Vowels: long a sound /e/ Listen to the long a sound Play

[1] ai and a_e spellings with the letter r When the ai spelling is followed by the letter r or the consonant of the a_e spelling is the letter r (as in the words stair and care), the sound is more likely to be pronounced as the air sound instead of the long a sound followed by the r sound.

The long a sound in suffixes spelling example -ate

[2]

other pronunciations for spelling

celebrate Play decorate Play short i (delicate) evaluate Play

[2]: -ate suffix Only verbs using the -ate suffix are pronounced with a long a sound, otherwise the short i pronunciation is more common (as in the words delicate and unfortunate). long a illustration

long e illustration

Common long e spellings spelling example ee keep free seem each dream tea piece grieve achieve brief priest field happy marry pony me other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play short e (dead) Play Play Play none Play Play Play long i (pie) Play Play Play long i (my) Play Play none

Common long a spellings spelling a_e (VCe)[1] ai[1] example same cake safe rain paid faith say play way eight weigh sleigh other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play none Play Play Play none Play Play Play none Play

Non-phonetic long a words The long a sound is underlined in the following words: they Play great Play break Play grey Play caf Play Vowels: long e sound /i/ Listen to the long e sound Play

ea

ie_e

ie[1]

ay

-y -e[2]

eigh

spelling example we she Play Play

other pronunciations for spelling

[1] ie spelling Along with the long e and long i pronunciation, the ie spelling is occasionally pronounced as two adjacent vowel sounds, such as the words quiet, alien, and science. Consult a dictionary to be certain of the pronunciation of unfamiliar words spelled ie. [2] -e spelling The -e spelling is pronounced as the long e only in single-syllable words where the e is the final and only vowel in the spelling of the word.

Non-phonetic long e words The long e sound is underlined in the following words: ski Play people Play weird Play receipt Play

spelling example igh light bright sigh tie pie die shy sky dry cycle dynamic hyper

other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play long e (brief) Play Play Play long e (happy) Play Play Play short i (symbol) Play

Vowels: long i sound //

Listen to the long i sound Play

ie[1]

-y

-y-

The long e sound in suffixes spelling example -cy other pronunciations for spelling

[1] ie spelling Along with the long e and long i pronunciation, the ie spelling is occasionally pronounced as two adjacent vowel sounds, such as the words quiet, alien, and science. Consult a dictionary to be certain of the pronunciation of unfamiliar words spelled ie.

agency Play fluency Play none efficiency Play quality Play -ity ability Play none reality Play trilogy Play -logy apology Play none mythology Play photography Play -graphy choreography Play none topography Play The consonant+y suffixes are most frequently pronounced with a long e sound. An exception is the -fy suffix, which is usually pronounced with a long i sound (as in the words notify and glorify).

The long i sound in suffixes

spelling example long i illustration other pronunciations for spelling

Common long i spellings

spelling example i_e (VCe) ice hide smile other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play

emphasize Play -ize/-ise exercise Play none improvise Play clarify Play -fy specify Play none identify Play

Non-phonetic long i words

The long i sound is underlined in the following words: eye Play mind Play kind Play child Play buy Play

spelling

example

other pronunciations for spelling Play Play Play none Play Play Play ow sound (cow) Play Play short o (box) Play aw sound (dog) Play

Listen to the long u sound Play

Vowels: long o sound /o/

Listen to the long o sound Play

vote boat oa[1] soap toast snow ow own known most o (CVC)[1] go both

[1] o_e, oa, and o spellings with the letter r When the common long o spellings are followed by the letter r or the consonant of the o_e spelling is the letter r (as in the words for, soar and more), the sound is more likely to be pronounced as the or sound instead of the long o sound followed by the r sound. If the or spelling occurs on an unstressed syllable (as in the words honor and factor), a schwa+r pronunciation is also possible.

long u illustration

Common long u spellings The long o sound in suffixes

none The spellings for long u and oo sound are quite similar. (The oo sound has one additional spelling, oo.)
spelling example cute cube huge fuel hue rescue few pew skew other pronunciations for spelling Play Play oo sound (rude) Play Play Play oo sound (clue) Play Play Play oo sound (chew) Play

long o illustration

Non-phonetic long o words

The long o sound is underlined in the following words: though Play goes Play

u_e (VCe)[1] ue[1][2]

Common long o spellings

spelling o_e (VCe)[1] example joke rope other pronunciations for spelling Play none Play

Vowels: long u sound /ju/

ew[1]

[1] A long u spelling is generally pronounced as a long u (not an oo sound) sound when it comes after the following consonant sounds:

The short a sound in suffixes

none

m sound k sound f sound b sound v sound h sound

Non-phonetic short a words

The short a sound is underlined in the following words: have Play laugh Play

Following other consonant sounds, these spellings are more likely to be pronounced as the oo sound. [2] ue spelling The -ue spelling is usually silent when it occurs at the end of a word and follows the letters g, ng, or q (examples include the words fatigue, tongue, and unique). An exception is the word argue, which ends in a long u sound.

Vowels: short e sound //

Listen to the short e sound Play

short a illustration

Common short a spellings The long u sound in suffixes

none spelling -a(CVC)[1] example ask bath class other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play

Non-phonetic long u words

The long u sound is underlined in the following words: usual Play university Play beautiful Play music Play future Play human Play

[1] a spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter a is the letter r (as in the words star and car), the sound is usually pronounced as the ar sound instead of the short a sound followed by the r sound. If the ar spelling occurs on an unstressed syllable (as in the words dollar and sugar), a schwa+r pronunciation is also possible.

short e illustration

Common short e spellings

spelling example other pronunciations for spelling

Vowels: short a sound //

Listen to the short a sound Play

spelling -e(CVC)[1] ea

example bed send yes head bread heaven

other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play long e (dream) Play

The short i sound in suffixes

spelling example -ate[2] other pronunciations for spelling

-ive

[1] e spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter e is the letter r (as in the words her and after), the sound is usually pronounced as the schwa+r instead of the short e sound followed by the r sound.

-ed[3]

accurate Play passionate Play long a (celebrate) unfortunate Play active Play excessive Play none alternative Play landed Play skated Play no vowel celebrated Play

The short e sound in suffixes

none

short i illustration

[2] -ate suffix The -ate suffix is pronounced with a short i sound when the word is being used as a noun or an adjective. When the -ate suffix is being used as a verb, a long a pronunciation is more common (as in the words celebrate and evaluate). [3] -ed ending The vowel sound of the -ed ending is pronounced with a short i sound when the sound before the -ed is a t sound or a d sound.

Common short i spellings Non-phonetic short e words

The short e sound is underlined in the following words: said Play says Play friend Play guest Play again Play spelling -i-(CVC)[1] consonant-yconsonant example it lip spin myth symbol system other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play long i (cycle) Play

Non-phonetic short i words

The short i sound is underlined in the following words: been Play give Play busy Play building Play

Vowels: short i sound //

Listen to the short i sound Play

[1] i spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter i is the letter r (as in the words stir and girl), the sound is usually pronounced as the schwa+r instead of the short i sound followed by the r sound.

Vowels: short o sound //

Listen to the short o sound Play

The short o sound in suffixes

none

spelling (CVC)[1]

example duck just Play Play

other pronunciations for spelling

Non-phonetic short o words

The short o sound is underlined in the following words: father Play

[1] u spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter u is the letter r (as in the words blur and fur), the sound is usually pronounced as the schwa+r instead of the short u sound followed by the r sound.

Vowels: short u sound //

Listen to the short u sound Play

The short u sound in suffixes

none

short o illustration

Non-phonetic short u words Common short o spellings

spelling -o(CVC)[1] example odd box shock other pronunciations for spelling Play long o (most) Play aw sound (dog) Play The short u sound is underlined in the following words: won/one[2] Play done Play none Play from Play come Play enough Play mother Play brother Play

[1] o spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter o is the letter r (as in the words for and order), the sound is usually pronounced as the or sound instead of the short o sound followed by the r sound. If the or spelling occurs on an unstressed syllable (as in the words honor and doctor), a schwa+r pronunciation is also possible.

short u illustration

[2]: won/one The words one and won are homonyms and are pronounced the same.

Vowels: aw sound //
Common short u spellings
Listen to the aw sound Play
spelling -uexample us other pronunciations for spelling Play other u (put)

spelling (w+)a
[3]

example want wash watch

other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play

almost

Play

Vowels: ow sound /a/

Listen to the ow sound sound Play

[1] o spelling followed by the letter r When the consonant following the letter o is the letter r (as in the words for and order), the sound is usually pronounced as the or sound. If the or spelling occurs on an unstressed syllable (as in the words honor and factor), a schwa+r pronunciation is also possible. [2] ough(+t) spelling The ough spelling is pronounced with the aw sound when it is followed by the letter t. There are no pronunciation patterns when ough occurs at the end of a word. For example, the words enough, through, and though each have different pronunciations for the ough spelling. [3] (w+)a spelling The letter a is often pronounced as the aw sound when it occurs between the letter w and a consonant. Exceptions to this pattern include the words wax, waste, and wagon.

aw sound illustration

Common aw sound spellings

spelling aw -o(CVC)[1] au example other pronunciations for spelling

ow sound illustration

augh

ough(+t)[2]

law Play awful Play none drawn Play dog Play short o (top) lost Play long o (most) soft Play caution Play haunt Play none author Play caught Play daughter Play none taught Play brought Play thought Play none fought Play

Common ow sound spellings

spelling example other pronunciations for spelling Play Play long o (snow) Play Play Play none Play

The aw sound in suffixes

none ow

ou

Non-phonetic aw sound words

The aw sound is underlined in the following words: gone Play talk Play walk Play

cow brown owl mouse count out

The ow sound in suffixes

none

spelling example oy boy joy loyal

other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play

Non-phonetic ow sound words

none

Vowels: oi sound //
Listen to the oi sound Play

The oi sound in suffixes

none

Non-phonetic oi sound words

The oi sound is underlined in the following words: lawyer[1] Play [1]: lawyer The word lawyer can be pronounced with either the oi sound or the aw sound followed by a y sound.

oi sound illustration

Common oi sound spellings

spelling example oi oil voice point boy joy loyal other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play none Play

Vowels: oi sound //
Listen to the oi sound Play

oi sound illustration

oy

Common oi sound spellings

spelling example oi oil voice point other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play

The oi sound in suffixes

none

Non-phonetic oi sound words

The oi sound is underlined in the following words: lawyer[1] Play [1]: lawyer The word lawyer can be pronounced with either the oi sound or the aw sound followed by a y sound.

2. secondarily stressed 3. unstressed Every multi-syllable word has a single stressed syllable. The single stressed syllable of the word has the most emphasis. The remainder of the syllables may have a secondary stress or may be unstressed. The word emphasize has all the levels of stress. The first syllable is stressed, the second syllable is an unstressed syllable pronounced as schwa, and the third syllable has a secondary stress. em pha size Play

Examples of schwa spelling occur Play o spelling condition Play campus Play u spelling support Play

Introduction to Schwa //
The reduced vowel sound called schwa is the most common vowel sound in spoken English. Schwa is a quick, relaxed, neutral vowel pronunciation very close to a short u. The purpose of schwa is to allow unstressed syllables to be said more quickly so the main beats of spoken words are easier to place on the stressed syllables. Schwa does not have an exact and standard pronunciation. Due to the near-identical pronunciation of schwa and short u, many dictionaries merge the transcription of the two sounds and strictly use //. Separate symbols are retained here to indicate whether a vowel sound falls on a stressed or unstressed syllable. Schwa occurs in two different circumstances: 1. in an unstressed syllable of a multi-syllable word 2. as a reduced vowel sound in a function word

Dictionaries and schwa

Even for stressed syllables, some dictionaries do not use a separate symbol for schwa // and the short u //. When schwa is the only symbol used, it can be assumed that the word is pronounced with the short u sound. The table below compares the transcription used by Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary and Cambridge Dictionary of American English. Example Dictionary Citations Merriam-Webster Cambridge Dictionary transcription transcription cut /kt/ /kt/ Play sun /sn/ /sn/ Play love /lv/ /lv/ Play truck /trk/ /trk/ Play stuff /stf/ /stf/ Play

The spelling of schwa

Many multi-syllable words do not seem to be pronounced as they are spelled. This is because schwa is a function of syllable stress and not of spelling. Once learners can recognize stressed syllables, it becomes easier to predict when schwa will be used in an adjacent, unstressed vowel, regardless of the spelling. The examples below show schwa as it is exhibited when spelled with each vowel. The unstressed vowel sound, schwa, is underlined in each word. Examples of schwa spelling again Play a spelling vitamin Play petition Play e spelling celebrate Play president Play i spelling experiment Play

Introduction to schwa in function words

Proper use of schwa helps speakers adopt and maintain English sentence stress patterns. Certain grammatical words called function words can have two different pronunciations in spoken English: a citation form and a reduced form. The citation form of a word is the pronunciation shown first in a dictionary transcription. It is the

Schwa in an unstressed syllable

In words with more than one syllable, not every syllable is given equal emphasis when spoken. Three levels of syllable stress are possible: 1. stressed

pronunciation used when the word is spoken alone or out of context. Citation form pronunciation is actually less common than the reduced pronunciation of function words. If a dictionary transcribes reduced forms of words, it is usually noted as a secondary transcription. If this transcription shows the vowel sound of function words reduced to schwa, the vowel sound of the word is said quicker and with a more neutral vowel sound than the citation pronunciation. Function words are typically only reduced when the word is used within a sentence, and not if the word is being spoken in isolation. The purpose of reduced pronunciations is to help function words fall into the background of speech, while content words gain emphasis. Reduced Function Words Dictionary Citation Reduced Citation (Schwa) can /kn/ Play /kn/ Play do /du/ Play /d/Play to /tu/ Play /t/ Play you /ju/ Play /j/ Play

Within words, a single stressed syllable is given emphasis by any combination of being pronounced louder, for more time, and/or at a different pitch than surrounding syllables. A stressed syllable of a word is mostly static and unchanging.
stressed syllable Stressed syllables of words don't vol un teer usually change. stressed syllable in spi ra tion

In short, the stressed syllable of a word rarely changes, but stressed words of a sentence are greatly flexible.

Unstressed syllables and words

Equally important to the rhythm of English is the reduction of unstressed syllables and unstressed words. Syllables and even entire words can be reduced by any combination of using a more neutral vowel sound (schwa), decreasing the length of the vowel sound, and omitting sounds (possibly entire syllables).

Sentence stress is more flexible than syllable stress. Which word is stressed can change to fit the speaker's intended meaning. A word is stressed by emphasizing its stressed syllable more than the stressed syllable of surrounding words.
stressed syllable Are you com ing? In both words and sentences, unstressed syllables often occur next to stressed syllables.

unstressed syllable vol un teer

unstressed syllables in spi ra tion

American English Stress

The underlying pattern of English rhythm is that the stressed syllables of stressed words occur on relatively evenly spaced "beats." This concept is called the Rhythm Rule. This pattern is possible because words and sentences have three levels of stress:
1. stressed 2. unstressed 3. secondarily stressed

Or possibly: stressed syllable Stressed words of sentences are Are you com ing? very flexible.

unstressed syllables Are you com ing?

Or even: stressed syllable Are you com ing?

Secondarily stressed syllables and words

Secondarily stressed syllables create a beat of less prominence than a stressed syllable and are not reduced. Their primary purpose is in maintaining the rhythm of English. Secondarily stressed syllables are usually separated from stressed syllables by at least one unstressed syllable. Within

Stressed syllables and words

sentences, words can also be given a secondary stress, either to highlight important information or even merely to maintain rhythm.

The word's stressed syllable begins immediately after the letter x The x is followed by a vowel sound

k sound plus s sound /'tk sk/ toxic

g sound plus z sound /g 'zkt/

Secondarily stressed syllables are usually separated from stressed syllables by at least one unstressed syllable. secondary stress vol un teer secondary stress in spi ra tion

Play

/k 'splen/ Play explain

exact

Play

/g 'zm pl/ example

/'gl k si/ Play galaxy

Play

secondary stress Are you com ing?

/g 'zs tns/ existence

Play

Exceptions

/ 'z ti/ anxiety

Play

Letter x Pronunciation: k+s or g+z

Students and teachers cannot assume that the letter x is always pronounced with the more commonly known k sound + s sound pronunciation. In English, the x spelling has two possible pronunciations:

There are a few exceptions to the letter x pronunication patterns. The following words are pronounced as g sound + z sound, even though syllable stress under the rules presented above would not dictate it: x pronunciation exceptions 'g zit exit

x = s sound + k sound
The letter x will be pronounced as the k sound + s sound when both of the above are not true. Also, the letter x will be pronounced as the k sound +s sound when it is the final letter of the word. Note: Inflectional suffixes such as -es and -ed can be added to words ending in the letter x without changing the pronunciation from the k sound + s sound (examples include the words fixes and fixed). k sound plus s sound

Play

'g zl exile

Play

k sound + s sound (box) g sound + z sound (exact)

g z 'stn l existential

Play

x = g sound + z sound
The pronunciation of the letter x will be that of the g sound + z sound when both of the following are true: box

/bks/

Play

Linking
At its simplest, linking is the merging of multiple words together until they sound as if they are only

one word. Native speakers of English all do this naturally. Linking is an advanced topic for nonnative speakers, but learning to correctly link words can result in significantly more fluid and fluent sounding English speech. Failing to link words naturally results in spoken English which may have awkward pauses, extra, unnecessary sounds, and which will sound very foreign to native speakers. Techniques used for linking words depend on specific adjacent sounds where the words meet in the sentence.

Coarticulation occurs when adjacent sounds overlap one another, causing a change in one or both sounds' pronunciation. Two examples of coarticulation include nasal aspiration and lateral aspiration. Nasal aspiration occurs when the d sound /d/ links into the n sound /n/. The tongue moves into the position of the d sound, but the sound is not completed with the typical aspiration (release of air). Instead, the stopped air is released as an n sound. An example of nasal aspiration occurs in the phrase "good news": the air is stopped as a d sound, but released as an n sound.

When the t sound /j/ and y sound /j/ assimilate, the sounds merge into the ch sound //. This causes the phrase "don't you" /dontju/ to be pronounced as "donchou" /donu/.

The d sound assimilates with the y sound and is pronounced as a j sound //. This causes the phrase "did you" /ddju/ to be pronounced as "dijou" /du/.

Blending sounds
Blending is smoothly transitioning from the pronunciation of one sound into the next sound. Blending works well for linking from one continuous consonant--a fricative, approximant, or nasal sound--to another different continuous consonant. In the phrase "this month," the s sound /s/ blends smoothly into the m sound /m/.

Intrusion: Adding sounds

Lateral aspiration is similar in concept to nasal aspiration in that the air is stopped as a normal d sound /d/, but released as a different sound. In lateral aspiration, the d sound /d/ is released as an l sound /l/. In the phrase "bad luck," the d sound /d/ links into the l sound /l/, and lateral aspiration occurs. Intrusion is placing an additional sound between other sounds. For instance, adding a slight w sound /w/ or y sound /j/ between vowel sounds is a helpful technique for pronouncing both vowels clearly. In the phrase "he asked," a small y sound /j/ is added between the long e /i/ and short a //. This allows both vowel sounds to be pronounced fully and separately without pausing between words.

Blending can also be used to link continuous consonants and vowel sounds, as in the phrase "this afternoon." Here the s sound /s/ of the word "this" is shared between both words.

Assimilation: changing sounds Coarticulation: overlapping sounds

Assimilation is a more drastic type of coarticulation. Instead of "sharing" part of a sound, the merged sounds are pronounced as an entirely different sound. Two examples of assimilation occur when the t sound /t/ or d sound /d/ precede the y sound /j/.

A slight w sound /w/ is added to link the oo sound /u/ to the short i // sound in the phrase "do it." Again, this allows both vowel sounds to be pronounced clearly.

Elision: Omitting sounds

Elision occurs when a sound is removed from a word. For example, when a t sound /t/ or d sound /d/ is between two other consonant sounds (but not the first sound of a word), the t sound /t/ or d sound /d/ can be omitted. In the phrase "kept going," the t sound /t/ is between two consonant sounds and can be omitted.

The j sound // and ch sound // are the only affricate sounds in English. In a sequence of identical affricates, no special linking occurs and the sounds are pronounced twice in a row. Therefore, in the phrase "orange juice," the j sound should be pronounced twice.

To create the z sound, the front of the tongue is placed close to the tooth ridge. The tip of the tongue should be close to the upper backside of the top front teeth. The tongue is kept tense as air is pushed between a small groove along the center of the tip of the tongue and the front of the tooth ridge. The front sides of the tongue touch the side teeth toward the front of the mouth. The lips are held slightly tense during the sound. This sound is a continuous consonant, meaning that it should be capable of being produced for a few seconds with even and smooth pronunciation for the entire duration.

In the phrase "diamond ring," the d sound /d/ is between two consonant sounds and can be omitted.

Consonant Fricative: z sound /z/

Listen to the z sound Play

Common z sound spellings

Geminates: Double sounds

Geminates occur when one word ends with and the next word begins with the same consonant sound. Continuous consonants link to each other differently than stops and affricates. Identical double continuous consonants link by pronouncing one, single sound for an extended period of time. In the phrase, "social life," the l sound /l/ is produced for more time than if the sound occurred alone.
spelling example z zoo dozen quiz visit his because exit example anxiety other pronunciations for spelling Play Play none Play Play Play s sound (past) Play Play Play s sound (box) Play

s[1]

x[2]

When linking identical stop sounds, the stopped portion of the sound is held for an extended period of time, then released. In the phrase "pet turtle," the t sound is stopped, held for extra time, then released. This stop, hold, and release signals the pronunciation of both sounds.

z sound illustration

How to pronounce the z sound

The z sound is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate during its production), and is the counterpart to the unvoiced s sound.

[1]: s spelling The letter s is more likely to be pronounced as a z sound than an s sound when it occurs between vowel sounds within a word. If the letter s is part of a prefix (such as the word disability), this is less likely to be true. At the end of a word the letters s or se are equally likely to be pronounced as an s sound or a z sound. It is important to note the correct pronunciation at the time of learning new vocabulary with these spellings.

[2]: x spelling Students must realize that the letter x can be pronounced as k sound + s sound or as g sound + z sound. A combination of syllable stress and surrounding sounds determine the correct letter x pronunciation.

The z sound is underlined in the following words: as Play is Play his Play those Play because Play

between a small groove along the center of the tip of the tongue and the front of the tooth ridge. The front sides of the tongue touch the side teeth toward the front of the mouth. The lips are held slightly tense during the sound. This sound is a continuous consonant, meaning that it should be capable of being produced for a few seconds with even and smooth pronunciation for the entire duration.

Consonant Fricative: s sound /s/

The z sound in suffixes
Listen to the s sound Play
spelling example -s/-es -ise/ize -ism
[3]

other pronunciations for spelling

boys Play cars Play s sound (cats) finishes Play emphasize Play exercise Play none improvise Play tourism Play journalism Play none activism Play

Common s sound spellings

spelling example s/ss
[1]

other pronunciations for spelling

c(+e)

[3]: -s/-es suffix Whether the -s/-es suffix is pronounced with a z sound or with an s sound depends on the final sound before the suffix. s sound illustration

c(+i)

sc[2]

Non-phonetic z sound words

The z sound is often overlooked in the pronunciation of high-frequency words that end in the letters s or se. Although the following highfrequency words are not non-phonetic, their z sound pronunciation should be memorized, as these words are frequently mispronounced by ESL/ELL students.

How to pronounce the s sound

The s sound is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate during its production), and is the counterpart to the voiced z sound. To create the s sound, the front of the tongue is placed close to the tooth ridge. The tip of the tongue should be close to the upper backside of the top front teeth. The tongue is kept tense as air is pushed

x[3]

so Play past Play z sound (visit) kiss Play center Play licence Play none bounce Play circle Play city Play none medicine Play science Play muscle Play s sound+k sound (scare) descend Play box Play next Play z sound (exit) oxygen Play

[1]: s/ss spelling The letter s is more likely to be pronounced as a z sound than an s sound when it occurs between vowel sounds within a word. If the letter s is part of a prefix (such as the word disability), this is less likely to be true. At the end of a word the letters s or se are equally likely to be pronounced as an s sound

or a z sound. It is important to note the correct pronunciation at the time of learning new vocabulary with these spellings. [2]: sc spelling The sc spelling is most likely to be pronounced as an s sound when the spelling occurs in the middle of a word. At the beginning of a word, it is more likely to be pronounced as the s sound followed by the k sound, as in the words scare and script. [3]: x spelling Students must realize that the letter x can be pronounced as k sound + s sound or as g sound + z sound. A combination of syllable stress and the surrounding sounds determine the correct letter x pronunciation. nasal aspiration illustration At its simplest, a nasal aspiration is a combination d+n sound that is produced by stopping the air using the tongue position of a d sound, and then releasing the air as an n sound. This means that the aspiration of the d sound is released through the nose instead of the mouth.

sound is aspirated normally, the tongue releases from the tooth ridge and air exits through the mouth. A nasal aspiration occurs when the tongue is held in the stopped position of a d sound and then, after the air is stopped, the velum opens, and an n sound is produced.

The syllabic n
If the tongue is released from the tooth ridge before the velums opens, a vowel sound will be added between the d sound and n sound. It is impossible to create the nasal aspiration when this occurs. It is not necessary for all syllables that include an n sound to also include a vowel sound. When an n sound occurs in a syllable without a vowel sound, it is called a syllabic n. When produced correctly, a nasal aspiration can occur simultaneously with a syllabic n. This often happens when a word that ends with the d sound is contracted with the word not.

The s sound in suffixes

spelling example
[4]

What is the velum?

The velum is the flap in the back of the mouth that allows or prohibits the passage of air through the nasal tract (and out the nose) instead of out through the mouth. The velum is closed for all of the sounds of American English except the three nasal consonants (the n sound, m sound, and ng sound). A nasal aspiration begins with the velum closed, but ends with it open. This occurs when an n sound immediately follows a d sound.

other pronunciations for spelling

Practice
The location of the nasal aspiration is underlined in the following examples:
nasal aspiration word practice hidden Play burden Play garden Play suddenly Play couldn't Play shouldn't Play wouldn't Play hadn't Play

cats Play -s/-es wants Play z sound (boys) laughs Play cautious Play curious Play none ous/ious dangerous Play

[4]: -s/-es suffix Whether the -s/-es suffix is pronounced with an s sound or with a z sound depends on the final sound before the suffix.

Creating a nasal aspiration

During the beginning of a normal d sound the front of the tongue presses against the back of the tooth ridge and the sides of the teeth (this is the same position the tongue takes during an n sound). Since the velum is closed during the beginning of the d sound, no air can leave the vocal tract. When a d

Nasal Aspiration: d sound+n sound

Nasal aspirations also spontaneously occur when a word that ends in a d sound is followed by a word that begins with an n sound. Practicing nasal aspirations within words will help non-native

speakers become more comfortable when situations that require linking these sounds occur. The location of the nasal aspiration is underlined in the following examples:
nasal aspiration linking practice good_news Play loud_noise Play acted_normally Play United_Nations Play

When the final sound of the word is an unvoiced sound (except the t sound itself), the -ed ending is pronounced as a t sound. An unvoiced sound does not use the vocal cords during its production. Besides the t sound, English has only seven other unvoiced sounds that occur at the end of a word: Sound Example 1. p sound stopped Play 2. k sound looked Play 3. unvoiced th sound* unearthed Play 4. sh sound washed Play 5. s sound passed Play 6. f sound laughed Play 7. ch sound watched Play The h sound is the only unvoiced sound that does not occur at the end of a word in English. *The unvoiced th sound is rather uncommon before the -ed ending.

The -ed ending Pronunciations

The -ed ending is used to form the simple past and past participle of words in English. There are three possible pronunciations for the -ed ending: 1. short i+d sound 2. t sound 3. d sound Which pronunciation to use depends on the final sound before the -ed.

Sound 5. z sound 6. v sound 7. j sound 8. l sound 9. r sound 10. schwa+r 11. ar sound 12. or sound 13. air sound 14. m sound 15. n sound 16. ng sound

Example pleased loved changed called cured answered starred poured scared dreamed rained belonged

Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play

3: -ed ending pronounced as d sound

When the final sound of the word is a voiced sound (except the d sound itself), the -ed ending is pronounced as a d sound. A voiced sound uses the vocal cords during its production. Since all vowel sounds are voiced, there are far more voiced sounds in English than unvoiced sounds. Besides the d sound, English has 16 other voiced sounds that occur at the end of a word: Sound Example b sound described Play g sound begged Play voiced th sound* bathed Play zh sound massaged Play

1: -ed ending pronounced as short i+d sound

When the final sound of the word is a d sound or a t sound (including all of the t sound allophones), the ed ending is pronounced as short i+d sound. This forces a syllable to be added to the word. Sound Example 1. d sound needed Play 2. t sound waited Play

2: -ed ending pronounced as t sound

1. 2. 3. 4.