat them. |
they
cæn(d)eed'm |
37
On
the first of the numbered lines below, write a three-word sentence that you
frequently use, such as "Computers organize information" or "Lawyers sign
contracts" and put it through the 25 changes. This exercise will take you quite
a bit of time and it will force you to rethink your perceptions of word sounds
as related to spelling. It helps to use a plural noun that ends in a [z] sound
(boyz, dogz) rather than an [s] sound (hats, books). Also, your sentence will
flow better if your verb begins with a vowel sound (earns, owes, offers). When
you have finished filling in all the upper lines of this exercise with your new
sentence, use the guidelines from Ex. 1-38 for the phonetic transcription.
Remember, don't rely on spelling. Turn off the CD.
eat |
1. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
ate |
2. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
are
eating |
3. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
will
eat |
4. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
would
eat |
5. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
would
have eaten |
6. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
that
have eaten |
7. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
have
eaten |
8. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
had
eaten |
9. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
will
have eaten |
10. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
38
ought
to eat |
11. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
should
eat |
12. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
should
not eat |
13. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
should
have eaten |
14. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
should
not have eaten |
15. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ | |
could
eat |
16. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
could
not eat |
17. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
could
have eaten |
18. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
could
not have |
19. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
might
eat |
20. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
might
have eaten |
21. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
must
eat |
22. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
must
have eaten |
23. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
can
eat |
24. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
can't
eat |
25. |
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
____________ |
|
|
____________ |
• |
____________ |
• |
____________ |
For
this next part of the intonation of grammatical elements, each sentence has a
few extra words to help you get the meaning. Keep the same strong intonation
that you used before and add the new stress where you see the bold face. Use
your rubber band.
1. |
The
dogs eat the bones every day. |
th'
däg zeet
th' bounzevree day |
2. |
The
dogs ate the bones last week. |
th'
däg
zεit th'
bounzlæss
dweek |
3. |
The
dogs 're eating the bones right now. |
th'
däg zr
reeding th' bounz räit
næo |
4. |
The
dogs'll eat the bones if they're here. |
th'
däg zə leet th' bounzif thεr hir |
5. |
The
dogs'd eat the bones if they were here. |
th'
däg zə deet th' bounzif they wr
hir |
6. |
The
dogs'd've eaten the bones if they'd been
here. |
th'
däg zədə veetn th' bounzif theyd bin
hir |
7. |
The
dogs that've eaten the bones are sick. |
th'
däg zədə veetn th' bounzr
sick |
8. |
The
dogs've eaten the bones every day. |
th'
däg zə veetn th' bounzεvry day |
9. |
The
dogs'd eaten the bones by the time we got
there. |
th'
däg zə deetn th' bounz by th' time we
gät thεr |
10. |
The
dogs'll have eaten the bones by the time we get
there. |
th'
däg zələ veetn th' bounz by th' time we
get thεr |
40
Now,
let's work with contrast. For example, The dogs'd eat the bones, and The
dogs'd eaten the bones, are so close in sound, yet so far apart in meaning,
that you need to make a special point of recognizing the difference by listening
for content. Repeat each group of sentences using sound and intonation for
contrast.
would
eat |
5. |
The
dogs'd eat the bones. |
the
däg zə deet the
bounz |
had
eaten |
9. |
The
dogs'd eaten the bones. |
the
däg zə deetn the
bounz |
would have
eaten |
6. |
The
dogs'd've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zədə veetn the bounz |
that have
eaten |
7. |
The
dogs that've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zədə veetn the bounz |
will
eat |
4. |
The
dogs'll eat the bones. |
the
däg zə leet the
bounz |
would
eat |
5. |
The
dogs'd eat the bones. |
the
däg zə deet the
bounz |
would have
eaten |
6. |
The
dogs'd've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zədə veetn the bounz |
have
eaten |
8. |
The
dogs've eaten the bones. |
the
däg zə veetn the
bounz |
had
eaten |
9. |
The
dogs'd eaten the bones. |
the
däg zə deetn the
bounz |
will have
eaten |
10. |
The
dogs'll have eaten the bones. |
the
däg zələ veetn the bounz |
would
eat |
5. |
The
dogs'd eat the bones. |
the
däg zə deet the
bounz |
ought to
eat |
11. |
The
dogs ought to eat the bones. |
the
däg zädə eat the
bounz |
can
eat |
24. |
The
dogs can eat the bones. |
the
dägz c'neet the bounz |
can't
eat |
25. |
The dogs
can't eat the bones. |
the dägz
cæn(d)eet the
bounz |
Next
you use a combination of intonation and pronunciation to make the difference
between can and can't. Reduce the positive can to [k 'n]
and stress the verb. Make the negative can't ([kæn(t)]) sound very short and stress
both can't and the verb. This will contrast with the positive, emphasized
can, which is doubled—and
the verb is not stressed. If you have trouble with can't before a word
that starts with a vowel, such as open, put in a very small
[(d)]—
The keys
kæn(d) open the locks.
Repeat.
I can
do it. |
[I k'n
do it] |
positive |
I
can't do it. |
[I
kæn(t)do
it] |
negative |
I
can do it. |
[I
kææn do it] |
extra
positive |
I
can't do it. |
[I
kæn(t)do
it] |
extra
negative |
41
Repeat after me
the sentences listed in the following groups.
1. I bought a
sandwich.
2. I said I bought a
sandwich.
3. I said I think I bought a
sandwich.
4. I said I really think I
bought a sandwich.
5. I said I really think I
bought a chicken sandwich.
6. I said I really think I
bought a chicken salad sandwich.
7. I said I really think I
bought a half a chicken salad sandwich.
8. I said I really think I
bought a half a chicken salad sandwich this
afternoon.
9. I actually said I really
think I bought a half a chicken salad sandwich this
afternoon.
10. I actually said I really
think I bought another half a chicken salad sandwich this
afternoon.
11. Can you believe I
actually said I really think I bought another half a chicken
salad sandwich this afternoon?
1. I did
it.
2. I did it
again.
3. I already did it
again.
4. I think I already did it
again.
5. I said I think I already
did it again.
6. I said I think I already
did it again yesterday.
7. I said I think I already
did it again the day before yesterday.
1. I want a ball.
2. I want a large
ball.
3. I want a large, red
ball.
4. I want a large, red, bouncy
ball.
5. I want a large, red bouncy
rubber ball.
6. I want a large, red bouncy
rubber basketball.
1. I want a raise.
2. I want a big
raise.
3. I want a big, impressive
raise.
4. I want a big, impressive,
annual raise.
5. I want a big, impressive,
annual cost of living raise.
42
Exercise 1 -45;
Building Your Own intonation Sentences
CD
2 Track
14
Build your
own sentence, using everyday words and phrases, such as think, hope, nice,
really, actually, even, this afternoon, big, small, pretty, and so
on.
1.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
6.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
7.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
8.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
9.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
10.________________________________________________
________________________________________________
43
In
the list below, change the stress from the first syllable for nouns to the
second syllable for verbs. This is a regular, consistent change. Intonation is
so powerful that you'll notice that when the stress changes, the pronunciation
of the vowels do, too.
Nouns |
Verbs | ||
an
accent |
[æks'nt] |
to
accent |
[æksεnt] |
a
concert |
[känsert] |
to
concert |
[k'nsert] |
a
conflict |
[känflikt] |
to
conflict |
[k'nflikt] |
a
contest |
[käntest] |
to
contest |
[k'ntest] |
a
contract |
[käntræct] |
to
contract |
[k'ntrækt] |
a
contrast |
[käntræst] |
to
contrast |
[k'ntræst] |
a
convert |
[känvert] |
to
convert |
[k'nvert] |
a
convict |
[känvikt] |
to
convict |
[k'nvict] |
a
default |
[deefält] |
to
default |
[d'fält] |
a
desert* |
[dεz'rt] |
to
desert |
[d'z'rt] |
a
discharge |
[dischärj] |
to
discharge |
[d'schärj] |
an
envelope |
[änv'lop] |
to
envelop |
[envel'p] |
an
incline |
[inkline] |
to
incline |
[inkline] |
an
influence |
[influ(w)'ns] |
to
influence |
[influ(w)ns]† |
an
insert |
[insert] |
to
insert |
[insert] |
an
insult |
[ins'lt] |
to
insult |
[insəlt] |
an
object |
[äbject] |
to
object |
[əbject] |
perfect |
[prf'ct] |
to
perfect |
[prfekt] |
a
permit |
[prmit] |
to
permit |
[prmit] |
a
present |
[prεz'nt] |
to
present |
[pr'zεnt] |
produce |
[produce] |
to
produce |
[pr'duce] |
progress |
[prägr's] |
to
progress |
[pr'grεss] |
a
project |
[präject] |
to
project |
[pr'jεct] |
a
pronoun |
[pronoun] |
to
pronounce |
[pr'nounce] |
a
protest |
[protest] |
to
protest |
[pr'test] |
a
rebel |
[rεbəl] |
to
rebel |
[r'bεl] |
a
recall |
[reekäll] |
to
recall |
[r'käll] |
a
record |
[rεk'rd] |
to
record |
[r'cord] |
a
reject |
[reject] |
to
reject |
[r'jεct] |
research |
[res'rch] |
to
research |
[r'srch] |
a
subject |
[s'bjekt] |
to
subject |
[s'bjekt] |
a
survey |
[s'rvei] |
to
survey |
[s'rvei] |
a
suspect |
[s'spekt] |
to
suspect |
[s'spekt] |
*
The désert
is hot and
dry. A dessért is ice cream. To desért is to
abandon.
†
Pronunciation
symbols (w) and (y) represent a glide sound. This is explained on page
63.
44
A
different change occurs when you go from an adjective or a noun to a verb. The
stress stays in the same place, but the -mate in an adjective is
completely reduced [-m't], whereas in a verb, it is a full [a] sound [-mεit].
Nouns/Adjectives |
Verbs | ||
advocate |
[ædv'k't] |
to
advocate |
[ædv'kεit] |
animate |
[æn'm't] |
to
animate |
[æn'mεit] |
alternate |
[ältern't] |
to
alternate |
[älternεit] |
appropriate |
[əpropre(y)'t] |
to
appropriate |
[əpropre(y)εit] |
approximate |
[əpräks'm't] |
to
approximate |
[əpräks'
mεit] |
articulate |
[ärticyul't] |
to
articulate |
[ärticyəlεit] |
associate |
[əssosey't] |
to
associate |
[əssoseyεit] |
deliberate |
[d'libr't] |
to
deliberate |
[d'liberεit] |
discriminate |
[d'skrim'n't] |
to
descriminate |
[d'skrim'nεit] |
duplicate |
[dupl'k't] |
to
duplicate |
[dupl'kεit] |
elaborate |
[elæbr't] |
to
elaborate |
[əlæberεit] |
an
estimate |
[εst'm't] |
to
estimate |
[εst' mεit] |
graduate |
[græjyu(w)'t] |
to
graduate |
[græjyu(w)εit] |
intimate |
[int'm't] |
to
intimate |
[int'
mεit] |
moderate |
[mäder't] |
to
moderate |
[mäderεit] |
predicate |
[prεd'k't] |
to
predicate |
[prεd'kεit] |
separate |
[sεpr't] |
to
separate |
[sεperεit] |
Mark
the intonation or indicate the long vowel on the italicized word, depending
which part of speech it is. Pause the CD and mark the proper syllables. See
Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
1. You need to insert
a paragraph
here on this newspaper insert.
2. How can you
object
to this
object?
3. I'd like to
present
you with this
present.
4. Would you care to elaborate
on his
elaborate
explanation?
5. The manufacturer couldn't
recall
if there'd
been a recall.
6. The religious convert
wanted to
convert
the
world.
7. The political rebels
wanted to
rebel
against the
world.
8. The mogul wanted to
record
a new
record
for his latest
artist.
9. If you
perfect
your
intonation, your accent will be perfect.
10. Due to the drought, the fields
didn't
produce much
produce
this
year.
11. Unfortunately, City Hall wouldn't
permit them
to get a
permit.
12. Have you heard that your
associate
is known to
associate
with
gangsters?
13. How much do you estimate
that the
estimate
will
be?
14. The facilitator wanted to
separate
the general
topic into separate
categories.
45
Regaining
Long-Lost Listening Skills
The
trouble with starting accent training after you know a great deal of English is
that you know a great deal about
English. You
have a lot of preconceptions and, unfortunately, misconceptions about the
sound of English.
Every sound of
every language is within every child. So, what happens with adults? People learn
their native language and stop listening for the sounds that they never hear;
then they lose the ability to hear those sounds. Later, when you study a foreign
language, you learn a lot of spelling rules that take you still further away
from the real sound of that language—in this case, English.
What we are
going to do here is teach you to hear
again. So many
times, you've heard what a native speaker said, translated it into your own
accent, and repeated it with your accent. Why? Because you "knew" how to say
it.
Tense
Vowels |
Lax
Vowels | ||||||
Symbol |
Sound |
Spelling |
Example |
Symbol |
Sound |
Spelling |
Example |
ā |
εi |
take |
[tak] |
ε |
eh |
get |
[gεt] |
ē |
ee |
eat |
[et] |
i |
ih |
it |
[it] |
ī |
äi |
ice |
[is] |
ü |
ih
+
uh |
took |
[tük] |
ō |
ou |
hope |
[hop] |
ə |
uh |
some |
[səm] |
ū |
ooh |
smooth |
[smuth] |
|
|
|
|
ä |
ah |
caught |
[kät] |
|
Semivowels | ||
æ |
ä
+ ε |
cat |
[kæt] |
ər |
er |
her |
[hər] |
æo |
æ
+ o |
down |
[dæon] |
əl |
ul |
dull |
[dəəl] |
The
first thing you're going to do is write down exactly what I say. It will be
nonsense to you for two reasons: First, because I will be saying sound units,
not word units. Second, because I will be starting at the end of the
sentence instead of the beginning. Listen carefully and write down exactly what
you hear, regardless of meaning. The first sound is given to you—cher. CD 2
Track 20
46
|
‘ |
|
‘ |
|
|
‘ |
|
|
‘ |
|
‘ |
|
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
_ |
cher. |
V Once
you have written it down, check with the version below.
‘ |
|
‘ |
|
‘ |
|
|
‘ |
|
‘ |
|
är |
diz |
mæn |
zuh |
temp |
tu |
wim |
pru |
vän |
nay |
cher |
V Read
it out loud to yourself and try to hear what the regular English is. Don't look
ahead until you've figured out the sense of it.
Art
is man 's attempt to improve on nature.
Frequently,
people will mistakenly hear Are these...
[är thez]
instead of Art is...
[är diz]. Not
only are the two pronunciations different, but the intonation and meaning would
also be different:
Art
is man 's
attempt to improve on nature. Are these man 's attempts to improve on
nature ?
Again, listen
carefully and write the sounds you hear. The answers are below.
Let's do a few
more pure sound exercises to fine-tune your ear. Remember, start at the end and
fill in the blanks right to left, then read them back left to right. Write
whichever symbols are easiest for you to read back. There are clues sprinkled
around for you and all the answers are in the Answer Key, beginning on page
193.
CD
2 Track
23
1. |
læfdr
hæzno fourə næks'nt |
2. |
Wr kwell də ni zärt |
3. |
T'
tee chiz t' lr nə gen |
|
Laughter
has no foreign accent. |
|
Work well
done is art. |
|
To teach
is to learn again. |
47
The Down Side
of Intonation
Reduced sounds
are all those extra sounds created by an absence of lip, tongue, jaw, and throat
movement. They are a principal function of intonation and are truly indicative
of the American sound.
American
intonation is made up of peaks and valleys—tops of staircases and bottoms of
staircases. To have strong peaks,
you will have to
develop deep valleys.
These deep
valleys should be filled with all kinds of reduced vowels, one in particular—the
completely neutral schwa.
Ignore spelling.
Since you probably first became acquainted with English through the printed
word, this is going to be quite a challenge. The position of a syllable is more
important than spelling as an indication of correct pronunciation. For example,
the words photograph and
photography each have two
O's and an A. The first word is stressed on the first syllable so photograph
sounds like [fod'græf]. The second
word is stressed on the second syllable, photography, so the word comes out
[f'tahgr'fee]. You can see here that their spelling doesn't tell you how
they sound. Word stress or intonation will determine the pronunciation. Work on
listening to words. Concentrate on hearing the pure sounds, not in trying to
make the word fit a familiar spelling. Otherwise, you will be taking the long
way around and giving yourself both a lot of extra work and an
accent!
Syllables that
are perched atop a peak or a staircase are strong sounds; that is, they maintain
their original pronunciation. On the other hand, syllables that fall in the
valleys or on a lower stairstep are weak sounds; thus they are reduced. Some
vowels are reduced completely to schwas, a very relaxed sound, while others are
only toned down. In the following exercises, we will be dealing with these
"toned down" sounds.
In
the Introduction ("Read This First," page iv) I talked about overpronouncing.
This section
will handle that overpronunciation. You're going to skim over words; you're
going to dash through certain sounds. Your peaks are going to be quite strong,
but your valleys, blurry—a very intuitive aspect of intonation that this
practice will help you develop.
Articles (such
as the,
a)
are usually very
reduced sounds. Before a consonant, the
and
a
are both schwa
sounds, which are reduced. Before a vowel, however, you'll notice a change—the
schwa of the
turns into a
long [e] plus a connecting (y)—Th '
book changes to
thee(y)only
book; A hat becomes
a nugly hat.
The article
a
becomes
an.
Think of [ə●nornj] rather than an orange;
[ə●nopening], [ə●neye], [ə●nimaginary animal].
Consonants |
Vowels | ||
the
man |
a
girl |
thee(y)apple |
an orange
[ə●nornj] |
the
best |
a
banana |
thee(y)egg |
an opening
[ə●nop'ning] |
the last
one |
a
computer |
thee(y)easy
way |
an
interview [ə●ninerview] |
48
When you used
the rubber band with [Däg zeet bounz] and when you built your own
sentence, you saw that intonation reduces the unstressed words. Intonation is
the peak and reduced sounds are the valleys. In the beginning, you should make
extra-high peaks and long, deep valleys. When you are not sure, reduce. In the
following exercise, work with this idea. Small words such as articles,
prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, relative pronouns, and auxiliary verbs are
lightly skimmed over and almost not pronounced.
You
have seen how intonation changes the meaning in words and sentences. Inside a
one-syllable word, it distinguishes between a final voiced or unvoiced consonant
be-ed
and
bet.
Inside a
longer word, éunuch
vs
unίque, the
pronunciation and meaning change in terms of vocabulary. In a sentence (He seems
nice; He seems nice.), the meaning changes in terms of
intent.
In
a sentence, intonation can also make a clear vowel sound disappear. When a vowel
is stressed,
it has a
certain sound; when it is not stressed,
it usually
sounds like uh,
pronounced
[ə]. Small words like to, at, or
as are usually not stressed, so the vowel disappears.
Read
aloud from the right-hand column. The intonation is marked for
you.
To |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
|
today |
[t'day] |
The
preposition to usually
reduces so much
that it's like dropping
the vowel. |
tonight |
[t'night] |
tomorrow |
[t'märou] | |
to
work |
[t'wrk] | |
to
school |
[t'
school] | |
Use a
t'
or
tə sound to
replace to. |
to the
store |
[t' th'
store] |
We have
to go now. |
[we
hæftə go næo] | |
He went
to work |
[he
wentə work] | |
|
They
hope to find it. |
[they
houptə fine dit] |
|
I can't
wait to find out. |
[äi
cæn(t)wai(t)tə fine dæot] |
|
We don't
know what to do. |
[we dont
know w'(t)t'
do] |
|
Don't
jump to conclusions. |
[dont
j'm t' c'ncloozh'nz] |
|
To be or
not to be... |
[t'bee(y)r
nät t' bee] |
|
He
didn't get to go. |
[he din
ge(t)tə gou] |
If that
same to follows
a vowel sound,
it will become
d'
or
də. |
He told
me to help. |
[he told
meedə help] |
She told
you to get it. |
[she
tol
joodə geddit] | |
I go to
work |
[ai
goudə wrk] | |
at a
quarter to two |
[ædə kworder də two] | |
|
The only
way to get it is... |
[thee(y)only
waydə geddidiz] |
|
You've
got to pay to get it. |
[yoov
gäddə paydə geddit] |
|
We plan
to do it. |
[we
plæn də do it] |
|
Let's go
to lunch. |
[lets
goudə lunch] |
|
The
score was 4
~
6 |
[th'
score w'z for də
six] |
49
To |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... | |||
|
It's the
only way to do it. |
[its
thee(y)ounly
weidə do(w)'t] | |||
|
So to
speak... |
[soda
speak] | |||
|
I don't
know how to say it. |
[äi
don(t)know
hæwdə say(y)it] | |||
|
Go to
page 8. |
[goudə pay jate] | |||
|
Show me
how to get it. |
[show me
hæodə geddit] | |||
|
You need
to know when to do it. |
[you
nee(d)də nou wendə do(w)it] | |||
|
Who's to
blame? |
[hooz
də blame] | |||
At |
We're at
home. |
[wirət
home] |
| ||
At
is just
the opposite of to.
It's a
small grunt followed by a reduced [t]. |
I'll see
you at lunch. |
[äiyəl see you(w)ət
lunch] |
| ||
Dinner's
at five. |
[d'nnerzə(t)
five] |
| |||
Leave
them at the door. |
[leevəmə(t)thə
door] |
| |||
The
meeting's at one. |
[th'
meeding z't w'n] |
| |||
He's at
the post office. |
[heezə(t)the
poussdäffəs] |
| |||
|
They're
at the bank. |
[thεrə(t)th'
bænk] |
| ||
|
I'm at
school. |
[äimə(t)school] |
| ||
If
at
is
followed by a vowel sound, it will become 'd
or
əd. |
I'll see
you at eleven. |
[äiyəl see you(w)ədə lεv'n] |
| ||
He's at
a meeting. |
[heez'
də meeding] |
| |||
She
laughed at his idea. |
[she
læf dədi zy deeyə] |
| |||
One at a
time |
[wənədə time] |
| |||
|
We got
it at an auction. |
[we
gädidədə näksh'n] |
| ||
|
The show
started at eight. |
[th'
show stardədə date] |
| ||
|
The dog
jumped out at us. |
[th'
däg jump dæo dədəs] |
| ||
|
I was at
a friend's house. |
[äi w'z'd'
frenz hæos] |
| ||
It |
Can you
do it? |
[k'niu
do(w)'t] |
| ||
It
and
at
sound
the same in context — ['t] |
Give it
to me. |
[g'v'(t)t'
me] |
| ||
Buy it
tomorrow. |
[bäi(y)ə(t)t'
märrow] |
| |||
It can
wait. |
['t c' n
wait] |
| |||
|
Read it
twice. |
[ree
d'(t)twice] |
| ||
|
Forget
about it! |
[frgedd'
bæodit] |
| ||
...and
they both turn to 'd
or
əd
between
vowels or voiced consonants. |
Give it
a try. |
[gividæ try] |
| ||
Let it
alone. |
[ledidə lone] |
| |||
Take it
away. |
[tay
kida way] |
| |||
I got it
in London. |
[äi
gädidin
l'nd'n] |
| |||
What is
it about? |
[w'd'z'd'bæot] |
| |||
|
Let's
try it again. |
[lets
try'd' gen] |
| ||
|
Look!
There it is! |
[lük
there'd'z] |
| ||
50
For |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
|
This is
for you. |
[th's'z
fr you] |
|
It's for
my friend. |
[ts fr
my friend] |
|
A table
for four, please. |
[ə table fr four,
pleeze] |
|
We
planned it for later. |
[we
plan dit
fr
layd'r] |
|
For
example, for instance |
[fregg
zæmple] [frin
st'nss] |
|
What is
this for? |
[w'd'z
this for] (for is
not reduced at |
|
What did
you do it for? |
[w'j'
do(w)it for]
the end of a
sentence) |
|
Who did
you get it for? |
[hoojya
geddit for] |
From |
It's
from the IRS. |
[ts frm
thee(y)äi(y)ä
ress] |
|
I'm from
Arkansas. |
[äim fr'm
ärk'
nsä] |
|
There's
a call from Bob. |
[therzə cäll fr'm
Bäb] |
|
This
letter's from Alaska! |
[this
ledderz frəmə læskə] |
|
Who's it
from? |
[hoozit
frəm] |
|
Where
are you from? |
[wher'r
you frəm] |
In |
It's in
the bag. |
[tsin
thə bæg] |
|
What's
in it? |
[w'ts'n't] |
|
I'll be
back in a minute. |
[äiyəl be bæk'nə m'n't] |
|
This
movie? Who's in it? |
[this
movie ...
hooz'n't] |
|
Come
in. |
[c
'min] |
|
He's in
America. |
[heez'nə nə mεrəkə] |
An |
He's an
American. |
[heez'nə mεrəkən] |
|
I got an
A in English. |
[äi
gäddə nay ih
ninglish] |
|
He got
an F in Algebra. |
[hee
gäddə neffinæl jəbrə] |
|
He had
an accident. |
[he
hædə næksəd'nt] |
|
We want
an orange. |
[we
want'n nornj] |
|
He
didn't have an excuse. |
[he
didnt hævə neks kyooss] |
|
I'll be
there in an instant. |
[äi(y)'l be
there inə
ninstnt] |
|
It's an
easy mistake to make. |
[itsə neezee m' stake t'
make] |
And |
ham and
eggs |
[hæmə neggz] |
|
bread
and butter |
[bredn
buddr] |
|
Coffee?
With cream and sugar? |
[käffee
... with
creem'n sh'g'r] |
|
No,
lemon and sugar. |
[nou
...
lem'n'n
sh'g'r] |
|
...
And some
more cookies? |
['n
smore cükeez] |
|
They
kept going back and forth. |
[they
kep going bækn
forth] |
|
We
watched it again and again. |
[we
wäch
didə gen'n'
gen] |
|
He did
it over and over. |
[he di
di doverə
nover] |
|
We
learned by trial and error. |
[we lrnd
by tryətənerər] |
51
Or |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
|
Soup or
salad? |
[super
salad] |
|
now or
later |
[næ(w)r
laydr] |
|
more or
less |
[mor'r
less] |
|
left or
right |
[lefter
right] |
|
For here
or to go? |
[f'r
hir'r d'go] |
|
Are you
going up or down? |
[are you
going úpper dόwn] |
This is an
either / or question (Up? Down?) Notice how the intonation
is different from | ||
|
"Cream and
sugar?", which is a yes / no |
question. |
Are |
What are
you doing? |
[w'dr you
doing] |
|
Where are
you going? |
[wer'r you
going] |
|
What're
you planning on doing? |
[w'dr yü
planning än
doing] |
|
How are
you? |
[hæwr you] |
|
Those are
no good. |
[thozer no
good] |
|
How are
you doing? |
[hæwer you doing] |
|
The kids
are still asleep. |
[the
kidzer stillə
sleep] |
Your |
How's your
family? |
[hæozhier fæmlee] |
|
Where're
your keys? |
[wher'r
y'r keez] |
|
You're
American, aren't you? |
[yrə mer'k'n, arn choo] |
|
Tell me
when you're ready. |
[tell me
wen yr reddy] |
|
Is this
your car? |
[izzis y'r
cär] |
|
You're
late again, Bob. |
[yer lay
də gen, Bäb] |
|
Which one
is yours? |
[which
w'n'z y'rz] |
One |
Which one
is better? |
[which
w'n'z bedder] |
|
One of
them is broken. |
[w'n'v'm'z
brok'n] |
|
I'll use
the other one. |
[æl yuz thee(y)əther
w'n] |
|
I like the
red one, Edwin. |
[äi like
the redw'n, edw'n] |
|
That's the
last one. |
[thæts th' lass dw'n] |
|
The next
one'll be better. |
[the
necks dw'n'll be bedd'r] |
|
Here's one
for you. |
[hir
zw'n f'r you] |
|
Let them
go one by one. |
[led'm gou
w'n by w'n] |
The |
It's the
best. |
[ts th'
best] |
|
What's the
matter? |
[w'ts th'
madder] |
|
What's the
problem? |
[w'tsə präbl'm] |
|
I have to
go to the bathroom. |
[äi hæf t' go d' th' bæthroom] |
|
Who's the
boss around here? |
[hoozə bäss səræond hir] |
|
Give it to
the dog. |
[g'v'(t)tə th' däg] |
|
Put it in
the drawer. |
[püdidin th'
dror] |
52
A |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
|
It's a
present. |
[tsə preznt] |
|
You need
a break. |
[you
needə break] |
|
Give him
a chance. |
[g'v'mə chæns] |
|
Let's
get a new pair of shoes. |
[lets
geddə new perə shooz] |
|
Can I
have a Coke, please? |
[c'nai
hævə kouk, pleez] |
|
Is that
a computer? |
[izzædə k'mpyoodr] |
|
Where's
a public telephone? |
[wherzə pəblic teləfoun] |
Of |
It's the
top of the line. |
[tsə täp'v
th'
line] |
|
It's a
state of the art printer. |
[tsə stay də thee(y)ärt
prinner] |
|
As a
matter of fact, ... |
[z'mædderə fækt] |
|
Get out
of here. |
[geddæow
də hir] |
|
Practice
all of the time. |
[prækt'säll'v
th'
time] |
|
Today's
the first of May. |
[t'dayz
th' frss d'v May] |
|
What's
the name of that movie? |
[w'ts
th' nay m'v thæt movie] |
|
That's
the best of all! |
[thæts
th' bess d'väll] |
|
some of
them |
[səməvəm] |
|
all of
them |
[älləvəm] |
|
most of
them |
[mosdəvəm] |
|
none of
them |
[nənəvəm] |
|
any of
them |
[ennyəvəm] |
|
the rest
of them |
[th'
resdəvəm] |
Can |
Can you
speak English? |
[k'new
spee kinglish] |
|
I can
only do it on Wednesday. |
[äi
k'nonly du(w)idän
wenzday] |
|
A can
opener can open cans. |
[ə kænopener k'nopen
kænz] |
|
Can I
help you? |
[k'näi
hel piu] |
|
Can you
do it? |
[k'niu
do(w)'t] |
|
We can
try it later. |
[we k'n
try it layder] |
|
I hope
you can sell it. |
[äi
hou
piu k'n
sell't] |
|
No one
can fix it. |
[nou w'n
k'n fick sit] |
|
Let me
know if you can find it. |
[lemme
no(w)'few k'n
fine dit] |
Had |
Jack had
had enough. |
[jæk'd
hæd' n'f] |
|
Bill had
forgotten again. |
[bil'd
frga(t)n
nə gen] |
|
What had
he done to deserve it? |
[w'd'dee
d'nd'd' zr vit] |
|
We'd
already seen it. |
[weedäl
reddy
see nit] |
|
He'd
never been there. |
[heed
never bin there] |
|
Had you
ever had one? |
[h'jou(w)ever
hædw'n] |
|
Where
had he hidden it? |
[wer
dee
hidn●nit] |
|
Bob said
he'd looked into it. |
[bäb
sedeed lükdin tu(w)it] |
53
Would |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
|
He would
have helped, if ... |
[he wuda
help dif ...] |
|
Would he
like one? |
[woody
lye kw'n] |
|
Do you
think he'd do it? |
[dyiu
thing keed du(w)'t] |
|
Why
would I tell her? |
[why
wüdäi
teller] |
|
We'd see
it again, if... |
[weed
see(y)idəgen, if...] |
|
He'd
never be there on time. |
[heed
never be therän time] |
|
Would
you ever have one? |
[w'jou(w)ever
hævw'n] |
Was |
He was
only trying to help. |
[he
w'zounly trying də
help] |
|
Mark was
American. |
[mär
kw'z'mer'k'n] |
|
Where
was it? |
[wer
w'z't] |
|
How was
it? |
[hæow'z't] |
|
That was
great! |
[thæt
w'z great] |
|
Who was
with you? |
[hoow'z
with you] |
|
She was
very clear. |
[she w'z
very clear] |
|
When was
the war of 1812? |
[wen w'z
th' wor'v ei(t)teen
twelv] |
What |
What
time is it? |
[w't
tye m'z't] |
|
What's
up? |
[w'ts'p] |
|
What's
on your agenda? |
[w'tsänyrə jendə] |
|
What do
you mean? |
[w'd'y'
mean] |
|
What did
you mean? |
[w'j'mean] |
|
What did
you do about it? |
[w'j'
du(w)əbæodit] |
|
What
took so long? |
[w't
tük so
läng] |
|
What do
you think of this? |
[w'ddyə thing k'v this] |
|
What did
you do then? |
[w'jiu
do then] |
|
I don't
know what he wants. |
[I dont
know wədee
wänts] |
Some |
Some are
better than others. |
[s'mr
beddr thənətherz] |
|
There
are some leftovers. |
[ther'r
s'm lef doverz] |
|
Let's
buy some ice cream. |
[let spy
s' mice creem] |
|
Could we
get some other ones? |
[kwee
get s 'mother w'nz] |
|
Take
some of mine. |
[take
səməv mine] |
|
Would
you like some more? |
[w' joo
like s'more] |
|
(or very
casually) |
[jlike
smore] |
|
Do you
have some ice? |
[dyü
hæv
səmice] |
|
Do you
have some mice? |
[dyü hæv
səmice] |
"You can fool
some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of
the time." [yuk'n fool səmə thə peepəl
səmə thə time, b'choo kænt
fool älləthə peepəl
älləthə time]
54
That
is a special
case because it serves three different grammatical functions. The
relative pronoun and the conjunction are reducible. The
demonstrative pronoun cannot be reduced to a schwa sound. It must stay
[æ].
Relative
Pronoun |
The car
that she ordered is red. |
[the
car th't she order diz red] |
Conjunction |
He said
that he liked it. |
[he sed
the dee läikdit. ] |
Demonstrative |
Why did
you do that? |
[why
dijoo do thæt?] |
Combination |
I know
that he'll read that book that I told you about. |
[äi
know the dill read thæt bük the dai
toljoo(w)'
bæot] |
Pause the CD
and cross out any sound that is not clearly pronounced, including
to, for, and, that,
than, the, a, the soft
[i], and unstressed syllables that do not have strong vowel
sounds.
Hello, my
name is_________. I'm taking
American Accent
Training. There's a lot to learn,
but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick
up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of the
time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more
than I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch,
too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that
I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and
on, but the important thing is to listen well and sound
good. Well, what do you think? Do I?
Repeat the
paragraph after me. Although you're getting rid of the vowel sounds, you want to
maintain a strong intonation and let the sounds flow together. For the first
reading of this paragraph, it is helpful to keep your teeth clenched together to
reduce excess jaw and lip movement. Let's begin.
Hello, my
name'z_____________. I'm taking 'mer'k'n Acc'nt Train'ng. Therez'
lotť
learn, b't I
hope ť make 'ťz 'njoy'bl'z poss'bl. I sh'd p'ck 'p on the
'mer'k'n 'nťnash'n pattern pretty eas'ly, although the only
way ť get 't 'z ť pracťs all 'v th' time. I use the 'p'n
down, or peaks 'n valleys, 'nťnash'n more th'n I used to. Ive b'n
pay'ng 'ttensh'n ť p'ch, too. 'Ts like walk'ng down'
staircase. Ive b'n talk'ng to' lot 'v'mer'k'ns lately, 'n
they tell me th't Im easier to 'nderstand. Anyway, I k'd go
on 'n on, b't the 'mporťnt th'ng 'z ť l's'n wel'n sound
g'd. W'll, wh' d'y' th'nk? Do I?
55
By
now you've begun developing a strong intonation, with clear peaks and reduced
valleys, so you're ready for the next step. You may find yourself reading
the paragraph in Exercise 1-15 like this: HellomynameisSo-and-SoI'mtakingAmericanAccentTraining.
There 'salottolearnbutIhopetomakeitasenjoyableaspossible.
If so, your
audience won't completely comprehend or enjoy your
presentation.
In
addition to intonation, there is another aspect of speech that indicates
meaning. This can be called phrasing
or
tone.
Have you ever
caught just a snippet of a conversation in your own language, and somehow known
how to piece together what came before or after the part you heard? This has to
do with phrasing.
In
a sentence, phrasing tells the listener where the speaker is at the moment,
where the speaker is going, and if the speaker is finished or not. Notice that
the intonation stays on the nouns.
Repeat
after me.
Statement |
Dogs eat
bones. |
Clauses |
Dogs eat
bones, but cats eat fish, or
As we
all know, dogs eat bones. |
Listing |
Dogs eat
bones, kibbles, and meat. |
Question |
Do
dogs eat bones? |
Repeated
Question |
Do
dogs eat bones?!! |
Tag
Question |
Dogs eat
bones, don't they? |
Tag
Statement |
Dogs eat
bones, DON'T they! |
Indirect
Speech |
He asked
if dogs ate bones. |
Direct
Speech |
"Do
dogs eat bones?" he asked. |
For
clarity, break your sentences with pauses between natural word groups of related
thoughts or ideas. Of course, you will have to break at every comma and every
period, but besides those breaks, add other little pauses to let your listeners
catch up with you or think over the last burst of information and to allow you
time to take a breath. Let's work on this technique. In doing the following
exercise, you should think of using breath groups
and
idea
groups.
56
Break the
paragraph into natural word groups. Mark every place where you think a pause is
needed with a slash.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot to
learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty
easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks
and valleys intonation more than I used to. I've been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a
staircase. I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately,
and they tell me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I
could go on and on, but the important thing is to listen well and
sound good. Well, what do you think? Do
I?
Note
In the
beginning, your word groups should be very short. It'll be a sign of your
growing sophistication when they get longer.
+
Pause the CD
to do your marking.
When
I read the paragraph this time, I will exaggerate the pauses. Although we're
working on word groups here, remember, I don't want you to lose your intonation.
Repeat each sentence group after me.
Hello, my
name is ___________. | I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot
to learn,| but I
hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. | I should pick up
on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although | the only way to get it is to practice all of the
time.| I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys
intonatîon | more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, | too. Iťs like walking down a staircase. | I've
been talking to a lot of Americans | lately, and they tell me |
that I'm easier to understand. | Anyway, I could go on
and
on, | but the important thing is to listen well | and sound
good. Well, | what do you think? Do I?
+
Next, back up the CD and practice the word groups three times using strong
intonation. Then, pause the CD and practice three more times on your own. When
reading, your pauses should be neither long nor dramatic — just enough to give
your listener time to digest what you're saying.
57
Pause the CD
and complete each sentence with a tag ending. Use the same verb, but with the
opposite polarity—positive
becomes negative, and negative becomes positive. Then, repeat after me. Check
Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
With a
query,
the intonation
rises. With confirmation,
the intonation
drops.
Did
he? |
Didee? |
Does
he? |
Duzzy? |
Was
he? |
Wuzzy? |
Has
he? |
Hazzy? |
Is
he? |
Izzy? |
Will
he? |
Willy? |
Would
he? |
Woody? |
Can
he? |
Canny? |
Wouldn't
you? |
Wooden
chew? |
Shouldn't
I? |
Shüdn
näi? |
Won't
he? |
Woe
knee? |
Didn't
he? |
Didn
knee? |
Hasn't
he? |
Has a
knee? |
Wouldn't
he? |
Wooden
knee? |
Isn't
he? |
Is a
knee? |
Isn't
it? |
Is a
nit? |
Doesn't
it? |
Duzza
nit? |
Aren't
I? |
Are
näi? |
Won't
you? |
Wone
chew? |
Don't
you? |
Done
chew? |
Can't
you? |
Can
chew? |
Could
you? |
Cüjoo? |
Would
you? |
Wüjoo? |
1. |
The new
clerk is very slow, isn't
he! |
|
2. |
But he can
improve, |
? |
3. |
She
doesn't type very well, |
! |
4. |
They lost
their way, |
? |
5. |
You don't
think so, |
! |
6. |
I don't
think it's easy, |
? |
7. |
I'm your
friend, |
? |
8. |
You won't
be coming, |
! |
9. |
He keeps
the books, |
! |
10. |
We have to
close the office, |
? |
11. |
We have
closed the office, |
? |
12. |
We had to
close the office, |
! |
13. |
We had the
office closed, |
? |
14. |
We had
already closed the office, |
? |
15. |
We'd
better close the office, |
! |
16. |
We'd
rather close the office, |
? |
17. |
The office
has closed, |
? |
18. |
You
couldn't tell, |
! |
19. |
You'll be
working late tonight, |
? |
20. |
He should
have been here by now, |
! |
21. |
He should
be promoted, |
! |
22. |
I didn't
send the fax, |
? |
23. |
I won't
get a raise this year, |
? |
24. |
You use
the computer. |
? |
25. |
You're
used to the computer. |
! |
26. |
You used
to use the computer, |
? |
27. |
You never
used to work Saturdays, |
? |
28. |
That's
better. |
! |
The
basic techniques introduced in this chapter are pitch,
stress, the
staircase
and
musical
notes, reduced sounds, and
word groups
and phrasing. In chapters 2
through 13, we refine and expand this knowledge to cover every sound of the
American accent.
58
As
mentioned in the previous chapter, in American English, words are not pronounced
one by one. Usually, the end of one word attaches to the beginning of the next
word. This is also true for initials, numbers, and spelling. Part of the glue
that connects sentences is an underlying hum or drone that only breaks when
you come to a period, and sometimes not even then. You have this underlying hum
in your own language and it helps a great deal toward making you sound like a
native speaker.
Once you have
a strong intonation, you need to connect all those stairsteps together so that
each sentence sounds like one long word. This chapter is going to introduce you
to the idea of liaisons, the connections between words, which allow us to speak
in sound groups rather than in individual words. Just as we went over where to
put an intonation, here you're going to learn how to connect words. Once you
understand and learn to use this technique, you can make the important leap from
this practice book to other materials and your own conversation.
To
make it easier for you to read, liaisons are written like this: They tell me
the dai measier. (You've already encountered some liaisons in Exercises
1-38, 1-49, 1-53.) It could also be written theytellmethedaimeasier, but
it would be too hard to read.
Read
the following sentences. The last two sentences should be pronounced exactly the
same, no matter how they are written. It is the sound that is important,
not the spelling.
The
dime.
The
dime easier.
They tell me
the dime easier.
They tell me
the dime easier to understand.
They tell me
that I'm easier to understand.
Words are
connected in four main situations:
1 Consonant /
Vowel
2 Consonant /
Consonant
3 Vowel / Vowel
4 T, D, S, or Z +
Y
59
Words are
connected when a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a
vowel sound, including the semivowels W, Y, and R.
My name
is... |
[my
nay●miz] |
because
I've |
[b'k'zäiv] |
pick up
on the American intonation |
[pi●kə pän the(y)əmer'kə ninətənashən] |
In
the preceding example, the word name
ends in a
consonant sound [m] (the e
is silent and
doesn't count), and is
starts with a
vowel sound [i], so naymiz
just naturally
flows together. In because I've,
the [z] sound
at the end of because
and the [äi]
sound of I
blend together
smoothly. When you say the last line [pi●kəpän
the(y)əmer'kəninətənashən], you can feel each sound pushing into the
next.
You
also use liaisons in spelling and numbers:
LA (Los
Angeles) |
[eh●lay] |
902-5050 |
[nai●no●too fai●vo●fai●vo] |
In
pronunciation, a consonant touches at some point in the mouth. Try saying [p]
with your mouth open—you can't do it because your lips must come together to
make the [p] sound. A vowel, on the other hand, doesn't touch anywhere. You can
easily say [e] without any part of the mouth, tongue, or lips coming into
contact with any other part. This is why we are calling W, Y, and R semivowels,
or glides.
Pause the CD
and reconnect the following words. On personal pronouns, it is common to drop
the H. See Answer Key, beginning on page 193. Repeat.
hold
on |
[hol
don] |
turn
over |
[tur
nover] |
tell her
I miss her |
[tellerl
misser] |
1. read only
_______________________
2. fall off _______________________
60
3. |
follow
up on |
______________________ |
4. |
come
in |
______________________ |
5. |
call
him |
______________________ |
6. |
sell
it |
______________________ |
7. |
take
out |
______________________ |
8. |
fade
away |
______________________ |
9. |
6-0 |
______________________ |
10. |
MA |
______________________ |
Words are
connected when a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a
consonant that is in a similar position. What is a similar position? Let's find
out.
Say
the sound of each group of letters out loud (the sound of the letter, not the
name: [b] is [buh] not [bee]). There are three general locations—the
lips, behind the teeth, or in the throat. If a word ends with a sound created in
the throat and the next word starts with a sound from that same general
location, these words are going to be linked together. The same with the other
two locations. Repeat after me.
Behind
the teeth |
| ||||
unvoiced |
voiced |
| |||
t |
d |
| |||
ch |
j |
| |||
— |
1 |
| |||
— |
n |
| |||
s |
z |
| |||
sh |
zh |
| |||
— |
y |
| |||
At the
lips |
| ||||
unvoiced |
voiced |
| |||
p |
b |
| |||
f |
v |
| |||
— |
m |
| |||
— |
w |
| |||
In the
throat | |||||
unvoiced |
voiced | ||||
k |
g | ||||
h |
— | ||||
— |
ng | ||||
— |
r | ||||
61
I
just didn't get the chance.
[I·jusdidn't·ge(t)the·chance.]
I've been late twice. [I'vbinla(t)twice.]
In
the preceding examples you can see that because the ending [st] of
just and the
beginning [d] of didn't
are so near
each other in the mouth, it's not worth the effort to start the sound all over
again, so they just flow into each other. You don't say I
justә didn 'tә getә the chance, but do say
Ijusdidn't
ge(t)the chance. In the same
way, it's too much work to say I'vә beenә
lateә twice, so you say it
almost as if it were a single word, I'vbinla(t)twice.
The
sound of TH is a special case. It is a floater between areas. The sound is
sometimes created by the tongue popping out from between the teeth and
other times on the back of the top teeth, combining with various letters to form
a new composite sound. For instance, [s] moves forward and the [th] moves
back to meet at the mid-point between the two.
Note
Each of the
categories in the drawing contains two labels—voiced and
unvoiced. What does that mean ? Put your thumb and index fingers on your throat
and say [z]; you should feel a vibration from your throat in your fingers. If
you whisper that same sound, you end up with [s] and you feel that your fingers
don't vibrate. So, [z] is a voiced sound, [s], unvoiced. The consonants in the
two left columns are paired like that.
Voiced |
Unvoiced |
Voiced |
Unvoiced |
b |
p |
|
h |
d |
t |
i |
|
v |
f |
r |
|
g |
k |
m |
|
i |
ch |
n |
|
z |
s |
ng |
|
th |
th |
y |
|
zh |
sh |
w |
|
62
When
the TH combination connects with certain sounds, the two sounds blend together
to form a composite sound. In the following examples, see how the TH moves back
and the L moves forward, to meet in a new middle position. Repeat after
me.
th |
+ |
1 |
with
lemon |
th |
+ |
ch |
both
charges |
th |
+ |
n |
with
nachos |
th |
+ |
j |
with
juice |
th |
+ |
t |
both
times |
|
|
|
|
th |
+ |
d |
with
delivery |
n |
+ |
th |
in
the |
th |
+ |
s |
both
sizes |
z |
+ |
th |
was
that |
th |
+ |
z |
with
zeal |
d |
+ |
th |
hid
those |
Pause the CD
and reconnect the following words as shown in the models. Check Answer Key,
beginning on page 193. Repeat.
hard
times
[hardtimes]
with
luck
[withluck]
1. business deal
_________________________
2. credit check
_________________________
3. the top file
_________________________
4. sell nine new
cars_________________________
5. sit down
_________________________
6. some plans need
luck_________________________
7. check cashing
_________________________
8. let them make conditions
_________________________
9. had the
_________________________
10. both days
_________________________
When a word
ending in a vowel
sound is next
to one beginning with a vowel
sound, they
are connected with a glide between the two vowels. A glide is either a slight
[y] sound or a slight [w] sound. How do you know which one to use? This will
take care of itself—the position your lips are in will dictate either [y] or
[w].
Go
away.
Go(w)away.
I
also need the other one.
I(y)also need
thee(y)other
one.
For
example, if a word ends in [o] your lips are going to be in the forward
position, so a [w] quite naturally leads into the next vowel
sound—[Go(w)away]. You
don't want to say
63
Go...away
and break the
undercurrent of your voice. Run it all together: [Go(w)away].
After a long
[ē]
sound, your lips will be pulled back far enough to create a [y] glide or
liaison: [I(y)also
need the(y)other
one]. Don't force this sound too much, though. It's not a strong pushing sound.
[I(y) also need the(y)other one] would sound really weird.
Pause the CD
and reconnect the following words as shown in the models. Add a (y) glide after
an [e] sound, and a (w) glide after an [u] sound. Don't forget that the sound of
the American O is really [ou]. Check Answer Key, beginning on page
193.
she
isn't [she(y)isn't] who
is
[who(w)iz]
1. go anywhere
_______________
2. so honest
_______________
3. through our
_______________
4. you are
_______________
5. he is
_______________
6. do I?
_______________
7. I asked
_______________
8. to open
_______________
9. she
always _______________
10. too
often
_______________
When the
letter or sound of T, D, S, or Z is followed by a word that starts with Y, or
its sound, both sounds are connected. These letters and sounds connect not only
with Y, but they do so as well with the initial unwritten [y].
Repeat the
following.
T +
Y = CH |
|
What's
your name? |
[wәcher
name] |
Can't
you do it? |
[kænt
chew do(w)it] |
Actually |
[æk·chully] |
Don't
you like it? |
[dont
chew
lye kit] |
Wouldn't
you? |
[wooden
chew] |
Haven't you?
No, not yet. |
[hæven
chew? nou, nä chet] |
I'll let
you know. |
[I'll
letcha know] |
Can I
get you a drink? |
[k'näi
getchewә drink] |
64
We
thought you weren't coming. |
[we thä
chew wrnt kәming] |
I'll bet
you ten bucks he forgot. |
[æl
betcha ten buxee frgät] |
Is
that your final answer? |
[is
thæchr fin'læn sr] |
natural |
[næchrәl] |
perpetual |
[perpechә(w)әl] |
virtual |
[vrchә(w)әl] |
D + Y = J |
|
Did you
see it? |
[didjә
see(y)it] |
How did
you like it? |
[hæo•jә
lye kit] |
Could
you tell? |
[küjә
tell] |
Where
did you send your check? |
[wεrjә
senjer check] |
What did
your family think? |
[wәjer
fæmlee think] |
Did you
find your keys? |
[didjә
fine jer keez] |
We
followed your instructions. |
[we
fallow jerin strәctionz] |
Congratulations! |
[k'ngræj'lationz] |
education |
[edjә·cation] |
individual |
[indәvijә(w)әl] |
graduation |
[græjә(w)ation] |
gradual |
[græjә(w)әl] |
S
+ Y = SH |
|
Yes, you
are. |
[yeshu
are] |
Insurance |
[inshurance] |
Bless
you! |
[blesshue] |
Press
your hands together. |
[pressure
hanz d'gethr] |
Can you
dress yourself? |
[c
'new
dreshier self] |
You can
pass your exams this year. |
[yuk'n
pæsher egzæmz thisheer] |
I'll try
to guess your age. |
[æl
trydә geshierage] |
Let him
gas your car for you. |
[leddim
gæshier cär fr
you] |
Z +
Y = ZH |
|
How's
your family? |
[hæozhier
fæmlee] |
How was
your trip? |
[hæo·wәzhier
trip] |
Who's
your friend? |
[hoozhier
frend] |
Where's
your mom? |
[wεrzh'r
mäm] |
When's
your birthday? |
[wεnzh'r
brthday] |
She says
you're OK. |
[she
sεzhierou kay] |
Who does
your hair? |
[hoo
dәzhier hεr] |
casual |
[kæ·zhyә(w)әl] |
visual |
[vi·zhyә(w)әl] |
65
usual |
[yu•zhyә(w)әl] |
version |
[vrzh'n] |
vision |
[vizh'n] |
Reconnect or
rewrite the following words. Remember that there may be a [y] sound that is not
written. Check Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Repeat.
|
put
your |
[pücher] |
|
gradual |
[gradjya(w)l] |
1. |
did
you |
|
2. |
who's
your |
|
3. |
just
your |
|
4. |
gesture |
|
5. |
miss
you |
|
6. |
tissue |
|
1. |
got
your |
|
8. |
where's
your |
|
9. |
congratulations |
|
10. |
had
your |
|
This
word exchange really happened.
Now
that you have the idea of how to link words, let's do some liaison
work.
66
In
the following paragraph connect as many of the words as possible. Mark your
liaisons as we have done in the first two sentences. Add the (y) and (w) glides
between vowels.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American
Accent Training. There's a lot to learn,
but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I
should pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty
easily, although the(y)only
way to get it is to practice all of the time. I
use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation
more than I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch, too.
It's like walking down a staircase. I've been talking
to(w)a
lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the important thing
is to listen well and sound good. Well, what do you think? Do
I?
V
Practice reading the paragraph three times, focusing on running your words
together.
+ Turn the CD back on and repeat
after me as I read. I'm going to exaggerate the linking of the words, drawing it
out much longer than would be natural.
Back
up the CD to the last paragraph just read and repeat again. This time, however,
read from the paragraph below. The intonation is marked for you in boldface. Use
your rubber band on every stressed word.
Hello, my nay
miz______________. I'm takingә merica næccent(t)raining. There
zә lättә learn, bә däi hope ť ma ki desen joyablez
passible. I shüd pi kәpän the(y)әmerica
nintәnash'n pæddern pridy(y)ezily,
although thee(y)only
waydә geddidiz ť prækti sällәv th' time. I(y)use
thee(y)up'n
down, or peak s'n valley zintәnashәn more thә näi used to. Ivbn
payingә tenshәn ť pitch, too. Itsläi kwälking dow nә
staircase. Ivbn talking to(w)ә
läddәvә merican zla(t)ely, 'n they
tell me the däimeezier to(w)understænd.
Anyway, I could go(w)ä nә
nän, bu(t)thee(y)important
thingiz ť lisәnwellәn soun(d)
good. Well, whәddyü think? Do(w)I?
67
T Use
these techniques on texts of your own and in conversation.
(1)
Take some written material and mark the intonation,
then the
word groups,
and finally the
liaisons.
(2)
Practice saying it out loud.
(3)
Record yourself and listen back.
V In
conversation, think which word you want to make stand out, and change your pitch
on that word. Then, run the in-between words together in the valleys. Listen
carefully to how Americans do it and copy the sound.
In
order for you to recognize these sounds when used by native speakers, they are
presented here, but I don't recommend that you go out of your way to use them
yourself. If, at some point, they come quite naturally of their own accord in
casual conversation, you don't need to resist, but please don't force yourself
to talk this way. Repeat.
I
have got to go. |
I've
gotta go. |
I
have got a book. |
I've
gotta book. |
Do you
want to dance? |
Wanna
dance? |
Do you
want a banana? |
Wanna
banana? |
Let me
in. |
Lemme
in. |
Let me
go. |
Lemme
go. |
I'll let
you know. |
I'll
letcha know. |
Did you
do it? |
Dija
do it? |
Not
yet. |
Nä
chet. |
I'll
meet
you later. |
I'll
meechu layder. |
What do
you think? |
Whaddyu
think? |
What did
you do with it? |
Whajoo
do with it? |
How did
you like it? |
Howja
like it? |
When did
you get it? |
When
ju geddit? |
Why did
you take it? |
Whyju
tay kit? |
Why
don't you try it? |
Why don
chu try it? |
What
are you waiting for? |
Whaddya
waitin' for? |
What
are you doing? |
Whatcha
doin'? |
How is
it going? |
Howzit
going? |
Where's
the what-you-may-call-it? |
Where's
the whatchamacallit? |
Where's
what-is-his-name? |
Where's
whatsizname? |
How
about it? |
How
'bout it? |
He
has got to hurry because he is late. |
He's
gotta hurry 'cuz he's late. |
I
could've been a contender. |
I
coulda bina
contender. |
68
Could
you speed it up, please? |
Couldjoo
spee di dup, pleez? | ||
Would
you mind if I tried it? |
Would
joo mindifai try dit? | ||
Aren't
you Bob Barker? |
Arnchoo
Bab Barker? | ||
Can't
you see it my way for a change? |
Kænchoo
see it my way for a change? | ||
Don't
you get it? |
Doancha
geddit? | ||
I should
have told you. |
I
shoulda toljoo. | ||
Tell her
(that) I miss her. |
Teller I
misser. | ||
Tell him
(that) I miss him. |
Tellim I
missim. | ||
Did you
eat? |
Jeet? |
| |
No, did
you? |
No,
joo? |
| |
Why
don't you get a job? |
Whyncha
getta job? |
| |
I
don't
know, it's too hard. |
I
dunno,
stoo härd. |
| |
Could
we go? |
Kwee
gou? |
| |
Let's
go! |
Sko! |
| |
An
interesting thing about liaisons is that so much of it has to do with whether a
consonant is voiced or not. The key thing to remember is that the vocal cords
don't like switching around at the midpoint. If the first consonant is voiced,
the next one will be as well. If the first one is unvoiced, the second one will
sound unvoiced, no matter what you do. For example, say the word spoon.
Now, say the
word sboon.
Hear how they
sound the same? This is why I'd like you to always convert the preposition
to
to
dә
when you're
speaking English, no matter what comes before it. In the beginning, to get you
used to the concept, we made a distinction between tә
and
dә,
but now that
your schwa is in place, use a single d'
sound
everywhere, except at the very beginning of a sentence.
After a
voiced sound: |
He had
to do it. |
[he
hæ(d)d'
du(w)'t] |
After an
unvoiced sound: |
He got
to do it. |
[he
gä(t)d'
du(w)'t] |
At the
beginning of a sentence: |
To
be or not to be. |
[t'
bee(y)r
nä(t)d'bee] |
To
have your liaisons tested, call (800) 457-4255.
69
You
are going to make staircases again from me paragraph below—pretty much as
you did in Exercise 1-17 on page 16. This time, instead of putting a whole word
on each stairstep, put a single sound on each step. This is also similar to the
second pan of the Dogs Eat Bones Exercise 1-38 on page 36. Use the liaison
techniques you have just learned to connect the words; then regroup them
and place one sound unit on a step. As before, start a new staircase every time
you stress a word. Remember, new sentences don't have to start new staircases. A
staircase can continue from one sentence to another until you come to a stressed
word. Pause the CD.
Note
The liaison
practice presented in this chapter was the last of the basic principles you
needed to know before tackling the finer points of pronunciation introduced in
the next.
70
After laying
our foundation with intonation and liaisons, here we finally begin to refine
your pronunciation! We are now going to work on the differences between [æ],
[ä], and [ә], as well as [ō], [ā], and
[ē].
Let's start out with the [æ] sound.
Although not a
common sound, [æ] is very distinctive to the ear and is typically American. In
the practice paragraph in Exercise 3-2 this sound occurs five times. As its
phonetic symbol indicates, [æ] is a combination of [ä] + [ε]. To pronounce
it, drop your jaw down as if you were going to say [ä]; then from that position,
try to say [ε]. The final sound is not two separate vowels, but rather the end
result of the combination. It is very close to the sound that a goat makes:
ma-a-a-a!
Y
Try it a few times now: [ä] f [æ]
If
you find yourself getting too nasal with [æ], pinch your nose as you say it. If
[kæt] turns into [kεæt], you need to pull the sound out of your nose and down
into your throat.
Note
As you look for
the [œ] sound you might think that words like down or sound have
an [œ] in them. For this diphthong, try [œ] + oh, or [œo]. This way, down
would be written [dœon]. Because it is a combined sound, however, it's not
included in the Cat? category. (See Pronunciation Point 4 on page
ix).
The
[ä] sound occurs a little more frequently; you will find ten such sounds in the
exercise. To pronounce [ä], relax your tongue and drop your jaw as far down as
it will go. As a matter of fact, put your hand under your chin and say [mä],
[pä], [tä], [sä]. Your hand should be pushed down by your jaw as it opens.
Remember, it's the sound that you make when the
71
doctor wants to
see your throat, so open it up and dräp your
jäw.
Last is the
schwa [ә], the most common
sound in
American English. When you work on Exercise 3-2, depending on how fast you
speak, how smoothly you make liaisons, how strong your intonation is, and how
much you relax your sounds, you will find from 50 to 75 schwas. Spelling doesn't
help identify it, because it can appear as any one of the vowels, or a
combination of them. It is a neutral vowel sound, uh.
It is usually
in an unstressed syllable, though it can be stressed as well. Whenever you find
a vowel that can be crossed out and its absence wouldn't change the
pronunciation of the word, you have probably found a schwa: photography
[ph'togr'phy]
(the two apostrophes show the location of the neutral vowel sounds).
Because it is
so common, however, the wrong pronunciation of this one little sound can leave
your speech strongly accented, even if you Americanized everything
else.
Note
Some
dictionaries use two different written characters, [ә]
and
A
schwa is neutral, but it is not silent. By comparison, the silent E at the end
of a word is a signal for pronunciation, but it is not pronounced itself:
code
is [kod]. The
E tells you to say an [o]. If you leave the E off, you have cod,
[käd]. The
schwa, on the other hand is neutral, but it is an actual sound—uh.
For example,
you could also write photography
as
phuh•tah•gruh•fee.
Because it's a
neutral sound, the schwa doesn't have any distinctive characteristics, yet it is
the most
common sound in the English language.
To
make the [ә] sound, put your hand on your diaphragm and push until a grunt
escapes. Don't move your jaw, tongue, or lips; just allow the sound to flow
past your vocal cords. It should sound like uh.
Once you
master this sound, you will have an even easier time with pronouncing
can
and
can't.
In a sentence,
can't
sounds like
[kæn(t)], but can
becomes [kәn],
unless it is stressed, when it is [kæn], (as we saw in Exercise 1-43 on p. 41).
Repeat.
I can
do it. |
[I kәn
do it] |
I
can't do it. |
[I
kæn't do it] |
72
In
the vowel chart that follows, the four corners represent the four most extreme
positions of the mouth. The center box represents the least extreme
position—the neutral schwa. For these four positions, only move your lips and
jaw. Your tongue should stay in the same place—with the tip resting behind the
bottom teeth.
1. To pronounce beat,
your lips
should be drawn back, but your teeth should be close together. Your mouth should
form the shape of a banana.
2. To pronounce boot,
your lips
should be fully rounded, and your teeth should be close together. Your mouth
should form the shape of a Cheerio.
3. To pronounce bought,
drop your jaw
straight down from the boot
position. Your
mouth should form the shape of an egg.
4. To pronounce bat,
keep your jaw
down, pull your lips back, and try to simultaneously say [ä] and [ε]. Your mouth
should form the shape of a box.
Note
Word-by-word
pronunciation will be different than individual sounds within a sentence.
That, than, as, at, and, have, had, can, and so on, are [æ] sounds when they
stand alone, but they are weak words that reduce quickly in
speech.
73
Stressed |
Unstressed |
| ||
that |
thæt |
th't |
thәt |
He said
th't it's OK. |
than |
thæn |
th'n |
thәn |
It's
bigger th'n before |
as |
æz |
'z |
әz |
'z soon
'z he gets here... |
at |
æt |
't |
әt |
Look ' t
the time! |
and |
ænd |
'n |
әn |
ham 'n
eggs |
have |
hæv |
h'v |
hәv |
Where
h'v you been? |
had |
hæd |
h'd |
hәd |
He h'd
been at home. |
can |
cæn |
c'n |
cәn |
C'n you
do it? |
There are five
[æ], ten [ä], and seventy-five [ә] sounds
in the following paragraph. Underscore them in pen or pencil. (The first
one of each sound is marked for you.)
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking әmerәcәn æccent Training. There's
a
lät
to learn, but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase.
I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately, and
they tell me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could
go on and on, but the important thing is to listen well and
sound good. Well, what do you think? Do I?
V
Next, check your answers with the Answer Key, beginning on page 193. Finally,
take your markers and give a color to each sound. For example, mark [æ] green,
[ä] blue, and [ә] yellow.
X Turn your CD off and read the
paragraph three times on your own.
Note
It sounds
regional to end a sentence with [ustә]. In the middle of a sentence,
however, it is more standard: [I ustә live there.]
74
Here
we will read down from 1 to 24, then we will read each row across. Give the
[ā] sound a clear
double sound [ε + ee].
Also, the
[o]
is a longer
sound than you might be expecting. Add the full ooh sound after each
"o."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
æ |
ä |
ә |
ou |
a |
ε |
1. |
Ann |
on |
un~ |
own |
ain't |
end |
2. |
ban |
bond |
bun |
bone |
bane |
Ben |
3. |
can |
con |
come |
cone |
cane |
Ken |
4. |
cat |
caught/cot |
cut |
coat |
Kate |
ketch |
5. |
Dan |
Don/dawn |
done |
don't |
Dane |
den |
6. |
fan |
fawn |
fun |
phone |
feign |
fend |
7. |
gap |
gone |
gun |
goat |
gain |
again |
8. |
hat |
hot |
hut |
hotel |
hate |
het
up |
9. |
Jan |
John |
jump |
Joan |
Jane |
Jenny |
10. |
lamp |
lawn |
lump |
loan |
lane |
Len |
11. |
man |
monster |
Monday |
moan |
main |
men |
12. |
matter |
motto |
mutter |
motor |
made
her |
met
her |
13. |
Nan |
non~ |
none/nun |
known |
name |
nemesis |
14. |
gnat |
not/knot |
nut |
note |
Nate |
net |
15. |
pan |
pawn |
pun |
pony |
pain/pane |
pen |
16. |
ran |
Ron |
run |
roan |
rain/reign |
wren |
17. |
sand |
sawn |
sun |
sewn/sown |
sane |
send |
18. |
shall |
Sean |
shut |
show |
Shane |
Shen |
19. |
chance |
chalk |
chuck |
choke |
change |
check |
20. |
tack |
talk |
tuck |
token |
take |
tech |
21. |
van |
Von |
vug |
vogue |
vague |
vent |
22. |
wax |
want |
won/one |
won't |
wane |
when |
23. |
yam |
yawn |
young |
yo! |
yea! |
yen |
24. |
zap |
czar |
result |
zone |
zany |
zen |
To
have your pronunciation tested, call (800) 457-4255.
75
A
fashionably tan man sat casually at the
bat stand, lashing a handful of practice
bats. The manager, a crabby old bag of bones,
passed by and laughed, "You're about average,
Jack. Can't you lash faster than that?"
Jack had had enough, so he clambered to his feet and
lashed bats faster than any man had ever
lashed bats. As a matter of fact, he lashed
bats so fast that he seemed to dance. The manager
was aghast. "Jack, you're a master bat lasher!" he
gasped. Satisfied at last, Jack sat
back and never lashed another bat.
X
Pause the CD and read The Tæn Mæn
aloud. Turn it
back on to continue.
John
was not sorry when the boss called off the
walks in the garden. Obviously, to him, it was
awfully hot, and the walks were far too long.
He had not thought that walking would have caught
on the way it did, and he fought the policy from the
onset. At first, he thought he could talk it over at the
law office and have it quashed, but a small
obstacle* halted that thought. The top lawyers
always bought coffee at the shop across the
lawn and they didn't want to stop on John's
account. John's problem was not office politics, but
office policy. He resolved the problem by
bombing the garden.
*
lobster • a
small lobster • lobstacle • a small obstacle
* Pause the CD and read A
Lät of Läng, Hät Wälks in the Gärden aloud.
When you read
the following schwa paragraph, try clenching your teeth the first time. It won't
sound completely natural, but it will get rid of all of the excess lip and jaw
movement and force your tongue to work harder than usual. Remember that in
speaking American English we don't move our lips much, and we talk though our
teeth from far back in our throats. I'm going to read with my teeth clenched
together and you follow along, holding your teeth together.
Some
pundits proposed that the sun
wonders unnecessarily about sundry and
assorted conundrums. One
cannot but speculate what can come
of their proposal. It wasn't enough
to trouble us,* but it was done so
underhandedly that hundreds of
sun lovers rushed to the defense
of their beloved sun. None of this
was relevant on Monday, however, when the
sun burned up the entire country. *[әt wәzәnәnәf tә
trәbәlәs]
* Pause the CD and read What Must the
Sun Above Wonder About? twice. Try it
once with your teeth clenched the first time and normally the second
time.
76
The
American T is influenced very strongly by intonation and its position in a word
or phrase. At the top
of a staircase
T is pronounced T as in Ted
or
Italian;
a T in the
middle
of a staircase
is pronounced as D [Beddy] [Idaly] ; whereas a T at the bottom
of a staircase
isn't pronounced at all [ho(t)]. Look at Italian
and
Italy
in the
examples below. The [tæl] of Italian
is at the top
of the staircase and is strong: Italian.
The [dә]
of Italy
is in the
middle and is weak: Italy.
Repeat after
me.
Italian |
Italy |
|
attack |
attic |
|
atomic |
atom |
|
photography |
photograph |
In
the sentence Betty bought a bit of better butter, all of the Ts are in
weak positions, so they all sound like soft Ds. Repeat the sentence slowly, word
by word: [Beddy ... badә... bidә... bedder ... budder]. Feel the tip of your
tongue flick across that area behind your top teeth. Think of the music of a
cello again when you say, Betty bought a bit of better
butter.
Betty
bought a bit of better butter, |
Beddy bä
dә
bihda bedder budder. |
But,
said she, |
Bu(t),
said she, |
This
butter's bitter. |
This
budder' z
bidder. |
If I put
it in my batter, |
If I
püdi din my bædder, |
It'll
make my batter bitter. |
Id'll
make my bædder bidder. |
If
you speak any language—such as Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, or Dutch,
among others—where your R touches behind the teeth, you are in luck with the
American T. Just fix the association in your mind so that when you see a middle
position T, you automatically give it your native R sound. Say, Beri bara
bira ... with your
native accent. (Not
if you
are
77
French,
German, or Chinese!)
Along with
liaisons, the American T contributes a great deal to the smooth, relaxed sound
of English. When you say a word like atom,
imagine that
you've been to the dentist and you're a little numb, or that you've had a couple
of drinks, or maybe that you're very sleepy. You won't be wanting to use a lot
of energy saying [æ•tom], so just relax everything and say [adәm], like the
masculine name, Adam. It's a very smooth, fluid sound. Rather than saying,
BeTTy boughT
a biT of beTTer buTTer, which is
physically more demanding, try, Beddy bada
bidda bedder budder. It's easy
because you really don't need much muscle tension to say it this
way.
The
staircase concept will help clarify the various T sounds. The American T can be
a little tricky if you base your pronunciation on spelling. Here are five rules
to guide you.
1. T is
T at the
beginning of a word or in a stressed syllable.
2. T is D in the middle
of a word.
3. T is Held at
the end of a word.
4. T is Held before N in
-tain
and
-ten
endings.
5. T is Silent after N
with lax vowels.
When
a T is at the top of a staircase, in a stressed position, it should be a clear
popped sound.
1. In the beginning of a word, T is
[t].
Ted took ten
tomatoes.
2. With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR,
CT, LT, and sometimes NT combinations, T is [t].
He
was content with the contract.
3. T replaces D in the past tense,
after an unvoiced consonant sound — f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th — (except
T).
T:
laughed [lœft], picked [pikt], hoped [houpt], raced [rast], watched [wächt],
washed [wäsht], unearthed [uneartht]
D:
halved [hœvd], rigged [rigd], nabbed [næbd], raised [razd], judged [j'jd],
garaged [garazhd], smoothed [smoothd]
Exceptions:
wicked
[wikәd], naked [nakәd], crooked [krükәd], etc.
78
Read
the following sentences out loud. Make sure that the underlined (stressed) Ts
are sharp and clear.
1. It took Tim ten
times to try the telephone.
2. Stop touching
Ted's toes.
3. Turn toward Stella
and study her contract together.
4. Control your
tears.
5. It's Tommy's turn
to tell the teacher the truth.
An
unstressed T in the middle of a staircase between two vowel sounds should be
pronounced as a soft D.
Betty
bought a bit of better butter. |
[Beddy
bädә
bida bedder budder] |
Pat
ought to sit on a lap. |
[pædädә
sidänә læp] |
Read
the following sentences out loud. Make sure that the underlined (unstressed) Ts
sound like a soft D.
1. |
What
a good idea. |
[wәdә
gudai deeyә] |
2. |
Put
it in a bottle. |
[püdidinә
bäddl] |
3. |
Write it
in a letter. |
[räididinә
leddr] |
4. |
Set
it on the metal gutter. |
[sedidän
thә medl gәddr] |
5. |
Put all
the data in the computer. |
[püdäl
the deidә in the c'mpyudr] |
6. |
Insert
a quarter in the meter. |
[inserdә
kworder in the meedr] |
7. |
Get a
better water heater. |
[gedә
beddr wädr heedr] |
8. |
Let
her put
a sweater on. |
[ledr
püdә sweder an] |
9. |
Betty's
at a meeting. |
[beddy's
ædә meeding] |
10. |
It's
getting hotter and hotter. |
[its
gedding häddr•rәn häddr] |
11. |
Patty
ought
to write a better
letter. |
[pæddy(y)ädә ride
a beddr leddr] |
12. |
Freida
had a
little metal bottle. |
[freedә
hædә liddl medl bäddl] |
T at
the bottom of a staircase is in the held position. By held, I mean that the
tongue is in the T position, but the air isn't released. To compare, when you
say T as in Tom, there 's a sharp burst of air over the tip of the tongue, and
when you say Betty, there 's a soft puff of air over the tip of the
tongue. When you hold a T, as in hot, your tongue is in the position for
T, but you keep the air in.
1. She hit the hot
hut with her hat.
2. We went to that
'Net site to get what we
needed.
3. Pat was quite
right, wasn't she?
79
4. What? Put my
hat back!
5. hot, late, fat,
goat, hit, put, not, hurt, what,
set, paint, wait, sit, dirt, note,
fit, lot, light, suit, point,
incident, tight
The
"held T" is, strictly speaking, not really a T at all. Remember [t] and [n] are
very close in the mouth (see Liaisons,
Exercise 2-5). If you have an
N immediately after a T, you don't pop the T—the
tongue is in the T position—but
you release the air with the N, not the T. There is no [t] and no
[ә].
Make a special point of not letting your tongue release from the top of your
mouth before you drop into the [n]; otherwise, bu(tt)on would sound like
two words: but-ton. An unstressed T or TT followed by N is
held. Read the following words and sentences out loud. Make sure that the
underlined Ts are held. Remember, there is no "uh" sound before the
[n].
Note
Another point
to remember is that you need a sharp upward sliding intonation up to the "held
T," then a quick drop for the N.
written |
|
written |
kitten |
ri(t)n |
sentence |
patent | |
|
forgotten |
mutant | |
sentence |
certain |
latent | |
sen(t)ns |
curtain |
mountain | |
|
mitten |
recently | |
lately |
Martin |
lately | |
la(t)lee |
bitten |
partly | |
|
button |
frequently |
1. He's forgotten the
carton of satin mittens.
2. She's certain that
he has written it.
3. The cotton
curtain is not in the fountain.
4. The hikers went in
the mountains.
5. Martin has
gotten a kitten.
6. Students study
Latin in Britain.
7. Whitney has a
patent on those sentences.
8. He has not forgotten
what was written about the mutant on the
mountain.
9. It's not certain
that it was gotten from the fountain.
10. You need to put an
orange cotton curtain on that
window.
11. We like that certain
satin better than the carton of cotton
curtains.
12. The intercontinental
hotel is in Seattle.
13. The frightened
witness had forgotten the important
written message.
14. The child wasn't
beaten because he had bitten the
button.
80
[t]
and [n] are so close in the mouth that the [t] can simply disappear.
Repeat.
1. |
interview |
innerview |
2. |
interface |
innerface |
3. |
Internet |
innernet |
4. |
interstate |
innerstate |
5. |
interrupt |
innerrupt |
6. |
interfere |
innerfere |
1. |
interactive |
inneractive |
8. |
international |
innernational |
9. |
advantage |
әdvæn'j |
10. |
percentage |
percen'j |
11. |
twenty |
twenny |
12. |
printout |
prinnout or
prindout |
13. |
printer |
prinner or
prinder |
14. |
winter |
winner or
winder |
15. |
enter |
enner or
ender |
Exercise
4-8:
Rule
5—The
Silent T
CD 3
Track
20
Read
the following sentences out loud. Make sure that the underlined Ts are
silent.
1. |
He had a
great interview. |
[he hædә
gray dinnerview] |
2. |
Try to
enter the information. |
[trydә
enner the infrmation] |
3. |
Turn the
printer on. |
[trn thә
prinnerän] |
4. |
Finish the
printing. |
[f 'n'sh
thә prinning] |
5. |
She's at
the international center. |
[sheez'
(t)the(y)innernational
senner] |
6. |
It's
twenty degrees in Toronto. |
['ts
twenny d'greezin tränno] |
7. |
I
don't understand it. |
[I doe
nәnder stæn d't] |
8. |
She
invented it in Santa Monica. |
[she(y)invenәd'din
sænә mänәkә] |
9. |
He can't
even do it. |
[he
kæneevәn du(w)'t] |
10. |
They
don't even want it. |
[they doe
neevәn wän't] |
11. |
They
won't ever try. |
[they woe
never try] |
12. |
What's the
point of it? |
[w'ts the
poi n'v't] |
13. |
She's the
intercontinental
representative. |
[shez
thee(y)innercän(t)n•nenl
repr'zen'd'v] |
14. |
Hasn't
he? |
[hæzә
nee] |
15. |
Isn't
he? |
[izә
nee] |
16. |
Aren't
I? |
[är
näi] |
17. |
Won't
he? |
[woe
nee] |
18. |
Doesn't
he? |
[dәzәnee] |
19. |
Wouldn't
it? |
[wüdәnit] |
20. |
Didn't
I? |
[didn•näi] |
81
Here
are some extremely common middle T combinations. Repeat after
me:
|
What
|
But |
That |
a |
wәdә |
bәdә |
thәdә |
I |
wәdäi |
bәdäi |
thәdäi |
I'm |
wәdäim |
bәdäim |
thәdäim |
I've |
wәdäiv |
bәdäiv |
thәdäiv |
if |
wәdif |
bәdif |
thәdif |
it |
wәdit |
bәdit |
thәdit |
it's |
wәdits |
bәdits |
thәdits |
is |
wәdiz |
bәdiz |
thәdiz |
isn't |
wәdiznt |
bәdiznt |
thәdiznt |
are |
wәdr |
bәdr |
thәdr |
aren't |
wәdärnt |
bәdärnt |
thәdärnt |
he |
wәdee |
bәdee |
thәdee |
he's |
wәdeez |
bәdeez |
thәdeez |
her |
wәdr |
bәdr |
thәdr |
you |
wәchew |
bәchew |
thәchew |
you'll |
wәchül |
bәchül |
thәchül |
you've |
wәchoov |
bәchoov |
thәchoov |
you're |
wәchr |
bәchr |
thәchr |
Repeat the
following sentences.
1. |
I don't
know what it means. |
I
don(t)know
wәdit meenz |
2. |
But
it looks like what I
need. |
bәdi(t)lük sly
kwәdäi need |
3. |
But
you said that you wouldn't. |
bәchew
sed thәchew wüdnt |
4. |
I
know what you think. |
I know
wәchew
think |
5. |
But I
don't think that he will. |
bәdäi
don(t)think thәdee
will |
6. |
He
said that if we can do it, he'll help. |
he sed
the diff we k'n do(w)it, hill
help |
7. |
But
isn't it easier this way? |
bәdizni
deezier thi sway? |
8. |
We want
something
that isn't here. |
we
wänt something thәdiznt
here |
9. |
You'll
like it, but you'll regret it
later. |
yül
lye kit, bәchül r'gre dit laydr |
10. |
But
he's not right for what I want. |
bәdeez
nät right fr wәdäi wänt |
11. |
It's
amazing what you've accomplished. |
its
amazing wәchoovәccämplisht |
12. |
What if
he forgets? |
wәdifee
frgets |
13. |
OK, but
aren't you missing something? |
OK,
bәdärnt chew
missing sәmthing |
14. |
I
think
that he's OK now. |
I think
thәdeez OK næo |
15. |
She
wanted to, but her car broke down. |
She
wänәd to, bәdr cär broke dæon |
16. |
We
think that you're taking a chance. |
We
think
thәchr taking a chænce |
17. |
They
don't know what it's about. |
They
don't know wәdit sәbæot |
82
This
exercise is for the practice of the difference between words that end in either
a vowel or a voiced consonant, which means that the vowel is lengthened or
doubled. Therefore, these words are on a much larger, longer stairstep. Words
that end in an unvoiced consonant are on a smaller, shorter stairstep. This
occurs whether the vowel in question is tense or lax.
har |
hard |
heart |
car |
card |
cart |
H |
|
C |
| ||
ha! |
hod |
hot |
caw |
cod |
cot/caught |
har |
hard |
heart |
car |
card |
cart |
hall |
hailed |
halt |
call |
called |
|
her |
heard |
hurt |
cur |
curd |
curt |
hole |
hold |
holt |
coal |
cold |
colt |
hoe |
hoed |
|
co- |
code |
coat |
Once
again, go over the following familiar paragraph. First, find all the T's that
are pronounced D (there are nine to thirteen here). Second, find all the
held Ts (there are seven). The first one of each is marked for you. Pause the CD
to do this and don't forget to check your answers with the Answer Key, beginning
on page 193, when you finish.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accen(t) Training.
There's a
lo(t)
to learn,
butd I
hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up
on the American intonation pattern pretty easily, although the
only way to get it is to practice all of the time. I use
the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more than
I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like
walking down a staircase. I've been talking to a lot
of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the important thing
is to listen well and sound good/Well, what do you think? Do
I?
83
The
strong intonation in American English creates certain tendencies in your spoken
language. Here are four consistent conditions that are a result of
intonation's tense peaks and relaxed valleys:
You
were introduced to reduced vowels in Chapter 1. They appear in the valleys that
are formed by the strong peaks of intonation. The more you reduce the words in
the valleys, the smoother and more natural your speech will sound. A
characteristic of reduced vowels is that your throat muscles should be very
relaxed. This will allow the unstressed vowels to reduce toward the schwa.
Neutral vowels take less energy and muscularity to produce than tense vowels.
For example, the word unbelievable
should only
have one hard vowel: [әnbәlēvәbәl].
The
mouth muscles are relaxed to create a voiced sound like [z] or [d]. For unvoiced
consonants, such as [s] or [t], they are sharp and tense. Relaxing your muscles
will simultaneously reduce your vowels and voice your consonants. Think of
voiced
consonants as
reduced
consonants. Both reduced
consonants and reduced vowels are unconsciously preferred by a native speaker of
American English. This explains why T so frequently becomes D and S becomes Z:
Get it is to
... [gedidizdә].
It's not easy
to change horses midstream, so when you have a voiced consonant; let the
consonant that follows it be voiced as well. In the verb used
[yuzd], for
example, the S is really a Z, so it is followed by D. The phrase used to
[yus tu], on
the other hand, has a real S, so it is followed by T. Vowels are, by definition,
voiced. So when one is followed by a common, reducible word, it will change that
word's first sound— like the preposition to,
which will
change to [dә].
The
only way to get it is to practice all of the time.
[They only
wei•dә•geddidiz•dә•practice all of the time.]
Again, this
will take time. In the beginning, work on recognizing these patterns when you
hear them. When you are confident that you understand the structure beneath
these sounds and you can intuit where they belong, you can start to try them
out. It's not advisable to memorize one reduced word and stick it into an
otherwise overpronounced sentence. It would sound strange.
You've
probably noticed that the preceding three conditions, as well as other areas
that we've covered, such as liaisons and the schwa, have one thing in common—the
idea that it's
physically easier this way. This is one of
the most remarkable characteristics of American English. You need to relax
your mouth and throat muscles (except for [æ], [ä], and other tense vowels), and let the sounds
flow smoothly out. If you find yourself tensing up, pursing your lips, or
tightening your throat, you are going to strangle and lose the sound you are
pursuing. Relax, relax, relax.
84
This chapter
discusses the sound of L (not to be confused with that of the American R, which
is covered in the next chapter). We'll approach this sound first, by touching on
the difficulties it presents to foreign speakers of English, and next by
comparing L to the related sounds of T, D, and N.
The
English L is usually no problem at the beginning or in the middle of a word. The
native language of some people, however, causes them to make their English L
much too short. At the end of a word, the L is especially noticeable if it is
either missing (Chinese) or too short (Spanish). In addition, most people
consider the L as a simple consonant. This can also cause a lot of trouble.
Thus, two things are at work here: location of language sounds in the mouth, and
the complexity of the L sound. ,
The
sounds of many Romance languages are generally located far forward in the mouth.
My French teacher told me that if I couldn't see my lips when I spoke French—it
wasn't French! Spanish is sometimes even called the smiling language. Chinese,
on the other hand, is similar to American English in that it is mostly produced
far back in the mouth. The principal difference is that English also requires
clear use of the tongue's tip, a large component of the sound of
L.
The
L is not a simple consonant; it is a compound made up of a vowel and a
consonant. Like the [æ] sound discussed in Chapter 3, the sound of L is a
combination of [ә] and [1]. The [ә], being a reduced vowel sound, is created in
the throat, but the [1] part requires a clear movement of the tongue.
First, the tip must touch behind the teeth. (This part is simple enough.) But
then, the back of the tongue must then drop down and back for the continuing
schwa sound. Especially at the end of a word, Spanish-speaking people tend to
leave out the schwa and shorten the L, and Chinese speakers usually leave it off
entirely.
One
way to avoid the pronunciation difficulty of a final L, as in call,
is to make a
liaison when the next word begins with a vowel. For example, if you want to say
I have to
call on my friend, let the
liaison do your work for you; say [I have to kälän my friend].
85
When you learn
to pronounce the L correctly, you will feel its similarity with T, D, and N.
Actually, the tongue is positioned in the same place in the mouth for all four
sounds— behind the teeth. The difference is in how and where the air comes out.
(See the drawings in Exercise 5-1.)
The
sound of both T and D is produced by allowing a puff of air to come out over the
tip of the tongue.
The
sound of N is nasal. The tongue completely blocks all air from leaving through
the mouth, allowing it to come out only through the nose. You should be able to
feel the edges of your tongue touching your teeth when you say nnn.
With L, the
tip of the tongue is securely touching the roof of the mouth behind the teeth,
but the sides of the tongue are dropped down and tensed. This is where L is
different from N. With N, the tongue is relaxed and covers the entire area
around the back of the teeth so that no air can come out. With L, the tongue is
very tense, and the air comes out around its sides. At the beginning it's
helpful to exaggerate the position of the tongue. Look at yourself in the mirror
as you stick out the tip of your tongue between your front teeth. With your
tongue in this position say el
several times.
Then, try saying it with your tongue behind your teeth. This sounds complicated,
but it is easier to do than to describe. You can practice this again later with
Exercise 5-3. Our first exercise, however, must focus on differentiating the
sounds.
For
this exercise, concentrate on the different ways in which the air comes out of
the mouth when producing each sound of L, T, D, and N. Look at the drawings
included here, to see the correct position of the tongue. Instructions for
reading the groups of words listed next are given after the
words.
A
puff of air comes out over the tip of the tongue. The tongue is somewhat
tense.
86
N
Nasal
Air
comes out through the nose. The tongue is completely relaxed.
L
Lateral
Air
flows around the sides of the tongue. The tongue is very tense. The lips are
not
rounded!
1. |
At the
beginning of a word | |||
|
law |
gnaw |
taw |
daw |
|
low |
know |
toe |
dough |
|
lee
knee |
tea |
D |
|
2. |
In the
middle of a word | |||
|
belly |
Benny |
Betty | |
|
caller |
Conner |
cotter | |
|
alley |
Annie's |
|
at
ease |
3. |
At the end
of a word | |||
A |
hole |
hold |
hone |
hoed |
|
call |
called |
con |
cod |
B |
fill |
full |
fool |
fail |
|
fell |
feel |
fuel |
furl |
Repeat after
me, first down and then across.
87
T
Look at group 3, B. This exercise has three functions:
1. Practice final els.
2. Review vowels sounds.
3. Review the same words with the
staircase.
Note
Notice that
each word has a tiny schwa after the el. This is to encourage your tongue to be
in the right position to give your words a "finished" sound. Exaggerate the
final el and its otherwise inaudible schwa.
Y
Repeat the last group of words.
Once you are
comfortable with your tongue in this position, let it just languish there while
you continue vocalizing, which is what a native speaker does.
V
Repeat again: fillll, fullll, foollll, faillll, feellll, fuellll,
furllll.
I
hope that you're asking a question like this about now. Putting all of those
short little words on a staircase will reveal exactly how many extra sounds you
have to put in to make it "sound right." For example, if you were to pronounce
fail
as [fal], the
sound is too abbreviated for the American ear—we need to hear the full
[fayәlә].
Repeat after
me.
88
This
time, simply hold the L sound extra long. Repeat after me.
As
you work with the following exercise, here are two points you should keep in
mind. When a word ends with an L sound, either (a) connect it to the next word
if you can, or (b) add a slight schwa for an exaggerated [lә]
sound. For example:
(a)
enjoyable as
[enjoyәbәlәz]
(b)
possible
[pasәbәlә]
Note
Although (a) is
really the way you want to say it, (b) is an interim measure to help you put
your tongue in the right place. It would sound strange if you were to always add
the slight schwa. Once you can feel where you want your tongue to be, hold it
there while you continue to make the L sound. Here are three
examples:
Call |
|
|
caw |
[kä] |
(incorrect) |
call |
[cälә] |
(understandable) |
call |
[källl] |
(correct) |
You
can do the same thing to stop an N from becoming an NG.
Con |
|
|
cong |
[käng] |
(incorrect) |
con |
[känә] |
(understandable) |
con |
[kännn] |
(correct) |
89
Pause the CD,
and find and mark all the L sounds in the familiar paragraph below; the first
one is marked for you. There are seventeen of them; five are silent.
Afterwards, check Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Hello,
my name is______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's a lot
to
learn, but I
hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily, although
the only way to get it is to practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking
down a staircase. I've been talking to
a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to understand.
Anyway, I could go
on and on, but the important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well, what
do you think? Do I?
Once
you've found all the L sounds, the good news is that very often you don't even
have to pronounce them. Read the following list of words after
me.
1. |
would |
could |
should |
2. |
chalk |
talk |
walk |
3. |
calm |
palm |
psalm |
4. |
already |
alright |
almond |
5. |
although |
almost |
always |
6. |
salmon |
alms |
Albany |
7. |
folk |
caulk |
polka |
Before reading
about Little Lola in the next exercise, I'm going to get off the specific
subject of L for the moment to talk about learning in general. Frequently, when
you have some difficult task to do, you either avoid it or do it with dread. I'd
like you to take the opposite point of view. For this exercise, you're going to
completely focus on the thing that's most difficult: leaving your tongue
attached to the top of your mouth. And rather than saying, "Oh, here comes an L,
I'd better do something with my tongue," just leave your tongue attached
all through
the entire paragraph!
Remember our
clenched-teeth reading of What Must the Sun Above Wonder About?, in
Chapter 3? Well, it's time for us to make weird sounds again.
90
You and I are
going to read with our tongues firmly held at the roofs of our mouths. If you
want, hold a clean dime there with the tongue's tip; the dime will let you know
when you have dropped your tongue because it will fall out. (Do not use candy;
it will hold itself there since wet candy is sticky.) If you prefer, you can
read with your tongue between your teeth instead of the standard
behind-the-teeth position, and use a small mirror. Remember that with this
technique you can actually see your tongue disappear as you hear your L sounds
drop off.
It's going to
sound ridiculous, of course, and nobody would ever intentionally sound like
this, but no one will hear you practice. You don't want to sound like this:
lllllllllll. Force your tongue to make all the various vowels in spite of its
position. Let's go.
Leave a
little for Lola!
Now that
we've done this, instead of L being a hard letter to pronounce, it's the easiest
one because the tongue is stuck in that position. Pause the CD to practice the
reading on your own, again, with your tongue stuck to the top of your mouth.
Read the following paragraph after me with your tongue in the normal position.
Use good, strong intonation. Follow my lead as I start dropping h's
here.
Little
Lola felt left out in life. She told
herself that luck controlled her and she truly
believed that only by loyally following an
exalted leader could she be delivered from her
solitude. Unfortunately, she learned a little
late that her life was her own to deal with. When she
realized it, she was already eligible for
Social Security and she had lent her lifelong
earnings to a lowlife in Long Beach. She lay on
her linoleum and slid along the floor in
anguish. A little later, she leapt up and
laughed. She no longer longed for a leader to
tell her how to live her life. Little
Lola was finally all well.
In
our next paragraph about Thirty Little Turtles, we deal with another
aspect of L, namely consonant clusters. When you have a dl
combination,
you need to apply what you learned about liaisons and the American T as well as
the L.
Since the two
sounds are located in a similar position in the mouth, you know that they are
going to be connected, right? You also know that all of these middle Ts are
going to be pronounced D, and that you're going to leave the tongue stuck to the
top of your mouth. That may leave you wondering: Where is the air to escape? The
L sound is what determines that. For the D, you hold the air in, the same as for
a final D, then for the L, you release it around the sides of the tongue. Let's
go through the steps before proceeding to our next exercise.
91
Exercise
5-10: Dull versus ~dle
CD 3Track 35
Repeat after
me.
laid |
Don't
pop the final D sound. |
ladle |
Segue
gently from the D to the L, with a "small" schwa in-between. Leave your
tongue touching behind the teeth and just drop the sides to let the air
pass out. |
lay
dull |
Here,
your tongue can drop between the D and the L. |
Repeat the
following lists.
|
üll |
äll |
æwl |
ell |
ale |
oll |
eel |
dl |
1. |
bull |
ball |
bowel |
bell |
bale |
bowl |
Beal |
bottle |
2. |
|
hall |
howl |
hell |
hail |
hole |
heel |
huddle |
3. |
|
hauled |
howled |
held |
hailed |
hold |
healed |
hurtle |
4. |
pull |
pall |
Powell |
pell |
pail |
pole |
peel |
poodle |
5. |
wool |
wall |
|
well |
whale |
whole |
wheel |
wheedle |
6. |
full |
fall |
foul |
fell |
fail |
foal |
feel |
fetal |
7. |
Schultz |
shawl |
|
shell |
shale |
shoal |
she'll |
shuttle |
8. |
tulle |
tall |
towel |
tell |
tale |
toll |
teal |
turtle |
9. |
|
vault |
vowel |
veldt |
veil |
vole |
veal |
vital |
10. |
you'll |
yawl |
yowl |
yell |
Yale |
|
yield |
yodel |
11. |
|
call |
cowl |
Kelly |
kale |
cold |
keel |
coddle |
92
To
hear the difference between [dәl]
and [dәәl],
contrast the sentences, Don't lay
dull tiles and
Don't
ladle tiles.
Repeat the
following paragraph, focusing on the consonant + әl
combinations.
Thrdee
Liddәl
Terdәl Zinә Bäddәlә Bäddәl
Dwäder
A
bottle of bottled water held 30 little
turtles. It didn't matter that each turtle had to rattle a
metal ladle in order to get a little bit of
noodles, a total turtle delicacy. The problem
was that there were many turtle battles for the less than
oodles of noodles. The littlest turtles always
lost, because every time they thought about grappling with the
haggler turtles, their little turtle minds
boggled and they only caught a little bit of
noodles.
**********
**********
**********
We've already
practiced strong intonation, so now we'll just pick up the speed. First I'm
going to read our familiar paragraph, as fast as I can. Subsequently, you'll
practice on your own, and then we'll go over it together, sentence by sentence,
to let you practice reading very fast, right after me. By then you will have
more or less mastered the idea, so record yourself reading really fast and with
very strong intonation. Listen back to see if you sound more fluent. Listen as I
read.
Hello, my
name is__________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's a
lot to learn,
but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all
of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that
I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and
on, but the important thing is to listen well and sound good.
Well, what do you think? Do I?
+
Pause the CD and practice speed-reading on your own five times.
V
Repeat each sentence after me.
V
Record yourself speed-reading with strong intonation.
The
last reading that I'd like you to do is one along with me. Up to now, I have
read first and you have repeated in the pause that followed. Now, however, I
would like you to read along at exactly the same time that I read, so that we
sound like one person reading. Read along with me.
93
In
the next chapter, we'll be working on a sound that is produced deep in the
throat—the American R. In Chapter 3, we studied two tense vowels, æ and
ä, and the completely neutral schwa, ә. The æ sound
has a tendency to sound a little nasal all on its own, and when other vowels are
nasalized as well, it puts your whole voice in the wrong place. This is an
opportune moment, then, to go into the quality of your voice. In my observation,
when people speak a foreign language, they tense up their throat, so their whole
communication style sounds forced, pinched, strained, artificial, or nasal. The
foreign speaker's voice is also generally higher pitched than would be
considered desirable. To practice the difference between high pitch and lower
pitch, work on uh-oh. In addition to pitch, this exercise will let you
discover the difference between a tinny, nasal tone and a deep, rich,
mellifluous, basso profundo tone. The tilda (~) is used to indicate a nasal
sound.
Pinch your nose
closed and say œ. You should feel a high vibration in your nasal
passages, as well as in your fingers. Now, continue holding your nose, and
completely relax your throat—allow an ah
sound to flow from deep in your chest. There should be no vibration in your
nose at all. Go back and forth several times. Next, we practice flowing from one
position to the other, so you can feel exactly when it changes from a nasal
sound to a deep, rich schwa. Remember how it was imitating a man's voice when
you were little? Do that, pinch your nose, and repeat after me.
Nose |
Throat |
Chest | ||||||||
ãæ |
•> |
ãæ |
•> |
ãä |
•> |
ä |
•> |
ә |
•> |
ә |
Here, we will
practice the same progression, but we will stick with the same sound,
æ.
Nose |
Throat |
Chest | ||||||||
ãæ |
•> |
ãæ |
•> |
æ |
•> |
æ |
•> |
æ |
•> |
æ |
As
you will see in Chapter 12, there are three nasal consonants, m, n, and
ng. These have non-nasal counterparts, m/b, n/d, ng/g. We're going
to practice totally denasalizing your voice for a moment, which means turning
the nasals into the other consonants. We'll read the same sentence three times.
The first will be quite nasal. The second will sound like you have a cold. The
third will have appropriate nasal consonants, but denasalized vowels. Repeat
after me.
Nasal |
Clogged |
Normal |
Mãry
might need money. |
Berry
bite deed buddy. |
Mary
might need money. |
Now
that you have moved your voice out of your nose and down into your diaphragm,
let s apply it.
A
Lät of Läng, Hät Wälks in the Gärden. John was not sorry when the boss called
off the walks in the garden. Obviously, to him, it was awfully hot, and the
walks were far too long. He had not thought that walking would have caught on
the way it did, and he fought the policy from the onset.
94
American
English, today—although continually changing—is made up of the sounds of the
various people who have come to settle here from many countries. All of them
have put in their linguistic two cents, the end result being that the easiest
way to pronounce things has almost always been adopted as the most American. R
is an exception, along with L and the sounds of [æ] and [th], and is one of the
most troublesome sounds for people to acquire. Not only is it difficult for
adults learning the language, but also for American children, who pronounce it
like a W or skip over it altogether and only pick it up after they've learned
all the other sounds.
The
trouble is that you can't see an R from the outside. With a P, for instance, you
can see when people put their lips together and pop out a little puff. With R,
however, everything takes place behind almost closed lips—back down in the
throat—and who can tell what the tongue is doing? It is really hard to tell
what's going on if, when someone speaks, you can only hear the err
sound,
especially if you're used to making an R by touching your tongue to the ridge
behind your teeth. So, what should your tongue be doing?
This technique
can help you visualize the correct tongue movements in pronouncing the R. (1)
Hold your hand out flat, with the palm up, slightly dropping the back end of it.
That's basically the position your tongue is in when you say ah
[ä], so your
flat hand will represent this sound. (2) Now, to go from ah
to the
er,
take your
fingers and curl them up slightly. Again, your tongue should follow that action.
The sides of your tongue should come up a bit, too. When the air passes over
that hollow in the middle of your tongue (look at the palm of your hand), that's
what creates the er
sound.
Try
it using both your hand and tongue simultaneously. Say ah,
with your
throat open (and your hand flat), then curl your tongue up (and your fingers)
and say errr.
The tip of the
tongue should be aimed at a middle position in the mouth, but never touching,
and your throat should relax and expand. R, like L, has a slight schwa in it.
This is what pulls the er
down so far
back in your throat.
Another way to
get to er
is to go from
the ee
sound and
slide your tongue straight back like a collapsing accordion, letting the two
sides of your tongue touch the insides of your molars; the tip of the tongue,
however, again, should not touch anything. Now from ee,
pull your
tongue back toward the center of your throat, and pull the sound down into your
throat:
Since the R is
produced in the throat, let's link it with other throat sounds.
95
Repeat after
me.
[g], [gr],
greek, green, grass, grow, crow, core, cork, coral, cur, curl, girl, gorilla,
her, erg, error, mirror, were, war, gore, wrong, wringer, church,
pearl
While you're
perfecting your R, you might want to rush to it, and in doing so, neglect the
preceding vowel. There are certain vowels that you can neglect, but there are
others that demand their full sound. We're going to practice the ones that
require you to keep that clear sound before you add an R.
Refer to the
subsequent lists of sounds and words as you work through each of the directions
that follow them. Repeat each sound, first the vowel and then the [әr], and each
word in columns 1 to 3. We will read all the way across.
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
[ä]
+
[er] |
[hä•әrd] |
hard |
|
[e]
+ [әr] |
[he•әr] |
here |
|
[ε]
+
[әr] |
[shε•әr] |
share |
|
[o]
+ [әr] |
[mo•әr] |
more |
|
[әr]
+[әr] |
[wәr•әr] |
were |
|
We
will next read column 3 only; try to keep that doubled sound, but let the vowel
flow smoothly into the [әr]; imagine a double stairstep that cannot be avoided.
Don't make them two staccato sounds, though, like [ha•rd]. Instead, flow them
smoothly over the double stairstep: Hääärrrrd.
Of
course, they're not that
long; this is
an exaggeration and you're going to shorten them up once you get better at the
sound. When you say the first one, hard,
to get your
jaw open for the [hä], imagine that you are getting ready to bite into an apple:
[hä]. Then for the er
sound, you
would bite into it: [hä•erd], hard.
x
Pause the CD to practice five times on your own.
From a
spelling standpoint, the American R can be a little difficult to figure out.
With words like where
[wεәr] and
were
[wәr], it's
confusing to know which one has two different vowel sounds (where)
and which one
has just the [әr] (were).
When there is
a full vowel, you must make sure to give it its complete sound, and not chop it
short, [wε + әr].
For
words with only the schwa + R [әr], don't try to introduce another vowel sound
before the [әr], regardless of
spelling. The following
words, for example, do not have any other vowel sounds in them.
96
Looks
like |
Sounds
like |
word |
[wәrd] |
hurt |
[hәrt] |
girl |
[gәrl] |
pearl |
[pәrl] |
The
following exercise will further clarify this for you.
The
following seven R sounds, which are represented by the ten words, give people a
lot of trouble, so we're going to work with them and make them easy for you.
Repeat.
1. |
were |
[wәr•әr] |
|
2. |
word |
[wәr•әrd] |
|
3. |
whirl |
[wәrrul] |
|
4. |
world/whirled |
[were
rolled] |
|
5. |
wore/war |
[woәr] |
|
6. |
whorl |
[worul] |
|
7. |
where/wear |
[wεәr] |
|
1. Were
is pronounced
with a doubled [әr]: [wәrәr]
2. Word
is also
doubled, but after the second [әr], you're going to put your tongue in place for
the D and hold it there, keeping all the air in your mouth, opening your throat
to give it that full-voiced quality (imagine yourself puffing your throat out
like a bullfrog): [wәrәrd], word.
Not [wәrd],
which is too short. Not [wordә], which is too strong at the end. But
[wәr'әrd]
word.
3. In whirl
the R is
followed by L. The R is in the throat and the back of the tongue stays down
because, as we've practiced, L starts with the schwa, but the tip of the tongue
comes up for the L: [wәr•rә•lә], whirl.
4. World/whirled, like 5 and 7,
has two spellings (and two different meanings, of course). You're going to do
the same thing as for whirl,
but you're
going to add that voiced D at the end, holding the air in:
[wәr•rәl(d)],
world/whirled.
It should
sound almost like two words: wére rolled.
5. Here, you have
an [o] sound in either spelling before the [әr]: [wo•әr], wore/war.
6. For whorl,
you're going
to do the same thing as in 5, but you're going to add a schwa + L at the end:
[wo•әrәl], whorl.
7. This sound is
similar to 5, but you have [ε] before the [әr]: [wε•әr], where/wear.
97
The
following words are typical in that they are spelled one way and pronounced in
another way. The ar
combination
frequently sounds like [εr], as in embarrass
[embεrәs].
This sound is particularly clear on the West Coast. On the East Coast, you may
hear [embærәs].
Repeat after
me.
embarrass |
stationary |
Larry |
vocabulary |
care |
Sarah |
parent |
carry |
narrate |
parallel |
carriage |
guarantee |
paragraph |
marriage |
larynx |
para~ |
maritime |
laryngitis |
parrot |
barrier |
necessary |
apparent |
baritone |
itinerary |
parish |
Barren's |
said |
Paris |
library |
says |
area |
character |
transparency |
aware |
Karen |
dictionary |
compare |
Harry |
many |
imaginary |
Mary |
any |
Common
Combinations |
ar |
par |
bar |
mar |
lar |
kar |
war |
har |
sar |
nar |
gar |
rar |
Don't think
about spelling here. Just pronounce each column of words as the heading
indicates.
|
әr |
är |
εr |
or |
eer |
æwr |
1. |
earn |
art |
air |
or |
ear |
hour |
2. |
hurt |
heart |
hair |
horse |
here |
how
're |
3. |
heard |
hard |
haired |
horde |
here's |
|
4. |
pert |
part |
pair |
pour |
peer |
power |
5. |
word |
|
where |
war |
we're |
|
6. |
a
word |
|
aware |
award |
a
weird |
|
7. |
work |
|
wear |
warm |
weird |
|
8. |
first |
far |
fair |
four |
fear |
flower |
9. |
firm |
farm |
fairy |
form |
fierce |
|
10. |
rather |
cathartic |
there |
Thor |
theory |
11th
hour |
11. |
murky |
mar |
mare |
more |
mere |
|
12. |
spur |
spar |
spare |
sport |
spear |
|
13. |
sure |
sharp |
share |
shore |
shear |
shower |
14. |
churn |
char |
chair |
chore |
cheer |
chowder |
98
15. |
gird |
guard |
scared |
gored |
geared |
Gower |
16. |
cur |
car |
care |
core |
kir |
cower |
17. |
turtle |
tar |
tear |
tore |
tear |
tower |
18. |
dirt |
dark |
dare |
door |
dear |
dour |
19. |
stir |
star |
stair |
store |
steer |
|
20. |
sir |
sorry |
Sarah |
sore |
seer |
sour |
21. |
burn |
barn |
bear |
born |
beer |
bower |
Repeat after
me.
The
Hurly Burly Mirror Store at Vermont
and Beverly featured hundreds of first-rate
minors. There were several mirrors on
the chest of drawers, and the largest one was turned
toward the door in order to make the room
look bigger. One of the girls who worked there was
concerned that a bird might get hurt by hurtling
into its own reflection. She learned by trial and
error how to preserve both the mirrors
and the birds. Her earnings were
proportionately increased at the mirror
store to reflect her contribution to the
greater good.
×
Pause the CD
to practice reading out loud three times on your own.
Pause the CD
and go through our familiar paragraph and find all the R sounds. The first one
is marked for you.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot
to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that
I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well,
what do you think? Do I?
V
Check your
answers with the Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
99
After three to
six months, you're ready for the follow-up analysis. If you're studying on your
own, please contact toll-free (800) 457-4255 or http://www.americanaccent.com/
for a referral to a
qualified telephone analyst. The diagnostic analysis is designed to evaluate
your current speech patterns to let you know where your accent is standard and
nonstandard.
Think
the United Auto Workers can beat Caterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract
battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who can't wait to cross
the picket line at Caterpillar's factory in East Peoria. Branan, recently laid
off by a rubber-parts plant where he earned base pay of $6.30 an hour, lives one
block from a heavily picketed gate at the Cat complex. Now he's applying to
replace one of 12,600 workers who have been on strike for the past five months.
"Seventeen dollars an hour and they don't want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't
want to take another guy's job, but I'm hurting, too."
1. |
saw,
lost, cough |
5. |
shine,
time, my |
9. |
some,
dull, possible |
13. |
how,
down, |
| |||||||||||
2. |
can,
Dan, last |
6. |
sit,
silk, been |
10. |
tooth,
two, blue |
|
around |
| |||||||||||
3. |
same,
say, rail |
7. |
seat,
see, bean |
11. |
look,
bull, should |
14. |
appoint,
avoid, |
| |||||||||||
4. |
yet,
says, Paris |
8. |
word,
girl, first |
12. |
don't,
so, whole |
|
boil |
| |||||||||||
|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
|
E |
|
F | ||||||||
1. |
parry |
1. |
bury |
1. |
apple |
1. |
able |
1. |
mop |
1. |
mob | ||||||||
2. |
ferry |
2. |
very |
2. |
afraid |
2. |
avoid |
2. |
off |
2. |
of | ||||||||
3. |
stew |
3. |
zoo |
3. |
races |
3. |
raises |
3. |
face |
3. |
phase | ||||||||
4. |
sheet |
4. |
girl |
4. |
pressure |
4. |
pleasure |
4. |
crush |
4. |
garage | ||||||||
5. |
two |
5. |
do |
5. |
petal |
5. |
pedal |
5. |
not |
5. |
nod | ||||||||
6. |
choke |
6. |
joke |
6. |
gaucho |
6. |
gouger |
6. |
rich |
6. |
ridge | ||||||||
7. |
think |
7. |
that |
7. |
ether |
7. |
either |
7. |
tooth |
7. |
smooth | ||||||||
8. |
come |
8. |
gum |
8. |
bicker |
8. |
bigger |
8. |
pick |
8. |
Pig | ||||||||
9. |
yes |
9. |
rate |
9. |
accent |
9. |
exit |
9. |
tax |
9. |
tags | ||||||||
10. |
wool |
10. |
grow |
10. |
player |
10. |
correct |
10. |
day |
10. |
tower | ||||||||
11. |
his |
11. |
me |
11. |
shower |
11. |
carry |
11. |
now |
11. |
neater | ||||||||
12. |
late |
12. |
next |
12. |
ahead |
12. |
swimmer |
12. |
towel |
12. |
same | ||||||||
13. |
glow |
|
|
13. |
collect |
13. |
connect |
13. |
needle |
13. |
man | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
14. |
Kelly |
14. |
finger |
|
|
14. |
ring | ||||||||
1. |
Who
opened it? | ||||
2. |
We
opened it. | ||||
3. |
Put it
away. | ||||
4. |
Bob ate
an orange. | ||||
5. |
Can it
be done? | ||||
|
| ||||
|
| ||||
1. |
Who(w)oup'n
dit? | ||||
2. |
We(y)oup'n
dit. | ||||
3. |
Pü
di dә
way. | ||||
4. |
Bä
bei d' nornj. | ||||
5. |
C'n't be
dәn? | ||||
1. |
Write a
letter to |
Betty. |
| ||
|
| ||||
2. |
Ride a
ledder d' |
Beddy. |
| ||
|
| ||||
3. |
tatter |
tattoo |
| ||
4. |
platter |
platoon |
| ||
5. |
pattern |
perturb |
| ||
6. |
critic |
critique |
| ||
|
| ||||
7. |
bet |
bed |
| ||
100
In
the first six chapters of the American Accent Training program, we covered the
concepts that form the basis of American speech—intonation, word groups, the
staircase, and liaisons, or word connections. We also discussed some key
sounds, such as [æ], [ä], and [ә] (Cat? Caught? Cut?), the El, the American T,
and the American R. Let's briefly review each item.
You've learned
some of the reasons for changing the pitch (or saying a word louder or even
streeetching it out) of some words in a sentence.
1. To introduce new information
(nouns)
2. To offer an opinion
3. To contrast two or more
elements
4. To indicate the use of the
negative contraction can't
For
example:
New
information |
Opinion |
He
bought a car. |
It
feels like mink, but I think it's rabbit. |
Contrast |
Can't |
Timing
is
more important than technique. |
He
can't do it. |
You've also
learned how to change meaning by shifting intonation, without changing any of
the actual words in a sentence.
I
applied for the job (not you!).
I
applied for the job (but I don't think I'll get it).
I
applied for the job (not I applied myself to the job).
I
applied for the job (the one I've been dreaming about for
years!)
I
applied for the job (not the lifestyle!).
When you have
a verb/preposition combination, the stress usually goes on the preposition:
pick up,
put down, fall in, and so on.
Otherwise, prepositions are placed in the valleys of your intonation.
It's f'r
you., They're fr'm LA.
When you have
initials, the stress goes on the last letter: IBM, PO Box,
ASAP, IOU, and so on.
101
Through
liaisons, you learned about voiced
and
unvoiced
consonants—where they
are located in the mouth and which sounds are likely to attach to a
following one. You were also introduced to glides.
1. |
Consonant
and Vowel |
Put it
on. |
[Pu•di•dan.] |
2. |
Consonant
and Consonant |
race
track |
[ray•stræk] |
3. |
Vowel
and Vowel |
No
other |
[No(w)other] |
4. |
T
and
Y |
Put you
on |
[Puchü(w)än] |
|
D
and
Y |
Had
you? |
[Hæjoo?] |
|
S and
Y |
Yes, you
do. |
[Yeshu
do.] |
|
Z
and
Y |
Is your
cat? |
[Izher
cat?] |
This lesson
was an introduction to pronunciation, especially those highly characteristic
sounds, [æ], [ä] and [ә].
[æ] |
The jaw
moves down and back while the back of the tongue pushes forward and the
tip touches the back of the bottom teeth. Sometimes it almost sounds like
there's a Y in there: cat
[kyæt] |
[a] |
Relax
the tongue, open the throat like you're letting the doctor see all the way
to your toes: aah. |
[ә] |
This
sound is the sound that would come out if you were pushed (lightly) in the
stomach: uh.
You
don't need to put your mouth in any particular position at all. The sound
is created when the air is forced out of the diaphragm and past the vocal
cords. |
T
is T, a
clear popped sound, when it is at the top of the staircase.
• |
at the
the beginning of a word, table |
|
|
| ||
• |
in a
stressed syllable, intend |
| ||||
• |
in ST,
TS, TR, CT clusters, instruct |
| ||||
• |
replaces
D after unvoiced consonants, hoped
[hopt] |
| ||||
T is D,
a softer sound, when it is in the middle of the
staircase |
| |||||
• |
in an
unstressed position between vowels, cattle
[caddie] |
|||||
T
or TT, and D or DD are held, (not
pronounced
with a sharp burst of air) when they are at the bottom of the
staircase.
• at the end of a word,
bought
[bä(t)]
102
T
is held before N.
• unstressed and followed by
-ten
or
-tain,
written [wri(tt)en]
T
is held before N.
• swallowed by N,
interview
[innerview]
The
El is closely connected with the schwa. Your tongue drops down in back as if it
were going to say uh,
but the tip
curls up and attaches to the top of the mouth, which requires a strong movement
of the tip of the tongue. The air comes out around the sides of the tongue and
the sound is held for slightly longer than you'd think.
The
main difference between a consonant and a vowel is that with a consonant there
is contact at some point in your mouth. It might be the lips, P; the tongue tip,
N; or the throat, G. Like a vowel, however, the R doesn't touch anywhere. It is
similar to a schwa, but your tongue curls back in a retroflex movement and
produces a sound deep in the throat. The tongue
doesn't touch the top of the mouth. Another way to
approach it is to put your tongue in position for ee,
and then slide
straight back to eeer.
Some people
are more comfortable collapsing their tongue back, like an accordion instead of
curling it. It doesn't make any difference in the sound, so do whichever you
prefer.
Now
you need to use the techniques you've learned so far and to make the
transference to your everyday speech. In the beginning, the process is very slow
and analytical, but as you do it over and over again, it becomes natural and
unconscious. The exercises presented here will show you how. For example, take
any phrase that may catch your ear during a conversation—because it is
unfamiliar, or for whatever other reason—and work it though the practice
sequence used in Review Exercise 1.
Take
the repeated phrase in the following application steps. Apply each concept
indicated there, one at a time and in the sequence given. Read the sentence out
loud two or three times, concentrating only on the one concept. This means that
when you are working on liaisons, for instance, you don't have to pay much
attention to intonation, just for that short time. First, read the phrase with
no preparation and record yourself doing it.
To
have a friend, be a friend.
Pause the CD
and go through each step using the following explanation as a
guide.
103
You
want to figure out where the intonation belongs when you first encounter a
phrase. In this example friend is repeated, so a good reason for intonation
would be the contrast that lies in the verbs have
and
be:
To
have a friend, be a friend.
The
pause in this case is easy because it's a short sentence with a comma, so we put
one there. With your own phrases, look for a logical break, or other hints, as
when you have the verb to be,
you usually
pause very slightly just before it, because it means that you're introducing a
definition:
A
(pause) is
B.
Cows(pause)
are
ruminants. To have a friend,(pause)
be a
friend.
Figure out
which words you want to run together. Look for words that start with vowels
and connect them to the previous word:
To
hava friend, be(y)a
friend.
Label these
common sounds in the sentence:
Tә
hævә friend, be ә friend.
Work with it,
making it into a D or CH, holding it back or getting rid of it altogether, as
appropriate. In this phrase, there are no Ts, but the D is held:
To
have a frien(d),
be a frien(d).
Mark all the
Rs.
To
have a friend, be a friend.
Tә
hævә frεn(d),(pause)
be(y)ә
frεnd(d).
T
Practice the sequence of steps a couple of times and then record yourself again;
place your second recording right after the first one on your tape. Play them
both back and see if you hear a strong difference.
104
Pause the CD and
go through the same steps with "Get a better water heater!"
1. |
Intonation |
Get a
better water heater! |
2. |
Word
groups |
Get a
better water heater! (pause) |
3. |
Liaisons |
Geta
better water heater! |
4. |
[æ],
[a], [ә] |
Getә
better water heater! |
5. |
The
American T |
Ged a
bedder wadder heeder! |
6. |
The
American R |
Get a
better water heater! |
7. |
Combination
of Concepts 1-6 |
Gεdә bεddr
wädr heedr! |
Pause the CD and
apply the steps to your own sentences.
1. |
Intonation |
______________________ |
2. |
Word
groups |
______________________ |
3. |
Liaisons |
______________________ |
4. |
[æ],
[a], [ә] |
______________________ |
5. |
The
American T |
______________________ |
6. |
The
American R |
______________________ |
7. |
Combination
of Concepts 1-6 |
______________________ |
Are
you shy? Does doing this embarrass you? Are you thinking that people will notice
your new accent and criticize you for it? In the beginning, you may feel a
little strange with these new sounds that you are using, but don't worry, it's
like a new pair of shoes—they take a while to break in and make comfortable.
Nevertheless, I hope that you are enjoying this program. Adopting a new accent
can become too personal and too emotional an issue, so don't take it too
seriously. Relax. Have a good time. Play with the sounds that you are making.
Whenever a word or phrase strikes your fancy, go somewhere private and
comfortable and try out a couple of different approaches, styles, and
attitudes with it—as you are going to do in the next exercise. If possible,
record yourself on tape so you can decide which one suits you best.
Repeat the
following statement and response expressing the various feelings or tone
indicated in parentheses.
anger |
I told you
it wouldn't work! ! |
I
thought it would! |
excitement |
I told you
it wouldn't work! ! |
I
thought it would! |
disbelief |
I told
you it wouldn't work? |
And I
thought it would? |
smugness |
I told you
it wouldn't work. |
I thought it would.
(I-told-you-so attitude) |
105
humor |
I told
you it wouldn't work. |
I
thought it would |
sadness |
I told
you it wouldn't work. |
I
thought it would. |
relief |
I told
you it wouldn't work. |
Whew! I
thought it would. |
resignation |
I told
you it wouldn't work. |
I
thought it would. |
V
Pause the CD
and repeat the statement using three other tones that you'd like to
try.
your |
choice |
I
told |
you |
it |
wouldn |
't |
work!! |
I |
thought |
it |
would! |
your |
choice |
I
told |
you |
it |
wouldn |
't |
work!! |
I |
thought |
it |
would! |
your |
choice |
I
told |
you |
it |
wouldn |
't |
work!! |
I |
thought |
it |
would! |
Now
that you've run through a couple of emotions and practiced speaking with both
meaning and feeling, try having some two-word conversations. These are pretty
common in day-to-day situations.
Repeat the
following statements and responses expressing the various
feelings.
1. |
Really? |
(general
curiosity) |
Maybe. |
(general
potential) |
2. |
Really? |
(avid
curiosity) |
Maybe. |
(suggestive
possibility) |
3. |
Really? |
(boredom) |
Maybe
|
(equal
boredom) |
4. |
Really? |
(laughting
with disbelief) |
Maybe. |
(slight
possibility) |
5. |
Really? |
(sarcasm) |
Maybe. |
(self
justification) |
6. |
Really? |
(sadness) |
Maybe. |
(equal
sadness) |
7. |
Really? |
(relief) |
Maybe. |
(hope) |
8. |
Really? |
(coy
interrogation) |
Maybe. |
(coy
confirmation) |
9. |
Really? |
(seeking
confirmation) |
Rilly! |
(confirmation) |
+
Pause the CD and try three on your own.
10. |
Really?
(your choice) |
Maybe.
(your choice) |
11. |
Really?
(your choice) |
Maybe.
(your choice) |
12. |
Really?
(your choice) |
Maybe.
(your choice) |
Repeat the
following statements and responses expressing the various
feelings.
1. |
Who did
it? (curiosity) |
I don't
know. (ignorance) |
2. |
Who did
it? (interrogation) |
I don't
know. (self-protection) |
3. |
Who did
it? (anger) |
I don't
know. (insistence) |
106
4. |
Who did
it? (repeating) |
I don't
know. (strong denial) |
5. |
Who did
it? (sarcasm) |
I don't
know. (self-justification) |
6. |
Who did
it? (sadness) |
I don't
know. (despair) |
7. |
Who did
it? (relief) |
I sure
don't know. (blithe ignorance) |
8. |
Whooo did
it? (coy interrogation) |
I don't
know. (sing-song) |
9. |
Who did
it? (annoyance) |
I don't
know. (equal annoyance) |
10. |
Who did
it? (laughing with disbelief) |
I don't
know. (laughing ignorance) |
11. |
Who did
it? (surprise) |
I dunno.
(sullenness) |
12. |
Who did
it? (your choice) |
I don't
know. (your choice) |
Rәshәz әfensәv
әgεnst rebәlz in thә brεikәway reejәnәv Chechnyә iz entering ә nyu fεiz. än thә wәn hænd, Rәshәn forsәzr teiking fül
kәntrol әv thә Rәshәn kæpәdәl Gräzny, әnd Mäskæo sez thә wor seemz tә be trning
in its feivr. än thee әthr hænd, thә
rebәlz küd be reetreeding Gräzny jәst tә fight әnәthr day—enshring ә läng grrilә
wor. Thә for-mәnth känflikt täpt thee әjendә tәdäy during Sεkrәtεry әv State
Mædәlin älbräit's täks with ækting Rәshәn prezәd'nt Vlædәmir Putin, älbräit then
left fr Kro(w)εishә, әbæot
which will hear more shortly. Bәt frst, we trn tә thә Wrldz Nenet Shevek in
Mäskæo.
olbräit εn
Pu-tin met feu longer thεn plennd tәday—feu nillee three äwεz. äftә thεә
toks, olbrait kold thε meeting intens, bәt plεznt, εn ofeud
this εsεsmεnt εf Rәshәz εkting prezidεnt.
I
fæond him ә very well informd persәn. Heez äveeәslee ә Rәshәn paytreeәt әn älso
sәmwәn who seeks a normәl pәzishәn fr Rәshә within thә West—әn he strәck me әzә
präblәm sälvr
~ •
~
Russia's
offensive against rebels in the breakaway region of Chechnya is entering a new
phase. On the one hand, Russian forces are taking full control of the Russian
capital Grozny, and Moscow says the war seems to be turning in its favor. On the
other hand the rebels could be retreating Grozny just to fight another
day—ensuring a long guerilla war. The four-month conflict topped the agenda
today during Secretary of State Madeline Albright's talks with acting Russian
president Vladimir Putin. Albright then left for Croatia, about which we'll hear
more shortly. But first, we turn to the World's Nennet Shevek in
Moscow.
"Albright and
Putin met for longer than planned today—for nearly three hours. After the talks,
Albright called the meeting intense, but pleasant, and offered this assessment
of Russia's acting president."
"I
found him a very well informed person. He's obviously a Russian patriot and also
someone who seeks a normal position for Russia within the West—and he struck me
as a problem solver."
107
Here
we are reprising the exercise from Exercises 1-24 to 1-37. To review, an
adjective and a noun make a descriptive phrase, and the second word is
stressed. Two nouns make a compound noun, or set phrase, and the first
word is stressed. Repeat the following sentences. Copy your descriptive
phrases and set phrases (Ex. 1-31). You will continue using these word
combinations throughout this series of exercises.
|
|
|
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
It's a
short nail. |
It's a
fingernail. |
2. |
It's a
chocolate cake. |
It's a
pancake. |
3. |
It's a
hot bath. |
It's a
hot tub. |
4. |
It's a
long drive. |
It's a
hard drive. |
5. |
It's the
back door. |
It's the
backbone. |
6. |
There
are four cards. |
It's a
card trick. |
7. |
It's a
small spot. |
It's a
spotlight. |
8. |
It's a
good book. |
It's a
phone book. |
9. |
It's a
___________ |
It's a
___________ |
10. |
It's a
___________ |
It's a
___________ |
11. |
It's a
___________ |
It's a
___________ |
Pause the CD
and put an accent mark over the word that should be stressed. Check the Answer
Key, beginning on page 193.
1. |
They live
in Los Angeles. |
11. |
We like
everything. |
2. |
Give me a
paper bag. |
12. |
It's a
moving van. |
3. |
Is that
your lunch bag? |
13. |
It's a
new paper. |
4. |
7-11
is a
convenience store. |
14. |
It's the
newspaper. |
5. |
Lucky's is
a convenient store. |
15. |
The doll
has glass eves. |
6. |
Do your
homework! |
16. |
The doll
has eyeglasses. |
7. |
He's a
good writer. |
17. |
It's a
high chair. |
8. |
It's an
apple pie. |
18. |
It's a
highchair. (for
babies) |
9. |
It's a
pineapple. |
19. |
It's a
baseball. |
10. |
We like
all things. |
20. |
It's a
blue ball. |
108
When
you modify a descriptive phrase by adding an adjective or adverb, you
maintain the original intonation pattern and simply add an additional stress
point.
|
|
|
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Modified
Descriptive Phrase |
1. |
It's
a short
nail. |
It's
a really short
nail. |
2. |
It's
a chocolate
cake. |
It's
a tasty chocolate
cake. |
3. |
I
took a hot
bath. |
I
took a long, hot
bath. |
4. |
It's
a hard
drive. |
It's
a long, hard
drive. |
5. |
It's
the
back door. |
It's
the
only back
door. |
6. |
There
are four cards. |
There
are four slick
cards. |
7. |
It's
a little
spot. |
It's
a little black spot. |
8. |
It's
a good
book. |
It's
a really good
book. |
9. |
It's
a __________________ |
It's
a __________________ |
10. |
It's
a __________________ |
It's
a __________________ |
11. |
It's
a __________________ |
It's
a __________________ |
When
you modify a set phrase, you maintain the same pattern, leaving the new
adjective unstressed.
|
|
|
|
Set
Phrase |
Modified
Set Phrase |
1. |
It's a
fingernail. |
It's a
short fingernail. |
2. |
It's a
pancake. |
It's a
delicious pancake. |
3. |
It's a
hot tub. |
It's a
leaky hot tub. |
4. |
It's a
hard drive. |
It's an
expensive hard drive. |
5. |
It's the
backbone. |
It's a
long backbone. |
6. |
It's a
card trick. |
It's a
clever card trick. |
7. |
It's a
spotlight. |
It's a
bright spotlight. |
8. |
It's a
phone book. |
It's the
new phone book. |
9. |
It's
a |
It's
a |
10. |
It's
a |
It's
a |
11. |
It's
a |
It's
a |
109
You
should be pretty familiar with the idea of a set phrase by now. The next step is
when you have more components that link together to form a new
thing—a
three-word set phrase. Combine three things: finger + nail +
clipper. Leave the
stress on the first word: fíngernail clipper.
Although you
are now using three words, they still mean one new thing. Write your own
sentences, using the word combinations from the previous
exercises.
|
|
|
|
Two-Word
Set Phrase |
Three-Word
Set Phrase |
1. |
It's a
fingernail. |
It's a
fingernail clipper. |
2. |
It's a
pancake. |
It's a
pancake shop. |
3. |
It's a
hot tub. |
It's a
hot tub maker. |
4. |
It's a
hard drive. |
It's a
hard drive holder. |
5. |
It's the
backbone. |
It's a
backbone massage. |
6. |
It's a
playing card. |
It's a
playing card rack. |
7. |
It's a
spotlight. |
It's a
spotlight stand. |
8. |
It's a
phone book. |
It's a
phone book listing. |
9. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ |
10. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ |
11. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ |
Repeat the
following sentences. Write your own sentences at the bottom, carrying over the
same examples you used in the previous exercise.
|
|
|
|
Modified
Description |
Modified
Set Phrase |
3-Word
Set Phrase | |
1. |
a
really short nail |
a long
fingernail |
a
fingernail clipper |
2. |
a
big chocolate cake |
a thin
pancake |
a
pancake shop |
3. |
a
long, hot bath |
a leaky
hot tub |
a
hot tub maker |
4. |
a
long, boring drive |
a new
hard drive |
a
hard drive holder |
5. |
a
broken back door |
a long
backbone |
a
backbone massage |
6. |
four slick
cards |
a new
playing card |
a
playing card rack |
7. |
a
small black spot |
a bright
spotlight |
a
spotlight stand |
8. |
a
well-written book |
an open
phone book |
a
phone book listing |
9. |
|
a blind
salesman |
a
blind salesman |
|
|
(He
can't see.) |
(He
sells blinds.) |
10. |
|
a light
housekeeper |
a
lighthouse keeper |
|
|
(She
cleans the house.) |
(She
lives in a lighthouse.) |
11. |
|
a green
houseplant |
a
greenhouse plant |
|
|
(It's a
healthy houseplant.) |
(It's
from a greenhouse.) |
110
12. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
13. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
14. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
It's a
|
_______________
. |
Notice where
there are patterns, where the words change, but the rhythm stays the same
(straw-cutting tools, woodcutting tools, bricklaying
tools). Read the story aloud.
Once upon a
time, there were three
little pigs. They lived
with their kind
old mother near a
large,
dark forest. One day, they
decided to build their
own houses. The first little pig used straw. He
took his straw-cutting
tools and his
new
lawnmower, and built a
little
straw
house. The
second
little pig used sticks.
He took his woodcutting tools
and some
old
paintbrushes and built a
small
wooden house. The
third
little pig, who was a
very
hard worker, used bricks.
He took his bricklaying tools,
an
expensive
mortarboard, and built a
large
brick house. In the forest,
lived a big
bad wolf. He wanted to
eat the three
little pigs, so he went to
the
flimsy straw abode and tried to
blow it down. "Not by the hair of my chinny
chin chin !" cried the
three
little porkers. But the house
was not
very strong, and the
big bad beast
blew it down.
The three little
pigs ran to the
rickety
wooden structure, but the
big
bad wolf blew it
down, too. Quickly, the three
little piggies ran to the
sturdy
brick dwelling and hid
inside. The big
bad wolf huffed and he
puffed, but he couldn't blow the strong
brick house down. The
three
little pigs laughed and
danced and sang.
One of the
most fascinating things about spoken English is how the intonation prepares the
listener for what is coming. As you know, the main job of intonation is to
announce new information. However, there is a secondary function, and that is to
alert the listener of changes down the road. Certain shifts will be dictated for
the sake of sentence balance. Set phrases
and
contrast
don't change,
but the intonation of a descriptive phrase will move from the second word
to the first, without changing the meaning. The stress change indicates
that it's not the end of the sentence, but rather, there is more to come. This
is why it is particularly important to speak in phrases, instead of word by
word.
When we
practiced Goldilocks and the
Three Bears the first
time, on page 34, we had very short sentences so we didn't need sentence
balance. All of the underlined descriptive phrases would otherwise be
stressed on the second word, if the shift weren't needed.
There is a
little
girl
called
Goldilocks.
She is
walking
through
a
sunny
forest and sees a
small
house. She
knocks
on the door, but
no one
answers. She
goes
inside
to see what's
there. There are three
chairs
in the
large
room. Goldilocks sits on the
biggest
chair. It's
too
high
for her to
sit on.
She sits on
the middle-sized
one, but it's
is too
low. She sits on
the small
chair and it
is just
right. On the table,
there are three
bowls
of
porridge. She tries the first
one, but it is
too
hot
to
swallow. The second
one is
too
cold, and the
third
one is
just
right, so she eats it
all. After
that, she
goes
upstairs to
look
around. There are
three
beds
in
111
the
bedroom.
She
sits
down
on the
biggest
one.
It's
too
hard
to
sleep
on.
The
middle-sized
bed is
too
soft.
The
little
one
is just right,
so she
lies
down
and falls
asleep.
In
the meantime,
the family of
three
bears
comes home —
the Papa
bear,
the
Mama
bear,
and the
Baby
bear.
They
look
around
and
say,
"Who's been
sitting in our chairs and eating our porridge?" Then they run
upstairs
and
say,
"Who's been
sleeping in our beds?" Goldilocks
wakes up when she hears
all the noise and is so
scared
that she
runs
out
of the house and
never comes
back.
When
you continue to modify a set phrase, you maintain the original intonation
pattern and simply add an additional stress point.
|
|
|
|
|
Modified
Set Phrase |
Remodified
Set Phrase |
|
1. |
It's a
short fingernail. |
It's a
really short fingernail. | |
2. |
It's a
banana pancake. |
It's a
tasty banana pancake. | |
3. |
It's a
leaky hot tub. |
It's a
leaky old hot tub. | |
4. |
It's a
new hard drive. |
It's a
brand new hard drive. | |
5. |
It's a
long backbone. |
It's a
long, hard backbone. | |
6. |
It's a
wrinkled playing card. |
It's a
wrinkled, old playing card. | |
7. |
It's a
bright spotlight. |
It's a
bright white spotlight. | |
8. |
It's the
new phone book. |
It's a
new age phone book. | |
9. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ | |
10. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ | |
11. |
It's a
_______________ |
It's a
_______________ |
In
short phrases (#1 and #2), ~teen
can be thought
of as a separate word in terms of intonation. In longer phrases, the number
+ ~teen
becomes one
word. Repeat after me.
1. |
How old
is he? |
2. |
How long
has it been? |
3. |
How old
is he? |
|
He's
fourteen. [fortéen] |
|
Fourteen
years. |
|
He's
fourteen years old. |
|
He's
forty. [fórdy] |
|
Forty
years. |
|
He's
forty years old. |
112
When
you continue to modify a set phrase, you maintain the original intonation
pattern and simply add an unstressed modifier.
|
|
|
Three-Word
Set Phrase |
Modified
Three-Word Set Phrase | |
1. |
It's a
fingernail clipper. |
It's a
new fingernail clipper. |
2. |
It's a
pancake shop. |
It's a
good pancake shop. |
3. |
He's a
hot tub maker. |
He's the
best hot tub maker. |
4. |
It's a
hard drive holder. |
It's a
plastic hard drive holder. |
5. |
It's a
backbone massage. |
It's a
painful backbone massage. |
6. |
It's a
playing card rack. |
It's my
best playing card rack. |
7. |
It's a
spotlight bulb. |
It's a
fragile spotlight bulb. |
8. |
It's a
phone book listing. |
It's an
unusual phone book listing. |
9. |
It's a
_______________ . |
It's a
_______________ . |
10. |
It's a
_______________ . |
It's a
_______________ . |
11. |
It's a
_______________ . |
It's a
_______________ . |
Repeat after
me.
Once
upon a time, there was a cute
little
redhead named
Little
Red Riding
Hood. One day, she
told her mother that she wanted to take a well-stocked
picnic basket to her
dear
old
grandmother on the other
side of the dark,
scary Black
Forest. Her mother
warned her not to talk to strangers — especially the dangerous
big bad wolf. Little Red Riding Hood said she would
be careful, and left. Halfway there, she saw a mild-mannered
hitchhiker. She pulled
over in her bright red
sports car
and offered
him a ride. Just before they got to the freeway
turnoff for
her
old
grandmother's house, the
heavily
bearded young
man jumped out and
ran away. (Was he the wolf?) He hurried ahead to the waiting
grandmother's house, let himself
in, ate her, and jumped into her bed to wait for Little
Red Riding
Hood. When
Little
Red Riding
Hood got to the
house, she was surprised, "Grandmother, what big eyes
you have!" The
wolf replied, "The better to see
you with, my
dear..." "But Grandmother, what big ears
you have!"
"The better to hear
you with, my
dear..." "Oh, Grandmother, what big teeth
you have!"
"The better to eat
you with!" And
the wolf jumped out of the bed to eat Little
Red Riding
Hood. Fortunately
for her, she was a recently
paid-up
member of the
infamous
National
Rifle Association so she pulled
out her brand
new
shotgun and shot the
wolf dead.
113
Repeat after
me, then pause the CD and write your own phrases, using the same order and
form.
1. |
It's a
pot. |
noun |
2. |
It's
new. |
adjective |
3. |
It's a
new pot. |
descriptive
phrase (noun) |
4. |
It's
brand new. |
descriptive
phrase (adjective) |
5. |
It's a
brand new pot. |
modified
descriptive phrase |
6. |
It's a
teapot. |
two-word
set phrase |
7. |
It's a
new teapot. |
modified
set phrase |
8. |
It's a
brand new teapot. |
modified
set phrase |
9. |
It's a
teapot lid. |
three-word
set phrase |
10. |
It's a
new teapot lid. |
modified
three-word set phrase |
11. |
It's a
brand new teapot lid. |
modified
three-word set phrase |
1. |
_______________ |
noun |
2. |
_______________ |
adjective |
3. |
_______________ |
descriptive
phrase (noun) |
4. |
_______________ |
descriptive
phrase (adjective) |
5. |
_______________ |
modified
descriptive phrase |
6. |
_______________ |
two-word
set phrase |
7. |
_______________ |
modified
set phrase |
8. |
_______________ |
modified
set phrase |
9. |
_______________ |
three-word
set phrase |
10. |
_______________ |
modified
three-word set phrase |
11. |
_______________ |
modified
three-word set phrase |
1. |
_______________ |
1. |
_______________ |
2. |
_______________ |
2. |
_______________ |
3. |
_______________ |
3. |
_______________ |
4. |
_______________ |
4. |
_______________ |
5. |
_______________ |
5. |
_______________ |
6. |
_______________ |
6. |
_______________ |
7. |
_______________ |
7. |
_______________ |
8. |
_______________ |
8. |
_______________ |
9. |
_______________ |
9. |
_______________ |
10. |
_______________ |
10. |
_______________ |
11. |
_______________ |
11. |
_______________ |
114
Now,
let's dissect a standard paragraph, including its title, as we did in Review
Exercise 1. First—in
the boxes in the first paragraph, decide which is a descriptive phrase, which is
a set phrase, and where any additional stress might fall. Remember, descriptive
phrases are stressed on the second word and set phrases on the first. Use one of
your colored markers to indicate the stressed words.
Second—go
through the paragraph and mark the remaining stressed words.
Third—put
slash marks where you think a short pause is appropriate. Listen as I read
the paragraph.
× Pause the CD and do the written
exercises including intonation, word groups, liaisons, [æ], [ä], [ә], and the American
T.
1. |
Two-word
phrases, intonation and phrasing |
|
Ignorance
on Parade |
|
You say
you don't know a proton from a crouton? Well, you're not the only one.
A recent nationwide survey funded by the National Science
Foundation shows that fewer than 6 percent of American adults can
be called scientifically literate. The rest think that DNA is a
food additive, Chernobyl is a ski resort, and radioactive milk can be made
safe by boiling.* Judith
Stone / 1989
Discover
Publications |
2. |
Word
Connections |
|
Ignoran
sän Parade |
|
You say
you don't know a proton from a crouton? Well, you're not the only one.
A recent nationwide survey funded by the National Science
Foundation shows that fewer than 6 percent of American adults can be
called scientifically literate. The rest think that DNA is a food
additive, Chernobyl is a ski resort, and radioactive milk can be made safe
by boiling. |
3. |
[æ],
[ä], [ә] |
|
Ignәrәnce
än Pәrade |
|
You say
you don't know a proton from a crouton? Well, you're not the only one.
A recent nationwide survey funded by the National Science
Foundation shows that fewer than 6 percent of American adults can be
called scientifically literate. The rest think that DNA is a food
additive, Chernobyl is a ski resort, and radioactive milk can be made safe
by boiling. |
4. |
The
American T |
|
Ignorants
on Parade |
|
You say
you don't know a proton from a crouton? Well, you're not the only one.
A recent nationwide survey funded by the National Science
Foundation shows that fewer than 6 percent of American
adults can be called scientifically literate. The rest think that DNA
is a food additive, Chernobyl is a ski resort, and radioactive
milk can be made safe by boiling. |
115
Here, go over
each topic, point by point.
1.
|
Two-word
phrases, intonation and phrasing |
|
a
proton from a crouton? (contrast) Well,
you're not the only one. (contrast) A
recent nationwide survey (modified
descriptive phrase) National
Science Foundation (modified
set phrase) 6
percent
of
American adults (descriptive
phrase with sentence balance) scientifically
literate (descriptive
phrase) The
rest think (contrast) DNA
(acronym) food
additive
(set
phrase) ski
resort (set
phrase) radioactive
milk (descriptive
phrase) Ignorance on
Parade(stop) You say
you don't know a proton from a crouton? (pause)
Well,(pause) you're
not the only one.(pause) A
recent nationwide survey (pause)
funded
by the National Science Foundation (pause) shows
that fewer than 6 percent of American adults (pause)
can
be called scientifically literate.(stop) The
rest think(pause)
that
DNA is a food additive,(pause)
Chernobyl
is a ski resort,(pause)
and
radioactive milk(pause)
can
be made safe by boiling. |
2. |
Word
Connections |
|
Ignoran
sän Parade |
|
You
sa(y)you
don(t)knowa
proton froma crouton? Well,
you're
no(t)the(y)only one. A
recen(t)nationwidesurvey
funded by the NationalSci(y)ence
Foundation showzthat fewer thansix percen'v'merica nadults
can be calledscientifically literate. The ressthink that
Dee(y)εNA(y)iza foo
dadditive, Chernobyliza ski resort, and
radi(y)o(w)active
milk can be madesafe by boiling. |
3. |
[æ],
[ä], [ә] |
|
Ignәrәnce
än Pәrade |
|
You say
you dont know ә protän frәm ә crootän? Well, yer nät
thee(y)only wәn. ә
resәnt nashәnwide srvey fәndәd by thә Næshәnәl
Sci(y)әns
Fæondashәn showz thәt fewәr thәn 6 preen әv әmerәcәn әdәlts
cәn be cälld sci(y)әntifәklee
liderәt. Thә rest think thәt Dee Yeh
Nay(y)izә
food æddәtv, Chrnobl izә skee rәzort, әn
radee(y)o(w)æctәv
milk cәn be made safe by boiling. |
116
4. |
The
American T |
|
Ignorants
on Parade |
|
You say
you don(t) know a
proTon from a crouTon? Well, you're nä(t) the
only one. A recen(t)
nationwide survey funded by the National Science
Foundation shows tha(t)
fewer than
6 percen of American adulTs can be called scienTifically
liderә(t). The
ress think tha(t)
DNA is a food addidive, Chernobyl is a ski
resor(t), and
radioakdiv milk can be made safe by
boiling. |
5. |
Combined |
|
Ignәrәn
sän Pәrade |
|
You
sa(y)you
don(t)no wә
protän frәmә crootän?(stop)Well,(pause)yer nät
thee(y)only
wәn.
(pause)ә
reesәn(t)
nashәnwide srvey(pause)fәndәd
by thә Næshәnәl Sci(y)әns
Fæondashәn(pause)shoz
thә(t) fewәr
thәn 6 prcenә vәmerәcә nәdәlts(pause)cәn be
cälld sci(y)әntifәklee
liderәt.(stop)Thә
ress think(pause)thә(t) Dee
Yeh Nay(y)izә
foo dæddәtv,(pause)Chrnobә
lizә skee rәzort,(pause)әn
raydee(y)o(w)æctәv
milk(pause)cәn be
made safe by boiling. |
117
I'd
like you to consider words as rocks for a moment. When a rock first rolls into
the ocean, it is sharp and well defined. After tumbling about for a few
millennia, it becomes round and smooth. A word goes through a similar process.
When it first rolls into English, it may have a lot of sharp, well-defined
vowels or consonants in it, but after rolling off of a few million tongues, it
becomes round and smooth. This smoothing process occurs when a tense vowel
becomes reduced and when an unvoiced consonant becomes voiced. The most common
words are the smoothest, the most reduced, the most often voiced. There are
several very common words that are all voiced: this, that,
the, those, them, they, their, there, then, than, though. The
strong words such as thank, think,
or
thing,
as well as
long or unusual words such as thermometer
or
theologian,
stay
unvoiced.
The
sound of the TH combination seems to exist only in English, Greek, and
Castillian Spanish. Just as with most of the other consonants, there are two
types—voiced
and
unvoiced.
The voiced TH
is like a D, but instead of being in back
of the teeth,
it's 1/4 inch lower and forward, between
the teeth. The
unvoiced TH is like an S between the teeth. Most people tend to replace the
unvoiced TH with S or T and the voiced one with Z or D, so instead of
thing,
they say
sing,
or
ting,
and instead of
that,
they say
zat
or
dat.
To
pronounce TH correctly, think of a snake's tongue. You don't want to take a big
relaxed tongue, throw it out of your mouth for a long distance and leave it out
there for a long time. Make only a very quick, sharp little movement. Keep your
tongue's tip very tense. It darts out between your teeth and snaps back very
quickly—thing, that,
this. The tongue's
position for the unvoiced TH is similar to that of S, but for TH the tongue is
extended through the teeth, instead of hissing behind the back of the teeth. The
voiced TH is like a D except that the tongue is placed between the teeth, or
even pressed behind the teeth. Now we're ready for some practice.
118
I'm
going to read the following paragraph once straight through, so you can hear
that no matter how fast I read it, all the THs are still there. It is a
distinctive sound, but, when you repeat it, don't put too much effort into it.
Listen to my reading.
The
throng of thermometers from the Thuringian
Thermometer Folks arrived on Thursday. There were a
thousand thirty-three thick thermometers,
though, instead of a thousand thirty-six thin
thermometers, which was three thermometers fewer
than the thousand thirty-six we were
expecting, not to mention that they were
thick ones rather than thin ones. We
thoroughly thought that we had ordered a
thousand thirty-six, not a thousand thirty-three,
thermometers, and asked the Thuringian
Thermometer Folks to reship the thermometers;
thin, not thick. They apologized for sending only a
thousand thirty-three thermometers
rather than a thousand thirty-six and
promised to replace the thick thermometers
with thin thermometers.
th =
voiced (17)
th = unvoiced (44)
As
I was reading, I hope you heard that in a lot of places, the words ran together,
such as in rather than.
You don't have
to go way out of your way to make a huge new sound, but rather create a smooth
flowing from one TH to the next by leaving your tongue in an anticipatory
position.
As
mentioned before (see Liaisons, page 63), when a word ends in TH and the next
word starts with a sound from behind the teeth, a combination or composite sound
is formed, because you are anticipating the combination. For example:
with-lemon;
not
with
lemon.
The
anticipation of each following sound brings me to the subject that most students
raise at some point—one that explains their resistance to wholly embracing
liaisons and general fluency. People feel that because English is not their
native tongue, they can't anticipate the next sound because they never know what
the next word is going to be.
Accurate or
not, for the sake of argument, let's say that you do construct sentences
entirely word by word. This is where those pauses that we studied come in handy.
During your pause, line up in your head all the words you want to use in order
to communicate your thought, and then push them out in groups. If you find
yourself slowing down and talking...word...by...word, back up and take a running
leap at a whole string of words.
Now, take out
your little mirror again. You need it for the last exercise in this chapter,
which follows.
119
In
order to target the TH sound, first, hold a mirror in front of you and read our
familiar paragraph silently, moving only your tongue. It should be visible in
the mirror each time you come to a TH. Second, find all of the THs, both voiced
and unvoiced. Remember, a voiced sound makes your throat vibrate, and you can
feel that vibration by placing your fingers on your throat. There are ten voiced
and two unvoiced THs here. You can mark them by underscoring the former and
drawing a circle around the latter. Or, if you prefer, use two of your color
markers. Pause the CD to mark the TH sounds. Don't forget to check your answers
against the Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training.
There's
a
lot to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as
possible. I should pick up on the American intonation pattern
pretty easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've
been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down
a staircase. I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately,
and they tell me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on
and on, but the important thing is to listen well and sound
good. Well, what do you think? Do I?
Feeling
confident? Good! Try the following tongue twisters and have some
fun.
1. The sixth sick Sheik's sixth thick
sheep.
2. This is a zither. Is this a
zither?
3. I thought a thought. But
the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I
thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the
thought I thought, I wouldn't have thought so much.
120
There are two
sounds that look similar, but sound quite different. One is the tense vowel [u],
pronounced ooh,
and the other
is the soft vowel [ü], whose pronunciation is a combination of ih
and
uh.
The [u] sound
is located far forward in the mouth and requires you to round your lips. The [ü]
is one of the four reduced vowel sounds that are made in the throat: The most
tense, and highest in the throat is [ε], next, slightly more relaxed is [i],
then [ü], and deepest and most relaxed is the neutral schwa [ә]. For the reduced
semivowel schwa + R,
the throat is
relaxed, but the tongue is tense.
Look
at the chart that follows and repeat each word. We are contrasting the sound [u]
(first column)—a
strong, nonreducible sound, ooh, that is made far forward in the mouth,
with the lips fully rounded—with
the reduced [ü] sound in the second and fourth columns.
|
u |
ü |
|
u |
ü |
1.
|
booed |
book |
11. |
Luke |
look |
2.
|
boo |
bushel |
12. |
nuke |
nook |
3.
|
cooed |
could |
13. |
pool |
pull |
4.
|
cool |
cushion |
14. |
pooch |
put |
5.
|
food |
foot |
15. |
shoe |
sugar |
6.
|
fool |
full |
16. |
suit |
soot |
7.
|
gooed |
good |
17. |
shoot |
should |
8.
|
who'd |
hood |
18. |
stewed |
stood |
9.
|
kook |
cook |
19. |
toucan |
took |
10.
|
crew |
crook |
20. |
wooed |
would |
121
The
lax vowels are produced in the throat and are actually quite similar to each
other. Let's practice some lax vowels. See also Chapter 11 to contrast with
tense vowels. Remember to double the vowel when the word ends in a voiced
consonant.
|
e |
i |
ü |
ә |
әr |
1. |
end |
it |
|
un~ |
earn |
2. |
bet |
bit |
book |
but |
burn |
3. |
kept |
kid |
could |
cut |
curt |
4. |
check |
chick |
|
chuck |
church |
5. |
debt |
did |
|
does |
dirt |
6. |
fence |
fit |
foot |
fun |
first |
7. |
fell |
fill |
full |
|
furl |
8. |
get |
guilt |
good |
gut |
girl |
9. |
help |
hit |
hook |
hut |
hurt |
10. |
held |
hill |
hood |
hull |
hurl |
11. |
gel |
Jill |
|
jump |
jerk |
12. |
ked |
kill |
cook |
cud |
curd |
13. |
crest |
crypt |
crook |
crumb |
|
14. |
let |
little |
look |
lump |
lurk |
15. |
men |
milk |
|
muck |
murmur |
16. |
net |
knit |
nook |
nut |
nerd |
17. |
pet |
pit |
put |
putt |
pert |
18. |
pell |
pill |
pull |
|
pearl |
19. |
red |
rid |
root |
rut |
rural |
20. |
said |
sit |
soot |
such |
search |
21. |
shed |
shin |
should |
shut |
sure |
22. |
sled |
slim |
|
slug |
slur |
23. |
stead |
still |
stood |
stuff |
stir |
24. |
It's
stewed. |
Iťd
stick. |
It
stood. |
It's
done. |
It's
dirt. |
25. |
stretch |
string |
|
struck |
|
26. |
tell |
tip |
took |
ton |
turn |
27. |
then |
this |
|
thus |
|
28. |
|
thing |
|
thug |
third |
29. |
vex |
vim |
|
vug |
verb |
30. |
wet |
wind |
would |
was |
word |
31. |
yet |
yin |
|
young |
yearn |
32. |
zen |
Zinfandel |
|
result |
deserve |
122
Tense
Vowels | ||
Sound |
Symbol |
Spelling |
εi |
[bāt] |
bait |
ee |
[bēt] |
beat |
äi |
[bīt] |
bite |
ou |
[bōut] |
boat |
ooh |
[būt] |
boot |
ah |
[bāt] |
bought |
ä+e |
[bæt] |
bat |
æ+o |
[bæot] |
bout |
Lax
Vowels | ||
Sound |
Symbol |
Spelling |
eh |
[bεt] |
bet |
ih |
[bit] |
bit |
ih+uh |
[püt] |
put |
uh |
[bәt] |
but |
er |
[bәrt] |
Bert |
We've discussed
intonation in terms of new information, contrast, opinion, and negatives. As you
heard on p. 3, Americans tend to stretch out certain one-syllable words ... but
which ones? The answer is simple—when
a single syllable word ends in an unvoiced consonant, the vowel is on a
single stairstep—short and
sharp. When the word ends in a voiced consonant, or a vowel, the vowel is
on a double stairstep. (For an explanation of voiced and unvoiced
consonants, see page 62.) You can also think of this in terms of musical
notes.
Here
you are going to compare the four words bit, bid, beat, and
bead. Once you can distinguish these four, all of the rest are easy.
Repeat.
|
single |
double |
tense |
beat |
bead |
lax |
bit |
bid |
Note
You may hear
tense vowels called long vowels, but this can cause confusion when
you are talking about the long, or doubled vowel before a voiced consonant. Use
the rubber band to distinguish: Make a short, sharp snap for the single note
words (beat, bit) and a longer, stretched out loop for the double note words
(bead, bid).
Read
each column down. Next, contrast the single and double tense vowels with each
other; and the single and double lax vowels with each other. Finally read all
four across.
Tense
Vowels |
|
Lax
Vowels | |||
1. |
beat |
bead |
● |
bit |
bid |
2. |
seat |
seed |
● |
sit |
Sid |
3. |
heat |
he'd |
● |
hit |
hid |
4. |
Pete |
impede |
● |
pit |
rapid |
5. |
feet |
feed |
● |
fit |
fin |
6. |
niece |
knees |
● |
miss |
Ms. |
7. |
geese |
he's |
● |
hiss |
his |
8. |
deep |
deed |
● |
disk |
did |
9. |
neat |
need |
● |
knit |
(nid) |
10. |
leaf |
leave |
● |
lift |
live |
Note
Bear in mind
that the single/double intonation pattern is the same for all final voiced and
unvoiced consonants, not just T and D.
123
Let's practice
tense and lax vowels in context. The intonation is marked for you. When in
doubt, try to leave out the lax vowel rather than run the risk of
overpronouncing it: l'p in place of lip, so it doesn't sound like
leap. Repeat:
Tense |
Lax |
| |
1. |
eat |
it |
I
eat it. |
2. |
beat |
bit |
The
beat is a bit strong. |
3. |
keys |
kiss |
Give me a
kiss for the keys. |
4. |
cheek |
chick |
The
chick's cheek is soft. |
5. |
deed |
did |
He
did the deed. |
6. |
feet |
fit |
These
shoes fit my feet. |
7. |
feel |
fill |
Do you
feel that we should fill it? |
8. |
green |
grin |
The
Martian's grin was green. |
9. |
heat |
hit |
Last
summer, the heat hit hard. |
10. |
heel |
hill |
Put your
heel on the hill. |
11. |
jeep |
Jill |
Jill's
jeep is here. |
12. |
creep |
crypt |
Let's
creep near the crypt. |
13. |
leap |
lip |
He bumped
his lip when he leaped. |
14. |
meal |
mill |
She had a
meal at the mill. |
15. |
neat |
knit |
He can
knit neatly. |
16. |
peel |
pill |
Don't
peel that pill! |
17. |
reed |
rid |
Get rid of
the reed. |
18. |
seek |
sick |
We seek
the sixth sick sheik's sheep. |
19. |
sheep |
ship |
There are
sheep on the ship. |
20. |
sleep |
slip |
The girl
sleeps in a slip. |
21. |
steal |
still |
He still
steals. |
22. |
Streep |
strip |
Meryl
Streep is in a comic strip. |
23. |
team |
Tim |
Tim is on the
team. |
24. |
these |
this |
These are
better than this one. |
25. |
thief |
thing |
The
thief took my thing. |
26. |
weep |
whip |
Who
weeps from the whips? |
In
the time you have taken to reach this point in the program, you will have made a
lot of decisions about your own individual speech style. Pronunciation of
reduced sounds is more subjective and depends on how quickly you speak, how you
prefer to express yourself, the range of your intonation, how much you want to
reduce certain vowels, and so on.
124
The
letter I in the unstressed position devolves consistently into a schwa.
Repeat.
~ity |
[әdee] |
chemistry |
hostility |
opportunity |
~ify |
[әfái] |
chronological |
humanity |
organization |
~ited |
[әd'd] |
clarity |
humidity |
partiality |
~ible |
[әbәl] |
commodity |
humility |
physical |
~ical |
[әcәl] |
community |
identity |
pitiful |
~imal |
[әmәl] |
communication |
imitation |
politics |
~ization |
[әzāsh'n] |
complexity |
immaturity |
positive |
~ication |
[әcāsh'n] |
confident |
immigration |
possible |
~ination |
[әnāsh'n] |
confidentiality |
immunity |
possibility |
~ifaction |
[әfәcāsh'n] |
contribution |
incident |
president |
~itation |
[әtāsh'n] |
creativity |
individuality |
principle |
|
|
credit |
infinity |
priority |
ability |
|
critical |
insecurity |
psychological |
accident |
|
cubicle |
instability |
publicity |
accountability |
curiosity |
institute |
qualify | |
activity |
|
difficult |
investigation |
quality |
adversity |
|
dignity |
invisible |
quantity |
America |
|
disparity |
invitation |
radical |
analytical |
|
diversity |
janitor |
reality |
animal |
|
Edison |
Jennifer |
rectify |
applicant |
|
editor |
legalization |
resident |
application |
electricity |
liability |
responsibility | |
article |
|
eligibility |
Madison |
sacrifice |
astronomical |
eliminated |
maturity |
sanity | |
audible |
|
engineer |
medicine |
security |
auditor |
|
episode |
mentality |
seminar |
authority |
|
equality |
majority |
seniority |
availability |
evidence |
maximum |
severity | |
beautiful |
|
experiment |
Michigan |
sensitivity |
brutality |
|
facility |
minimum |
similar |
calamity |
|
familiarity |
minority |
skeptical |
California |
|
feasibility |
modify |
superiority |
candidate |
|
flexibility |
Monica |
technical |
capacity |
|
Florida |
monitor |
testify |
celebrity |
|
foreigner |
municipality |
typical |
charity |
|
formality |
nationality |
uniform |
Christianity |
fraternity |
naturalization |
unity | |
clinical |
|
gravity |
necessity |
university |
clerical |
|
heredity |
negative |
validity |
chemical |
|
hospitality |
nomination |
visitor |
125
In
the following example, you will see how you can fully sound out a word (such as
to), reduce it slightly, or do away with it altogether.
1. ... easier
tū(w)әnderstand.
2. ... easier
tü(w)әnderstand.
3. ... easier tә
әnderstand.
4. ... easier tәnderstand.
5. ... easier
dәnderstand.
Each of the
preceding examples is correct and appropriate when said well. If you have a good
understanding of intonation, you might be best understood if you used the last
example.
How
would this work with the rest of our familiar paragraph, you ask? Let's
see.
Go
through the paragraph that follows and find the three [ü]'s and the five to
seven [u]'s. Remember that your own speech style can increase the possibilities.
With "to" before a vowel, you have a choice of a strong [u], a soft [ü],
a schwa, or to telescope the two words and eliminate the vowel entirely. Pause
the CD to mark the [ü] and [u] sounds. The first one is marked for you. Remember
to check Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot
to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible.
I shüd pick up on the American intonation pattern
pretty easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I ūse the up and down, or peaks and
valleys intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention
to pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that
I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well,
what do you think? Do I?
126
How
fast can you say:
How much
wood |
hæo mәch
wüd |
would a
wood chuck chuck, |
wüdә
wüdchәk chәk |
if a
woodchuck |
ifә
wüdchәck |
could
chuck |
cüd chәck |
wood? |
wüd |
|
|
How many
cookies |
hæo meny
cükeez |
could a
good cook cook, |
cüdә güd
cük cük |
if a
good cook |
ifә güd
cük |
could
cook |
cüd cük |
cookies? |
cükeez |
In
the following two exercises, we will practice the two vowel sounds
separately.
Repeat after
me.
Booker
Woolsey was a good cook. One day, he took a
good look at his full schedule and decided that he
could write a good cookbook. He knew that he
could, and thought that he should, but he wasn't sure that he ever
would. Once he had made up his mind, he stood up, pulled up
a table, took a cushion, and put it on a bushel
basket of sugar in the kitchen nook. He shook out his
writing hand and put his mind to creating a good, good
cookbook.
Repeat after
me.
A
true fool will choose to drool in a pool to stay
cool. Who knew that such fools were in the schools, used
tools, and flew balloons? Lou knew and now
you do, too.
127
There are
certain sounds in any language that are considered nonsense syllables, yet
impart a large amount of information to the informed listener. Each language has
a different set of these sounds, such as eto ne in Japanese, em in
Spanish, eu in French, and um in English. In this particular case,
these are the sounds that a native speaker makes when he is thinking out
loud—holding the floor, but not yet committing to actually speaking.
The
top eight are the most common non-word communication sounds. They can all be
nasalized or not, and said with the mouth open or closed. Intonation is the
important factor here. Repeat after me.
128
When
pronounced correctly, V shouldn't stand out too much. Its sound, although
noticeable, is small. As a result, people, depending on their native
language, sometimes confuse V with B (Spanish, Japanese), with F (German), or
with W (Chinese, Hindi). These four sounds are not at all
interchangeable.
The
W is a semivowel and there is no friction or contact. The B, like P, uses both
lips and has a slight pop. American tend to have a strong, popping P. You can
check your pronunciation by holding a match, a sheet of paper, or just your
hand in front of your mouth. If the flame goes out, the paper wavers, or you
feel a distinct puff of air on your hand, you've said P not B. B is the voiced
pair of P.
Although F and
V are in exactly the same position, F is a hiss and V is a buzz. The V is the
voiced pair of F, as you saw in Chapter 2 (p. 62). When you say F, it is as if
you are whispering.
So, for V, say
F and simply add some voice to it, which is the whole difference between
fairy
and
very,
as you will
hear in our next exercise. (The F, too, presents problems to Japanese, who say
H. To pronounce F, the lower lip raises up and the inside of the lip very
lightly touches the outside of the upper teeth and you make a slight hissing
sound. Don't
bite the
outside of your lip at all.)
Note
In speaking,
of
is
reduced to
[әv].
Repeat the
following words and sounds after me.
|
P |
B |
F |
V |
W |
1. |
Perry |
berry |
fairy |
very |
wary |
2. |
pat |
bat |
fat |
vat |
wax |
3. |
Paul |
ball |
fall |
vault |
wall |
4. |
Pig |
big |
fig |
vim |
wig |
5. |
prayed |
braid |
frayed |
|
weighed |
6. |
poi |
boy |
foil |
avoid |
|
7. |
pull |
bull |
full |
|
wool |
8. |
purr |
burr |
fur |
verb |
were |
129
Repeat after
me, focusing on V and W.
When
revising his visitor's version of a plan for a very
well-payed avenue, the VIP was
advised to reveal none of his motives. Eventually,
however, the hapless visitor discovered his
knavish views and confided that it was
vital to review the plans together to avoid a
conflict. The VIP was not convinced, and
averred that he would have it vetoed by the
vice president. This quite vexed the visitor, who then
vowed to invent an indestructible paving
compound in order to avenge his good name. The VIP found himself
on the verge of a civil war with a
visitor with whom he had previously
conversed easily. It was only due to his insufferable
vanity that the inevitable division arrived as soon
as it did. Never again did the visitor converse
with the vain VIP and they remained divided
forever.
Underline the
five V sounds in this paragraph. The first one is marked for you. Don't forget
"of."
Hello, my
name is________________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a lot to learn, but I hope to make
it as enjoyable as
possible. I
should pick up on the American intonation pattern
pretty easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've
been talking to a
lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I
could go on and on, but the important thing is to
listen well and sound good. Well, what do you think? Do
I?
130
The
sound of the letter S is [s] only if it follows an unvoiced consonant.
Otherwise, it becomes a Z in disguise. When an S follows a vowel, a voiced
consonant, or another S, it turns into a [z]. The following exercise will let
you hear and practice S with its dual sound. There are many more Z sounds in
English than S sounds.
Under Contrast,
in the list that follows, notice how the voiced word is drawn out and then
repeat the word after me. Both voiced and unvoiced diphthongs have the
underlying structure of the tone shift, or the double stairstep, but the
shift is much larger for the voiced ones.
Contrast | ||
|
S |
Z |
1. |
price |
prize |
2. |
peace |
peas |
3, |
place |
plays |
4. |
ice |
eyes |
5. |
hiss |
his |
6. |
close |
to
close |
7. |
use |
to
use |
8. |
rice |
rise |
9. |
pace |
pays |
10. |
lacey |
lazy |
11. |
thirsty |
Thursday |
12. |
bus |
buzz |
13. |
dust |
does |
14. |
face |
phase |
15. |
Sue |
zoo |
16. |
loose |
lose |
|
| |
|
price |
prize |
|
S |
Z |
nouns |
books |
waxes |
|
maps |
pencils |
|
months |
dogs |
|
hats |
trains |
|
pops |
oranges |
|
bats |
clothes |
|
bikes |
windows |
|
laughs |
washes |
verbs |
thanks |
arrives |
|
eats |
comes |
|
takes |
goes |
|
speaks |
lunches |
contractions |
it's |
there's |
|
what's |
he's |
|
that's |
she's |
possessives |
a cat's
eye |
a dog's
ear |
131
Repeat the S
sounds in the paragraph below.
Sam,
a surly sergeant from Cisco, Texas,
saw a sailor sit silently on a small
seat reserved for youngsters. He stayed for several
minutes, while tots swarmed around. Sam asked
the sailor to cease and desist but he
sneered in his face. Sam was so
incensed that he considered it sufficient
incentive to sock the sailor. The sailor
stood there for a second, astonished, and then
strolled away. Sam was perplexed, but
satisfied, and the tots scampered like ants
over to the see-saw.
Repeat the Z
sounds in the paragraph below.
A
lazy Thursday at the zoo found the zebras
grazing on zinnias, posing for pictures, and
teasing the zookeeper, whose nose was
bronzed by the sun. The biggest zebra's name was
Zachary, but his friends called him Zack. Zack
was a confusing zebra whose zeal for
reason caused his cousins, who were naturally
unreasoning, to pause in their conversations. While they
browsed, he philosophized. As they grazed, he practiced
zen. Because they were Zack's cousins, the
zebras said nothing, but they wished he would muzzle
himself at times.
As
mentioned on page 84, like sounds follow naturally. If one consonant is voiced,
chances are, the following plural S will be voiced as well. If it's unvoiced,
the following sound will be as well. In the past tense, S can be both voiced [z]
and unvoiced [s] in some cases.
The following
will explain the differences between four expressions that are similar in
appearance but different in both meaning and pronunciation.
|
Meaning |
Example |
Pronunciation |
S |
Past
action |
I used to
eat rice. |
[yūst
tu] |
|
To be
accustomed to |
I am used
to eating rice. |
[yūs
tu] |
Z |
Present
passive verb |
Chopsticks
are used to eat rice. |
[yūzd
tu] |
|
Simple
past |
I used
chopsticks to eat rice. |
[yūzd] |
Used
to,
depending on
its position in a sentence, will take either a tense [ū] or a schwa. At the end of a sentence, you
need to say, ... more than I
used tooo; in the middle
of a sentence you can say, He usta live
there.
132
Go
through the paragraph and underline all of the [s] sounds. The first, [æksent]
is marked for you. Next, circle all of the [z] sounds, no matter how the word is
written (is = [iz], as = [æz], and so on.)
Hello, my
name iz_______________. I'm taking American æksent Training.
There's a
lot
to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more
than I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch, too. It's
like walking down a staircase. I've been talking to a lot
of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the important thing
is to listen well and sound good. Well, what do you think? Do
I?
T
Practice reading the paragraph three times on your own, concentrating on strong
Zs.
Build up the
following sentence, adding each aspect one at a time.
Always be a
little kinder than necessary.
1. Intonation
Always be a
little
kinder than necessary.
2. Word Groups
Always be a
little kinder(pause)
than necessary.
3. Liaisons
Always
be(y)a
little kinder tha(n)necessary.
4. [æ][ä][ә]
äweez be ә
littәl
kinder thәn necәssary.
5. The American
T
Always be a
liddle kinder than necessary.
6. The American
R
Always be a
little kindәr than necessεry.
7. Combination of concepts 1 through
6
äweez
be(y)ә
liddәl
kindәr(pause)
thә(n)necәssεry.
133
Write your
own sentence, and then build it up, adding each aspect one at a
time.
1. |
Intonation |
|
________________________________ |
2. |
Word
Groups |
|
________________________________ |
3. |
Liaisons |
|
________________________________ |
4. |
[æ]
[a] [ә] |
|
________________________________ |
5. |
The
American T |
|
________________________________ |
6. |
The
American R |
|
________________________________ |
7. |
Combination
of concepts 1
through
6 |
|
________________________________ |
134
In
this chapter, we tackle tense and lax vowels. This is the difference between
[ā], tense,
and [ε],
lax,
[ē],
tense,
and [i],
lax.
We will start
with tense vowels.
Don't pay
attention to spelling or meaning. Just remember, if you are in the ä column, they all have the same ah
sound. Repeat.
|
æ |
æo |
ä |
i |
ā |
ē |
ū |
ōū |
1. |
at |
out |
ought |
I'd |
ate |
eat |
ooze |
own |
2. |
bat |
about |
bought |
bite |
bait |
beat |
boot |
boat |
3. |
cat |
couch |
caught |
kite |
cane |
keys |
cool |
coat |
4. |
chat |
chowder |
chalk |
child |
chair |
cheer |
choose |
chose |
5. |
dad |
doubt |
dot |
dial |
date |
deed |
do |
don't |
6. |
fat |
found |
fought |
fight |
fate |
feet |
food |
phone |
7. |
fallow |
fountain |
fall |
file |
fail |
feel |
fool |
foal |
8. |
gas |
gown |
got |
kite |
gate |
gear |
ghoul |
go |
9. |
hat |
how |
hot |
height |
hate |
heat |
hoot |
hope |
10. |
Hal |
howl |
hall |
heil |
hail |
heel |
who'll |
hole |
11. |
Jack |
jowl |
jock |
giant |
jail |
jeep |
jewel |
Joel |
12. |
crab |
crowd |
crawl |
crime |
crate |
creep |
cruel |
crow |
13. |
last |
loud |
lost |
line |
late |
Lee |
Lou |
low |
14. |
mat |
mountain |
mop |
might |
mate |
mean |
moon |
moan |
15. |
gnat |
now |
not |
night |
Nate |
neat |
noon |
note |
16. |
pal |
pound |
Paul |
pile |
pail |
peel |
pool |
pole |
17. |
rat |
round |
rot |
right |
rate |
real |
rule |
role |
18. |
sat |
sound |
soft |
sight |
sale |
seal |
Sue |
soul |
19. |
shall |
shower |
shawl |
shine |
shade |
she |
shoe |
show |
20. |
slap |
slouch |
slop |
slide |
slade |
sleep |
slew |
slow |
21. |
stag |
stout |
stop |
style |
stale |
steal |
stool |
stole |
22. |
strap |
Stroud |
straw |
stride |
straight |
stream |
strew |
stroll |
23. |
tap |
town |
top |
type |
tape |
team |
tool |
told |
24. |
that |
thou |
thar |
thine |
they |
these |
|
though |
25. |
thang |
thousand |
thought |
thigh |
thane |
thief |
|
throw |
26. |
van |
vow |
volume |
viper |
vain |
veal |
voodoo |
vote |
27. |
wax |
Wow! |
wash |
wipe |
wane |
wheel |
woo |
woe |
28. |
yank |
Yow! |
yawn |
yikes |
Yale |
year |
you |
yo |
29. |
zap |
Zowie! |
zombie |
xylophone |
zany |
zebra |
zoo |
Zoe |
135
Go
through the subsequent paragraph and mark all the tense vowels, starting with
[ā] (there are 12 here). The first one is
name [nεim], not [nεm]. The first [ē] sound (14) is the
American. The same 5 [æ] sounds can be found as in Exercise 3-2 on page
74, plus the [œo] of sound. Pause the CD to do the marking. Check your
answer in the Answer Key, beginning on page 193.
Hello, my
nāme is_______________. I'm
taking American Accent Training. There's a
lot
to learn, but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up
on thē American intonation
pattern pretty easily, although the only way to get it
is to practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've
been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a
staircase. I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately,
and they tell me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go
on and on, but the important thing is to listen well and
sæond good. Well, what do you think? Do I?
Tense vowels
use the lips and jaw muscles.
As
we saw in Chapter 8, these are the lax vowels.
|
e |
i |
ü |
ә |
әr |
1. |
end |
it |
|
un~ |
earn |
2. |
bet |
bit |
book |
but |
burn |
3. |
kept |
kiss |
could |
cut |
curt |
4. |
check |
chick |
|
chuck |
church |
5. |
debt |
did |
|
does |
dirt |
6. |
fence |
fit |
foot |
fun |
first |
7. |
fell |
fill |
full |
|
furl |
8. |
get |
gill |
good |
gut |
girl |
9. |
help |
hit |
hook |
hut |
hurt |
10. |
held |
hill |
hood |
hull |
hurl |
|
Soft
vowels are subtle variations of sound using the throat
muscles. |
e slightly
tease bet i
more
relaxed bit ü
even more
relaxed put ә throat is
completely relaxed but |
136
Again, go over
this paragraph and mark the lax vowels, starting with [ε]. The first one (of
about 12 possible) is in hello or American. The first [i] sound (of 9 to
22) may be found in is. (The numbers are approximations because
you may have already reduced the [ε] of hello and the [i] of is into
schwas.) Pause the CD to do the marking. Check your answer in the Answer Key,
beginning on page 193.
Hello,
my name is________________. I'm taking American Accent Training.
There's a
lot to
learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm
easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well,
what do you think? Do I?
Repeat the
following paragraph and words after me.
Sāy, Rāy,
tāke a tack. A high-tack tack? No, Rāy, a high-tech tack, eight high-tech tacks,
tāke them. Then find a wāy to māke a plāce for the tacks on the dāy bed. Hey, you lāy the tacks on the pāper plāce mat on the tāble, not on the dāy bed, Rāy. At your āge, why do you always māke the sāme mistākes?
late |
lack |
let |
tāke |
tack |
tech |
mate |
mat |
met |
hāil |
Hal |
hell |
fāte |
fat |
fetch |
cane |
can |
Ken |
Repeat the
following paragraph and words after me. Boldfaced elements represent the [ē]
sound. The [i] is only marked with underscoring.
People
who pick peaks weekly seem to need to
appear deep in order to be
distinguished from mere pea pickers.
Peter, a champion peak picker, thought he'd
be even neater if he were the deepest
peak picker in Peoria, Phoenix, and New
Zealand. On his peak peak picking
week, though, Peter, a peak picker's peak
picker, realized that he was not deep. This
is not easy for a peak picker to admit and
it pitched Peter into a pit of peak
picking despair. He was pitiful for
six weeks and then lifted himself to hitherto
unrevealed personal peaks.
eat
/ it
sheep / ship seat
/ sit
neat / nit feet
/ fit
sleep / slip
137
In
Chapter 1 we studied compound nouns (Ex. 1-24 to 1-37) and complex verb tenses
(Ex. 1-38). Now, we are going to put them together and practice the intonation
of some complicated sentences.
No
matter how complex the verb gets, remember to follow the basic
Dogs
eat bones
intonation,
where you stress the nouns. For the noun intonation, stick with the basic set
phrase or description rule. Let's build up one complex noun for the subject,
and another one for the object, starting with The millionaires were impressed
by the equipment.
Subject |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Object | |||
The
millionaires |
|
|
|
|
|
the
equipment. | |||||
The
elderly millionaires |
|
|
|
eavesdropping
equipment. | |||||||
The
elderly Texas millionaires |
|
electronic
eavesdropping equipment. | |||||||||
The two
elderly Texas millionaires...sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping equipment. | |||||||||||
The two
elderly Texas millionaires were impressed by the
sophisticated electronic | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
eavesdropping
equipment. | ||||||
The two
elderly Teksәs millyәnair zwerim presst by the
sәfistәkaydәdәlektränik
ēvzdräppiŋә kwipmәnt.
zәrim
prest
1. The two elderly Texas
millionaires're impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment.
zwәrim
prest
2. The two elderly Texas
millionaires were impressed by the sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping equipment.
zәr
beeyingim prest
3. At the moment, the two
elderly Texas millionaires're being impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
zәl
beeyim prest
4. The two elderly Texas
millionaires'll be impressed by the sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping equipment.
zәd
beeyim prest
5. The two elderly Texas
millionaires'd be impressed by the sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping equipment if there were more practical applications for
it.
zәdәv binim
prest
6. The two elderly Texas
millionaires'd've been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment if there had been more
practical applications for it.
zәdәv bin so im
prest
7. The two
elderly Texas millionaires thaťve been so impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment are now
researching a new program.
138
zәv binim
prest
8. The two elderly Texas
millionaires've been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment for a long time
now.
zәd binim
prest
9. The two
elderly Texas millionaires'd been impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment long before the burglary
was thwarted. [thwordәd]
zәlәv bin
thәrә lee(y)im prest
10. The two elderly Texas
millionaires'll've been thoroughly impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment by the time I've done my
presentation.
zädә
bee(y)im prest
11. The two
elderly Texas millionaires ought to be impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
shüd
bee(y)im prest
12. The two
elderly Texas millionaires should be impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
shüd•n
beetoo(w)im prest
13. The two elderly Texas
millionaires shouldn't be too impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment.
shüdәv binim
prest
14. The two elderly Texas
millionaires should've been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment.
shüdn•nәv bin
thæ dim prest
15. Given the circumstances, the two
elderly Texas millionaires shouldn'ťve been that impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
cüdee
zәlee
bee(y)im prest
16. We think that the two
elderly Texas millionaires could easily be impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
cüd•n
bee(y)im prest
17. No matter what we did, the two
elderly Texas millionaires couldn't be impressed by even the most
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment.
cüdәv binim
prest
18. The two elderly Texas
millionaires could've been impressed by the sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping equipment, but we're not sure.
cüdn•nәv
binim prest
19. The two elderly Texas
millionaires couldn'ťve been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment, because they left after 5
minutes.
myt
bee(y)im prest
20. The two
elderly Texas millionaires might be impressed by the
sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment this time
around.
mydәv binim
prest
21. The two elderly Texas
millionaires might've been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment, but they gave no indication one way or
the other.
139
mәss bee(y)im
prest
22. The two elderly Texas
millionaires must be impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment because they are considering a huge
order.
mәsdәv binim
prest
23. The two elderly Texas
millionaires must have been impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment because they ordered so much of
it.
cәn
bee(y)im prest
24. The two
elderly Texas millionaires can be impressed by the
sophisticated electronic
eavesdropping
equipment because they don't know much about surveillance.
cæn(t)
bee(y)im prest
25. The two elderly Texas
millionaires can't be impressed by the sophisticated
electronic eavesdropping equipment because they invented most of the
state of the art technology currently available.
Pause the CD
and build up your own compound nouns, both subject and object.
Subject |
Object |
_______________________________ |
________________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
_______________________________ |
140
Using your
compound nouns from Ex. 11-8, choose a verb and put it through all the changes.
Remember that it helps to have a verb that starts with a vowel. Add explanatory
words to round out the sentence, complete the thought, and support the
verb.
eat |
1. |
|
ate |
2. |
|
are
eating |
3. |
|
will
eat |
4. |
|
would
eat |
5. |
|
would
have eaten |
6. |
|
that
have eaten |
7. |
|
have
eaten |
8. |
|
had
eaten |
9. |
|
will
have eaten |
10. |
|
ought
to eat |
11. |
|
should
eat |
12. |
|
should
not eat |
13. |
|
should
have eaten |
14. |
|
should
not have |
15. |
|
could
eat |
16. |
|
could
not eat |
17. |
|
could
have eaten |
18. |
|
could
not have |
19. |
|
might
eat |
20. |
|
might
have eaten |
21. |
|
must
eat |
22. |
|
must
have eaten |
23. |
|
can
eat |
24. |
|
can't
eat |
25. |
|
141
Listen to the
following excerpt, and compare the two versions.
Forty years
after the end of World War II, Japan and the U.S. are again engaged in conflict.
Trade frictions, which began as minor irritants in an otherwise smooth
relationship in the 1960s, have gradually escalated over the years.
The
conflict is more dangerous than it appears because its real nature is partially
hidden. It masquerades as a banal and sometimes grubby dispute over widgets with
the stakes being whether American or Japanese big business makes more
money.
In
truth, the issue is strategic and geopolitical in nature. Japan is once again
challenging the U.S., only this time the issue is not China or the Pacific,
but world industrial and technological leadership and the military and economic
powers which have always been its corollaries.
*By
permission of U.S. News and
World Report
Fordee
yir zæftr(pause)thee(y)end'v wrl dwor
too,(pause)J'pæn'n thә
US(pause)ärә
genin gεij din(pause)cänfl'ct.(pause)Trәid
fr'ksh'nz,(pause)w'ch b'gæn'z
mynr rirrәt'nts(pause)in'n
әtherwise(pause)
smooth
r'lεish'nship in the näinteen siksdeez(pause)h'v
græjәlee(y)εscәladәd(pause)dover thә
yirz.
Thә
känfl'k d'z mor dεinjer's thәni dәpirz b'kәzәts
ree(y)әl
nεichyr'z pärshәlee h'dd'n. It mæskerεid zәzә bәnälәn
sәmtäimz grәbee d'spyu dover wij'ts withthә stεiks
be(y)ing
wεtherә mεrәkәner Jæpәneez big bizn's mεiks mor
mәnee.
In
truth, thee(y)ishu(w)iz
strәteejәkәn jee(y)opәlidәkәlәn
nεichyer. Jәpænәz wәn sәgεn chælәnjing thә you(w)ess,
only this täim, thee(y)ishu(w)iz
nät Chäinә or thә Pәs'fәk, bәt wr rolld'in
dәsstree(y)l'n
tεknәläjәkәl leedershipәn the milәtεree(y)әnεkәnämәk
pæwrz w'ch h'väweez bi n'ts korәlεreez.
You've seen
many examples of illogical spelling by now, and the letter A is a major
contributor. A can be:
Note
People who
speak Chinese frequently pronounce [a], [æ] and [ε] the same. The common
denominator of the three sounds is [ε]. When a Chinese speaker says
mate, mat,
met, it can sound
like met, met,
met. If this
happens to be your case, in order to say common words like make
and
man
correctly,
first practice putting them on the stairsteps and drawing them out. Don't be
afraid to exaggerate. You can even draw them out with a final unvoiced
consonant.
[æ]
cat |
[ä]
part |
[ä]
make |
[ә]
final |
[ε]
parallel |
|o]
war |
142
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
|
æ |
æo |
u |
i |
ee |
ü |
ε |
a |
ә |
ä |
r |
är |
o |
i |
oi |
1 |
back |
bow |
booed |
Bic |
beak |
book |
beck |
bake |
buck |
Bach |
Burke |
bark |
boat |
bite |
point |
2 |
black |
blouse |
blued |
bliss |
bleed |
books |
bled |
blade |
blood |
block |
blurred |
blarney |
bloat |
blight |
boy |
3 |
brad |
browse |
brood |
brick |
breed |
brook |
bread |
break |
brother |
brought |
fir |
far |
broke |
bright |
broil |
4 |
pat |
about |
boot |
pit |
peak |
put |
pet |
paid |
putt |
pot |
pert |
part |
post |
pike |
boil |
5 |
cat |
couch |
coot |
kit |
parakeet |
cookie |
kept |
Kate |
cut |
caught |
curt |
cart |
coat |
kite |
coin |
6 |
cad |
cowed |
cooed |
kid |
keyed |
could |
Keds |
okayed |
cud |
cod |
curd |
card |
code |
cried |
coil |
7 |
fat |
found |
food |
fit |
feet |
foot |
fed |
fade |
fun |
fog |
first |
farm |
phone |
fight |
Foyt |
8 |
flack |
flower |
fluke |
flick |
fleet |
put |
fleck |
flake |
flood |
father |
flurry |
tar |
flow |
flight |
Floyd |
9 |
fragile |
frown |
fruit |
frill |
free |
fructose |
French |
afraid |
from |
frog |
further |
farther |
fro |
fright |
Freud |
10 |
fallow |
foul |
fool |
fill |
feel |
full |
fell |
fail |
fuss |
fall |
furl |
Carl |
photo |
file |
foil |
11 |
gas |
gout |
gooed |
give |
geek |
good |
get |
gate |
gun |
gone |
gird |
guard |
goad |
guide |
goiter |
12 |
catch |
couch |
cool |
kick |
key |
cook |
ketch |
cake |
come |
calm |
Kirk |
carp |
coal |
kind |
coy |
13 |
lack |
loud |
Luke |
lick |
leak |
look |
lecture |
lake |
luck |
lock |
lurk |
lark |
local |
like |
lawyer |
14 |
mallet |
mound |
mood |
mill |
meal |
wooden |
men |
main |
mother |
mom |
murmur |
march |
mobile |
mile |
Des
Moir |
15 |
pal |
Powell |
pool |
pill |
peel |
pull |
pell |
pail |
puck |
pock |
pearl |
park |
pole |
pile |
poison |
16 |
sand |
sound |
soon |
sin |
seen |
soot |
send |
same |
some |
sawn |
sir |
sorry |
sewn |
sign |
soil |
17 |
satin |
mountain |
gluten |
mitten |
eaten |
wouldn't |
retina |
latent |
button |
gotten |
certain |
carton |
potent |
tighten |
ointment |
18 |
shad |
shout |
shoed |
Schick |
sheet |
should |
shed |
shade |
shun |
shop |
insured |
sharp |
show |
shy |
|
19 |
shack |
shower |
shooed |
shiver |
chic |
shook |
chef |
shake |
shuck |
shock |
shirt |
shark |
shows |
shyster |
|
20 |
shallow |
shower |
shoot |
shift |
sheep |
sugar |
shell |
shale |
shut |
shot |
sure |
shard |
shown |
shine |
|
21 |
chance |
chowder |
choose |
chin |
cheek |
|
chest |
change |
chuck |
chalk |
churn |
charge |
chose |
child |
choice |
22 |
tack |
towel |
two |
tick |
teak |
took |
tech |
take |
tuck |
talk |
turkey |
tarp |
toke |
tyke |
toy |
23 |
that |
thousand |
through |
this |
these |
|
then |
they |
the |
thought |
third |
cathartic |
though |
thigh |
thyroid |
24 |
had |
how'd |
who'd |
hid |
he'd |
hood |
hen |
hate |
hud |
hod |
heard |
hard |
hoed |
hide |
hoi
polloi |
25 |
hat |
about |
hoot |
hit |
heat |
foot |
heck |
Hague |
hut |
hot |
hurt |
heart |
hotel |
height |
Hoyle |
26 |
value |
vow |
review |
villain |
reveal |
|
vegetable |
vague |
vug |
von |
verve |
varnish |
vote |
vile |
avoid |
27 |
whack |
wow |
wooed |
wick |
weak |
would |
wed |
weighed |
what |
walk |
word |
harm |
woke |
white |
woi |
143
Thә prezәdәnt tәmärrou
näidiz әxpectәdiniz stεidәv thә yoonyәn mesәj tә prәpouz fedrәl sәbzәdeez tә
help lou(w)inkәm fæmleez ouvrkәm thә
sou-käld dijәdәl dәväid. Izidә nәpropree(y)әt yusәv gәvrmnt fәnz tә hændæot
kәmpyudrz әn prәväid innernet æksεs tә thouz hu cæn(d)әford it; әnd if nät, why nät.
Will bәgin with Mr. Keez.
I think this iz
әnәthәr keis whεer pälәtishәnz try dә jәmpän thә bændwægәn әv sәmthing thæťs
going än in thee(y)әcänәmee, sou evreebәdeez gәnnә
think thәt they ækchәlee hæv sәmthing tә do with thә rәzәlt when they dont.
Thεrz nou need fr this. Wiräl reddy seeing æot thεr prәpouzәlz fr thә
distrәbyushәn әv free PeeCees, nät beis dän sәm pälәtishәn meiking ә judgment әn
spending tæxpeiyer mәnee, bәt beis dän thә self-intrst әv thouz
hu(w)är involvd inә nyu world, ә nyu
world әn which p'rtisәpeishәn iz thә kee dә präfit— әnd in which thεr iz
ækchәlee ә sträng insentiv әmәng thouz hu prtisәpεidin thә präivәt sektәr tә giv
æksεss tә indәvijәls sou thæt they c'n impruv their äpәrtyunәdeez fr präfit, fr
infәrmeishn shεring. Thæts whәts älredee bin going än—it will kәntinyu. Thεr iz
nou need fr thә gәvәrmәnt tә prәtend thæt it needs tә teik leedership hir. I
think thæts jәst pәlidәkәl päsjuring.
Senәdәr
Mә(k)kein.
I bәleev th't wee du
hæv ә präblәm. æn thædiz thәt thεrizә growing gæp bәtween thә hævz әnd hæv-näts
in әmεrәkә, thouz thәdr εibl dә tεik pärdin this infәrmeishn teknälәjee әn thouz
th't hævnt. Wee took ә mεijәr step forwәrd when wee dәsaidәd dә
wäi(y)r evree skool әn lybrεree in
әmerikә tә thee(y)innәrnet. Thætsә güd prougrәm.
Wee hæv tә hæv step tu, three, әn four, which meenz güd әkwipmәnt, güd teechәrz
әnd güd clæssroomz. No, I wüdn du(w)it d'rektlee. Bәt thεrz läts әv
weiz th'chyu kәn inkerәj korpәreishnz, who in their own self-intrest, wüd wänt
tә prәvaid... wüd rәseev tæks benәfits, wüd rәseev kredit, әnd mεny әthәr weiz
fr beeing invәlvd in thә skoolz, in әpgreiding thә kwälәdee әv әkwipmәnt th't
thei hæv, thә kwälәdee әv thә styudәnts әnd thεrby prәvaiding ә mәch-needed
well-treind wәrkfors.
Thæng kyu. Mr.
Forbz.
The president
tomorrow night is expected in his State of the Union message to propose federal
subsidies to help low-income families overcome the so-called digital divide. Is
it an appropriate use of government funds to hand out computers and provide
Internet access to those who can't afford it, and if not, why not? We'll begin
with Mr. Keyes.
"I think this is
another case where politicians try to jump on the bandwagon of something that's
going on in the economy, so everybody's gonna think that they actually have
something to do with the result when they don't. There's no need for this. We're
already seeing out there proposals for the distribution of free PCs, not based
on some politician making a judgment and spending taxpayer money, but based on
the self-interest of those who are involved in a new world, a new world in which
participation is the key to profit—and in which there is actually a strong
incentive among those who participate on the private sector to give access to
individuals so that they can improve their opportunities for profit, for
information sharing. That's what's already been going on—it will continue. There
is no need for the government to pretend that it needs to take leadership here.
I think that's just political posturing."
Senator
McCain.
"I believe that we do
have a problem. And that is that there is a growing gap between the
haves
and
have-nots in America, those that
are able to take part in this information technology and those that haven't. We
took a major step forward when we decided to wire every school and library in
America to the Internet. That's a good program. We have to have step two, three,
and four, which means good equipment, good teachers, and good classrooms. No, I
wouldn't do it directly. But there's lots of ways that you can encourage
corporations, who in their own self-interest, would want to provide ... would
receive tax benefits, would receive credit, and many other ways for being
involved in the schools, in upgrading the quality of equipment that they have,
the quality of the students, and thereby providing a much-needed well-trained
workforce."
Thank you. Mr.
Forbes.
144
We
now turn to the three consonants whose sound comes out through the nose—M, N,
and the NG combination. They each have one thing in common, their sound is
blocked in the mouth in one of three locations. Two of them, N and NG, you can't
even see, as with R, so they're hard to pick up on.
[m]
is the easiest and most obvious. Like [b], the lips come together, the air can't
get out, so it has to come out through the nose.
[n]
is in a position similar to [t], but it can't be at all tense. It has to be
completely relaxed, filling the whole mouth, touching the insides of all the
teeth, leaving no room for the air to escape, except by the nose.
[ng] is back
in the throat with [g]. The back of the tongue presses back, and again, the air
comes out through the nose.
145
We
are going to contrast nasals with regular consonant sounds. Repeat after
me.
|
Initial |
Middle |
Final | |||
m/b |
me |
bee |
llama |
lobber |
ROM |
rob |
n/d |
kneels |
deals |
Lana |
lauder |
Ron |
rod |
ng/g |
long
eels |
geese |
longer |
logger |
wrong |
log |
Here
we will focus on the final sounds. Repeat after me.
M |
N |
NG |
rumә |
runә |
rungə |
sum/some |
sun/son |
sung |
bum |
bun |
bung |
turn |
ton |
tongue |
dumb |
done |
dung |
psalm |
sawn |
song |
We
will read the following paragraph. Repeat after me.
The
young King Kong can sing along on anything in the kingdom, as long as he can
bring a strong ringing to the changing songs. He can only train on June mornings
when there is a full moon, but June lends itself to singing like nothing else.
Ding Dong, on the other hand, is not a singer; he cannot sing for anything. He
is a man often seen on the green lawn on the Boston Open, where no one ever,
ever sings.
Find
and mark the final [n] and [ng] sounds.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot
to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should
pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that
I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well,
what do you think? Do I?
146
There are five
consonant sounds that are produced in the throat: [h] [k] [g] [ng] [er]. Because
R can be considered a consonant, its sound is included here. For pronunciation
purposes, however, elsewhere this book treats it as a semivowel.
Here
we will read across the lists of initial, middle, and final
consonants.
|
Initial |
Middle |
Final |
[h] |
haw |
reheat |
|
|
hood |
in
half |
|
|
he'll |
unhinge |
|
|
hat |
unheard
of |
|
[k] |
caw |
accident |
rink |
|
could |
accent |
rack |
|
keel |
include |
cork |
|
cat |
actor |
block |
[g] |
gaw |
regale |
rug |
|
good |
ingrate |
hog |
|
geese |
agree |
big |
|
gat |
organ |
log |
[ng] |
Long
Island |
Bronx |
wrong |
|
a long
wait |
inky |
daring |
|
Dang
you! |
larynx |
averaging |
|
being
honest |
English |
clung |
[r] |
raw |
error |
rare |
|
roof |
arrow |
air |
|
real |
mirror |
injure |
|
rat |
carbon |
prefer |
147
The
letter X can sound like either KS or GZ, depending on the letter that follows
the X and where the stress falls.
[ks] |
excite |
[εksäit] |
Followed
by the letter C or other unvoiced consonants |
extra |
[εkstrә] |
exercise |
[εksersiz] | |
experience |
[εkspiree(y)әns] | |
except |
[әksεpt] | |
|
execute |
[εksekyut] |
|
excellent |
[εksәlәnt] |
[gz] |
example |
[әgzæmpəl] |
Followed
by a vowel and usually stressed on the second syllable |
exist |
[әgzist] |
exam |
[әgzæm] | |
exert |
[әgzrt] | |
examine |
[әgzæmәn] | |
|
executive |
[әgzεkyudәv] |
|
exit |
[εgzit] |
|
exactly |
[әgzæklee] |
Repeat after
me.
"Help!"
hissed the harried intern. "We have to hurry!
The halfwit who was hired to help her
home hit her hard with the Honda. She didn't
have a helmet on her head to protect her, so
she has to have a checkup ahead of the
others."
The
computer cursor careened across the screen, erasing
key characters as it scrolled past. The
technician was egually confused by the computer
technology and the complicated keyboard, so he
clicked off the computer, cleaned off his
desk, accepted his paycheck, and caught a
taxicab for the airport, destination
Caracas.
The
Wizard of Og
There was
a man named... |
Og |
Who was
his best friend? |
Dog |
Where did
he live? |
Bog |
What was
his house made of? |
Log |
Who was
his neighbor? |
Frog |
148
What did
he drink? |
Eggnog |
What did
he do for fun? |
Jog |
What is
the weather in his swamp? |
Fog |
The
stunning woman would not have a fling with the strong
young flamingo trainer until she had a ring on her
finger. He was angry because he longed for her. She
inquired if he were hungry, but he hung his head in a
funk. The flamingo trainer banged his fist on the fish
tank and sang out, "Dang it, I'm sunk without you,
Punkin!" She took in a long, slow lungful of air and
sighed.
War is
horrible. During any war, terrible things occur. The
result is painful memories and disfiguring scars
for the very people needed to rebuild a
war-torn country. The leaders of every
country must learn that wars are never won,
lives are always lost, and history is doomed to repeat
itself unless we all decide to live in harmony with our
brothers and sisters.
Pause the CD
and go through the paragraph and mark the [h], [k], [g], [ng], and [r]
sounds.
Hello, my
name is_______________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's
a
lot
to learn, but
I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up
on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of
the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've
been talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me
that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and
on, but the important thing is to listen well and sound good.
Well, what do you think? Do I?
149
After a year,
you're ready for the final analysis. If you're studying on your own, please
contact toll-free (800) 457-4255 or http://www.americanaccent.com/ for
a referral to a qualified telephone analyst. The diagnostic analysis is designed
to evaluate your current speech patterns to let you know where your accent
is standard and nonstandard.
150
The
Nasdaq composite index on Monday suffered its biggest loss in three weeks after
a wave of selling slammed Internet and other tech shares in Asia and Europe
overnight—suggesting
many investors are increasingly nervous about tech shares' current heights. The
Nasdaq index ended down 141.38 points, or 2.8%, at 4,907.24, though it recovered
from a morning sell-off that took it down as
much
as 209 points from Friday's record high. Biotechnology stocks were particularly
hard hit. The broader market was also lower, though the Dow Jones industrial
average managed to inch up 18.31 points to 9,947.13.
1. |
law,
job, collar |
5. |
China,
dime, fly |
9. |
won,
color, Florida |
13. |
about,
now, | |||||||||||||||||
2. |
class,
chance, last |
6. |
if, is,
been |
10. |
new,
blue, through |
|
down | |||||||||||||||||
3. |
name,
date, way |
7. |
eve,
ease, bean |
11. |
good,
put, could |
14. |
joy,
royal, | |||||||||||||||||
4. |
ten,
many, says |
8. |
worm,
third, hard |
12. |
won't,
know, go |
|
deploy | |||||||||||||||||
|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
|
E |
|
F |
| ||||||||||||
1. |
pat |
1. |
bat |
1. |
apparition |
1. |
abolition |
1. |
lap |
1. |
lab |
| ||||||||||||
2. |
fat |
2. |
vat |
2. |
a
rifle |
2. |
arrival |
2. |
life |
2. |
live |
| ||||||||||||
3. |
stink |
3. |
zinc |
3. |
graces |
3. |
grazes |
3. |
dice |
3. |
dies |
| ||||||||||||
4. |
sheer |
4. |
girl |
4. |
mesher |
4. |
measure |
4. |
dish |
4. |
deluge |
| ||||||||||||
5. |
ten |
5. |
den |
5. |
latter |
5. |
ladder |
5. |
ought |
5. |
odd |
| ||||||||||||
6. |
cheer |
6. |
jeer |
6. |
nature |
6. |
major |
6. |
etch |
6. |
edge |
| ||||||||||||
7. |
thing |
7. |
the |
7. |
author |
7. |
other |
7. |
breath |
7. |
breathe |
| ||||||||||||
8. |
core |
8. |
gore |
8. |
lacking |
8. |
lagging |
8. |
snack |
8. |
snag |
| ||||||||||||
9. |
yet |
9. |
rice |
9. |
access |
9. |
example |
9. |
box |
9. |
bogs |
| ||||||||||||
10. |
wolf |
10. |
prance |
10. |
association |
10. |
refract |
10. |
way |
10. |
bar |
| ||||||||||||
11. |
her |
11. |
my |
11. |
actual |
11. |
arrive |
11. |
down |
11. |
mutter |
| ||||||||||||
12. |
lice |
12. |
not |
12. |
behind |
12. |
climber |
12. |
ball |
12. |
name |
| ||||||||||||
13. |
plants |
|
|
13. |
reflect |
13. |
innate |
13. |
muddle |
13. |
ran |
| ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
14. |
alive |
14. |
singer |
|
|
14. |
wrong |
| ||||||||||||
1. |
Sue
arranged it. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
2. |
She
organized her office. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
3. |
Get your
report done. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
4. |
Where did
you put it? |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
5. |
She's your
usual television star. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
1. |
soo(w)әrεinj
dit |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
2. |
shee(y)orgәnizdr
räfәs |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
3. |
gεcher
r'port dәn |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
4. |
wεrjә
püd't |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
5. |
shezhier
yuzhәwəl
tεlәvizhәn stär |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
1. |
Get a
better water heater. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
2. |
Gedda
bedder wädr heedr. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
3. |
alter |
later |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
4. |
intern |
enter |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
5, |
data |
deter |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
6. |
metal |
metallic |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
7. |
let |
led |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
CD
5
We
will be reviewing the concepts that form the basis of American
speech—intonation, word groups, the staircase, and liaisons, as well as
pronunciation. Let's briefly review each item in order. This time around, there
will be no explanation.
Review Exercise 1-1: Rubber Band Practice
with Nonsense Syllables | ||||||||||||
1. |
blah blah
blah |
1. |
blah
blah blah |
1. |
blah
blah blah |
1. |
blah blah
blah | |||||
2. |
ding ding
ding |
2. |
ding
ding ding |
2. |
ding
ding ding |
2. |
ding ding
ding | |||||
|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D | |||||
1. |
duh duh
duh |
1. |
duh duh
duh |
1. |
duh
duh duh |
1. |
duh duh
duh | |||||
2. |
X
Y
Z |
|
|
2. |
unconcerned |
2. |
including |
2. |
educate | |||
3. |
8
9
10 |
|
|
3. |
He sells
fish. |
3. |
He's
selfish. |
3. |
Softball
game | |||
4. |
Cows give
milk. |
4. |
We like
Bob. |
4. |
I
think so. |
4. |
Bring me
some. | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Review Exercise 1-2; Noun Intonation | ||||||||||||
|
|
1. |
Cats eat
fish. |
|
6. |
Ed found a
job. |
|
| ||||
|
|
2. |
Boys like
toys. |
|
7. |
Max cut his
finger. |
|
| ||||
|
|
3. |
Lou lost
his mind. |
8. |
Mary flew a
kite. |
|
| |||||
|
|
4. |
Gail earned
a fortune. |
9. |
Rick passed
the test. |
|
| |||||
|
|
5. |
Betty grows
tomatoes. |
10. |
Our
car lost a wheel. |
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Review Exercise 1-3: Noun and Pronoun
Intonation | ||||||||||||
|
|
1. |
Patrick speaks
French. |
1. |
He
speaks it. |
|
| |||||
|
|
2. |
The
neighbors sold their car. |
2. |
They
sold it. |
|
| |||||
|
|
3. |
The
police chased the felon. |
3. |
They
chased him. |
|
| |||||
|
|
4. |
The
housekeeper did some laundry. |
4. |
She
did some. |
|
| |||||
|
|
5. |
The
architect and I designed a house. |
5. |
We
designed one. |
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Review Exercise 1-4: Sentence Intonation Test | ||||||||||||
|
|
1. |
They
took it. |
6. |
Sam
called him. | |||||||
|
|
2. |
Mary had
a baby. |
7. |
The dogs
howled at the moon. | |||||||
|
|
3. |
Louis
talked on the phone. |
8. |
Did you
order any? |
| ||||||
|
|
4. |
We
forgot about it. |
9. |
We
noticed her. |
| ||||||
|
|
5. |
She had
one. |
10. |
The
books fell on the floor. | |||||||
Review Exercise 1-6: Pitch and Meaning
Change |
| |||||||||||
|
1. |
He looks like
Bob. |
| |||||||||
|
2. |
He looks
like Bob, but he's not. |
| |||||||||
|
3. |
He knows
Bob, but he doesn't trust him. |
| |||||||||
|
4. |
He can't
trust him. He can't do it. |
| |||||||||
151
1. Convey the information
that it is Bob. +
2. Convey the opinion
that he only resembles Bob. +
3. Convey the different
feelings that someone has about Bob. +
4. Convey the fact that
trust is a problem with Bob. +
Question: |
How was
it? | |
Answer: |
1. |
It was pretty
expensive. It was pretty expensive. |
|
2 |
It was sort of
funny. It was sort of funny. |
|
3. |
It was kind of
rude. It was kind of rude. |
|
4. |
It was a little
late. It was a little late. |
1. Her boyfriend
almost never sends her flowers, but mine does.
2. Her boyfriend
almost never sends her flowers, but her sisters always do.
3. Her boyfriend
almost never sends her flowers, but every once in a while he
does.
4. Her boyfriend almost
never sends her flowers, no matter what!
5. Her boyfriend almost
never sends her flowers, but he planted a lot in her
garden.
6. Her boyfriend almost
never sends her flowers, but he never forgets Mother's
Day!
7. Her boyfriend almost
never sends her flowers, but he showers her with other
gifts.
1. Indicate that her
boyfriend prefers live plants to cut ones. (5) +
2. Indicate that her
sisters are attentive to her horticultural needs. (2) +
3. Indicate that her
boyfriend gives her non-floral presents. (7) +
4. Indicate that my
boyfriend is good in the flower department. (1) +
5. Indicate that it is
a true rarity for her boyfriend to send flowers. (4) +
6. Indicate that there
is actually a slim chance that he might send flowers. (3) +
7. Indicate that her
boyfriend remembers to send flowers to his mother. (6) +
Pause the CD and
translate Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers into your native
language.
Normal
intonation
__________________________________
Changed
intonation _________________________________
1. How
do you know
?
2. How do you
know?
3. How do you
know?
4. How do you
know?
1.
__________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________
152
4. _________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________
Think the United Auto
Workers can beat Caterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract battle? Before
placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who can't wait to cross the picket line
at Caterpillar's factory in East Peoria. Branan, recently laid off by a
rubber-parts plant where he earned base pay of $6.30 an hour, lives one block
from a heavily picketed gate at the Cat complex. Now he's applying to replace
one of 12,600 workers who have been on strike for the past five months.
"Seventeen dollars an hour and they don't want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't
want to take another guy's job, but I'm hurting, too."
On a separate piece
of paper, draw a staircase and put each word where it belongs.
Think the United
Auto Workers can beat Caterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract
battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who
can't wait to cross the picket line at Caterpillar's factory
in East Peoria. Branan, recently laid off by a rubber-parts
plant where he earned base pay of $6.30 an hour, lives
one block from a heavily picketed gate at the Cat
complex. Now he's applying to replace one of 12,600 workers
who have been on strike for the past five months.
"Seventeen dollars an hour and they don't want to work?"
asks Branan. "I don't want to take another guy's job, but
I'm hurting, too."
Review Exercise 1-19: Spelling and
Numbers | |||
CEO |
See Eee
Oh |
Catch |
See Ei Tee See
Aitch |
ATM |
Ei Tee
Em |
Nate |
En Ei Tee
Eee |
IRS |
Ai Are
Ess |
|
|
BMW |
Bee Em
Dubbayou |
Area
Code |
213 |
JFK |
Jay Eff
Kay |
Zip
Code |
90291 |
M&M |
emanem |
Date |
9/15/88 |
Review Exercise 1-20: Sound/Meaning
Shifts | |||
icy |
I
see. |
attic |
a
tick |
achy |
a
key |
comedy |
committee |
history |
his
tree |
paradise |
pair of
dice |
interest |
in
trust |
selfish |
sell
fish |
orange |
arrange |
underwear |
under
where? |
eunuch |
unique |
ambulance |
unbalanced |
Review Exercise 1-21: Squeezed-Out
Syllables | |||
actually |
[æk•chully] |
finally |
[fine•lee] |
business |
[biz•ness] |
general |
[gen•r'l] |
comfortable |
[c'mf•ťb'l] |
interest |
[in•tr'st] |
different |
[dif•r'nt] |
natural |
[næch•r'l] |
every |
[ev•ree] |
orange |
[ornj] |
favorite |
[fa•vr't] |
probably |
[prä•blee] |
family |
[fæm•lee] |
separate |
[sep•r't] |
vegetable |
[vej•t'b'l] |
several |
[sev•r'l] |
153
Review Exercise 1-22: Syllable
Patterns | |||||
1 |
la! |
la-a... |
|
| |
|
cat |
dog |
|
| |
| |||||
2 |
la-la |
la-la |
|
| |
|
a
dog |
hot
dog |
|
| |
| |||||
3 |
la-la-la |
la-la-la |
la-la-la |
la-la-la | |
|
Bob's hot
dog |
a hot
dog |
a
hot dog |
hot dog
stand | |
| |||||
4 |
la-la-la-la |
la-la-la-la |
la-la-la-la |
| |
|
Spot's a hot
dog. |
It's a hot
dog. |
Bob likes
hot dogs. |
| |
|
la-la-la-la |
la-la-la-la |
la-la-la-la |
| |
|
It's my
hot dog. |
a
hot dog stand |
lighthouse
keeper |
| |
|
Adjective
|
Noun and
Adjective |
1. |
It's
black. |
It's a black
cat. |
2. |
It's
scrambled. |
It's a
scrambled egg. |
3. |
It's
fast. |
It's a
fast car. |
1. |
confront
__ |
8. |
He like red
ones.
__ |
15. |
European |
|
2. |
detail
__ |
9. |
He bought me
one.
__ |
16. |
with
dignity |
|
3. |
a blind
date
__ |
10. |
It's very
nice.
__ |
17. |
popcorn
machine |
|
4. |
my date
book
__ |
11. |
Jim likes hot
rods.
__ |
18. |
a
mortarboard |
|
5. |
consequence
__ |
12. |
lake _ |
19. |
robin
redbreast |
|
6. |
consequential
__ |
13. |
days
__ |
20. |
telescope |
|
7. |
Will needs a
car. __ |
14. |
It's your
birthday?
__ |
21. |
telescopic |
_ |
|
Noun |
Adjective |
1. |
It's a
cat. |
It's
black. |
2. |
It's an
egg. |
It's
scrambled. |
3. |
It's a
car. |
It's
fast. |
|
Adjective
Noun |
Adverb
Adjective |
1. |
It's a black
cat. |
It's
dark black. |
2. |
It's a scrambled
egg. |
It's
totally scrambled. |
3. |
It's a fast
car. |
It's too
fast. |
Snow White
was a
beautiful
princess. On the
castle
wall, there was an
enchanted
mirror owned by an
old
woman—a
wicked
witch!
"Mirror,
mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" When the mirror
answered, "Snow
Whitet,"
the
young
girl was banished
from her glorious
castle to live in the
dark
woods. She met
seven
dwarves, and they lived
in a small hut.
The
evil witch
tried to kill
the poor
girl with
a poisoned
apple, but she was
saved by a handsome
prince. They had a
beautiful
wedding and lived
happily ever
after.
154
|
Noun |
Noun/Adj. |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
It's a
cat. |
It's
wild. |
It's a
wildcat. |
2. |
It's an
egg. |
It's a
timer. |
It's an
egg timer. |
3. |
It's a
car. |
It's a
crash. |
It's a
car crash. |
Our
mailman
loves
junk food. At
dinnertime,
he
has
potato chips and a
hot
dog. He puts some
soy
sauce on his
eggplant,
but it gives
him a stomachache.
For dessert,
he has a watermelon,
a
grapefruit,
and some
ice
cream.
Afterwards, he leaves the
dinner
table and goes to
the bookshelf in
his
bedroom.
He takes down
a notebook
and does his
homework.
He puts a
clean pillowcase
on his pillow,
covers up with the bedspread,
and goes to
dreamland.
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
It's a
black cat. |
It's a
wildcat. |
2. |
It's a
scrambled egg. |
It's an
egg timer. |
3. |
It's a
fast car. |
It's a
car crash. |
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Set
Phrase |
1. |
a
rocky garden |
a
rock garden |
2. |
a
gilded cage |
a
bird cage |
3. |
melted
butter |
a
butter knife |
4. |
tomato
soup |
tomato
sauce |
5. |
a
baby goat |
a
scapegoat |
Review
Exercise 1-33: Nationality Intonation Quiz
1. |
a French
guy |
4. |
a french
fry |
7. |
French-Canadian |
2. |
a French
restaurant |
5. |
french
toast |
8. |
a French
teacher |
3. |
French
food |
6. |
a french
horn |
9. |
a french
door |
|
Set
Phrase |
Descriptive
Phrase | |
A
French teacher... |
A French
teacher... | ||
|
...teaches
French. |
|
...is
from France. |
A
French book... |
A French
book ... is on any subject, | ||
|
...teaches
the French language. |
|
but it
came from France. |
French
food... |
A French
restaurant... | ||
|
...is
croissants for breakfast. |
|
...serves
croissants for breakfast. |
155
1. |
a dark
room |
11. |
a chemistry
set |
21. |
a police
station |
2. |
a
darkroom |
12. |
a chemical
reaction |
22. |
a radio
station |
3. |
an antique
shop |
13. |
a sixth
sense |
23. |
orange
juice |
4. |
an antique
dealer |
14. |
six
cents |
24. |
a guitar
case |
5. |
an antique
chair |
15. |
a sixth
grader |
25. |
an electric
guitar |
6. |
a new
video |
16. |
the sixth
grade |
26. |
trick
photography |
7. |
the video
store |
17. |
long
hair |
27. |
a
photo-op |
8. |
a coffee
table |
18. |
a
hairdresser |
28. |
a wedding
ceremony |
9. |
hot
coffee |
19. |
a
haircut |
29. |
a beautiful
ceremony |
10. |
a
coffeepot |
20. |
the wrong
station |
30. |
a wedding
cake |
1. The schoolkids took
the subway downtown for their field trip on urban
living.
2. Our local sheriff had
a bumper sticker on his back bumper.
3. The homeowners
thought they had to pay property taxes to the federal
government.
4. There were small
tremblers after the earthquake in San Francisco.
5. The Geology Club went
on a camping trip to Mount Hood.
6. The award ceremony at
the Hilton Hotel lasted for two hours.
7. Bob Smith took his
surfboard out on a stormy day near Diamond
Head.
8. The boy scouts
pitched their pup tents on the mountaintop in the pouring
rain.
9. It's a little late
to ask the babysitter to stay over night.
10. The sixth graders were
reading comic books and drinking chocolate milk.
erode |
1. |
The |
floods |
erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
eroded |
2. |
The |
floods |
eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
are
eroding |
3. |
The |
floods |
're eroding the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zr•rәrouding th'
mæon(t)nz |
will
erode |
4. |
The |
floods |
'll erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәlәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
would
erode |
5. |
The |
floods |
'd erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәdәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
would have
eroded |
6. |
The |
floods |
'd've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәdәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
that have
eroded |
7. |
The |
floods |
thaťve eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәdәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
have
eroded |
8. |
The |
floods |
've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
had
eroded |
9. |
The |
floods |
'd eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәdәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
will have
eroded |
10. |
The |
floods |
'll've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zәlәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
ought to
erode |
11. |
The |
floods |
ought to erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'd |
zädә eeroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
should
erode |
12. |
The |
floods |
should erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
shüdәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
should not
erode |
13. |
The |
floods |
shouldn't erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
shüdn•nәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
should've
eroded |
14. |
The |
floods |
should've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
shüdәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
should not
have |
15. |
The |
floods |
shouldn't've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
shüdn•nәvәroudәd th' mæon(t)nz |
could
erode |
16. |
The |
floods |
could erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
cüdәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
could not
erode |
17. |
The |
floods |
couldn't erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
cüdn•nәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
could have
eroded |
18. |
The |
floods |
could've eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
cüdәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
could not
have |
19. |
The |
floods |
couldn'ťve eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
cüdn•nәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
might
erode |
20. |
The |
floods |
might erode the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
mydәroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
might
have |
21. |
The |
floods |
mighťve eroded the
mountains. |
th' |
fl'dz |
mydәvәroudәd th'
mæon(t)nz |
156
must
erode |
22. |
The
floods must erode the mountains. |
th' fl'dz
mәsdәroud th' mæon(t)nz |
must
have |
23. |
The
floods musťve eroded the mountains. |
th' fl'dz
mәsdәvәroudәd th' mæon(t)nz |
can
erode |
24. |
The
floods can erode the mountains. |
the fl'dz
kәnәroud th' mæon(t)nz |
can't
erode |
25. |
The floods
can't erode the mountains. |
the fl'dz
kæn(d)әroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
present |
1. |
It
erodes them. |
idәroudz'm |
past |
2. |
It
eroded them. |
idәroud'd'm |
continuous |
3. |
It's
eroding them. |
itsәrouding'm |
future |
4. |
It'll
erode them if it keeps up. |
idәlәroud'm |
present
conditional |
5. |
Iťd
erode them if it kept up. |
idәroud'm |
past
conditional |
6. |
Iťd've
eroded them if iťd kept up. |
idәvәroud'd'm |
relative
pronoun |
7. |
The one
that's eroded them is quite odd. |
the
wәnthәtsәroud'd'm (is...). |
present
perfect |
8. |
It's
eroded them for eons. |
itsәroud'd'm |
past
perfect |
9. |
Iťd
eroded them before the last ice age. |
idәroud'd'm |
future
perfect |
10. |
Iťll've
eroded them by the end of the millennium. |
idәlәvәroud'd'm |
obligation |
11. |
It ought
to erode them. |
idädә
eeroud'm |
obligation |
12. |
It should
erode them. |
it
sh'dәroud'm |
obligation |
13. |
It
shouldn't erode them. |
it
sh'dn•nәroud'm |
obligation |
14. |
It should
have eroded them. |
it
sh'dәvәroud'd'm |
obligation |
15. |
It
shouldn'ťve eroded them. |
it
sh'dn•nәvәroud'd'm |
possibility/ability |
16. |
It could
erode them. |
it
c'dәroud'm |
possibility/ability |
17. |
It
couldn't erode them. |
it
c'dn•nәroud'm |
possibility/ability |
18. |
It could
have eroded them. |
it
c'dәvәroud'd'm |
possibility/ability |
19. |
It
couldn't have eroded them. |
it
c'dn•nәvәroud'd'm |
possibility |
20. |
It might
erode them. |
it
mydәroud'm |
possibility |
21. |
It might
have eroded them. |
it
mydәvәroud'd'm |
probability |
22. |
It must
erode them. |
it mәss
dәroud'm |
probability |
23. |
It must
have eroded them. |
it
mәsdәvәroud'd'm |
ability |
24. |
It can
erode them. |
it
c'nәroud'm |
ability |
25. |
It
can't erode them. |
it
cæn(d)әroud'm |
On a separate piece
of paper, write the Review Exercise as on pages 38-40.
1. |
The
floods erode the mountains every day. |
2. |
The
floods eroded th' mountains for
centuries. |
|
th'
flәd zәroud th' mæon(t)n zεvree
day |
|
th'
flәd zәroudәd th' mæon(t)nz fr
sen chr•reez |
3. |
The
floods're eroding the mountains right now. |
4. |
The
floods'll erode th' mountains if this keeps
up. |
|
th'
flәd zr•r'rouding th' mæon(t)nz räit næo |
|
th'
flәd zәlәroud th' mæon(t)nz if this
keep sәp |
5. |
The
floods'd erode the mountains if this kept
up. |
6. |
The
floods' d've eroded th' mountains if it'd kept
up. |
|
th'
flәd zәdәroud th' mæon(t)nz if this
kepdәp |
|
th'
flәd zәdәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz if id
kepdәp |
157
7. |
The floods
thaťve
eroded the mountains are over. |
8. |
The
floods've eroded the mountains over the
years. |
|
th'
flәd zәdәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)n
zr•rovr |
|
th'
flәd zәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)n zovr th'
yirz |
9. |
The
floods'd already eroded the mountains |
10. |
The
floods'll've totally eroded th' mountains |
|
before the
last ice age. |
|
by the
next ice age. |
|
th'
flәd zәdäreddy әroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
|
th'
flәd zәlәv toudәlee(y)әroud'd
th' mæon(t)nz |
|
b'for th'
læssdice age |
|
by th' nex
dysage |
would
erode |
5. |
The
floods'd erode the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәroud
th' mæon(t)nz |
had
eroded |
9. |
The
floods'd eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd
zәdәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
would have
eroded |
6. |
The
floods'd've eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
that have
eroded |
7. |
The floods
thaťve eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
will
erode |
4. |
The
floods'll erode the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәlәroud
th' mæon(t)nz |
would
erode |
5. |
The
floods'd erode the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәroud
th' mæon(t)nz |
would have
eroded |
6. |
The
floods'd've eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
have
eroded |
8. |
The
floods've eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd
zәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
had
eroded |
9. |
The
floods'd eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd
zәdәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
will have
eroded |
10. |
The
floods'll've eroded the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәlәvәroud'd th' mæon(t)nz |
would
erode |
5. |
The
floods'd erode the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zәdәroud
th' mæon(t)nz |
ought to
erode |
11. |
The floods
ought to erode the mountains. |
th' |
flәd zädә
eeroud th' mæon(t)nz |
can
erode |
24. |
The floods
can erode the mountains. |
the |
flәdz c'nәroud
th' mæon(t)nz |
can't
erode |
25. |
The floods
can't erode the mountains. |
the |
flәdz
cæn(d)әroud th'
mæon(t)nz |
I can
tell you. |
[I k'n
tell you] |
positive |
I
can't tell you. |
[I
kæn(t)tell
you] |
negative |
I
can tell you. |
[I
kææn tell you] |
extra
positive |
I
can't tell you. |
[I
kæn(t)tell
you] |
extra
negative |
I saw
him. + I saw him again. + I saw him at
work again. + I think I saw him at work again. + I really
think I saw him at work again. + I really think I
saw him at work again in the yard. + I really think I saw him at
work again in the yard behind the house.
On a separate piece
of paper, build up your own sentences.
Nouns |
Verbs | ||
an
accent |
[æks'nt] |
to
accent |
[æksεnt] |
a
contract |
[käntræct] |
to
contract |
[k'ntrækt] |
an
insert |
[insert] |
to
insert |
[insert] |
an
object |
[äbjekt] |
to
object |
[әbjεct] |
progress |
[prägr's] |
to
progress |
[pr'gress] |
158
Nouns/Adjectives |
Verbs | ||
alternate |
[ältern't] |
to
alternate |
[älternεit] |
estimate |
[est'm't] |
to
estimate |
[est'mεit] |
separate |
[sepr't] |
to
separate |
[seperεit] |
1. Would you please
alternate
seats with the
other alternate?
2. They signed a
contract
in order to
contract
their
services.
3. Who could object
to
progress?
4. The
unidentified flying object
progressed slowly across
the night sky.
5. We need a written
estimate in order to
estimate the
payment.
1.
__________________________________________________ .
2.
__________________________________________________ .
3.
__________________________________________________ .
To |
Looks
Like... |
Sounds
Like... |
unvoiced |
The
president hoped to veto the bill. |
[th'
prezәdnt houptә veetou th' bill] |
|
Deposit
it to my account, please. |
[d'päz'di(t)t' myә kæon(t), pleez] |
voiced |
Their
boss told them to wait. |
[thεr
bäss toldәmdә wεit] |
|
The
coach showed us how to pitch. |
[the coch
showdәs hæodә pitch] |
At |
Everyone
stared at the mess. |
[everyone
stεrdә(t)th'
mess] |
unvoiced |
Stay at
my house for a while. |
[stayә(t) my hæos
frә while] |
voiced |
Jim
looked at his watch impatiently. |
[jim lük
d'diz wätchim pεish'ntlee] |
|
He's at
his brother's. |
[heez'diz
brәthrz] |
It |
They
said it took too long. |
[they
sedi(t)tük too
läng] |
unvoiced |
Do you
think it turned out? |
[dyu thing kit
turn dæot] |
voiced |
Let's
keep it in perspective. |
[lets keepidin
perspekd'v] |
|
Can we
keep it for another day? |
[kwee
keepi(t) frә n'ther
day] |
For |
This'll
do for
now. |
[thissәl
du fr næo] |
|
The
students all worked for hours. |
[th'
studn tsäll wrkt frhæwrz] |
From |
We
learned it from the coach. |
[we lrn
di(t) frm th'
coch] |
|
The
tourists came from all over. |
[the
tr•rists came frәmällovr] |
In |
We made
it just in time. |
[we
meidit jәsdin time] |
|
The
place was in an uproar. |
[th'
pleiswәzinәnәp roar] |
An |
It was
an odd remark. |
[it wәzәnäd
rәmärk] |
|
He's an
open book to me. |
[heezә noupәn
bük tә me] |
And |
Everyone
sat and chatted for a while. |
[evreewәn
sæ(t)n chædәd
frә wyәl] |
|
It was
getting later and later. |
[it w'z gedding
leidr'n leidr] |
Or |
We had
two or three options. |
[we hæd
tu(w)r
three(y)äpsh'nz] |
|
No one
could see or hear anything. |
[nou w'n küd
see(y)r hirenny
thing] |
159
Are |
The
neighbors are complaining again. |
[th'
neibrzr k'mplay ningә gen] |
|
Whose
shoes are these? |
[hooz
shoozr theez] |
Your |
The
door's on your left. |
[th'
door zänyr left] |
|
Are you
on your way yet? |
[är
yu(w)änyr
way yet] |
One |
There's
another one later. |
[therzә
nәthr w'n leidr] |
|
One of
them is outside. |
[w'n'v'm'z
æo(t)side] |
The |
The
other one's in here. |
[thee(y)әthr w'n zin
hir] |
|
Did he
pass the test? |
[didee
pæss th' test] |
A |
Let's
take a cab. |
[lets
teikә cæb] |
|
What's
the tallest building in America? |
[wts th'
täll'st bilding inәmerәkә] |
Of |
Would
you like a piece of pie? |
[Jläikә
peesә pie] |
|
They'll
be gone for a couple of weeks. |
[thell
be gän frә couplә weeks] |
Can |
Do you
think you can do it? |
[dyu
thing kyu k'n du(w)'t] |
|
Can you
believe it?! |
[k'new
b'leevit] |
Had |
We think
he'd never done it before. |
[we
thing keed never dәnit b'for] |
|
They'd
always done it that way. |
[they
däweez dәnit thæt way] |
Would |
Why
would he tell her? |
[wy
woody teller] |
|
I don't
know if he'd agree. |
[äi dou
nou if heedә gree] |
Was |
Who was
on the phone? |
[hoo
w'zän th' foun] |
|
The
drummer was off beat. |
[th'
drәmr w'zäf beet] |
What |
Let's
see what he wants. |
[let see
wәdee wänts] |
|
Who
knows what it is? |
[hoo
nouz w'd'd'z] |
Some |
Some of
it got in my eyes. |
[s'm'v't
gädin my äiz] |
|
Somebody
took my place. |
[s'mb'dee
tük my pleis] |
Review
Exercise 1-54: Intonation and Pronunciation of "That"
Relative
Pronoun |
The
grapes that he bought were sweet. |
[th'
greips the dee bät wr sweet] |
Conjunction |
We hope
that you'll be there. |
[we houp
the chüll bee there] |
Demonstrative |
Don't do
that! |
[doun(t)du
thæt] |
Combination |
I know
that you'll like that car that you bought. |
[äi
nou the chüll like thæt cär the chew bät] |
Think
the United Auto Workers can beat
Caterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract
battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who
can't wait to cross the picket line at Caterpillar's factory
in East Peoria. Branan, recently laid off by a
rubber-parts plant where he earned base pay of $6.30
an hour, lives one block from a heavily picketed gate
at the Cat complex. Now he's applying to replace one of
12,600 workers who have been on strike for the past
five months. "Seventeen dollars an hour and they don't
want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't want to take another guy's
job, but I'm hurting, too."
Th'nk th'
Unit'd Auto Wrkrs c'n beat Cat'pill'r Inc. 'n their b'tter
contract battle? B'fore plac'ng y'r bets, talk t' Paul Bran'n,
who can't wait f cross th' p'cket line 't Cat'pill'r's
factry 'n East Peoria. Bran'n, rec'ntly laid off by'
r'bb'r-parts plant where he 'rned base pay'v $6.30'n
hour, l'ves w'n block fr'm' heav'ly p'ck't'd gate 't
th' Cat complex. Now hes 'pplying t' r'place w'n'v 12,600 wrkrs
who h've b'n on strike f'r th' past five m'nths.
"Sev'nteen doll'rs 'n hour 'nd they dont want t'
work?" asks Bran'n. "I dont want t' take 'n'ther guys
job, b't I'm h'rting, too."
160
Statement |
Birds
lay
eggs. |
Clauses |
As
we all know, birds lay eggs. |
Listing |
Birds
lay
eggs, build nests, and hunt for food. |
Question |
Do
birds lay eggs? |
Repeated
Question |
Do
birds lay eggs?!! |
Tag
Question |
Birds
lay
eggs, don't they? |
Tag
Statement |
Birds
lay
eggs, DON'T they! |
Indirect
Speech |
He
asked if birds laid eggs. |
Direct
Speech |
"Do
birds lay eggs?" they inquired. |
1. |
There's
none left. Is
there! |
|
6. |
She had to
do it, ______ |
? |
2. |
That was
fun, __________ |
! |
7. |
She'd
rather do it, _____ |
? |
3. |
You don't
have a clue, ___ |
! |
8. |
She'd
better do it, _____ |
! |
4. |
He
wouldn't forget, _____ |
? |
9. |
She'd
never do it, _____ |
? |
5. |
They can
do it over, _____ |
? |
10. |
She'd
never done it, ___ |
? |
Buddy. Buddy forgot. He said OK, buddy
forgot.
He said OK,
but he forgot.
1. I think he's on his way.
________________________________
2. He put it in an umbrella
stand. __________________________
3. We bought it in Italy.
_________________________________
1. Nick Clark hopes to put ten
dollars down. _____________________
2. But Tom makes so much juice.
_____________________________
3. Bob's dog got some bones.
_________________________________
1. Can you see it through to
the end? _______________________________
2. Be available for the other
opportunity in my office. __________________
3. He always wants to offer to
go over it again. ________________________
1. We're glad that your
homework's done. ___________________________
2. Would you help me with this?
__________________________________
3. Do you miss your old
friends? __________________________________
4. Where's your brother?
_________________________________________
Think the
United Auto Workers can beat Caterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract
battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who can't
wait to cross the picket line at Caterpillar's factory in East
Peoria. Branan, recently laid off by a rubber-parts plant
where he earned base pay of $6.30 an hour, lives one block from a
heavily picketed gate at the Cat complex. Now he's applying
to replace one of 12,600 workers who have been on strike for the
past five months. "Seventeen dollars an hour and they don't
want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't want to take another
guy's job, but I'm hurting, too."
161
Think
the(y)Unite däuto
Workers can beat Caterpillr rinc. in their bitter contract
battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who
can't wait to cross the picket ly n't Caterpillar's factree
yineest Pe(y)ori(y)a.
Branan, recently lay däff bya rubber-parts plant
wheree(y)earned base
pay'v $6.30(y)a
næ(w)er,
live zw'n block froma heavily picketed gate a(t)the
Cat complex. Nowee zapplying to replace w'n'v 12,600 workers
who(w)v
binän strike for the past five months. "Seventeen
dollar sa næ(w)er
and they don't want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't
wan(t)to
take another guy's job, b'dime hurting, too."
Stressed |
Unstressed |
| ||
that |
thæt |
th't |
thәt |
We think
th't we can get there in time. |
than |
thæn |
th'n |
thәn |
It's
harder th'n she thought. |
as |
æz |
'z |
әz |
It was'z
flat'z a pancake. |
at |
æt |
't |
әt |
We
jumped't the chance. |
and |
ænd |
'nd |
әnd |
The
speaker went on'n on. |
have |
hæv |
h'v |
hәv |
How h'v
you been? |
had |
hæd |
h'd |
hәd |
I wish
we h'd been there. |
can |
cæn |
c'n |
cәn |
Let me
know if you c'n be there. |
|
æ |
ä |
ә |
ou |
a |
ε |
1. |
ask |
often |
under |
over |
April |
ever |
2. |
back |
ball |
bunch |
both |
baby |
bend |
3. |
cap |
cop |
cup |
cope |
cape |
kept |
4. |
dash |
dot |
does |
don't |
date |
desk |
5. |
fast |
fall |
fun |
photo |
fail |
fell |
Think thә
United äuto Workers can beat
Cæterpillar Inc. in their bitter contract battle? Before placing
your bets, talk to Paul Branan, who can't wait to cross the
picket line at Caterpillar's factory in East Peoria. Branan,
recently laid off by a rubber-parts plant where he earned base
pay of $6.30 an hour, lives one block from a heavily
picketed gate at the Cat complex. Now he's applying to
replace one of 12,600 workers who have been on strike for
the past five months. "Seventeen dollars an hour and
they don't want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't want to
take another guy's job, but I'm hurting,
too."
Fæst
Dæncing
Næncy
We
plan to have a dance on the last Saturday in
January. It's the last chance for a dance. We
practice at a dance class with Max and Nancy.
Max dances fast, but Nancy dances best. We
are happy about the dance, but Max is sad
that Sally can't dance. Her ankle is in a
cast!
Päul's Täll Däughter
Tom
watches Paul's tall daughter play
softball and volleyball. Paul's
daughter is called Molly. Molly starts
playing softball in March and ends in August. She
plays volleyball in October. Tom is Molly's
godfather. They have a lot in common. Tom
bought Molly a ball. When Molly saw the
ball, she tossed it in the air. "Thanks a lot,
Tom!"
162
S'nday 'n
M'nday
Monday
is such a wonderful day. But Sunday is
much more wonderful than Monday! We have so
much fun on Sunday, and we must run on
Monday. What trouble ... Doug must run
on Sunday and
Monday.
Doug has no fun.
paternal
pattern
critique
critic
1. Tell
Tina's tailor to take two tucks in the
top of Tim's trousers tomorrow.
2. We try
and try, but Todd still tells us to
try harder.
3. Terry had
a tingling in her toes until the doctor
took her temperature.
1. |
What a
totally naughty little daughter! |
[wәdә
toudәlee nädee liddle dädr] |
2. |
Matty
got a little cottage in the city. |
[mædee
gädә liddle cäd'j in th' siddee] |
3. |
Letty
bought a lot of bottles for Katie. |
[lεdee
bädә
lädә
bädlz
fr keidee] |
1. |
Matt got
to put Jim's pet rat back in the cage. |
[mæ(t)gä(t)t'
pü(t)
jimz pe(t)ræ(t)bæck
in th' keij] |
2. |
Pat set
the date with Kate. |
[pæ(t)se(t)th'
dei(t)with
kei(t)] |
3. |
It's not
what they went for. |
[its
nä(t)wә(t) they
wen(t)
for] |
1. |
Whitney
saw lightning on the mountain. |
[wi(t)nee sä
li(t)ning
än the mæon(t)n] |
2. |
He was
certainly a frightening accountant. |
[he w'z
sr(t)nlee(y)әfri(t)ning
әkæon(t)n(t)] |
3. |
That was
a rotten way to shorten the curtain! |
[thæt
w'z'rä(t)n
weid' shor(t)n
th' kr(t)n] |
1. |
We had
twenty interviews on May 22. |
[we hæd
twenny innerviewzän may twenny sek'nt] |
2. |
They
don't even want a percentage. |
[they
doe neev'n wänә prsen'j] |
3. |
We took
advantage of the interruption. |
[we
tükәd væn'j'v the(y)innerәpshәn] |
1. |
But he
said that it's OK. |
[bәdee sed thәdit sou
kei] |
2. |
It's not
what you want, but it's what you get. |
[its nät
wәchew wänt, bәdits wәchew
get] |
3. |
What a
way to get what he wants! |
[wәdә
weidә get wәdee wänts] |
paw |
pod |
pot |
bah |
bawd |
bought |
par |
pard |
part |
bar |
bard |
Bart |
pall |
palled |
palt |
ball |
balled |
Balt |
Beginning |
Middle |
|
|
End |
|
| ||||
lab |
nab |
tab |
dab |
Ellie |
any |
Eddie |
bill |
bin |
bit |
bid |
lot |
not |
tot |
dot |
caller |
Conner |
cotter |
sill |
sin |
sit |
sid |
lie |
night |
tie |
die |
alley |
Annie's |
at
ease |
bowl |
bone |
boat |
bode |
163
1 bill |
2 bull
3
pool
4
bail | ||||||
|
bi-ә-lә |
|
bü-ә-lә |
|
pū-(w)ә-lә |
|
bay-(y)ә-lә |
5 |
bell |
6 |
peel |
7 |
Buell |
8 |
pearl |
|
bε-ә-lә |
|
pee-(y)ә-lә |
|
byū-(w)ә-lә |
|
pr-rә-lә |
1 |
bill |
2 |
bull |
3 |
pool |
4 |
bail |
|
bi-әlll |
|
bü-әlll |
|
pū-(w)әlll |
|
bay-(y)әlll |
5 |
bell |
6 |
peel |
7 |
Buell |
8 |
pearl |
|
bε-әlll |
|
pee-(y)әlll |
|
byū-(w)әlll |
|
pr-iәlll |
1
call him
[cällim]
2
visible
[vizәbәlә]
1. |
would |
could |
should |
2. |
chalk |
talk |
walk |
3. |
already |
always |
almost |
Let
Larry's little lily leaves fall off.
Bill
still calls Ellie all the time. He'll
really be glad when she calls back, but it may be a
while. He slowly dials the telephone for the
twelfth time. Trill,
trill, trill. No luck.
Well, Ellie will feel ill when Bill is in the
hospital He might fall from the windowsill. "Ellie?
Hello! Are you well?" Saved by the bell!
|
üll |
ell |
æwl |
ell |
ale |
oll |
eel |
dl |
1. |
bull |
ball |
bowel |
bell |
bale |
bowl |
Beal |
bottle |
2. |
pull |
pall |
Powell |
pell |
pail |
pole |
peel |
poodle |
3. |
full |
fall |
foul |
fell |
fail |
foal |
feel |
fetal |
I'd
rather have a frontal lobotamy than a bottle in front of me,
chortled the gentle little man, or was it the little
gentleman? But anyway, it'll take a battle to test his
mettle. What'll he do to get a handle on the whole kit and
caboodle? I don't want to meddle, but what if he flies off the
handle again? Out of luck, that's what!
Repeat the
paragraph from Review Exercise 1-55 as quickly as possible.
Repeat the
paragraph from Review Exercise 1-55 along with me.
[g], [gr],
Greg, grin, grand, gray, cray, care, core, corner, curl, girl, urban, her, earn,
earth, world, were, word
164
|
är |
εr |
or |
eer |
er |
1 |
[ä] + [er] |
[ε] +
[әr] |
[o] + [әr] |
[e] +
[әr] |
[әr] +
[әr] |
2 |
[hä•әrd] |
[shε•әr] |
[mo•әr] |
[he•әr] |
[wәr•әr] |
3 |
hard |
share |
more |
here |
were |
1. |
were |
[wәr•әr] |
3. |
world/whirled |
[were
rolled] |
5. |
where/wear |
[wεәr] |
2. |
word |
[wәr•әrd] |
4. |
wore/war |
[woәr] |
|
|
|
embarrass |
character |
any |
vocabulary |
said |
paragraph |
Paris |
necessary |
says |
parallel |
guarantee |
area |
|
әr |
är |
εr |
or |
eer |
æwr |
1. |
earn |
art |
air |
or |
ear |
hour |
2. |
hurt |
heart |
hair |
horse |
here |
how're |
3. |
were |
far |
where |
wore |
we're |
power |
Roy's car
will arrive around three in the
afternoon. Gary will rest before they
ride around the ranch together in
the Ford. Gary's a grape grower in
Northern California, and Roy's a
rancher in Southern California. They
were friends in Paris at the
Sorbonne for four years. Roy
and Gary had an orange grove and an apple
orchard in Barstow, but the oranges
were horrible and the apple trees
were worse. They roamed around
Europe for several years until Gary's
marriage. He married Sarah in Bakersfield
and had four children: Rachel, Rudy,
Randy, and Harry. Harry was a fairly
rude boy and he created rather a lot of
trouble between Gary and Sarah. Gary
ordered Harry to shape up or
forget working in the yard for
extra money. Harry said he was sorry and the
group became friends again. After a long
separation, Gary heard from his
friend, Roy. Roy was driving through
Fresno and wanted to get together with Gary's
family. Everyone gathered around the
fireplace to wait for Gary's old friend.
Gary, Sarah, Rachel, Rudy, Randy, and
Harry are sitting in a row near the
garage. Roy's car will arrive
around three in the afternoon.
|
Descriptive
Phrase |
Modified
Description |
1. |
It's a
black cat. |
It's a
dark black cat. |
2. |
It's a
scrambled egg. |
It's a
totally scrambled egg. |
3. |
It's a
fast car. |
It's a
really fast car. |
|
Set
Phrase |
Modified
Set Phrase |
1. |
It's a
wildcat. |
It's a
fierce wildcat. |
2. |
It's an
egg timer. |
It's a
plastic egg timer. |
3. |
It's a
car crash. |
It's a
catastrophic car crash. |
|
Two-Word
Set Phrase |
Three-Word
Set Phrase |
1. |
It's a
wildcat. |
It's a
wildcat preserve. |
2. |
It's an
egg timer. |
It's an
egg timer bell. |
3. |
It's a
car crash. |
It's a
car crash report. |
165
Modified
Description |
Modified
Set Phrase |
Three-Word
Set Phrase | |
1. |
a
dark black cat |
a
fierce wildcat |
a
wildcat preserve |
2. |
a
totally scrambled egg |
a
plastic egg timer |
an
egg timer bell |
3. |
a
really fast car |
a
catastrophic car crash |
a
car crash report |
|
Modified
Set Phrase |
Remodified
Set Phrase |
1. |
It's a fierce
wildcat. |
It's an
astonishingly fierce wildcat. |
2. |
It's a plastic
egg timer. |
It's an
old plastic egg timer. |
3. |
It's a
catastrophic car crash. |
It's a
truly catastrophic car crash. |
1. |
How old
is she? |
2. |
How long has it
been? |
3. |
How old
is she? |
|
She's
thirteen. [thirtéen] |
|
Thirteen yéars. |
|
She's
thirteen years old. |
|
She's
thirty, [thírdy] |
|
Thirty
years. |
|
She's
thirty years old. |
Three-Word
Set Phrase |
Modified
Three-Word Set Phrase | |
1. |
It's a wildcat
preserve. |
It's a new
wildcat preserve. |
2. |
It's an egg
timer bell. |
It's a loud egg
timer bell. |
3. |
It's a car crash
report. |
It's a graphic
car crash report. |
A tired
young
hiker was striding through the thick, dark forest when he came
upon a gnarled old crone standing before a small stone
hut in a sunny little clearing. "My poor old
stomach is really very empty," he thought. "I hope this old
landlady can spare a little food." Sensing what he was about to
say, she snapped, "No! I have barely enough for myself!"
"My good woman," he said, "On the contrary! I'd like to cook you a
sumptuously rich dinner...of rock soup!" She was
naturally very suspicious, but she let him in. He boiled
some clear, fresh water, added three clean rocks,
and hung the dented old kettle in the old fireplace. He
tasted the mysterious liquid concoction. "This is truly
delicious," he declared, "but it would be so much better
with just one little vegetable." She begrudgingly gave him a
small limp carrot and two dry onions. "Yum," he said
happily. "But if only ..." Bit by bit, he cajoled the lonely
housewife into making a savory stewpot. The two of them sat
down, smiled at each other, and enjoyed a fabulous dinner
together.
1. |
It's a
house. |
6. |
It's a
lighthouse. |
2. |
It's
old. |
7. |
It's an old
lighthouse. |
3. |
It's
really old. |
8. |
It's a
really old lighthouse. |
4. |
It's an old
house. |
9. |
He's a
lighthouse keeper. |
5. |
It's a
really old house. |
10. |
He's an
old lighthouse keeper. |
|
|
11. |
He's a
really old lighthouse keeper. |
This is the
thing that they told them about this
Thursday. This thing or that thing? This
thing. Actually, there are two of them. Both of
these things were with the three other
things there in the theater. They're
worth three thousand dollars. Ruth and her
mother think that they are worth more
than that, though, unless they break, and
then they are worthless. Altogether worthless
to them. That would bother Ruth's brother, mother and
father on their birthday, the thirtieth of
this month. Ruth, Ethel, and Beth have a rule
of thumb about birthdays, which is to stay together,
through thick and thin, whether it's worth it
or not. And that's the thing.
166
Noun |
Verb |
Noun Bob Studies
English |
Pronoun
| Verb | Noun - He studies English | ||
|
|
| ||
|
Rule
A:
Descriptive Phrases |
|
| |
|
pretty
good |
a good
shot |
|
a
pretty good shot |
|
really
long |
a long
talk |
|
really very
long |
|
fairly
rubbery |
a rubber
hose |
|
a
long rubber hose |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rule
B:
Compound Nouns |
|
| |
|
a
snapshot |
|
|
a
snapshot collection |
|
a
talkshow |
|
|
a
talkshow host |
|
a
rubber band |
|
|
a
rubber band box |
|
|
|
|
|
|
a good
snapshot |
|
|
a good
snapshot collection |
|
a funny
talkshow |
|
|
a funny
talkshow host |
|
a cheap
rubber band |
|
|
a cheap
rubber band box |
|
|
|
|
|
|
a
really good snapshot |
|
a
really good snapshot collection | |
|
a
super funny talkshow |
|
a
super funny talkshow host | |
|
a
very cheap rubber band |
|
a
very cheap rubber band box | |
|
|
|
| |
|
Rule C:
Descriptive Phrases with Sentence Balance | |||
|
The
Great Wall |
|
pretty
good | |
|
The
Great Wall of China |
|
a pretty
good shot | |
|
|
|
| |
|
seventeen |
|
|
fourteen |
|
seventeen
dollars |
fourteen
years | ||
|
seventeen
dollars an hour |
fourteen
years old | ||
|
seventeen
dollars and ten cents an hour |
fourteen and
a half years old | ||
Rule 2: Old Information |
|
| ||
Pronoun
| Verb | Pronoun - He studies it |
Noun |
Verb | Pronoun | Bob studies it | |||
Rule 3: Contrast |
|
|
| |
We need
a red pen (new
information) |
We need
a red pen (not a
blue one) |
I
should go jogging. (new
info)—I should
go jogging ... (opinion
indicating the opposite) pretty good
(new
info)—pretty
good (just OK);
I think so
(confident)—I
think so (not
sure)
Rule 5: Negation (Can't) | |||||
I can do
it. |
[I k'n
do it] |
(positive) |
I can do
it. |
[I
kææn do it] |
(extra
positive) |
I can't
do it. |
[I
kæn(t)do
it] |
(negative) |
I can't
do it. |
[I
kæn(t) do
it] |
(extra
negative) |
|
u |
ü |
u |
ü |
|
soon |
book |
Luke |
look |
|
cooed |
could |
wooed |
would |
|
shoed |
should |
tool |
took |
167
e |
i |
ü |
ә |
әr |
held |
hill |
hook |
hug |
her |
bet |
bit |
book |
but |
burn |
kept |
kiss |
could |
cut |
curt |
Tense
Vowels |
Lax
Vowels | ||
beat |
bead |
bit |
bid |
seat |
seed |
sit |
Sid |
heat |
he'd |
hit |
hid |
Tense |
Lax |
| |
1. |
even |
if |
Even if it's
raining, they'll go. |
2. |
bean |
been |
We've been
growing beans. |
3. |
deal |
dill |
You made a
deal for dill pickles. |
similar |
typical |
president |
episode |
beautiful |
ability |
animal |
chemistry |
experiment |
security |
technical |
monitor |
You
could've pushed, you could've pulled.
You should've pushed and pulled, by hook or
by crook, to take a good look at that book. It
stood a full foot tall, propped up on the
cushion at the Book Nook. Now, I'm all shook up,
sugar!
As
a rule, you and Sue Woo are truly too
cool—if only you knew how cool you two
choose to be at school or at the movies. Lou blew
his cool on Tuesday while perusing the newspaper for
the truth about who flew the coop from the boot
camp, including the lieutenant. Who knew the
truth?
P |
B |
F |
V |
W |
Perry |
berry |
fairy |
very |
wary |
pat |
bat |
fat |
vat |
wax |
Paul |
ball |
fall |
vault |
wall |
1. Peter picked a peck
of pickled peppers.
2. It's
important to provide perfect principles for
young people.
3. Hopscotch,
lollipops, hoolahoops, and popsicles
keep a little nipper happy.
4. Laptop computers
put payroll, payables, and spreadsheets at our
fingertips.
5. It's impossible to predict
population patterns.
168
1. |
Betty
bought a bit of better butter. |
1. |
What
were the women doing in the woods? |
2. |
Ben
believes Bill broke Bob's
box. |
2. |
How
would I know? |
3. |
Billions
of bagels are being baked in
Brooklyn. |
3. |
When
was Willy's worst weekend? |
4. |
Babies
babble and blow bubbles. |
4. |
Why
would we wear warm wool? |
5. |
Bananas
come from Cuba. |
5. |
Where
were we when we woke up? |
1. |
Fred
forgot to fry fish on Friday. |
1. |
It's
evident that Vera was very
valuable. |
2. |
Few
friends fail to fight. |
2. |
Cliff
Claven was available for every
version. |
3. |
Freedom
fighters fight for freedom. |
3. |
The navy
revoked his visa for obvious reasons. |
4. |
Only a
fool feeds fugu to friends. |
4. |
Beavers
give the environment very valuable
dams. |
5. |
Feel free
to laugh if it's funny. |
5. |
Caves
leave me cold, but I love to dive. |
s |
z |
s |
z |
ice |
eyes |
dust |
does |
ace |
A's |
race |
rays |
fleece |
fleas |
muscle |
muzzle |
It's so
silly to see Sally sell seashells at the
seashore. Sally and her sister, Sue, can
sell seventy-six apiece every Saturday and
Sunday in August and September, but their price
must decrease or their sales will sink.
Fuzzy
Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy
wasn't fuzzy, was he!
|
æ |
æo |
ä |
i |
a |
e |
u |
ou |
1. |
ask |
out |
ought |
I'm |
ape |
eel |
oops |
own |
2. |
bake |
about |
boss |
bike |
bathe |
bean |
boost |
both |
3. |
camp |
cow |
cough |
kind |
case |
keep |
coop |
code |
e |
i |
ü |
ә |
әr |
wed |
which |
would |
what |
work |
bet |
bit |
book |
but |
burn |
kept |
kiss |
could |
cut |
curt |
invendә
1. The wily old
lighthouse keepers invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme once a season.
invenәdә
2. The wily old
lighthouse keepers invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme last year.
zәrinvending
3. The wily old lighthouse
keepers're inventing a highly lucrative money-laundering scheme
again.
zәlinvendә
4. The wily old
lighthouse keepers'll invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme if they aren't afraid of being caught and sent to
prison.
zәdinvendә
5. The wily old
lighthouse keepers'd invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme if they weren't afraid of being caught and sent
to prison.
zәdәvinvenәdә
6. The wily old
lighthouse keepers'd've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme if they hadn't been afraid of being caught and
sent to prison.
zәdәvinvenәdә
7. The wily old
lighthouse keepers thaťve invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme are languishing in Club Fed at the
moment.
169
zәvinvenәdә
8. The wily old
lighthouse keepers've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme for the tenth year in a row.
zәdinvenәdә
9. The wily old
lighthouse keepers had invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme long before multilevel marketing became
popular.
zәlәvinvenәdә
10. The wily old
lighthouse keepers'll've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme by the time they get back from checking their
off-shore bank accounts.
zädә
invends
11. The wily old
lighthouse keepers ought to invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme to handle the overflow cash from their many
nefarious enterprises.
shüdin
vendә
12. The wily old
lighthouse keepers should invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme to stash their ill-gotten gains.
shüdn•nin
vendә
13. The wily old
lighthouse keepers shouldn't invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme in this anti-crime climate.
shüdә
vinvendә
14. The wily old
lighthouse keepers should've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme while they were in the witness protection
plan.
shüdn•nәvin
venedә
15. The wily old
lighthouse keepers shouldn't've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme while they were being monitored by the
FBI.
cüdin
vendә
16. The wily old
lighthouse keepers could invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme once a year for a hundred years and never run out
of ideas.
cüdn•nin
vendә
17. The wily old
lighthouse keepers couldn't invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme even if their lives depended on it.
cüdә
vinvenәdә
18. The wily old
lighthouse keepers could've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme if they'd had a laptop and a bank
account.
cüdn*nәvin venәd
suchә
19. Even those wily old
lighthouse keepers couldn't've invented such a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme without outside help.
mydin
vendә
20. The wily old
lighthouse keepers might invent a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme unless they're kept under house
arrest.
mydәvin
vendәdә
21. The wily old
lighthouse keepers might've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme while they were waiting for trial.
mәssdin
vendә
22. The
wily old lighthouse keepers must invent a lot of highly
lucrative money-laundering schemes.
mәssdәvin
vendәdә
23. The wily old
lighthouse keepers must've invented a highly lucrative
money-laundering scheme while they were out on parole.
cәnin
vent
24. The wily old
lighthouse keepers can invent hundreds of highly lucrative
money-laundering schemes.
170
kændin
vendεnee
25. The wily old
lighthouse keepers can't invent any more highly lucrative
money-laundering schemes.
Review
Exercise 11-8: Your Own Compound Nouns
On a separate piece
of paper, build up your own compound nouns, both subject and object, as on page
140.
Review
Exercise 11-9: Your Own Compound Nouns and Complex Verbs
On a separate piece
of paper, write out your own sentences as on page 141.
Initial |
Middle |
Final | ||||
m/b |
more |
bore |
summing |
subbing |
jam |
jab |
n/d |
nine |
dine |
Anna |
adder |
pawn |
pod |
ng/g |
bring
each |
geese |
singer |
cigar |
ring |
rig |
M |
N |
NG |
rumә |
runә |
rungә |
some |
son |
sung |
hum |
hun |
hung |
Some
young men wanted to fling a ring
along the rim of the fountain, but we told
them to clam up and clear. up their game. One
was a well-mannered young man with the
name Dan Wang. He said, "Yes,
ma'am."
|
Initial |
Middle |
Final |
h |
how |
rehire |
|
k |
cow |
accent |
sink |
g |
go |
regard |
drag |
ng |
bring
in |
thanks |
sing |
r |
row |
mirror |
car |
[ks] |
|
[gz] |
|
excite |
[εksäit] |
example |
[әgzæmpәl] |
extra |
[εkstrә] |
exactly |
[әgzæklee] |
except |
[әksεpt] |
examine |
[әgzæmәn] |
excellent |
[εksәlәnt] |
exit |
[εgzit] |
Dr.
Baxter's exact experience was
such that when the good doctor traveled to
the Sahara, he inhaled the arid air,
picked up his still packed bags, and headed
for the bar. It was time to examine the sorry
situation, which was exactly the case with Dr.
Igor Baxter, an English
historian with a peg leg and a unquenchable
thirst for Mexican rum. Baxter
had had a pair of strange experiences
in the area, but he was still game to accomplish
his goal in the exiled purgatory of the
great, dry Sahara. When he saw that
his patients were to be camels, however,
he packed up and took off for green
England, without a single pang of
regret.
171
No matter what
language you speak, you will have different sounds and rhythms from a native
speaker of American English. These Nationality Guides will give you a head start
on what to listen for in American English from the perspective of your own
native language. In order to specifically identify what you need to work on,
this section can be used in conjunction with the diagnostic analysis.
The
analysis provides an objective rendering of the sounds and rhythms based on
how you currently speak, as well as specific guidelines for how to standardize
your English; call (800) 457-4255 for a private consultation.
Each section will
cover intonation, word connections,
word endings, pronunciation, location of the language in the mouth,
as
well as particular difficulties to work through, and solutions to common
misperceptions.
Most adult students
rely too heavily on spelling. It's now your job to listen for pure sound, and
reconcile that to spelling—not the other way around. This is the same path that
a native speaker follows.
As you become familiar
with the major characteristics and tendencies in American English, you will
start using that information in your everyday speech. One of the goals of the
diagnostic analysis is to show you what you already know, so you can use the
information and skills in English as transfer skills,
rather than newly learned skills.
You
will learn more readily, more quickly, and more pleasantly—and you will
retain the information and use the accent with less resistance.
Read all the
nationality guides—you never know when you'll pick up something useful for
yourself. Although each nationality is addressed individually, there are certain
aspects of American English thaťre difficult for everyone, in this
order:
1. Pitch changes and meaning shifts
of intonation
2. Regressive vocalization with a
final voiced consonant (bit/bid)
3. Liaisons
4. R&L
5. æ ä ә (including the æo in ow)
6. Tense & lax vowels (i/ē and
ü/ū)
7. Th
8. B&V&W
Ideally, you would
have learned intonation before you learned grammar, but since that didn't
happen, you can now incorporate the intonation into the grammar that you
already know. When you first start listening for intonation, it sounds
completely random. It shifts all around even when you use the same words. So,
where should you start? In basic sentences with a noun-verb-noun pattern, the nouns are
usually stressed. Why? Because nouns carry the new information. Naturally,
contrast can alter this, but noun stress is the default. Listen to native
speakers and you will hear that their pitch goes up on the noun most of the
time.
You will, however,
also hear verbs stressed. When? The verb is stressed when you replace a noun
with a pronoun. Because nouns are new information
and
pronouns are old
information—and we don't stress old
information—the intonation shifts over to the verb. Intonation is the most
important part of your accent. Focus on this, and everything else will fall into
place with it.
• Intonation
• Liaisons
• Word
endings
•
Pronunciation
• Location in the
mouth
• Particular
difficulties
Nouns generally
indicate new information and are stressed.
Pronouns
indicate old
information and are unstressed.
172
In English, a pitch
change indicates the speaker's intention. In Chinese, a pitch change indicates a
different word.
The four "ma" tones
of Mandarin Chinese
1. Say the four
ma's.
2. Write them out with the appropriate
arrows.
3. Replace the
stressed word in a sentence with each of the four ma's.
4. Decide which one
sounds best.
5. Put the stressed
word back in the sentence, keeping the tone.
There are several
immediately evident characteristics of a Chinese accent. The most notable is the
lack of speech music, or the musical intonation of English. This is a problem
because, in the English language, intonation indicates meaning, new
information, contrast, or emotion. Another aspect of speech music is
phrasing, which tells if it is a
statement, a question, a yes/no option, a list of items, or where the speaker is
in the sentence (introductory phrase, end of the sentence, etc.). In Chinese,
however, a change in tone indicates a different vocabulary word.
In English, Chinese
speakers have a tendency to increase the volume on stressed words, but
otherwise give equal value to each word. This atonal volume-increase will sound
aggressive, angry, or abrupt to a native speaker. When this is added to the
tendency to lop off the end of each word, and almost no word connections at
all, the result ranges from choppy to unintelligible.
In spite of this
unpromising beginning, Chinese students have a tremendous advantage. Here is an
amazingly effective technique that radically changes how you sound. Given the
highly developed tonal qualities of the Chinese language, you are truly a "pitch
master." In order for you to appreciate your strength in this area, try the four
ma
tones
of Mandarin Chinese. (Cantonese is a little more difficult since it has
eight to twelve tones and people aren't as familiar with the
differentiation.) These four tones sound identical to Americans —
ma,
ma, ma, ma.
Take the first
sentence in Exercise 1 -5 It sounds like rain
and replace rain with ma1. Say It sounds like ma
1. This will sound strangely flat,
so then try It sounds like
ma2. This isn't it either, so go on to
It
sounds like ma3 and It sounds like
ma4. One of the last two will sound
pretty good, usually ma3. You may need to come
up with a combination of ma3 and ma4, but once you have the
idea of what to listen for, it's really easy. When you have that part clear, put
rain
back
in the sentence, keeping the tone:
It sounds like
ma3. It sounds like
rain3.
If it sounds a little
short (It sounds like ren), double
the sound:
When this exercise is
successful, go to the second sentence, It sounds like rain
and
do the same thing:
It ma3 like rain. It
sounds3 like rain. Then,
contrast the two:
It sounds like
rain3. It sounds3 like rain.
From this point on,
you only need to periodically listen for the appropriate ma, substituting it in
for words or syllables. You don't even need to use the rubber band since your
tonal sophistication is so high.
173
The main point of this
exercise is to get you listening for the tone shifts in English, which are very
similar to the tone shifts in Chinese. The main difference is that Americans use
them to indicate stress, whereas in Chinese, they are fully different words when
the tone changes.
A simple way to
practice intonation is with the sound that American children use when they
make a mistake—uh-oh. This quick note shift
is completely typical of the pattern, and once you have mastered this double
note, you can go on to more complex patterns. Because Chinese grammar is fairly
similar to English grammar, you don't have to worry too much about word
order.
Liaisons
All of the advantages
that you have from intonation are more than
counterbalanced by your lack of word connections.
The
reason for this is that Chinese characters (words or parts of words) start
with consonants and end with either a vowel or a nasalized consonant,
n
or
ng.
There
is no such thing as a final t, l, or b in Chinese. To use an
example we've all heard of, Mao Tse
Tung. This leads to several
difficulties:
● No
word endings
● No
word connections
● No
distinction between final voiced or unvoiced consonants.
It takes time and a
great deal of concentration, but the lack of word endings and word connections
can be remedied. Rather than force the issue of adding on sounds that will be
uncomfortable for you, which will result in overpronunciation, go with your
strengths — notice how in speech, but not
spelling, Americans end their
words with vowel sounds and start them with consonants, just as in Chinese! It's
really a question of rewriting the English script in your head that you read
from when you speak.
Liaisons
or
word
connections will force the final syllable to
be pronounced by pushing it over to the beginning of the next word, where
Chinese speakers have no trouble — not even with l.
Written
English |
Chinese
Accent |
American (with
Liaisons) |
Tell
him |
teo
him |
tellim |
Pull it
out |
puw ih
aw |
pü li
dout |
Because you are now
using a natural and comfortable technique, you will sound smooth and fluid when
you speak, instead of that forced, exaggerated speech of people who are doing
what they consider unnatural. It takes a lot of correction to get this process
to sink in, but it's well worth the effort. Periodically, when you speak, write
down the exact sounds that you made, then write it in regular spelling, so you
can see the Chinese accent and the effect
it has on meaning (puw ih aw has no meaning in
English). Then convert the written English to spoken American (pull it out
changes to pü li dout)
to
help yourself rewrite your English script.
When you don't use
liaisons, you also lose the underlying hum that connects sentences
together. This coassonance is like the highway
and the words are the cars that carry the listener along.
The last point of
intonation is that Chinese speakers don't differentiate between voiced and
unvoiced final consonants — cap and cab sound exactly the
Goal
To get you to use
your excellent tone control in English.
Chinese characters
start with consonants and end with either a vowel or a nasalized consonant
(n
or
ng).
Goal
To get you to rewrite
your English script and to speak with sound units rather than word
units.
174
same. For this, you
will need to go back to the staircase. When a final consonant is voiced, the
vowel is lengthened or doubled. When a final consonant is unvoiced, the vowel is
short or single.
Additionally, the long
a
before an m is generally shortened
to a short ε. This is why the words same and name are particularly difficult,
usually being pronounced sem and nem. You have to add in the second
half of the sound. You need nay + eem to get name.
Doubled vowels are explained on
page 3.
Goal For you to hear
the actual vowel and consonant sounds of English, rather than a Chinese
perception of them. |
Pronunciation The most
noticeable nonstandard pronunciation is the lack of final /. This can be
corrected by either liaisons, or by adding a tiny schwa after it
(luh or
lә) in order to
position your tongue correctly. This is the same solution for
n and
ng. Like most other
nationalities, Chinese students need to work on th and
r, but fortunately,
there are no special problems here. The remaining major area is [ā], [ε], and [æ], which sound the same.
Mate, met, mat
sound like met, met, met.
The [ε] is the natural
sound for the Chinese, so working from there, you need to concentrate on
Chapters 3 and 11. In the word mate, you are hearing
only the first half of the [εi] combination, so double the vowel with a
clear eet sound at the end
(even before an unvoiced final consonant). Otherwise, you will keep saying
meh-eht or
may-eht. | |
|
a |
It frequently
helps to know exactly how something would look in your own language — and
in Chinese, this entails characters. The characters on the left are the
sounds needed for a Chinese person to say both the long i
as in China
and the long
a as in
made or
same. Read the
character, and then put letters in front and in back of it so you are
reading half alphabet, half character. An m in front and a
d in back of the
first character will let you read made. A
ch in front and
na in back of the
second character will produce China. It's odd, but it
works. |
|
L |
A word that ends
in ~ail is particularly
difficult for Chinese speakers since it contains both the hard [εi]
combination and a final / (Chapter 5). It usually sounds something like
feh-o. You need to
say fail as if it had
three full syllables — fay-yә-lә. |
|
u,
v, f, w |
Another
difficulty may be u, v, f, and
w. The point to
remember here is |
fay |
that
u and
w can both be
considered vowels (i.e., they
don't touch anywhere in the mouth), whereas v and/are
consonants
(your upper teeth touch
your lower lip). m, as in
too or
use should be no
problem. Similar to m, but
with a little push of slightly rounded lips is w, as in
what or
white. The letters /
and v have basically the same sound, but / is unvoiced and v is voiced.
Your lower lip should come up a little to meet your top teeth. You are not
biting down on the outside of your lip here; the sound is created using
the inside of your lower lip. Leave your mouth in the same position and
make the two sounds, both voiced and unvoiced. Practice words such
as fairy, very,
and wary. |
175
|
There is
another small point that may affect people from southern mainland China
who use / and n
interchangeably.
This can be corrected by working with l words
and pinching the nose shut. If you are trying to say late
and it
comes out Nate,
hold
your nose closed and the air will be forced out through your
mouth. |
æ |
The
æ
sound
doesn't exist in Chinese, so it usually comes out as ä
or
ε,
so
last
sounds
like lost
or
name
sounds
like nem.
You need
to work on Chapter 3, which drills this distinctively American
vowel. |
ä |
Because
of spelling, the ä
sound
can easily be misplaced. The ä
sound
exists in Chinese, but when you see an o,
you
might want to say [o], so hot
sounds
like hoht
instead
of haht.
Remember,
most of the time, the letter o
is
pronounced ah.
This
will give you a good reference point for whenever you want to say
ä
instead
of [o]; astronomy, cäll, läng, prägress,
etc. |
o |
Conversely,
you may pronounce the letter o
as
ä
or
ә
when it
should be an o,
as in
only,
most, both. Make
sure that the American o
sounds
like ou:
ounly, moust, bouth. |
ә |
The
schwa is typically overpronounced based on spelling. Work on Chapter 1,
Intonation, and Chapter 3, Pronunciation. If your intonation peaks are
strong and clear enough, then your valleys will be sufficiently reduced as
well. Concentrate on smoothing out and reducing the valleys and
ignore
spelling! |
ü |
The [ü]
sound is generally overpronounced to ooh.
Again,
spelling is the culprit. Words such as smooth,
choose, and
too
are
spelled with 2 o's and
are pronounced with a long u
sound,
but other words such as took
and
good
are
spelled with 2 o's but
are pronounced halfway between ih
and
uh;
[tük]
and [güd]. |
i |
In most
Chinese dictionaries, the distinction between i
and
ē is not
made. The ē is generally indicated by [i:], which causes problems with
final consonants, and the i sound is overpronounced to eee.
Practice
these four sounds, remembering that tense
vowels indicate
that you tense your lips or tongue, while lax
vowels mean
that your lips and tongue are relaxed and the sound is produced in your
throat. Unvoiced
final
consonants (t, s,
k, p, ch, f) mean
that the vowel is short and sharp; voiced
final
consonants (d, z,
g, b, j, v) mean
that the vowel is doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter
8. |
r |
Chinese
speakers usually pronounce American r
as
ä
at the
end of a word (car
sounds
like kaaah)
or
almost a w
in the
beginning or middle (grow
sounds
like gwow).
The
tongue should be curled back more, and the r
produced
deep in the throat. |
th |
If you
pronounce th
as
t
or
d
(depending
if it's voiced or unvoiced), then you should allow your tongue tip to move
about a quarter of an inch forward, so the very tip is just barely between
your teeth. Then, from this position you make a sound similar to
t
or
d. |
n |
Chinese
will frequently interchange final n
and
ng.
The
solution is to add a little schwa at the end, just like you do with the
el.
This
will make the tongue position more apparent, as you can see on page
89. |
sh |
Some
people pronounce the sh
in a
particularly Chinese-sounding way. It seems that the tongue is too curled
back, which changes the sound. Make sure that the tongue is flat, the
tongue tip is just at the ridge behind the top teeth, and that only a thin
stream of air is allowed to escape. |
Final
Consonants One of the
defining characteristics of Chinese speech is that the final consonants are left
off (hold
sounds like
ho).
Whenever
possible, make a liaison with the following word. For example, hold
is difficult
to say, so try hold on = hol
dän. Pay particular
attention to Chapter 2.
t |
American
English has a peculiar characteristic in that the t
sound
is, in many cases, pronounced as a d.
Work on
Chapter 4. |
176
Chinese, like
American English, is located in the back of the
throat. The major
difference between the two languages is that English requires that the speaker
use the tongue tip
a great deal:
l,
th;
and final
t, d, n,
l.
Although
Chinese and Japanese are both Asian languages and share enormously in their
written characters, they are opposites in terms of intonation, word-endings,
pronunciation, and liaisons. Whereas the Chinese stress every word and can sound
aggressive, Japanese speakers give the impression of stressing no words and
sounding timid. Both impressions are, of course, frequently entirely at odds
with the actual meaning and intention of the words being spoken. Chinese
speakers have the advantage of knowing
that they have
a tonal language, so it is simply a question of transferring this skill to
English.
Japanese, on
the other hand, almost always insist that the Japanese language "has no
intonation". Thus, Japanese speakers in English tend to have a picket fence
intonation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | . In reality, the Japanese language
does express all kinds of information and emotion through intonation, but this
is such a prevalent myth that you may need to examine your own beliefs on the
matter. Most likely, you need to use the rubber band extensively in order to
avoid volume increases rather than on changing the pitch.
One
of the major differences between English and Japanese is that there is a fixed
word order in English—a verb grid—whereas in Japanese, you can move any
word to the head of a sentence and add a topic particle (wa
or
ga).
Following are
increasingly complex verbs with adverbs and helping verbs. Notice that the
positions are fixed and do not
change with
the additional words.
|
auxiliary |
negative |
perfect
auxiliary |
adverb |
passive |
continuous |
main verb | |||
Draw! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Draw! | ||
He
draws. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
|
He |
|
|
|
|
|
|
draws. | ||
He does
draw. |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
He |
does |
|
|
|
|
|
draw. | ||
He is
drawing. |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
He |
is |
|
|
|
|
|
drawing. | ||
He is not
drawing. |
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
He |
is |
not |
|
|
|
|
drawing. | ||
He is not
always drawing. |
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
He |
is |
not |
|
always |
|
|
drawing. | ||
He is not
always being drawn. |
|
|
|
| ||||||
|
He |
is |
not |
|
always |
being |
|
drawn. | ||
He has
not always been drawn. |
|
|
|
| ||||||
|
He |
has |
not |
|
always |
been |
|
drawn. | ||
He has
not always been being drawn. |
|
|
|
| ||||||
|
He |
has |
not |
|
always |
been |
being |
drawn. | ||
He will
not have always been being drawn. |
|
| ||||||||
|
He |
will |
not |
have |
always |
been |
being |
drawn. | ||
177
Whereas the
Chinese drop word endings, Japanese totally overpronounce them. This is because
in the katakana syllabary, there are the five vowels sounds, and then
consonant-vowel combination. In order to be successful with word connections,
you need to think only of the final consonant in a word, and connect that to the
next word in the sentence. For example, for What time is
it? instead of
Whato täimu
izu ito? connect the
two í's,
and let the other consonants move over to connect with the vowels,
w'täi mi zit?
Start with the
held t
in Chapter 4
and use that concept for the rest of the final consonants.
Written
English
The only way
to get it is to practice all of the time.
American
accent
Thee(y)only way dә
geddidiz dә præctisällәv th' time.
Japanese
accent
Zä ondee weh
tsu getto itto izu tsu pudäctees odu obu zä taimu.
æ |
The
æ
doesn't
exist in Japanese; it usually comes out as ä,
so
last
sounds
like lost.
You need
to raise the back of your tongue and drop your jaw to produce this sound.
Work on Chapter 3, which drills this distinctively American
vowel. |
ä |
The
ä
sound is
misplaced. You have the ä
sound,
but when you see an o,
you want
to say o,
so
hot
sounds
like hohto
instead
of haht.
Here's
one way to deal with it. Write the word stop
in
katakana — the four characters for su + to
+ hold + pu, so when
you read it, it sounds like stohppu.
Change
the second character from to
to to:
su + ta
+ hold + pu, it will
sound like stop.
This
will give you a good reference point for whenever you want to say
ä
instead
of o;
impossible, call, long, problem, etc. |
o |
You may
pronounce the letter o
as
ä
or
ә when it
should be an o,
as in
only,
most, both. Make
sure that the American o
sounds
like ou:
ounly, moust, bouth. This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — oi
sounds
like ou-ee. |
|
toun
tone nout
note
houm
home ounli
only
coul
coal
jouk
joke |
|
Another
way to develop clear strong vowels instead of nonstandard hybrids is to
understand the relation between the American English spelling system and
the Japanese katakana sounds. For instance, if you're having trouble with
the word hot,
say
ha,
hee, hoo, heh, hoh in
Japanese, and then go back to the first one and convert it from
ha
to
hot
by
adding the held t
(Chapter
4). Say hot
in
Japanese, atsui,
then add
an h
for
hatsui
and then
drop the -sui
part,
which will leave hot. |
ә |
The
schwa is typically overpronounced, based on spelling. Concentrate on
smoothing out and reducing the valleys and ignore
spelling! |
ü |
Distinguishing
tense and lax vowels is difficult, and you'll have to forget spelling for
ū and
ü.
They
both can be spelled with oo
or
ou,
but the
lax vowel ü
should
sound much closer to i
or
uh.
If you
say book
with a
tense vowel, it'll sound like booque.
It
should be much closer to bick
or
buck. |
i |
Similarly,
you need to distinguish between e
and
i, as in
beat
and
bit,
on page
123. Also, tone down the middle i in the multisyllabic words on page 125;
otherwise, similar
[sim'lr]
will sound like [see-mee-lär]. Most likely, you overpronounce the lax
vowel i to
eee,
so that
sit
is
mispronounced as seat.
Reduce
the lax i almost to a schwa; sit
should
sound like s't.
In most
Japanese dictionaries, the distinction between i
and
ē is not
made. Practice the four sounds — bit,
beat, bid, bead —
remembering that tense
vowels indicate
that you tense your lips or tongue, while lax
vowels mean
that your lips and tongue are relaxed and the sound is produced in your
throat. Unvoiced
final
consonants (t, s,
k, p, ch, f) mean
that the vowel is short and sharp; voiced
final
consonants (d, z,
g, b, j, v) mean
that the vowel is doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter
8. |
toun |
tone |
nout |
note |
houm |
home |
ounli |
only |
coul |
coal |
jouk |
joke |
178
|
single
double | |
tense |
beat |
bead |
lax |
bit |
bid |
|
Betty
bought a bit of |
|
I need a
lot of time. |
| |||||||
|
I
bought a bike. |
|
my
motto |
| |||||||
|
Could
he show him? |
|
meeting |
| |||||||
|
We ought
to go. |
|
I'm not
on time. |
| |||||||
|
The
Japanese r
is a
consonant. This means that it touches at some point in the mouth. Japanese
speakers usually trill their rs
(tapping the ridge behind the top teeth), which makes it sound like a
d
to the
American ear. The tongue should be curled back, and the r
produced
deep in the throat — not
touching
the top of the mouth. The Japanese pronunciation of r
is
usually just an ä
at the
end of a word (car
sounds
like caaah)
or a
flap in the beginning or middle (area
sounds
like eddy-ah) | ||||||||||
L |
Japanese
speakers often confuse the el
with
r or
d,
or drop
the schwa, leaving the sound incomplete. | ||||||||||
th |
The
th
sound is
mispronounced s or
z,
depending if it is voiced or unvoiced. | ||||||||||
v |
v is
mispronounced either as a simple bee,
or if
you have been working on it, it may be a combination such as
buwee).
You need
to differentiate between the four sounds of p/b/f/v.
The
plosives b/p
pop out;
the sibilants f/v
slide
out. b/v
are
voiced; f/p
are
unvoiced. b/v
are the
least
related
pair. The root of the problem is that you need a good, strong/first. To
the American ear, the way the Japanese say Mount
Fuji sounds
like Mount
Hooji. Push
your bottom lip up with your finger so that it is outside
your top
teeth and make a sharp popping sound. Practice these sounds: | ||||||||||
F |
V |
B |
F |
V |
B |
| |||||
fat |
vat |
bat |
ferry |
very |
berry |
| |||||
face |
vase |
base |
effort |
ever |
Ebber |
| |||||
fear |
veer |
beer |
foul |
vowel |
bowel |
| |||||
Once you have
the/in place, simply allow your vocal cords to vibrate and you will then have a
v.
|
unvoiced |
voiced |
| |
plosive |
P |
B |
| |
sibilant |
F |
V |
| |
w |
The
w
is
erroneously dropped before ü,
so
would
is
shortened to ood.
Since
you can say wa, wi,
wo with no
problem, use that as a starting point; go from waaaaa,
weeeeeeee, woooooo to
wüüüüü.
It's
more a concept problem than a physical one. | |||
n |
Japanese
will frequently interchange final n
and
ng.
Adding
the little schwa at the end will clear this up by making the tongue
position obvious, as on page 89. | |||
z |
z
at the
beginning of a word sounds like dz.
(zoo
sounds
like dzoo).
For some
reason, this is a tough one. In the syllabary, you read ta,
chi, tsu, teh, toh for
unvoiced and da, ji,
dzu, de, do for
voiced. Try going from unvoiced sssssue
to
zzzzzzzoo,
and
don't pop that d
in at
the last second. | |||
179
si
The si
combination is
mispronounced as shi,
so
six
comes out as
shicks.
Again, this is
a syllabary problem. You read the s
row as
sa, shi, su,
seh, soh. You just need
to realize that since you already know how to make a hissing s
sound, you are
capable of making it before the i
sound.
Japanese is
more forward
in the mouth
than American English, and more like Spanish except there is much
less lip
movement.
Spanish-speaking
people (bearing in mind that there are 22 Spanish-speaking countries) tend to
have strong intonation, but it's usually toward the end of a phrase or sentence.
It is very clear sometimes in Spanish that a person is taking an entire phrase
pattern and imposing it on the English words. This can create a subtle shift in
meaning, one that the speaker is completely unaware of. For example,
Spanish |
English with a
Spanish Pattern |
Standard
English Pattern |
Quiero comer
álgo. |
I want to eat
sόmething. |
I want to
éat
something. |
This is a
normal stress pattern in Spanish, but it indicates in English that either you
are willing to settle for less than usual or you are contrasting it with the
possibility of nothing.
Spanish has
five pure vowels sounds—ah, ee, ooh,
eh, oh—and
Spanish speakers consider it a point of pride that words are clearly pronounced
the way they are written. The lack of the concept of schwa or other reduced
vowels may make you overpronounce heavily in English. You'll notice that I said
the concept
of
schwa—I
think that every language has a schwa, whether it officially recognizes it or
not. The schwa is just a neutral vowel sound in an unstressed word and at some
point in quick speech in any language, vowels are going to be
neutralized.
In
Spanish, there are strong liaisons —
el hombre
sounds like
eh lombre,
but you'll
probably need to rewrite a couple of sentences in order to get away from
word-by-word pronunciation. Because consonant clusters in Spanish start with an
epsilon sound (español
for
Spanish,
especial for
special),
this habit
carries over into English. Rewriting expressions to accommodate the difference
will help enormously.
With
Epsilon |
Rewritten |
With
Epsilon |
Rewritten |
I
estudy |
ice
tudy |
excellent
espeech |
excellence
peech |
in
espanish |
ince
panish |
my
especialty |
mice
pecialty |
their
eschool |
theirss
cool |
her
espelling |
herss
pelling |
In
Spanish, words end in a vowel (o
or
a),
or the
consonants n,
s, r, l, d.
Some people
switch n
and
ng (I käng
hear you) for either
I
can hear you
or /
can't hear
you. Another
consequence is that final consonants can get dropped in English, as in
short
(shor)
or friend
(fren).
With most
Spanish speakers, the s
is almost
always unvoiced, r
is trilled,
l is
too short and lacks a schwa, d
sounds like a
voiced th,
and
b
and
v
are
interchangeable. Spanish speakers also substitute the ä
sound
whenever the letter a
appears, most
often for œ, ä and
ә.
Bear in mind that there are six different pronunciations for the letter
a
as on page
142. Knowing these simple facts will help you isolate and work through your
difficulties.
180
In
Spanish, an s
always sounds like an s.
(In some
countries, it may be slightly voiced before a voiced consonant such as in
mismo.)
In English, a
final ~s
sounds like
z
when it
follows a voiced consonant or a vowel (raise
[raz],
runs
[rәnz]). The
most common verbs in English end in the z sound—is, was,
does, has, etc. Double
the preceding vowel and allow your vocal cords to vibrate.
Beri
bara bira |
Betty
bought a bit of |
ai nira
lara taim |
I need a
lot of time. |
Ai!
Caracol! |
I
caught a cold. |
mai
marou |
my
motto |
Curi
du it? |
Could
he do it? |
mirin |
meeting |
ui ara
gou |
We ought
to go. |
aim
naran taim |
I'm not
on time. |
In
Spanish, r
is a
consonant. This means that it touches at some point in the mouth. Spanish
speakers usually roll their rs (touching the ridge behind the top teeth), which
makes it sound like a d
to the
American ear. The tongue should be curled back, and the r
produced deep
in the throat—not
touching the
top of the mouth. The Spanish pronunciation of r
is usually the
written vowel and a flap r
at the end of
a word (feeler
is pronounced
like feelehd)
or a flap in
the beginning or middle (throw
sounds like
tdoh).
In English,
the pronunciation of r
doesn't change
if it's spelled r
or
rr.
You
may have found yourself wondering how to pronounce asked
or
hoped;
if you came up
with as-ked
or
ho-ped,
you made a
logical and common mistake. There are three ways to pronounce the
-ed
ending in
English, depending what the previous letter is. If it's voiced, -ed
sounds like
d: played
[pleid]. If
it's unvoiced, -ed
sounds like
t: laughed
[læft]. If the
word ends in t
or
d, -ed
sounds like
әd: patted
[pædәd].
The
t
at the end of
a word should not be heavily aspirated. Let your tongue go to the
t
position, and
then just stop. It should sound like [hät],
not [hä], or [häch], or [häts].
The
Spanish d
in the middle
and final positions is a fricative d (coda
and
sed).
If you are
having trouble with the English th,
substitute in
a Spanish d.
First,
contrast cara
and
cada
in Spanish,
and then note the similarities between cam
and
caught a,
and
cada
and father, cada
father
beid
bathe
The
letters z
and c
in most
Spanish-speaking countries sound like s
in English
(not in Andalusia, however). The z
and c
from Spain, on
the other hand, is equivalent to the American unvoiced th.
When you want
to say both
in English,
say bouz
with an accent
from Spain.
bouz
both
gracias
grathias
uiz
with
In
most Spanish-speaking countries, the y
and ll
sounds are equivalent to the American y,
as in yes
or in liaisons
such as the(y)other
one.
Jes,
I jelled at jou jesterday can be heard in
some countries such as Argentina.
hielo yellow (not jello)
ies yes
iu
you
Because of
spelling, the ä
sound can
easily be misplaced. The ä
sound exists
in Spanish, but it is represented with the letter a.
When you see
the letter o,
you pronounce
it [o], so hot
sounds like
hoht
instead of
haht.
Remember, most
of the time, the letter o
is pronounced
ah.
You can take a
sound that already exists
181
|
in Spanish, such
as jaat (whether it
means anything or not) and say it with your native accent —
jaat with a Spanish
accent more or less equals hot in English.This
will give you a good reference point for whenever you want to say
ä
instead of o; astronomy,
call, long, progress, etc. Focus on Chapter 3,
differentiating æ, ä, ә. | ||||||
|
jaat |
hot |
caal |
call |
saa |
saw |
|
You may pronounce the
letter o as ä or ә when it really should
be an o, as in only, most, both.
Make
sure that the American o sounds like [ou], ounly, moust, bouth.
This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — oi sounds like ou-ee.
Ounli
only joup hope nout note
æ |
The
æ sound doesn't
exist in Spanish, so it usually comes out as ä,
so last
sounds like lost.
You need to work on Chapter
3, which drills this distinctively American vowel. |
ә |
The schwa is
typically overpronounced, based on spelling. Work on Chapter 1 Intonation
and Chapter 3 Pronunciation. If your intonation peaks are strong and clear
enough, then your valleys will be sufficiently reduced as well.
Concentrate on smoothing out and reducing the valleys and ignore
spelling! |
ü |
The [ü] sound is
generally overpronounced to ooh. Again, spelling
is the culprit. Words such as smooth, choose
and too
are spelled with two
o's and are
pronounced with a long u sound, but other
words such as took and
good are spelled with
two o's but are
pronounced halfway between ih and
uh; [tük] and
[güd]. |
i |
Spanish speakers
overpronounce the lax vowel i to
eee, so
sit comes out as
seat. In most Spanish
dictionaries, the distinction between i and
ē is not made.
Practice the four sounds — bit, beat, bid, bead — remembering that
tense vowels
indicate that you tense
your lips or tongue, while lax vowels
mean that your lips and
tongue are relaxed and the sound is produced in your throat.
Unvoiced final consonants
(t, s, k, p, ch, f)
mean that the vowel is
short and sharp; voiced final consonants
(d, z, g, b, j, v)
mean that the vowel is
doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter 8. Reduce the soft
[i] to a schwa; sit should sound
like s't. |
|
single |
double |
tense |
beat |
bead |
lax |
bit |
bid |
|
Also, watch out
for cognates such as similar, pronounced
[see-mee-lär] in Spanish, and [si•m'•lr] in American English. Many of them
appear in the Middle "I" List on page 125. |
| ||||||
l |
The Spanish
l lacks a schwa,
leaving the sound short and incomplete to the American ear. Contrast
similar words in the two languages and notice the differences. |
| ||||||
|
|
| ||||||
v |
A Spanish
speaker usually pronounces v and
b the same
(I have trouble
with my bowels instead of I have trouble
with my vowels).
You need to differentiate
between the four sounds of p/b/f/v. The plosives
b/p pop out; the
sibilants f/v slide out.
b/v are voiced;
f/p are unvoiced,
b/v are the
least related pair.
Push your bottom lip up with your finger so that it is outside
your top teeth and make a
sharp popping sound. Practice these sounds: |
182
F |
V |
B |
F |
V |
B |
fat |
vat |
bat |
ferry |
very |
berry |
face |
vase |
base |
effort |
ever |
Ebber |
fear |
veer |
beer |
foul |
vowel |
bowel |
Once you have the/in
place, simply allow your vocal cords to vibrate and you will then have a
v.
|
unvoiced |
voiced |
| |
plosive |
P |
B |
| |
sibilant |
F |
V |
| |
n |
The final
n is often
mispronounced ng —
meng rather than
men. Put a tiny schwa
at the end to finish off the n, menə, as explained
on page 89. | |||
w |
The
w sound in Spanish
can sound like a gw (I gwould do it).
You need to practice
g in the throat
and rounding your lips for w. You can also
substitute in a Spanish u, as in
will [uil]. | |||
h |
The Spanish
h is silent, as in
hombre, but Spanish
speakers often use a stronger fricative than Americans would. The American
h is equivalent to
the Spanish j, but the air
coming out shouldn't pass through a constricted throat — it's like you're
steaming a mirror — hat, he, his, her, whole,
hen, etc. In some
Spanish-speaking countries, they is fricative and in others it is not.
Also, there are many words in which the h is completely
silent, as in hour, honest, herb,
as well as in liaisons with
object pronouns such as her and
him (tell her
sounds like teller). | |||
ch |
In order to make
the ch sound different
from the sh, put a
t in front of the
ch. Practice the
difference between wash [wäsh] and watch [watch], or
sharp [sharp] and
charm [chärm]. | |||
p |
The American
p is more strongly
plosive than its Spanish counterpart. Put your hand in front of your mouth
— you should feel a strong burst of air. Practice with Peter picked a
peck of pickled peppers. | |||
j |
In order to make
a clear j sound, put a
d in front of the
j. Practice
George [djordj]. | |||
There was a woman from
Spain who used to say, "Es imposible que se le quite el acento a uno,"
pronouncing it, "Esh imposhible que se le quite el athento a uno." In her
particular accent, s sounded like s, which would transfer
quite well to standard American English. What it also means is that many people
claim it is impossible to change the accent. For clarification, see page
v.
Spanish is very far
forward with much stronger use of the lips.
Of the many and varied
Indian dialects (Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, etc.), there is a common intonation
transfer to English—sort of a curly, rolling cadence that flows along with
little relation to meaning. It is difficult to get the average Indian student to
change pitch. Not that people are unwilling to try or difficult to deal with; on
the contrary, in my experience of working with people from India, I find them
incredibly pleasant and agreeable. This is part of the problem, however. People
agree in concept, in principle, in theory, in every aspect of the
183
matter, yet
when they say
the sentence,
the pitch remains unchanged.
I
think that what happens is that, in standard American English, we raise the
pitch on the beat, Indians drop their pitch on the beat. Also, the typical
Indian voice is much higher pitched than Americans are accustomed to
hearing. In particular, you should work on the voice quality exercise on page
94.
Of
the three options (volume,
length, pitch), you can raise
the volume easily, but it doesn't sound very good. Since volume is truly the
least desirable and the most offensive to the listener, and since pitch has to
be worked on over time, lengthening the stressed word is a good stopgap measure.
Repeating the letter of a stressed word will help a lot toward changing a
rolling odabah odabah
odabah intonation to
something resembling peaks and valleys.
The
oooonly way to geeeeeeedidiz to prœœœœœœœœœktis all of the
time.
One
thing that works for pitch is to work on the little sound that children make
when they make a mistake, "uh-oh!" The first sound is on a distinctly higher
level than the second one, and since it's a nonsense syllable, it's easier to
work with.
Since so much
emotion is conveyed through intonation, it's vital to work with the various tone
shifts, Intonation
and Attitude, as seen on
page 128.
It's necessary
to focus on placing the intonation on the correct words (nouns, compound nouns,
descriptive phases, etc.), as well as contrasting, negating, listing,
questioning, and exclaiming.
Intonation is
also important in numbers, which are typically difficult for Indian speakers.
There are both intonation and pronunciation between 13 and 30. The number 13
should sound like thr-teen,
while 30
sounds like thr-dee;
14 is
for-teen,
and 40
is for-dee
Liaisons
shouldn't be much of a problem for you once the pattern is pointed out and
reinforced.
One
way to have an accent is to leave out sounds that should be there, but the other
way is to put in sounds that don't exist in that language. Indians bring a rich
variety of voiced consonants to English that contribute to the heavy, rolling
effect.
t |
For the
initial t alone,
there are eight varieties, ranging from plosive to almost swallowed. In
American English, t at the
top of a staircase is a sharp t, and
t in the
middle is a soft d.
Indians
tend to reverse this, using the plosive British t
in the
middle position (water) and a t-like
sound in the beginning. (I
need
two sounds
like I
need
doo).
The
solution is to substitute your th
— it
will sound almost perfect (7 need
thoo sounds
just like I
need
two). Another
way is to separate the t
from the
rest of the word and whisper it. T + aim = time. Bit by bit, you can bring
the whispered, sharply plosive t closer
to the body of the word. A third way is to imagine that it is actual
ts,
so you
are saying tsäim,
which
will come out sounding like time. | |||||
|
|
T |
D |
T |
D |
|
|
|
tennis |
Dennis |
ten |
den |
|
|
|
time |
dime |
to |
do |
|
|
The
final t
is
typically too plosive, and should be held just at the position before the
air is expelled. | |||||
p |
This is
similar to the initial t,
in that
you probably voice the unvoiced p
so it
sounds like a b.
Start
with the m,
progress
to the b,
and
finally whisper the p
sound. |
M |
B |
P |
M |
B |
P |
men |
Ben |
pen |
mull |
bull |
pull |
mail |
bail |
pail |
mossy |
bossy |
possible |
met |
bet |
pet |
mile |
bile |
pile |
184
æ |
The
æ
sound
usually sounds like ä.
You might
refer to the last
class, but it
will sound like the lost
doss. You
should raise the back of your tongue, and make a noise similar to that of
a lamb. |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
ä |
Because
of spelling, the ä
sound can
easily be misplaced. The ä
sound
exists in the Indian languages, but is represented with the letter
a.
When you
see the letter o,
you
pronounce it o, so
John
sounds
like Joan
instead
of Jahn.
Remember,
most of the time, the letter o
is
pronounced ah.
You can
take a sound that already exists in your language, such as tak
(whether
it means anything or not) and say it with your native accent —
tak
with an
Indian accent more or less equals talk
in
English.This will give you a good reference point for whenever you want to
say ä
instead
of o;
astronomy, call, long, progress, etc.
Focus on Chapter 3, differentiating œ, ä, ә. |
|||||||||
|
haat |
hot |
|
caal |
call |
|
saa |
saw |
|
|
o |
You may
pronounce the letter o
as
ä
or әwhen
it really should be an o,
as in
only,
most, both. Make sure
that the American o
sounds
like ou,
ounly, moust, bouth. This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — [oi] sounds like ou-ee. |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
ounli |
only |
|
houp |
hope |
|
nout |
note |
|
|
r |
Indians
tend to have a British r,
which
means that it is either a flap at the beginning or middle of a word or it
is reduced to ä
at the
end of a word. You need to understand that the American r
is not a
consonant (i.e., it doesn't touch at any two points in the mouth) — it is
much closer to a vowel in that the tongue curls back to shape the air
flow. |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
th |
The
American th,
both
voiced and unvoiced, usually sounds like a d
when said
by an Indian speaker, thank
you sounds
like dank
you. Also you
must distinguish between a voiced and an unvoiced th.
The
voiced ones are the extremely common, everyday sounds — the,
this, that, these, those, them, they, there, then; unvoiced
are less common words — thing,
third, Thursday, thank, thought. |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
v |
Indians
usually reverse v/w:
These were reversed ==>
Dese ver
rewersed. It should
be a simple thing to simply reverse them back, but for some reason, it's
more problematic than that. Try substituting in the other word in actual
sentences. |
|||||||||
|
He vent
to the store. |
He
closed the went. |
|
|
||||||
|
I'll be
back in a vile. |
It was a
while attack. |
|
|
||||||
Think of
the w,
a "double
u",
as a
"single u";
so in
place of the w
in
want,
you'd
pronounce it oo-änt.
There can
be NO contact between the teeth and the lips for w,
as this
will turn it into a consonant. Feel the f/v
consonants,
and then put oo~
in place
of the w
(oo~ile for
while).
Conversely,
you can substitute ferry
for
very
so that
it won't come out as wary.
Because
of the proximity of the consonants, / and v are frequently interchanged in
English (belief/believe, wolf/wolves). Consequently, It was
ferry difficult is easier
to understand than It was
wary difficult. Practice
Ex. 9-1 to distinguish among p/b,f/v
and
w. |
||||||||||
F |
V |
W |
|
|
F |
|
V |
W |
||
fence |
vent |
went
(oo-ent) |
|
first |
|
verse |
worse
(oo-rs) |
|||
face |
vase |
waste
(oo-aste) |
|
file |
|
vile |
while
(oo-ile) |
|||
l |
The
l is too
heavy, too drawn out, and is missing the schwa component. |
|
Far
forward and uttered through rounded lips.
185
Russian
intonation seems to start at a midpoint, and then cascades down. The consequence
is that it sounds very downbeat. You definitely need to add a lilt to your
speech—more peaks, as there're already plenty
of valleys. To
the Russian ear, English can have a harsh, almost metallic sound due to the
perception of nasal vibrations in some vowels. This gives a clarity to American
speech that allows it to be heard over a distance. When Russian speakers try to
imitate that "loudness" and clarity, without the American speech music, instead
of the intended pronunciation, it can sound aggressive. On the other hand, when
Russians do not try to speak "loud and clear," it can end up sounding vaguely
depressed.
Word
connections should be easy since you have the same fluid word/sound boundaries
as in American English. The phrase [dosvedänyә] sounds like dos vedanya,
whereas you
know it as do svedanya.
It won't be
difficult to run your words together once you realize it's the same process in
English.
Although you
have ten vowels in Russian, there are quite a few other vowels out there waiting
for you.
æ |
The [æ]
sound doesn't exist in Russian, so last
is
demoted to the lax ε, lest.
In the
same way, Russian speakers reduce actually
to
ekchually,
or
matter
to
metter.
Drop
your jaw and raise the back of your tongue to make a noise like a goat:
æ!
Work on
Chapter 3, which drills this distinctively American vowel. | ||||||||
ä |
The
[ä] sound exists in Russian, but is
represented with the letter a.
Bear in
mind that there are six different pronunciations of the letter
a,
as you
can see on page 142. Because of spelling, the ä
sound
can easily be misplaced. When you see the letter o,
you
pronounce it o,
so
job
sounds
like jobe
instead
of jääb.
Remember,
most of the time, the letter o
is
pronounced ah.
Take a
sound that already exists in Russian, such as baab
(whether
it means anything or not) and say it with your native accent,
baab
with a
Russian accent more or less equals Bob
in
English. This will give you a good reference point for whenever you
want to say ä
instead
of o;
biology,
call, long, problem, etc.
Focus on Chapter 3, differentiating œ,
ä,
ә. | ||||||||
o |
Conversely,
you may pronounce the letter o
as
ä
or
ә
when it
really should be an o,
as in
only,
most, both (which
are exceptions to the spelling rules). Make sure that the American
o
sounds
like [ou], ounly,
moust, bouth. This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — oi
should
sound like ou-ee. | ||||||||
|
toun |
tone |
|
nout |
note |
|
houm |
home |
|
|
ounli |
only |
|
coul |
coal |
|
OK |
oukei |
|
ә |
The
schwa is often overpronounced to ä,
which is
why you might sound a little like Count Dracula when he says,
I
vänt to
säck your bläd instead
of I
wänt to sәk your blәd. Don't
drop your jaw for the neutral schwa sound; it's like the final syllable
of
spasiba [sp'sibә],
not [sp'sibä]. Similarly, in English, the schwa in an unstressed syllable
is completely neutral; famous
is not
[fay-moos], but rather [fay-m's]. | ||||||||
ü |
Distinguishing
tense and lax vowels is difficult, and you'll have to forget spelling for
u
and
ü. They
both can be spelled with oo
or
ou,
but the
lax vowel ü
should
sound much closer to i or
uh.
If you
say book
and
could
with a
tense vowel, it'll sound like booque
and
cooled.
It
should be much closer to bick
or
buck. | ||||||||
i |
Similarly,
you need to distinguish between ee
and
í, as in
beat
and
bit
(page
123), as his big
sister is
mispronounced as heez
beeg seester or with
the [y], hyiz
byig systr. Frequently,
Russian speakers transpose these two sounds, so while the lax vowel
in his big
sister is
overpronounced to heez
beeg seester, the
tense vowel in She
sees Lisa, is
relaxed to shi siz
lissa. Also,
tone down the middle i
in the
multisyllabic |
186
|
words on page
125; otherwise, similar [sim'lr] will
sound like [see-mee-lär]. |
-у |
Russian speakers
often mispronounce the final -y as a short
-i, so that
very funny
sounds like verә funnә.
Extend the final sound out
with three e's: vereee
funneee. |
The Cyrillic
r
is a
consonant. This means that it touches at some point in the mouth. Russian
speakers usually roll their rs (touching the ridge behind the
top teeth), which makes it sound like a d to the American ear. The American
r
is
not really a consonant anymore—the tongue should be curled back, and the
r
produced deep in the
throat—not touching the top of the mouth.
The Russian pronunciation of r is usually the written vowel and
a flap r at the end of a word
(feeler sounds like
feelehd) or a flap in the
beginning or middle (throw sounds like
tdoh).
бэри
бара бира |
Betty bought a bit
of |
аин
ира лара
таим |
I need a lot of
time. |
аи
бара баик |
I
bought
a bike. |
маи
мароу |
my motto |
уэира
сэкен |
Wait a
second. |
мирин |
meeting |
уи
ара гоу |
We ought to go. |
аин
наран таим |
I'm not on
time. |
юв
гара пэира
гэрит |
You've got to pay to get
it. |
бюрафли |
beautifully |
|
Another major
point with the American r is that
sometimes the preceding vowel is pronounced, and sometimes it isn't. When
you say wire, there's a clear
vowel plus the r — wy•r; however,
with first, there is
simply no preceding vowel. Iťs frst, not feerst,
(Ex. 6-2 and 6-3). |
t |
At the beginning
of a word, the American t needs to be more
plosive — you should feel that you are "spitting air." At the end of the
word, it is held back and not aspirated. |
eh |
One of the most
noticeable characteristics of a Russian accent is the little
у that is slipped
in with the eh sound. This
makes a sentence such as Kevin has held a cat
sound like Kyevin hyes
hyeld a kyet. This is because you are
using the back of the tongue to "push" the vowel sound out of the throat.
In English, you need to just allow the air to pop through directly after
the consonant, between the back of the tongue and the soft palate: k•æ,
not k•yæ. |
h |
Another strong
characteristic of Russian speech is a heavily fricative h.
Rather than closing the
back of the throat, let the air flow unimpeded between the soft palate and
the back of your tongue. Be sure to keep your tongue flat so you don't
push out the little у mentioned above.
Often, you can simply drop the h to avoid the
whole problem. For I have to,
instead of I hhyef to,
change it to
I y'v to. |
V |
The v is often
left unvoiced, so the common word of sounds like
oaf. Allow your vocal
cords to vibrate. |
sh |
There are two
sh sounds in
Russian, ш and
щ. The second one is closer
to the American sh, as in
щиуз for
shoes, not шуз. |
th |
You may find
yourself replacing the voiced and unvoiced th sounds with
tld or
s/z, saying
dä ting or zä sing
instead of the thing.
This means that your tongue
tip is about a half inch too far back on the alveolar ridge (the gum ridge
behind the teeth). Press your tongue against the back
of the teeth and try to say
dat. Because of the
tongue position, it will sound like that. |
-ing |
Often the
-ing ending is not
pronounced as a single ng sound, but
rather as n and
g, or just
n. There are three
nasals, т (lips),
n (tongue tip and
alveolar ridge), and ng (soft palate and
the back of the tongue). It is not a hard consonant like g,
but rather a soft
nasal. |
187
The
French are, shall we say, a linguistically proud people. More than working on
accent or pronunciation; you need to "believe" first. There is an inordinate
amount of psychological resistance here, but the good thing is that, in my
experience, you are very outspoken about it. Unlike the Japanese, who will just
keep quiet, or Indians, who agree with everything with sometimes no discernible
change in their speech patterns, my French students have quite clearly pointed
out how difficult, ridiculous, and unnatural American English is. If the
American pattern is a stairstep, the Gallic pattern is a fillip at the end of
each phrase.
Hello,
my
name is
Pierre. I live in Paris.
Allo,
my name is Pierre.
I live in
Paree.
I
ride the
subway.
The
French either invented liaisons or raised them to an art form. You may not
realize, though, that the rules that bind your phrases together, also do in
English. Just remember, in French, it is spelled ce qu'ils
disent, but you've
heard it pronounced colloquially a thousand times, skidiz!
th |
In
French, the tee
aitch is
usually mispronounced s
or
f, as in
sree or
free for
three. |
r |
The
French r
is in
the same location as the American one, but it is more like a consonant.
For the French r,
the back
of the tongue rasps against the soft palate, but for the American
r,
the
throat balloons out , like a bullfrog. |
æ |
The
æ
sound
doesn't exist in French, so it usually comes out as ä
or
ε;
consequently, class
sounds
like class,
and
cat
sounds
like ket.
The
in-
prefix,
however, sounds like a nasalized æ. Say in
in
French, and then denasalize it to œd.
Work on
Chapter 3,
which
drills this distinctively American vowel. |
э |
The
schwa is typically overpronounced, based on spelling. Work on Chapter 1,
for the rhythm patterns that form this sound, and Chapter 3, for its
actual pronunciation. If your intonation peaks are strong and clear
enough, then your valleys will be sufficiently reduced as well.
Concentrate on smoothing out and reducing the valleys and ignore
spelling! |
ü |
The
ü
sound is
generally overpronounced to ooh,
which
leads to could
being
mispronounced as cooled.
Again,
spelling is the culprit. Words such as smooth,
choose, and
too
are
spelled with two o's
and are
pronounced with a long и sound, but other words such as look
and
took
are
spelled with two o's but
are pronounced halfway between ih
and
uh; lük
and
tük.
Leuc and
queue
with a
French accent are very close. |
|
French
speakers overpronounce the lax vowel i to
eee,
so
sit
comes
out like seat.
Reduce
the soft i to a
schwa; sit
should
sound like s't.
In most
French dictionaries, the distinction between i
and
ē is not
made. Practice the four sounds — bit,
beat, bid, bead —
remembering that tense
vowels indicate
that you tense your lips or tongue, while lax
vowels mean
that your lips and tongue are relaxed, and the sound is produced in
your throat. Unvoiced
final
consonants (t, s,
k, p, ch, f)
mean
that the vowel is short and sharp; voiced
final
consonants (d, z,
g, b, j, v) mean
that the vowel is doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter
8. |
|
single |
double |
tense |
beat |
bead |
lax |
fait |
bid |
188
|
Also, watch out
for cognates such as typique/typical,
pronounced [tee•peek] in
French, and [ti•p'•kl] in American English. Many of them appear in the
Middle "I" List on page 125. | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ä |
Because of
spelling, the ä
sound can easily be
misplaced. The ä
sound exists in French, but
is represented with the letter a. When you see the
letter o, you pronounce it
o, so
lot sounds like
loht instead of
laht. Remember, most
of the time, the letter o is pronounced
ah. You can take a
sound that already exists in French, such as laat (whether it
means anything or not) and say it with your native accent —
laat with a French
accent more or less equals lot in English.This
will give you a good reference point for whenever you want to say
ä
instead of o; astronomy,
call, long, progress, etc. Focus on Chapter
3,
differentiating
æ, ä, ә. | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
haat |
hot |
|
coal |
call |
|
saa |
saw |
|
o |
On the other
hand, you may pronounce the letter o as
ä
or ә when it really
should be an o, as in
only, most, both.
Make sure that the American
o sounds like
[ou], ounly, moust, bouth.
This holds true for the
diphthongs as well — oi sounds like
o-u-ee. | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
ounli |
only |
|
loun |
loan |
|
nout |
note |
|
h |
French people
have the most fascinating floating h. Part of the
confusion comes from the hache aspiré,
which is totally different
from the American aitch. Allow a small
breath of air to escape with each aitch. | ||||||||
in~ |
The nasal
combination in~ and
~en are often
pronounced like œñ and äñ, so interesting
[intr' sting] sounds
like æñteresting, and enjoy [εnjoy]
and attention [әtεnshәn] sound
like äñjoy and ätäñseeõn. |
Very far forward, with
extensive use of the lips.
Germans have what
Americans consider a stiff, rather choppy accent. The great similarity between
the two languages lies in the two-word phrases, where a hόt dog is food and a hot dόg is an overheated chihuahua. In
German, a thimble is called a
fingerhut, literally a
finger hat, and a red hat
would
be a rote hut, with the same
intonation and meaning shift as in English.
German word
connections are also quite similar to American ones. Consider how
In
einem Augenblick actually is pronounced
ineine maugenblick.
The
same rules apply in both languages.
j |
A salient
characteristic of German is the unvoicing of j, so you might say
7 am Cherman
instead of 7
am German.
Work with the other voiced
pairs (p/b, s/z, klg)
and then go on to
ch/j while working
with J words such as just, Jeff, German,
enjoy, age, etc. | |
W |
Another
difference is the transposing of v and
w. When you say
Volkswagen,
it most likely comes out
Folksvagen.
It works to rewrite the
word as Wolksvagen,
which then will come out as
we say Volkswagen.
A Germany student was
saying that she was a wisiting scholar,
which didn't make much
sense — say wisiding with a German
accent — it'll sound like visiting in American
English. | |
th |
In
German, the tee
aitch is
usually pronounced t
or
d. |
|
r |
The
German r
is in
the same location as the American one, but it is more like a consonant.
For the German r,
the back
of the tongue rasps against the soft palate, but for the American r, the
throat balloons out, like a bullfrog. |
|
æ |
The
æ
sound
doesn't exist in German, so it usually comes out as ä
or
ε, so
class
sounds
like class,
You need
to work on Chapter 3, which drills this distinctively American
vowel. |
|
ә |
The
schwa is typically overpronounced, based on spelling. Work on Chapter 1,
for the rhythm patterns that form this sound, and Chapter 3, for its
actual pronunciation. If your intonation peaks are strong and clear
enough, then your valleys will be sufficiently reduced as well.
Concentrate on smoothing out and reducing the valleys and ignore
spelling! |
|
ü |
The
ü
sound is
generally overpronounced to ooh,
which
leads to could
being
mispronounced as cooled.
Again,
spelling is the culprit. Words such as smooth,
choose, and
too
are
spelled with two o's and
are pronounced with a long u
sound,
but other words such as look
and
took
are
spelled with two o's but
are pronounced halfway between ih
and
uh; lük
and
tük. |
|
i |
German
speakers overpronounce the lax vowel i to
eee,
so
sit
comes
out like seat.
Reduce
the soft z to a schwa; sit
should
sound like s 't.
In most
German dictionaries, the distinction between i
and
ē is not
made. Practice the four sounds — bit,
beat, bid, bead —
remembering that tense
vowels indicate
that you tense your lips or tongue, while lax
vowels mean
that your lips and tongue are relaxed, and the sound is produced in
your throat. Unvoiced
final
consonants (t, s,
k, p, ch, f) mean
that the vowel is short and sharp; voiced
final
consonants (d, z,
g, b, j, v) mean
that the vowel is doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter
8. |
|
|
single |
double |
tense |
beat |
bead |
lax |
bit |
bid |
|
Also,
watch out for words such as chemical/Chemikalie,
pronounced
[ke•mi•kä•lee•eh] in German, and [kεmәkəl] in
American English. Many of them appear in the Middle "I" List on page
125. | ||||||||
ä |
Because
of spelling, the ä
sound
can easily be misplaced. The ä
sound
exists in German, but is represented with the letter a.
When you
see the letter o,
you
pronounce it [o], so lot
sounds
like loht
instead
of laht.
Remember,
most of the time, the letter o
is
pronounced ah.
You can
take a sound that already exists in German, such as laat
(whether
it means anything or not) and say it with your native accent —
laat
with a
German accent more or less equals lot
in
American English. This will give you a good reference point for whenever
you want to say ä
instead
of o;
astronomy, call, long, progress, etc.
Focus on Chapter 3,
differentiating
œ,
ä, ә. | ||||||||
|
haat |
hot |
|
caal |
call |
|
saa |
saw |
|
o |
German
speakers tend to use the British o,
which
sounds like εo
rather
than the American ou.
Make
sure that the American o,
in
only,
most, both, sounds
like ou,
ounly, moust, bouth. This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — oi
sounds
like o-u-ee. | ||||||||
|
ounli |
only |
|
houp |
hope |
|
nout |
note |
|
190
While English
is a stress-timed language, Korean is a syllable-timed language. Korean is more
similar to Japanese than Chinese in that the pitch range of Korean is also
narrow, almost flat, and not rhythmical. Many Korean speakers tend to stress the
wrong word or syllable, which changes the meaning in English (They'll sell
fish and
They're
selfish.) Korean
speakers tend to add a vowel to the final consonant after a long vowel:
b/v
(babe/beibu and
wave/weibu),
k/g (make/meiku and
pig/pigu),
and
d
(made/meidu.) Koreans also
insert a vowel after sh/ch/j
(wash/washy, church/churchy, bridge/brijy), and into
consonant clusters (bread/bureau).
It is also
common problem to devoice final voiced consonants, so that dog
can be
mispronounced as either dogu
or
dock.
All this
adversely influences the rhythm patterns of spoken English. The different
regional intonation patterns for Korean interrogatives also affect how questions
come across in English. In standard Korean, the intonation goes up for both
yes/no
questions and
wh
questions
(who?, what?, where?, when?, why?); in the Kyungsang dialect, it drops for both;
and in the Julia dialect, it drops and goes up for both. In American English,
the intonation goes up for yes/no,
and drops down
for wh
questions.
Unlike
Japanese or Chinese, word connections are common in Korean. The seven final
consonants (m, n, ng, l,
p, t, k) slide over
when the following word begins with a vowel. Although a t
between two
vowels in American English should be voiced (latter/ladder
sound the
same) a frequent mistake Korean speakers make, however, is to also voice
k
or
p
between two
vowels, so back up,
check up, and
weekend
are
mispronounced as bagup,
chegup, and
weegend;
and
cap is
sounds like
cab is.
Another
liaison problem occurs with a plosive consonant (p/b, t/d,
k/g) just before a
nasal (m, n,
ng)—Koreans often
nasalize the final consonant, so that pick me up
and
pop music
sound like
ping me up
and
pom
music.
l/r |
At the
beginning of a word or in a consonant cluster, l and
r
are
confused, with both being pronounced like the American d,
which
can be written with the letter t
(glass or
grass
sound
like either gurasu
or
gudasu,
and
light
or
right
sound like
raitu
or
daitu).
The
final r
is
usually dropped (car/kaa). |
f |
The
English f does
not exist in Korean, so people tend to substitute a p.
This
leads to words such as difficult
sounding
like typical
to the
American ear. When a Korean speaker says a word from the F column, it's
likely to be heard by Americans as being from the P
column. |
F |
P |
F |
P |
F |
P |
difficult |
typical |
coffee |
copy |
half
and |
happen |
calf |
cap |
deaf |
tape |
Steph |
step |
left |
leapt |
cough |
cop |
laugh |
lap |
often |
open |
fat |
pet |
informant |
important |
stuff |
stop |
after |
apter |
fossil |
possible |
enough |
and
up |
friend |
planned |
free |
pre~ |
æ |
The
exact œ
sound
doesn't exist in Korean; it's close to ε,
so
bat
sounds
like bet.
You need
to raise the back of your tongue and drop your jaw to produce this sound.
Work on Chapter 3,
which
drills this distinctively American vowel. |
ä |
The
ä
sound is
misplaced. You have the ä
sound
when you laugh hahaha
|
191
o |
You may
pronounce the letter o
as
ä
or
ә
when it
really should be an o,
as in
only,
most, both. Make
sure that the American o
sounds
like ou:
ounly, moust, bouth. This
holds true for the diphthongs as well — oi
sounds
like o-u-ee. | |||||||||||
toun |
tone |
nout |
note |
houm |
home |
| ||||||
ounli |
only |
coul |
coal |
jouk |
joke |
| ||||||
ә |
The
schwa is typically overpronounced, based on spelling. Concentrate on
smoothing out and reducing the valleys and ignore
spelling! |
| ||||||||||
ü |
Distinguishing
tense and lax vowels is difficult, and you'll have to forget spelling for
u
and
ü.
They
both can be spelled with oo
or
ou,
but the
lax vowel ü
should
sound much closer to i
or
uh.
If you
say book
with a
tense vowel, it'll sound like booque.
It
should be much closer to bick
or
buck. |
| ||||||||||
i |
Similarly,
you need to distinguish between e
and
i,
as in
beat
and
bit,
as on
page 123. Tone down the middle i
in
multisyllabic words, as on page 125, otherwise, beautiful
[byoo•d'•fl]
will sound like [byoo-tee-fool]. Most likely, you overpronounce the lax
vowel z to eee,
so
sit
is
overpronounced to seat.
Reduce
the soft i
to a
schwa; sit
should
sound like s 't.
In most
Korean dictionaries, the distinction between i
and
ē is not
made. Practice the four sounds — bit,
beat, bid, bead —
remembering that tense
vowels indicate
that you tense your lips or tongue, while lax
vowels mean
that your lips and tongue are relaxed and the sound is produced in your
throat. Unvoiced
final
consonants (t, s,
k, p, ch, f) mean
that the vowel is short and sharp; voiced
final
consonants (d, z,
g, b, j, v) mean
that the vowel is doubled. Work on Bit or Beat? Bid or Bead? in Chapter
8. |
| ||||||||||
|
single |
double |
| |||||||||
tense |
beat |
bead |
| |||||||||
lax |
bit |
bid |
| |||||||||
The
Korean r is a consonant. This means that it touches at some point in the mouth.
Korean speakers usually trill their rs
(tapping the ridge behind the top teeth), which makes it sound like a
d
to the
American ear. The tongue should be curled back, and the r
produced deep
in the throat—not
touching the
top of the mouth. The Korean pronunciation of r
is usually
just an ä
at the end of
a word (car
sounds like
caaah)
or a flap in
the beginning or middle (area
sounds like
eddy-ah).
|
Betty
bought a bit of |
|
I need a
lot of time. |
|
I caught
a cold. |
|
my
motto |
|
Could he
do it? |
|
meeting |
|
We ought
to go. |
|
I'm not
on time. |
192
1. |
Sam sees
Bill. |
11. |
He
sees him. |
2. |
She
wants one. |
12. |
Mary wants a
car. |
3. |
Betty likes
English. |
13. |
She
likes it. |
4. |
They
play with them. |
14. |
They
eat some. |
5. |
Children play
with toys. |
15. |
Len and
Joe eat some pizza. |
6. |
Bob and I
call you and Bill. |
16. |
We
call you. |
7. |
You and
Bill read the news. |
17. |
You
read it. |
8. |
It
tells one. |
18. |
The
news tells a story. |
9. |
Bernard works in
a restaurant. |
19. |
Mark lived in
France. |
10.
|
He
works in one. |
20. |
He
lived there. |
Hello, my name
is_________. I'm taking American Accent Training. There's a lot to learn,
but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the
American intonation pattern pretty easily, although the only way to
get it is to practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been
paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a
staircase. I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell
me that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well, what do you
think? Do I?
1. la |
1.3d |
1.4d |
1.4c |
1.4b |
13. 3b |
2. 1b |
2.4f |
2. 4d |
2. 4b |
2. 4b |
14. 3b |
3.3d |
3. 2a |
3. 3b |
3. 2a |
3. 4a |
15. 4b |
4. 4d |
4. 2b |
4. 3c |
4. 2b |
4. 3c |
16. 4c |
5.3d |
5.3d |
5. 3b |
5. 3bcd |
5.4b |
17. За |
6.4e |
6.4f |
6. 2a |
6. За |
6. 4f |
18. 4d |
7. 4d |
7. 3b |
7. 2a |
7.4b |
7.3d |
19. 4b |
8. 2a |
8.3d |
8. 3b |
8.3d |
8. 4f |
20. 4c |
9. 2a |
9. 4e |
9. 3b |
9. 4d |
9. 4d |
21. 4b |
10.3с |
10. 4f |
10. 4d |
10. 4c |
10. 4e |
|
11. 4f |
11. 4b |
11. 3b |
11.4a |
11. 3c |
|
12. 4e |
12. 4e |
12. 3c |
12. 4b |
12. 3b |
|
1. |
a chairman |
8. |
the Bullet
train |
15. |
a dump
truck |
2. |
a phone
book |
9. |
a race car |
16. |
a jellyfish |
3. |
a house
key |
10. |
a coffee
cup |
17. |
a love
letter |
4. |
a baseball |
11. |
a
wristwatch |
18. |
a thumbtack |
5. |
a door
bell |
12. |
a beer
bottle |
19. |
a lightning
bolt |
6. |
the White
House |
13. |
a high
chair |
20. |
a padlock |
7. |
a movie
star |
14. |
a hunting
knife |
|
|
1. |
The White
House |
21. |
convenience
store |
41. |
a doorknob |
2. |
a white house |
22. |
convenient store |
42. |
a glass door |
3. |
a
darkroom |
23. |
to pick up |
43. |
a locked door |
4. |
a dark
room |
24. |
a pickup
truck |
44. |
ice
cream |
5. |
Fifth Avenue |
25. |
six years old |
45. |
I scream. |
6. |
Main
Street |
26. |
a six-year-old |
46. |
elementary |
7. |
a main street |
27. |
six and a half |
47. |
a lemon
tree |
8. |
a hot dog |
28. |
a sugar
bowl |
48. |
Watergate |
9. |
a hot dog |
29. |
a wooden bowl |
49. |
the back gate |
10. |
a baby
blanket |
30. |
a large bowl |
50. |
the final year |
11. |
a baby's blanket |
31. |
a mixing
bowl |
51. |
a yearbook |
12. |
a baby bird |
32. |
a top hat |
52. |
United States |
13. |
a blackbird |
33. |
a nice hat |
53. |
New York |
14. |
a black bird |
34. |
a straw hat |
54. |
Long
Beach |
15. |
a greenhouse |
35. |
a chairperson |
55. |
Central
Park |
16. |
a green house |
36. |
Ph.D. |
56. |
a raw deal |
17. |
a green thumb |
37. |
IBM |
57. |
a deal
breaker |
18. |
a parking
ticket |
38. |
MIT |
58. |
the bottom line |
19. |
a one-way ticket |
39. |
USA |
59. |
a bottom
feeder |
20. |
an unpaid ticket |
40. |
ASAP |
60. |
a new low |
1. He's a
nice guy.
2. He's an American guy
from San Francisco.
3. The cheerleader needs a
rubber band to hold her ponytail.
4. The executive asst.
needs a paper clip for the final
report.
5. The law student took
an English test in a foreign country.
6. The policeman saw a red car
on the freeway in Los Angeles.
7. My old dog has
long ears and a flea problem.
8. The new teacher broke his
coffee cup on the first day.
9. His best friend has a
broken cup in his other office.
10.
Let's play football on the weekend in New
York.
11.
"Jingle Bells" is a nice song.
12.
Where are my new shoes?
13.
Where are my tennis shoes?
14. I
have a headache from the heat wave in South
Carolina.
15.
The newlyweds took a long walk in Long
Beach.
16.
The little dog was sitting on the sidewalk.
17.
The famous athlete changed clothes in the locker
room.
18.
The art exhibit was held in an empty
room.
19.
There was a class reunion at the high
school.
20.
The headlines indicated a new policy.
21.
We got on line and went to americanaccent dot
com.
22.
The stock options were listed in the company
directory.
23.
All the second-graders were out on the
playground.
1. You need to insert
a paragraph
here on this newspaper insert.
2.
How can you
object
to this
object?
3. I'd like to present
you with
this
present.
4. Would you care
to elaboreit
on his
elabor't
explanation?
5. The manufacturer couldn't
recall
if there'd been
a recall.
6. The religious convert
wanted to
convert
the
world.
7. The political rebels
wanted to
rebel
against the
world.
8. The mogul wanted to
record
a new
record
for his latest
artist.
9. If you perfect
your
intonation, your accent will be
perfect.
10. Due to the drought, the fields
didn't produce
much produce this
year.
11. Unfortunately, City Hall wouldn't
permit
them to get
a
permit.
193
12. Have you heard that your
associ't
is known to
associeit
with
gangsters?
13. How much do you estimeit
that the
estim't
will
be?
14. The facilitator wanted to
separeit
the general topic
into sepr't
categories.
1. I'd like to have it at
eight, if at all possible.
[äi•dläik•tә•hæ•vi•dә•dεit•i•fә•däll•pä•sә•bәl]
2. I'm afraid it's
back-ordered. [äi•m'•frei•dits•bæ•kor•drd]
3. Let's go over it again.
[lets•go•wou•vr•ri•dә•gεn]
4. Try to put it off for
another hour. [träi•dә•pwü•di•däff• fr•rә•nә•thr•ræ•wr]
5. Talk it over with the other
operator. [tä•ki•dou•vr•with•thee•yә•thr•rä•pr•räy•dr]
6. The accounts have all been
updated. [thee•yә•kæon•tsә•väll•bi•nәp•dεi•dәd]
7. Send them a fax about the
problem. [sen•dә•mә•fæk•sә•bæo(t)•thә•prä•blәm]
8. Don't even think about it!
[dou•nee•vәn•thing•kә•bæo•dit]
9. We hope he'll OK it.
[we•hou•pi•lou•kεi•yit]
10. He'll really put you on the spot
if you make a mistake.
[hill•ri•lee•pwü•choo•wän•thә•spä•di•ŕiu•mεi•kә•mis•tεik]
1. isn't
he |
8. |
will
you |
15. |
hadn't
we |
22. |
did
I |
2. can't
he |
9. |
doesn't
he |
16. |
wouldn't
we |
23. |
will
I |
3. does
she |
10. |
don't
we |
17. |
hasn't
it |
24. |
don't
you |
4. didn't
they |
11. |
haven't
we |
18. |
could
you |
25. |
aren't
you |
5. do
you |
12. |
didn't
we |
19. |
won't
you |
26. |
didn't
you |
6. is
it |
13. |
didn't
we |
20. |
shouldn't
he |
27. |
did
you |
7. aren't
I |
14. |
hadn't
we |
21. |
shouldn't
he |
28. |
isn't
it |
1. |
ree
donly |
6. |
se
lit |
2. |
fä
läff |
7. |
ta
kout |
3. |
fällo wә
pän |
8. |
fa dә
way |
4. |
cә
min |
9. |
sik
so |
5. |
cä
lim |
10. |
eh
may |
1.
|
busine
sdeal |
6.
|
someplan
znee dluck |
2.
|
credi(t)check |
7.
|
che(ck)cashing |
3.
|
the
topfile |
8.
|
let(t)themma(k)conditions |
4.
|
sellnine
newcars |
9.
|
hadthe |
5.
|
sitdown |
10.
|
bothdays |
1. |
go(w)εnywhere |
6. |
do(w)äi |
2. |
so(w)änest |
7. |
I(y)æskt |
3. |
through(w)är |
8. |
to(w)open |
4. |
you(w)är |
9. |
she(y)äweez |
5. |
he(y)iz |
10. |
too(w)äffen |
1. |
dijoo |
6. |
tisshue |
2. |
hoozhier |
7. |
gâcher |
3. |
jesjer |
8. |
wherzhier |
4. |
jesjer |
9. |
c'ngræjәlätionz |
5. |
misshue |
10. |
hæjer |
Hello,
my name is_________. I'm taking American
Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I
hope to make it as enjoyable as possible.
I should pick up on the(y)American
intonation pattern
pretty(y)easily,
although the(y)only way
to get it is
to practice all of the time. I(y) use
the(y)
up and down, or peaks and
valleys, intonation more than I(y)used
to. I've
been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like
walking down a
staircase. I've been talking
to(w)
a lot of
Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm
easier to(w)understand.
Anyway, I could go(w)
on
and on,
but the(y)
important
thing is to listen well and sound good.
Well, what do you think? Do(w)
I?
Hәllo,
my name is_________. I'm taking әmerәcәn æcsәnt
Training.
There's ә lät tә learn, bәt I hope tә make әt әs
әnjoyәbәlәs pässәbәl. I should pick әp än the әmerәcәn
әntәnashәn pættern pretty easәly, äәlthough the
only way tә get әt әs tә præctәss äәll
әv thә time. I use the әp әnd down, әr peaks әnd vælleys,
intәnashәn more thәn I used to. I've been paying әttenshәn tә pitch,
too. It's like wälking down ә staircase. I've been
talking to ә lät әf әmerәcәns lately, әnd they tell me thәt
I'm easier tә әnderstænd. Anyway, I could go än әnd
än, bәt the important thing әs tә lissәn weәll
әnd sound good. Weәll,
whәt dә yә think? Do I?
Hello,
my name is_________. I'm taking American Accen(t)
Training.
There's a lo(t)
to learn, bud I
hope to make id as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up
on the American intonation paddern priddy easily, although the
only way dә geddidis dә practice all of the time. I
use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more
than I use(t)to.
I've been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking
down a staircase. I've been talking to a läddәv
Americans la(t)ely,
and they tell me the dime easier dә understand. Anyway, I
could go on and on, bu(t) the
impor(t)n(t)
thing is dә lissen well and sound good. Well, wha(d)
do you
think? Do I?
194
l. |
I'd like
to have it at eight, if at all possible. |
|
[äi•dläik•tә•hæ•vi•dә•dεit•i•fә•däll•pä•sә•bәl] |
2. |
I'm afraid
it's back-ordered. |
|
[äi•m'
•frei•dits•bæ•kor•drd] |
3. |
Let's go
over it again. |
|
[lets•go•wou•vr•ri•dә•gεn] |
4. |
Try to put
it off for another hour. |
|
[träi•dә•pwü•di•däff•
fr•rә•nә•thr•ræ•wr] |
5. |
Talk it
over with the other operator. |
|
[tä•ki•dou•vr•with•thee•yә•thr•rä•pr•räy•dr] |
6. |
The
accounts have all been updated. |
|
[thee•yә•kæon•tsә•väll•bi•nәp•dεi•dәd] |
7. |
Send them
a fax about the problem. |
|
[sen•dә•mә•fæk•sә•bæo(t)•thә•prä•blәm] |
8. |
Don't even
think about it! |
|
[dou•nee•vәn•thing•kә•bæo•dit] |
9. |
We hope
he'll OK it. |
|
[we•hou•pi•lou•kεi•yit] |
10. |
He'll
really put you on the spot if you make a mistake. |
|
[hill•ri•lee•pwü•choo•wän•thә•spä•di•fiu•mεi•kә•mis•tεik] |
Hello,
my name is_______. I'm taking American Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as
enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the
American intonation pattern pretty easily, although
the only way to get it is to practice all
of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and
valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a
staircase. I've been talking to a lot of
Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm
easier to understand. Anyway, I could go on and on,
but the important thing is to listen well and sound
good. Well, what do you think? Do I?
Hello,
my name is_______. I'm taking American Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as
enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the American
intonation pattern pretty easily, although the
only way to get it is to practice all
of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks and
valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a stair
case. I've been talking to a lot of Americans
lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good. Well,
what do you think? Do I?
1. |
Los
Angeles |
11. |
everything |
2. |
paper
bag |
12. |
moving
van |
3. |
lunch
bag |
13. |
new
paper |
4. |
convenience
store |
14. |
newspaper |
5. |
convenient
store |
15. |
glass
eyes |
6. |
homework |
16. |
eyeglasses |
7. |
good
writer |
17. |
high
chair |
8. |
apple
pie |
18. |
highchair |
9. |
pineapple |
19. |
baseball |
10. |
all
things |
20. |
blue
ball |
Hello,
my name is______. I'm taking American Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as
enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the American
intonation pattern pretty easily, although the
only way to get it is to practice all of the time. I
use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more
than I used to. I've been paying attention to pitch,
too. It's like walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me
that I'm easier to understand. Anyway, I could go
on and on, but the important thing is to
listen well and sound good. Well, what do you
think? Do I?
Hello,
my name is_________. I'm taking American Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable
as possible. I shüd pick up on the American intonation
pattern pretty easily, although the only way to get it is
to practice all of the time. I ūse
the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used
tū. I've been paying attention to pitch, tū. It's
like walking down a staircase. I've been talking
tū a lot of Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm
easier tū understand. Anyway, I cüd go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound
güd. Well, what do you think?
Dū I?
Hello,
my name is_________. I'm taking American Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as
enjoyable
as possible. I should pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty
easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or peaks
and valleys, intonation more than I used to. I've been
paying attention to pitch, too. It's like walking down a
staircase. I've been talking to a lot of
Americans lately, and they tell me that I'm easier to
understand. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound good.
Well, what do you think? Do I?
Hello,
my name iz_______. I'm taking American
Acsent
Training.
There'z a lot to learn, but I hope to make it az
enjoyable az possible. I should pick up on the American
intonation pattern pretty eazily, although the only
way to get it iz to practise all of the time. I uze
the up and down, or peaks and valleyz,
intonation more than I used to. I've been paying attention to
pitch, too. It's like walking down a staircase.
I've been talking to a lot of Americanz lately, and
they tell me that I'm eazier to understand. Anyway,
I could go on and on, but the important thing iz to
listen well and sound good. Well, what do you
think? Do I?
Hello,
my name is______. I'm
taking
әmerәcәn æksәnt
Training.
Thεre's ә lot tә learn, bәt I hope tә make it әs
εnjoyәbəl әs
possәbәl. I should pick
әp on the әmerәcәn intәnashәn
pættern pritty
easәly, although the only way tә gεt
it
is tә
præctәs all әv thә time. I use the up әn dæon, or
peaks әn vælleys, intәnashәn more
thәn I used to. I've bin
paying
әttεnshәn tә pitch,
too. it's
like walking
dæon ә stεrcase. I've bin talking to
ә lot әv әmεrәcәns lately, әnd thay tεll me
thәt I'm easier to әnderstænd. εnyway, I
could go on әnd on, bәt the import'nt
thing
is to
listən wεll әnd sæond good. Wεll,
whәt d' you think? Do I?
Hello,
my name is______. I'm taking American
Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as
enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on the
American intonation pattern pretty
easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more
than I used to. I've been paying
attention to pitch, too. It's like
walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately, and
they tell me that I'm easier to understand.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and
sound good. Well, what do you think?
Do I?
Hello,
my name is______. I'm taking American
Accent
Training.
There's a lot to learn, but I hope to
make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up
on the American intonation pattern pretty
easily, although the only way to get it is to
practice all of the time. I use the up and down, or
peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to.
I've been paying attention to pitch, too. It's like
walking down a staircase. I've been
talking to a lot of Americans lately,
and they tell me that I'm easier to understand.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but the
important thing is to listen well and sound
good. Well, what do you think? Do
I?
195
1. |
a
box car |
4. |
a
crab cake |
2. |
a
baby-sitter |
5. |
a
tea cup |
3. |
a
palm tree |
6. |
a
bottle opener |
1. |
a
dark room |
16. |
the sixth
grade |
2 |
a
darkroom |
17. |
long
hair |
3. |
an
antique shop |
18. |
a
hairdresser |
4. |
an
antique dealer |
19. |
a
haircut |
5. |
an
antique
chair |
20. |
the
wrong station |
6. |
a new
video |
21. |
a
police station |
7. |
the
video store |
22. |
a radio
station |
8. |
a
coffee table |
23. |
orange
juice |
9. |
hot
coffee |
24. |
a
guitar case |
10. |
a
coffeepot |
25. |
an
electric guitar |
11. |
a
chemistry set |
26. |
trick
photography |
12. |
a
chemical reaction |
27. |
a
photo-op |
13. |
a
sixth sense |
28. |
a
wedding ceremony |
14. |
six
cents |
29. |
a
beautiful ceremony |
15. |
a sixth
grader |
30. |
a
wedding cake |
1. The schoolkids took the
subway downtown for their field trip on
urban living.
2. Our local sheriff had a
bumper sticker on his back bumper.
3. The homeowners thought
they had to pay property taxes to the federal
government.
4. There were small tremblors
after the earthquake in San
Francisco.
5. The Geology Club went on
a camping trip to Mount Hood.
6. The award ceremony at the
Hilton Hotel lasted for two hours.
7. Bob Smith took his
surfboard out on a stormy day near Diamond
Head.
8. The boy scouts pitched
their pup tents on the mountaintop in the pouring
rain.
9. It's a little late to ask
the baby-sitter to stay overnight.
10.
The sixth graders were reading comic books and
drinking chocolate milk.
1.
Would you please alterneit
seats with the
other altern'ť?
2.
They signed a contract
in order to
contract
their
services.
3.
Who could object
to progress?
4.
The unidentified flying object
progressed slowly across
the night sky.
5. We need a written estim't
in order to
estimeit
the
payment.
1. |
We think
he's got to get over it. |
|
we•thing•keez•gä•dә•ge•do•vr•rit |
2. |
Does
anyone know how to get a line of credit? |
|
dә•ze•nee•wәn•no•hæo•dә•ge•dә•ly•nә•kre•dәt |
3. |
They
should try to show them how to use the Internet. |
|
thay•shüd•try•dә•sho•wәm•hæo•dә•yuz•thee•(y)i•nr•net |
1. |
is
there |
6. |
didn't
she |
2. |
wasn't
it |
7. |
wouldn't
she |
3. |
do
you |
8. |
hadn't
she |
4. |
would
he |
9. |
would
she |
5. |
can't
they |
10. |
had
she |
1. I thing kee zä ni zway.
2. He pü di di n' n'mbrella
stand.
3. We bä di di nid'lee.
1. Ni(k)Clar
kopest' pu(t)tendollar
zdown.
2. Bu(t)Tommake(s)so
muchjuice.
3. Bob zdo(g)go(t)somebones.
1.
Can you see(y)it
through to the(y)end?
2.
Be(y)available for
the(y)other
opportunity(y)in
my(y)office.
3.
He(y)always wants
to(w)offer
to go(w)over
it again.
1. We're glad the cher homework's
done.
2. Wüjou help me with this?
3. Do you missher old friends?
4. Where zhier
brother?
1. |
They
took it. |
6. |
Sam
called him. |
2. |
Mary
had a
baby. |
7. |
The
dogs howled at the moon. |
3. |
Louis
talked on
the phone. |
8.
|
Did you
order any? |
4. |
We
forgot about it. |
9. |
We
noticed her. |
5. |
She had
one. |
10. |
The
books fell on the floor. |
Think the
United Auto Workers can beat Caterpillar Inc. in their
bitter contract battle? Before placing your bets, talk to Paul
Branan, who can't wait to cross the picket line at
Caterpillar's factory in East Peoria. Branan, recently laid off
by a rubber-parts plant where he earned base pay of
$6.30 an hour, lives one block from a heavily
picketed gate at the Cat complex. Now he's applying to
replace one of 12,600 workers who have been on strike for
the past five months. "Seventeen dollars an hour and
they don't want to work?" asks Branan. "I don't want to
take another guy's job, but I'm hurting,
too."
Think thә
Unidәd ädo Workers cәn beat Cædәpillar Inc. in their bidder
cäntræct bædәl? Bәfore placing your bets, tälk tә Päl Brænәn,
who cæn't wait tә cräss thә pickәt line әt Cædәpillar's
fæctory in East Peoriә. Brænәn, resәntly laid äff by ә
rәbber-pärts plænt where he earned base pay әf $6.30 әn
hæor, lives wәn bläck frәm ә heavәly pickәdәd gate
әt thә Cæt cämplex. Næo he's әpplying tә rәplace wәn әf
twelve thæosand six hәndrәd workers who hәve been än strike
for thә pæst five mәnths. "Seventeen dällrs әn hæor
әnd they don't wänt tә work?" æsks Brænәn. "I
don't wänt tә take әnәthr guy's jäb, bәd I'm hurding,
too."
196
[ā] 75, 135, 137, 142, 162
[ä] 71-72, 75-76, 102, 135, 142-143,
162
[æ]
71, 74-76, 94, 102, 135, 137,
142-143, 162
[b] 129, 168
[ch]
64
[d]
65, 77, 86, 163
[ē]
135, 137
[ε]
75, 98, 122, 136-137, 142, 162, 165
[ә]
72, 76, 88, 92, 102, 117, 122, 125, 136, 142-143, 162
[a]
72
[f] 129, 168
[g] 147
[h]
147
[ī] 86, 118, 135, 143, 177
[i]
117, 122-125, 136, 143
[j]
65
[k]
147
[1]
85-93, 103
[m]
145, 171
[n]
86, 145, 171
[ng]
145, 149, 171
[ō]
71, 75, 135, 142-143
[p]
129, 168
[r]
83, 95-99, 103, 122, 136, 143, 164,
147, 149
[s]
65, 131, 169
[sh]
65
[t]
64-65, 77, 86, 102, 118
[th]
118, 166
[ū]
121, 127, 135, 143
[ü]
121, 122, 127, 136, 143
[v]
129-130, 168
[w]
63, 129, 168
[x]
148
[y]
63-66
[z]
65, 131, 169
ā 75,
135, 137, 142, 162
ä 71,
72, 75, 76, 102, 135, 142, 143, 162
æ
71, 74-76, 94, 102, 135, 137, 142,
143, 162
Acronyms
17
American D 65,
77, 86, 163
Rule
1—Top of the Staircase 78
Rule
2—Middle of the Staircase 79
Rule
3—Bottom of the Staircase 79
Rule
4—'Held T' Before N 80
Rule
5—The Silent T 81
American R 83,
95, 103, 122, 143, 147, 149, 164
American speech
music 1 See also Intonation
Analysis x, 100, 150
Answer Key
193
Attitude 15,
105-107, 128
B or
V 129, 168
Bit
or Beat? 123, 168
Can't 8, 41,
72, 101, 158
Cat?
Caught? Cut? 71
Chinese
173
Clichés
26
Colloquial
reductions 68
Complex Verbs
35-41, 138, 157, 161, 169
Compound Nouns
23-29, 108, 138, 154, 165, 169
Confirmation
58, 161
Consonant chart
viii, 62
Consonants 60,
62
Nasals
145
Throaty
147
Unvoiced viii,
3, 62, 69
Voiced viii, 3,
62, 84, 69
Contractions
81
Can't 8, 41,
72, 101, 158
Tag
Endings 58
Contrast 8, 12,
28, 101, 155, 158
D 65, 77, 86,
163
Descriptive
phrases 24, 28, 108, 155, 165
Diagnostic
analysis x, 100, 150
ē 135,
137
ε
75, 98, 122, 136-137, 142, 162, 165
El
85, 103
Emotions 7, 15,
105-107, 128
F or
V 129, 168
Four-word
phrases 112, 166
French 12,
188
G
147
German 12,
189
Glides 64 See
also Liaisons
Glottal
consonants 147, 171
Goldilocks 34,
111
Grammar in a
Nutshell 35, 138, 169
H
147, 171
[i]86, 118,
135, 143, 177
[i]
117, 122-125, 136, 143
Indian
183
Inflection 10
Intonation 1,
4, 14, 100
Attitude 128
Adjective 23,
154
American speech
music1
Attitude 105-107,
128
Can't 8, 41, 72,
101, 158
Complex verbs
35-41, 138, 158, 161, 169
Compound nouns
23-29, 108, 138, 154, 165, 169
Confirmation
58
Contrast 8, 12,
28, 101, 155, 158
Descriptive
phrases 24, 28, 108, 155, 165
Four-word
phrases 112, 166
Goldilocks 34,
111
Grammar in a
Nutshell 35, 138, 169
Little Red
Riding Hood 113
Nationality 30,
155 See Nationality Guides New information 5, 8
Non-verbal
128
Nonsense syllables
4, 5, 151
Noun stress 5, 23,
36, 101, 151, 154, 156
Phrasing
58
Pronoun stress
6, 37, 151, 157
Query
58
Question
7
Reduced sounds
48, 68, 84, 121, 125
Rhetorical
questions 7
Rubber band 4,
15, 43
Sentence
balance 111
Set
phrases 25-28, 109, 155, 165
Spelling 17,
60, 153, 161
Staircase
intonation 3, 5, 16, 70
Statement 7,
161
Stress
Syllable Count
19, 154
Word
Count 23, 154
T 78-82
Tag endings 56,
58
Texas millionaires
138
Three Little
Pigs 111
Three types of
4
Three word
phrases 109, 166
Transitions of
adjectives and verbs 45, 159
Transitions of
nouns and verbs 44, 158
Two-word
phrases 24, 29, 34, 108, 154, 165
Verbs 35, 138,
169
Wily
old lighthouse keeper 169
Word
groups 58
[j]
65
Japanese
12, 177
K
147-148, 171 Korean 191
L
85-93, 103, 163
Compared with
T, D, and N 86, 163
Lax vowels vii,
48-55, 117, 121, 122, 123, 135, 136, 169
Liaison staircases
70
Liaisons 59-70,
89, 102, 161
Colloquial
reductions 68
Consonants 60,
62
Glides
64
Liaison staircases
70
197
Miracle Technique
46, 159
Numbers 17,
153
Rule
1 : Consonant /Vowel 60
Rule
2: Consonant / Consonant 61
Rule
3: Vowel/Vowel 63
Rule
4: T, D, S or Z + Y 64
Sound groups 2,
46
Spelling
59
Vowel
64
Little Match
Girl 28
Little Red
Riding Hood 112
Long
vowels See Tense vowels
М 145,
171
Middle I List
125, 168
Miracle Technique
46, 159
Modifiers
110-114
N 86, 145,
171
NG
145, 149, 171
Nasal
consonants 94, 145, 179
Nationality 30,
155
Nationality
Guides 172
Chinese
173
Japanese
177
Spanish
180
Indian
183
Russian
186
French
188
German
189
Korean
191
Negatives
Can't 8, 41,72,
101, 158
New information 5,
8
Non-verbal
intonation 128
Nonsense syllables
4, 8, 151
Noun
stress 5,
8, 23, 35,
44,45,101,138,151
Numbers 17,
153
O 71, 75, 142, 162
OI 143
OW
135, 143
Old
information 6
Opinion
8
P
129, 168
Personality
15
Phrasing 2, 56,
58
Pitch 4,
9
Pretty 9,
152
Pronoun stress
6, 37, 151, 157
Pronunciation
vii-ix See also Symbols
American D
77
American R
95
Bit
or Beat? 123
Cat?
Caught? Cut? 71
El
85
L
Compared with T, D, and N 86
Lax
vowels 46, 121, 122, 135, 136
Long
vowels 123
Middle I List
125
Miracle Technique
46
Nasal consonants
145
S or Z?
131
Schwa
[э] 72
Semi-vowels
46
Silent L 90,
164
Silent T 81,
163
Spelling 17,
59
Tense vowels
vii, 46, 123, 135
Throaty
consonants 147
V as
in Victory 129
Question 7, 58,
161
Question
intonation 7
Rhetorical
7
Tag
56, 58
R,
American 83, 95-99, 103, 122, 136, 143, 147, 149, 164
Radio clip 107,
144
Reduced sounds
Consonants 84
Vowels 48-55,
68, 84, 121, 125, 159 See Lax vowels
Reverse
phonetics 46, 159
Review 101,
151
Rock
Soup 166
Rhetorical
questions 7
Rubber band 4,
15, 43, 151
Russian
186
S or
Z? 65, 131
Schwa
[ә] 72, 76,
88, 92, 102, 117, 122, 125, 136, 142-143, 162 Semi-vowels vii, 46
Sentence balance
111
Set phrases 25-29,
108, 155, 165
Silent L
90
Silent T
81
Single word
phrases 23
Soft
vowels See Lax
vowels
Sound groups
2
Sound/meaning
shifts 18
Snow
White 154
Spanish
180
Speech analysis
x, 100, 150
Speech music
1
Speed reading
93, 164
Spelling 17,
59, 153
Squeezed-out
syllables 18, 153
Staircase
intonation 3, 5, 16, 70
Statement 7,
161
Stories
Goldilocks 34,
111
Little Match
Girl 28
Little Red
Riding Hood 113
Snow
White 154
Rock
Soup 166
Three Little
Pigs 111
Ugly
Duckling 25
Stress
Syllable count
intonation 19, 154
Word
count intonation 23, 154
Syllables
Nonsense 4, 8,
151
Stress 19,
154
T,
American 64-65, 77, 86, 102, 118, 163
Th
118, 166
Tag
endings 56, 58, 161
Tandem Reading
93, 164
Tense vowels
vii, 46, 123, 135, 137, 169
Texas
Millionaires 138
Three Little
Pigs 111
Three-word
phrases 109, 165
Throaty
consonants 147, 171
Tongue twisters
120
Transitions of
adjectives and verbs 45, 159
Transitions of
nouns and verbs 44, 158
Translation 11,
152
Two-word
phrases 24-34, 108, 155, 165
ü
121, 122, 127, 136, 143, 168
ū
121, 127, 135, 143, 168
Ugly
Duckling 25
Unvoiced
consonants vii, 3, 62, 69, 83
V as
in Victory 129, 168
Variable stress
13
Verbs 35, 138,
169
Voice quality
94
Voiced
consonants 3, 62, 69, 83, 84
Vowel Chart vii,
46, 73
Vowels vii,
60
Lax 48-55, 68, 84,
117, 121, 122, 123, 125, 135, 136, 159-160
Liaisons
63
Long
See Tense
Reduced See
Lax
Short See
Lax
Tense vii, 123,
135, 137
Vowel chart
vii, 46, 73
W
63, 129, 168 See also Liaisons
Wily
old lighthouse keeper 169
Word
count intonation patterns 23, 154
Word
groups 56-57
Word
connections 59-70, 102 See also Liaisons
Y
63-66 See also Liaisons
X
148, 171
Z or
S? 65, 131-132,169
198