6 tips for practicing correct English pronunciation

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If pronunciation of English words is your weak point and ship sounds exactly like sheep in your performance, it's time to fix the situation with the help of these tips.

The English alphabet has 26 letters and 44 sounds. If in some languages each letter is responsible for only one sound, then in English one letter can transmit up to four sounds, and in some cases even up to seven. Hence the favorite saying of the British: "We write" Liverpool "and read" Manchester "".

In addition, articulation (movement of the tongue, lips, mouth) differs significantly from Russian. There are sounds similar to the Russians, but when they are pronounced, the articulation organs work differently.

If you want to get rid of the accent or at least get closer to the English-speaking speech, all the differences must be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to get yourself correct English pronunciation.

1. Learn the alphabet

Many adults consider this a childish exercise. But one day you will definitely be asked: "Please, spell your name" ("Spell your name"). This is where knowledge of the letters of the English alphabet comes in handy. In addition, abbreviations, street names, house and flight numbers may contain letters, and, for example, at the airport, they will necessarily be pronounced like in the alphabet.

2. Train your articulation when pronouncing consonants

After you have mastered the letters of the alphabet, feel free to move on to the study of the sounds that they transmit. Train yourself to correct articulation right away. First, learn to pronounce sounds separately, bring them to automatism, and then move on to words, phrases and sentences.

In English, there are consonants that, at first glance (or rather, hearing), are pronounced as in Russian.

1. Check where the tip of the tongue is when pronouncing the sounds [d] - [t], [n], [r], [s], [z]. Does it bite your teeth? Congratulations, you pronounce the Russian alphabet. In the native English, the tip of the tongue at this time is on the alveoli (the largest tubercle on the upper palate). Try it. Now you get purely English sounds. Practice: bed [bed] - ten [ten], not [nɔt], rat [r æ t], sun [s ʌ n], zoo [zu:].

2. Depict a hare while pronouncing the sounds [f] - [v]. The upper teeth must be placed on the lower lip. Practice: fat [f æt] - vet [vet].

3. Remember that the [l] sound is always solid: London [ˈlʌndən].

4. When practicing the [w] sound, take a candle: this is the best way to learn how to pronounce it correctly. Fold your lips in a tube and pull them forward (like small children stretch in a kiss), and then smile sharply. Then this sound will turn out. When exercising, hold the candle at a distance of 20-25 cm from your lips. If the flame goes out when the sound is uttered, then you are doing everything right. Practice: Say the word well [wel].

5. Warm up your hands while practicing the [h] sound. It has nothing to do with Russian [x]. Imagine that you are very cold and are trying to warm your hands with your breath. You bring them to your lips and breathe out. During exhalation, a light, barely audible English sound [h] is formed. As in home [h əum].

6. Practice the sound [ŋ] if you have a bad cold, or pretend you have one. There is no such sound in Russian, it is transmitted by the combination ng in English. Press your tongue, like a spatula, to the upper palate and send the sound through the nose. A bit like [n], if pronounced with a severe cold. Remember that your tongue is still touching the alveoli, not your teeth. Practice it: interesting [ˈɪnt (ə) rɪstɪŋ].

7. Be a snake and a bee for training [ð] - [θ]. These sounds are absent in Russian and are formed by a combination of the letters th in English.

[ð] - ringing sound. Bite the tip of your tongue lightly with your teeth and make a sound [z]. If during training the lower lip and tongue tickles, then you are doing everything right. If not, then you may have bitten the tip of your tongue too hard, loosen your teeth a little. Say the word this [ðɪs], okay?

[θ] is a dull sound. The articulation is the same, only we pronounce the sound [s]. To practice the thud [θ], say the word thank [θæŋk].

3. Learn four types of syllables for correct vowel pronunciation

The reading of vowels depends on the type of syllable in which they are found:

• open (the syllable ends in a vowel);
• closed (syllable ends with a consonant);
• vowel + r;
• vowel + re.

In the first type of syllable - open - the vowels are read as in the alphabet (so knowledge of the alphabet came in handy!). For example: plane [plein], nose [nəuz], tube [tju: b], Pete [pi: t].

In the second type, you need to memorize the pronunciation of each vowel:

• [æ] - open sound, not long. It is conveyed by the letter A in a closed syllable. Test yourself: sit at the table, straighten, put one elbow on the surface, bend your hand under the chin. You will have room between the chin and the hand, if, of course, you straighten your back. Now we lower the lower jaw down so that it reaches the hand, and say [eh]. Practice with the word bag [bæg].
• [e] is often confused with the previous sound. When pronouncing [e], you just need to slightly raise the corners of the lips up, as if smiling slightly. These are two different sounds, and they are not similar to each other, and even more so to Russian [e]. Practice: pet [pet].
• Short sounds , [ɔ], [ʌ], [u] are pronounced intensely, not in a chant: big [big], box [bɔks], bus [bʌs], book [bʊk].

In the third and fourth types of syllables, the letter R is not readable, it only forms a syllable and lengthens a vowel sound: car [ka:], sort [sɔ: t], turn [tɜ: n].

[a:], [ɔ:] are special sounds. Imagine that you are at the doctor's office examining your throat. The root of your tongue is pressed with a stick and asked to say "ah-ah". It is in this position that the tongue should be when pronouncing the sounds [a] and [o]. If you feel like yawning at the same time, then you are on the right track! Try it now: car [ka:], sort [sɔ: t].

4. Remember the correct stress

Most often in English, the stressed syllable is the first. If you need to pronounce a word, and there is no one to ask or does not have a dictionary at hand, put an emphasis on the first syllable. Of course, it is better to immediately memorize words with the correct stress or check yourself with a dictionary.

5. Don't forget four important rules

• In English, soft consonants are completely absent.
• Voiced consonants are not stunned at the end of a word.
• Vowels are long (in transcription they are denoted by [:]) and short.
• No unnecessary - especially sharp - lip movements.

6. Top tip for practicing any skill: exercise

Learn a few phrases to practice correct pronunciation:

• Very well [‘veri’ wel].
• World Wide Web or WWW [‘w əuld‘waid ‘web www].
• Eleven benevolent elephants [ɪˈlevn bəˈnevələnt ˈelɪfənts].
• Stupid superstition [ˈstjuːpɪd ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃ (ə) n].
• Pirates Private Property [ˈpaɪrəts praɪvət ˈprɒpəti].

And remember: different sounds have a meaningful function. For example, man [mæn] ("man") and men [men] ("men"); ship [ʃip] and sheep [ʃi: p] and so on. Many people read three ("three") as [tri:] (which means "tree") or [fri:] ("freedom"), not taking into account that th [θ] reads differently, it is simply not in Russian (remember the bee exercise). Knowing the correct pronunciation of words, you will definitely not go wrong!