", transcription is used by everyone, sometimes even unconsciously. First, let's refresh our memory, what does the phrase “English transcription” mean?
English Transcription is a sequence of phonetic symbols that helps us understand how to read a particular sound or word. Often, students are faced with transcription at the beginning of learning a language, when it is still quite difficult to read even quite simple words, and then they simply don’t pay attention to it. However, this will not be the case forever.
As soon as a student begins to skillfully use complex grammatical structures and develops a good lexicon for free communication, then the desire immediately appears to speak beautifully, like a native speaker, that is, to improve your pronunciation of English words. This is where we remember the good old transcription.
In order not to have to remember the well-forgotten old things, we suggest returning to the repetition from time to time. Of course, ideally, the transcription should be completed together with the teacher, because writing cannot convey all the subtleties of pronunciation, but if you are reading this article now, the foundation of beautiful pronunciation and correct reading already laid down, and you will definitely achieve your desired goal.
Transcription of vowel sounds
There are two types of vowel sounds - single sounds and diphthongs.
[ ʌ ] - [a] - short;
[a:]- [a] - deep;
[i]- [and] - short;
[i:]- [and] - long;
[o]- [o] - short;
[o:]- [o] - deep;
[u]- [y] - short;
[u:]- [y] - long;
[e]- as in the word “plaid”;
[ ɜ: ] - as in the word “honey”.
English diphthongs
A diphthong is a sound that consists of two sounds. Most often, a diphthong can be divided into two sounds, however, this cannot be conveyed in writing. Often diphthongs are indicated not by a combination of several characters, but by their own sign.
[əu]- [ OU ];
[au]- [au];
[ei]- [ Hey ];
[oi]- [ Ouch ];
[ai]- [ouch].
Rules for pronunciation of vowels in English
- Sound " a"has four varieties:
[ ʌ ] - short sound, as in the words “duck”, “cut”;
[ æ ] - soft sound. There is no analogue to it in the Russian language. It is read as in the word “cat”;
[a:]- a long sound that is read as in the word “car”;
[ ɔ ] - a short sound that sounds similar to both “o” and “a”. In British pronunciation, it is more of an "o", as in "hot" or "not".
- Sound " e" can be read in three ways:
[e]- for example, as in the word “let”;
[ ə: ] - this sound is a little reminiscent of the Russian letter “ё”, only it is read a little softer. For example, "bird", "fur";
[ ə ] - one of the most common sounds in English transcription. In sound, this sound is similar to the Russian sound “e”. It occurs only in unstressed syllables and can be practically inaudible or indistinguishable, for example, ["letə", "letter" - letter.
- Sound " i"can be long or short:
[I]- a short sound, for example, as in the word “film”;
[i:]- a long sound, for example, as in “sheep”.
- Sound " O"also has 2 options - long and short:
[ ɔ ] - short sound, as in the word “bond”;
[ ɔ: ] - a long sound, as in the word “more”.
- Sound " u" can also be pronounced in two ways. It can be long or short:
[u]- short sound, as in the word “put”;
[u:]- long sound, as in the word “blue”.
Transcription of consonants
In the transcription of consonant sounds, everything is quite simple. Basically they sound similar to Russian. It is enough to take a thoughtful look at the above-mentioned letter combinations a couple of times, and they will remain in your memory.
Consonants
[b]- [b];
[d]- [d];
[f]- [f];
[ 3 ] - [ and ];
[dʒ]- [j];
[g]- [ G ];
[h]- [ X ];
[k]- [ To ];
[l]- [l];
[m]- [m];
[n]- [n];
[p]- [ P ];
[s]- [ With ];
[t]- [ T ];
[v]- [ V ];
[z]- [z];
[t∫]- [h];
[ ∫ ] - [w];
[r]- soft [r], as in the word Russian;
[ O ]- a sign of softness as in the Russian letter “ё” (Christmas tree).
English consonants that are not in Russian and their pronunciation:
[ θ ] - soft letter“c”, the tongue is located between the front teeth of the upper and lower jaws;
[ æ ] - like “e”, only more sharply;
[ ð ] - like “θ”, only with the addition of a voice, like a soft letter “z”;
[ ŋ ] - nasal, in the French manner, sound [n];
[ ə ] - neutral sound;
[w]-like “v” and “u” together, soft pronunciation.
Features of English transcription
In order to make it easier to navigate reading words, it is important to know the main features of transcription:
- Feature 1. Transcription is always formatted in square brackets
- Feature 2. In order not to get confused about where to place the stress in a word, it is worth considering that it is always placed before the stressed syllable. ["neim] - transcription of the word name.
- Feature 3. It is important to understand that transcription is not the English letters and sounds that make up a word. Transcription is the sound of words.
- Feature 4. In English, transcription consists of vowel sounds, diphthongs and consonants.
- Feature 5. In order to show that the sound is long, a colon is used in transcription.
Of course, knowing only character sets, it is quite difficult to read everything correctly, because there are many exceptions. In order to read correctly, you need to understand that there are closed and open syllables. Open syllable ends with a vowel (game, sunshine), closed- on a consonant (ball, dog). Some sounds in English can be pronounced differently depending on the type of syllable.
Conclusion
It is worth remembering that in any business the main thing is practice (by the way, you can start practicing English remotely right now). Transcribing sounds in English will be easy for you if you work hard at it. Reading the rules once is not enough. It is important to return to them, work through them and repeat them regularly until they are practiced to the point of automaticity. In the end, the transcription will allow you to correctly pronounce sounds in English.
Dictionaries will help you memorize English with transcription and correct pronunciation of English letters and words. You can use both English online dictionaries and good old printed publications. The main thing is not to give up!
Inspiration to you and success in your studies. May the knowledge be with you!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Learn the right thing English pronunciation- still the same task. The first difficulty is mastering the rules of reading, because words in English are read completely differently than they are written. By the way, there is something about this phenomenon. I advise you to look!
The second difficulty: even if the reading rules jump off your teeth, and you know exactly what combination of letters - what sound it means, you need to learn how to pronounce this sound. At the same time, it seems that the most “invincible” sounds for us are those that have no analogues in our language (like /w/, /θ/, /ð/ ).
However, no less difficult are sounds that have “twins” in Russian, because we, willy-nilly, replace them with our own, relatives. In this article we will “polish” the pronunciation of three such sounds: / æ / , / ʌ / , /a:/.
Let's do this according to the following scheme:
- Let's look at pronunciation in detail in theory;
- Let's practice using a special set of words and tongue twisters for the sounds of the English language;
- Finally, let's find an example of using sound in a famous song so that it is forever imprinted in auditory memory.
What's wrong with these sounds?
Why these particular sounds? Because we often replace them with one thing - Russian / A /, what creates our quite recognizable accent (/æ/ can also be replaced by Russian /e/).
Before I begin, let me make a reservation right away that I won’t dwell on the rules of reading: the question is quite broad, and the purpose of the article is to “train” the correct pronunciation of the sound itself. Second disclaimer: this article will use British pronunciation words (below I will indicate which words we are talking about).
Sound /æ/ – neither A nor E
It is pronounced in words like man, that, dad etc. This sound is called “frog” or “butterfly” for convenience, but its scientific name is “Near-Open Front Unrounded Vowel”.
How the name is related to the nature of the sound is well explained in the video
The tongue is advanced, the tip of the tongue touching the lower teeth. The middle back of the tongue is slightly curved forward and upward. The distance between the jaws is significant. The throat and tongue are tense. The sound is short.
Possible error: replacing sound / æ / on /e/ or / A /, although this sound is neither one nor the other. If we look for parallels with Russian phonemes, then it is more similar to that sound / A /, which is used by us after soft consonants in stressed position(compare the sound in the word PA people And PI people – agree, the sounds are different!). In this case, the corners of the lips move further apart from each other than for a word P I people(as if you want to smile).
Another tip: prepare your mouth for sound /e/(for example, start saying the word V e uh), hold the speech apparatus in this position, but say the sound / A /.
If it’s still difficult to understand, then I’ll describe another technique: try “pushing” lower jaw tongue tip down, but at the same time remember about the “impending smile” (the corners of the lips stretched to the sides). Happened? This is approximately the position your articulatory apparatus will have when pronouncing this sound (see the picture).
You will find a very useful video from Rachel's English from which this screenshot is taken.
So, we’ve learned how to pronounce, now we need to consolidate the result. To do this, I propose to speak several dozen monosyllabic words with this sound. We adjust the speech apparatus to the desired position and begin training:
Now practice your tongue twisters. Just in case, the sound /æ/ is highlighted in bold:
- H a rry a nd P a t st a nd h a nd in h a n.d.
- A f a t c a ts a t on a m a t a nd ate a f a t r a t.
- F a t P a t h a s a f a t c a t. P a t's f a t c a t is in P a t's h a t.
- Ih a ve to cr a m for my ex a m.
In conclusion, the promised phrase from the song, which will firmly stick in your memory and will always remind you of the correct pronunciation:
I'm the Sc a tm a n!
Sound / ʌ / – let’s find it in Russian
Pronounced in words like but, love, blood, come etc. Linguistic people call it “lid”, but its full name is “ Open Mid-Back Unrounded Vowel”.
How the speech apparatus works: the tongue is not tense, it is in the central part oral cavity, moved back slightly. The back of the tongue rises to the front of the soft palate up to half the distance. The sound is short.
This time we were lucky: the sound has an analogue in Russian - thispre-shock/A/ or /O/ in words like P O walked towards A whoa, m A tras etc. (compare the sounds in the wordlo ve And lO in and, or gu n And GO neither, Where /O/is located right inpre-shock positions).
It turns out that we don’t need to learn to pronounce this sound from scratch. Let's consolidate the result and compare this sound with the previous one (so that the information does not get confused in our heads).
Now it's time to practice this sound on a set of monosyllabic words.
such /sʌtʃ/
dull /dʌl/
gun /gʌn/
duck /dʌk/
luck /lʌk/
puck /pʌk/
does /dʌz/
cup /kʌp/
up /ʌp/
bus /bʌs/
bun /bʌn/
cut /kʌt/
fun /fʌn/
nut /nʌt/
hut /hʌt/
sum /sʌm/
numb /nʌm/
thumb /θʌm/
dumb /dʌm/
crumb /krʌm/
nun /nʌn/
done /dʌn/
son /sʌn/
We consolidate the result with tongue twisters:
- D oe s the b u s r u n every o ther M o nday
- Don't tr ou ble tr ou ble until tr ou ble tr ou bles you. It only d ou bles tr ou ble and tr ou bles o thers, too.
- A f u nny p u ppy r u ns in fr o nt of a p u b. A fl u ffy p u ppy r u ns in fr o nt of a cl u b.
Traditionally, a line from a song. In my opinion, Robbie Williams’ composition “Come undone” is perfect for “lid”, where he pronounces this sound 5 times in a row at the end of the chorus:
Because I'm scu m. And I'm yourso n. Ico meu ndo ne.
Find the full lyrics of the song.
Sound /a:/ – showing your throat to the doctor
Long / A: / or " Open Back Unrounded Vowel”pronounced in words likedance, ask, hard. In terms of articulation and sound, the sound resembles the one we make when showing our throat to the doctor.
How the speech apparatus works: from Russian / A / it differs in that the tongue is moved further back and down and lies as flat as possible (imagine the doctor pressing the tongue with a spoon). When pronouncing a sound correctly, you can see the soft palate in the mirror, which is impossible when pronouncing Russian . The sound is long.
Now let's move on to practice on a set of words. Please note that this is where the differences will be observed. between British and American versions pronunciation. As you know, Americans replace sound/a:/ to the sound / æ / in words like dance, ask, class etc.
Another difference: in words likecar, far, star- Americans use a short sound/ A / and say /r/ at the end. For convenience, we will stick to the British version of pronunciation.
car /kɑːr/
star /stɑːr/
far /fɑːr/
park /pɑːk/
dark /dɑːk/
class /klɑːs/
dance /dɑːns/
ask /ɑːsk/
task /tɑːsk/
fast /fɑːst/
last /lɑːst/
half /hɑːf/
bath /bɑːθ/
part /pɑːt/
hard /hɑːd/
glass /ɡlɑːs/
grass /ɡrɑːs/
chance /tʃɑːns/
aunt /ɑːnt/
grasp /ɡrɑːsp/
art /ɑːt/
calm /kɑːm/
laugh /lɑːf/
large /lɑːdʒ/
pass /pɑːs/
arm /ɑːm/
bar /bɑːr/
smart /smɑːt/
Now let’s practice the sound in tongue twisters:
- B a rbara B a rton is a rt and p a rt of the p a rty.
- C a rs c an’t be p a rked at the p a rk a fter d a rk
- M a rgaret and Ch a rles a re d a cing in the g a rden under the st a rs.
- M a rk's c a r's f a ster than B a rt's c a r. B a rt's c a r's sm a rter than M a rk's c a r.
As an auditory reminder, let's take a chorus from the unforgettable Beatles:
Baby you can drive my ca
r
Yes I'm gonna be a sta
r
You can find the full lyrics of the song.
Maybe we should start a regular column?
So, I hope these sounds are etched in your memory and will never be confused with each other. By the way, we decided to make this detailed analysis similar sounds as a regular blog section. If you are for it, mark it in the comments to the post :) See you!
It seemed like an impenetrable jungle with 26 dangerous predators hiding in the wilds. However, now you will probably easily name and place all the letters in the correct order, and you will also show off several facts that not every philologist knows.
After reading this article, the topic of English transcription and pronunciation will be moved from the room of fear to the room of laughter. Today on the program:
Getting rid of the fear of reading and learning graphic symbols
. acquaintance, memorization and learning of diphthongs, vowels and consonants (classification of sounds), arranged in unique tables
. pause to download and print English transcriptions in pictures
. a clear and concise explanation of the use of English sounds by comparing them with their Russian relatives
. reinforcement of the material covered with a 10-minute video about English transcription
Are you still afraid? Then we are coming to you!
Graphic transcription symbols in English
Before you plunge into the pool English reading with your head, we strongly recommend that you listen to the advice of experienced divers. Naturally, a child learns to sit first and then walk, and not vice versa - the same thing awaits us: first learn to read the transcription, and then pronounce it (in the head or out loud). You should not get carried away only by reading, otherwise you risk burying yourself in the wilds of theory and breaking away from practice.
First you need to learn and clarify all the questions regarding each transcription symbol. Then listen online to exactly as many examples as you need for a clear and precise understanding of how this symbol sounds in live speech. Learn strictly from examples not of sounds taken out of context (like Rian’s “uh-uh” in the hit “Umbrella”), but from specific letter combinations found in words. Next, listen to each new word first and only then compare what you hear with your ears with the alphabetic dictionary transcription enclosed in square brackets. By the way, about them and other integral companions of transcription:
Square brackets. They signal that what is inside is transcription.
For example, English is a word, and ["ɪŋglɪʃ] is its transcription;
‘ - main emphasis. Placed BEFORE the stressed vowel: around [əˈraʊnd];
, - secondary stress. Placed BEFORE a vowel: ["hæmˌbɜːgə];
: - vowel length.
The proposed option may not seem the fastest at first glance, but the wise man will not go up the mountain - the wise man will go around the mountain. As a result, the time spent is converted into comfortable speech perception: you no longer need to painfully strain your hearing, trying to recognize unfamiliar sounds. And soon the unfamiliar “squiggles” will acquire a meaningful sound. Isn't it magical? This is the secret of not only correct pronunciation, but also ease of listening comprehension.
English Transcription Foundation
Since “it’s great that we’re all here today” about studying transcription, let’s take a closer look at it. Transcription is of two types: phonetic and phonemic. You are mistaken if you think that you have taught/will learn phonetic transcription, which is more familiar to the ear. As a rule, it interests serious linguists; our choice is the study of phonemes (sound language units). Simply put, if two sounds are very similar, but the difference between them can change the meaning of the word, then they form two different phonemes. In Russian this is not so noticeable, because even if you call a cat “kot” or “coooooot”, he will still come, but the meaning of the word will not change. One phoneme for two different sounds. The number will not work in English: “cot”, “caught” and “coat” contain different phonemes. Why so many “smart letters”? Besides the fact that dictionaries contain phonemic transcriptions, remember this and do not allow yourself to be confused:
Pope(dad, papal):
1) is a phonetic transcription; it is emphasized here that the first [p], unlike the second, is pronounced with aspiration (aspiration after consonants sounds p,t,k before vowels);
2) is a dictionary (phonemic) transcription.
What else do you need to know about transcription? That there are different syllables in it:
- open(there is no consonant after a vowel) - New
- closed(after a vowel there is a consonant) - York
- vowel: single - [e], diphthong - [ɔʊ], triphthong - [ɑiə]
- consonant:[d]
Vowel sounds of English (with online pronunciation)
There are fewer vowel sounds in English than consonants, but more than diphthongs. This picture clearly shows the difference, for example, between the sounds [I] and . Anyone who has even heard of the existence of imagination will recognize the words “fish” and “tree”, which, like puzzles, contain the mentioned sounds. You can re-read the rules as much as you like, or you can once study in detail the transcription in pictures, which visualizes examples of the use of sounds. To train your memory, you can download and even print the picture; this option is provided. For auditory learners, it is possible to hear every sound online in a word after clicking on the speaker icon.
Consonant sounds of English
Consonant sounds in English are not at all twin brothers to Russian. The articulation of their creation is seriously different. However, we are not here to intimidate with clever words, but rather to make life easier for beginning English lovers, so we colored the voiced consonants purple, and the voiceless consonants blue. During the formation of the same plural nouns it is very important to feel and know the difference. 24 new words serve as a bonus to the learned sounds. We train visual memory and save English transcription in pictures for repeated reference at the first need! Audience learners still click on the speaker icon under each letter to pronounce sounds in online transcription.
Diphthongs (double vowel sounds) of English
And it would be scary to have 8 diphthongs in English if it weren’t for the wonderful pictures, thanks to which learning turns into an entertaining solving of charades. Just look at the picture, hold your gaze, sound the diphthong by pressing the speaker icon under the letter and practice correct pronunciation. Everyone who appreciates the creative approach to business is allowed to download the picture for a long memory!
From theory to practice
Some time will pass, the dictionary will become covered with a thick layer of dust or will be removed from bookmarks (in electronic version), because translation the right words known, the sound is familiar - what other America can you discover there? Believe it or not, it is the clarification of the transcription of words that seem well known to you that is the very unplowed field that is worth crossing over to improve the sound of speech.
Let's give an everyday example: the frequently used word “real” has a phonemic transcription a) , b) or c)?
The first option is fictitious and erroneous, the second and third are British and American pronunciation styles. What is the moral of this fable?
So that you do not feel painfully ashamed of your reading, we recommend that you at least briefly familiarize yourself with these tables as follows:
- read the line from left to right;
- listen to the perfect pronunciation of the sound;
- take a mirror in your hand and practice hard (you will probably enjoy practicing [æ] or [ð]).
Table of English sounds similar to Russian
These sounds in English transcription do not have to be explained on your fingers.
| Sound | Example | Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| [ɑː] | car, far, garage | Sounds like a long “ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” sound. Remember the cartoon about Mowgli, where the wise Kaa was? |
| [ʌ] | up, but, love | Short sonorous "a". There is something similar in the Russian “ay”. |
| [ɔː] | more, board, floor | Sounds like a long "oo". Act surprised. |
| [b] | book, board, tab | Russian energetic "b". When you're walking down a corridor in the dark and suddenly bump into |
| [g] | green, grace, agree | Russian "g", but not so energetic. |
| [f] | forest, atmosphere, enough | Very energetic Russian "f". |
| [k] | kill, cord, school | Russian "k". Before a stressed vowel, it is pronounced aspirated (if you put your hand in front of your lips and say “kil”, your palm should feel your fresh breath) |
| [m] | mother, lamb | Russian "m". |
| [n] | nine, note, intrusion | Russian "n". |
| [p] | pub, gallop, open | Russian energetic "p". Before a stressed vowel - aspirated. |
| [v] | vest, vocal, give | Russian "v". |
Now let's look at some tricky examples in practice:
subtle - barely perceptible
“Sattle” and only that, no “subtle” with a drum “b” in the middle.
palm -
palm
Naturally, everyone wants to be under a palm tree, but there is no smell of it here. Not “palm”, not “po:lm”, but “pa:m”, as in “car” and “path”. In company with a palm they find themselves calm- “calm” and balm- "balm".
halt - stop
Banish the analogy with the German “halt” - the correct pronunciation is “ho:lt”.
won - won, won in the past from “win”
Wonderful if you pronounce "won" like "one" - .
of - preposition of belonging
Only a botanist would think of checking the sound of a two-letter word? Oh well. "Of" and no nails? Remember: "Of" is pronounced with a "v" at the end. Full form- [ɔv], reduced - [əv]. Always.
Table of English sounds that have something in common with Russian
These sounds cause the greatest temptation and at the same time danger: the relative similarity with the usual pronunciation in Russian threatens to sound completely incorrect. Pay enough attention and understand the differences well.
| Sound | Example | Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| [i] | fit, bit, symbol | The mean between “s” and “i”. It is pronounced very briefly, as at the end of “apchhi”. |
| cheese, tree, sea | What photographers ask us to say on camera. As in the Russian word “syyyr”, but with a touching smile. | |
| [ɒ] | hot, body, rock | The mean between "o" and "a". That is, in no case is the Vologda “o”. |
| [u] | cook, foot, woman | It's similar to the Russian short "u", but it's easier to pronounce and the lips are slightly stretched. It turns out like a “y” with a half smile. No elongated lips. |
| true, fool, shoes | Like the previous sound, but long lasting. | |
| [e] | get, bed, head | Intelligent "e". As in the Russian word "tin". |
| [ə] | about, until, alias | The mean between the unstressed “e” and “a”. |
| [l] | let, laughter, illegal | Softened Russian "l". Something between the sound of the word “la” and “la”. |
| [s] | stress, sunday, citizen | Muffled Russian "s". He never whistles. Remember the song "Girl" by the Beatles? Now, if their famous inhalation “sssss” is pronounced with an exhalation and briefly, you get a beautiful English [s]. |
| [z] | zero, cosmonaut, xenon | Everything is the same as about the sound [s], only louder. |
| [t] | tree, trunk, receipt | Similar to Russian "t". But the tip of the tongue should be placed not to the teeth, but to the tubercle behind the upper teeth. |
| [d] | drink, ad, diligent | Similarly: like the Russian “d”, only the tip of the tongue rests on the tubercle immediately behind the upper teeth. |
| [ʃ] | ship, action, special | Between Russian “sh” and “sch”. Doesn't whistle, because... the tongue does not press against the teeth with force, but gently touches them. |
| [ʒ] | pleasure, visual, garage | Softened Russian "zh". Doesn't ring or whistle. |
| jump, jungle, logic | Connecting English [d] with [ ʒ ] and get a soft “j”. | |
| inch, chance, catch | We connect English [t] with [ ʃ ] and we get something similar to the Russian “ch”. As in the word "kitsch". | |
| [j] | yes, yet, you | The mean between "th" and "i". |
| [ɪə] | hear, fear, beer | It looks like the Russian “ie” with an emphasis on “i”. |
| air, hair, care | Russian "ea" with emphasis on "e". | |
| make, tray, ace | Russian "ei" with emphasis on "e". "I" is pronounced very short. | |
| hi, sky, bye | Russian "ai" with emphasis on "a". "I" is pronounced very short. | |
| [ɔɪ] | boy, joy, coin | Russian "oi" with emphasis on "a". "I" is pronounced very short. |
| how, cow, hour, our | Russian "au" with emphasis on "a". "U" is pronounced very short. | |
| fire, wire | Russian "aie" with a strong emphasis on the first "a". Pronounced quickly and smoothly. | |
| our, flower | Russian "awa" with a strong emphasis on the first "a". Pronounced quickly and smoothly. |
were - were
“Were” is not at all the same thing as “where” - . Instead of a diphthong, we use the neutral vowel - , the shortened form - .
debt - debt and doubt - doubt
Fans of the group “No Doubt” have had more than a dozen years to figure out how correct the name of their favorite group sounds. "Debt" and "daubt" are not so easy to pronounce. In English there is no such Russian-language phenomenon as deafening or voicing of a consonant, but throw away the letter of their words for a dear soul: it is pronounced and .
good - good, book - book and look - watch
The double "o" does not turn into a long "u" in these words. Therefore, you should not copy the howl of wolves at the moon - say it correctly with a short vowel - , , .
Table of English sounds that have nothing in common with Russian
Practice pronouncing these sounds well online; at a minimum, your speech apparatus should get used to playing them correctly.
| Sound | Example | Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| [ɜː] | earn, her, first | If the Russian “o” wanted to become “e”, it would sound exactly like this. Somewhat similar to the sound when children tease by sticking out their tongues. But you need to achieve this sound without sticking anything out. To do this, silently prepare your mouth to pronounce “е”, and say “oo” out loud. |
| [əu] | go, joke, own | Between Russian “ou” and “yo” (without “y”) with emphasis on the first sound. "U" is pronounced very short. |
| [æ] | cat, apple, compact | It is very important not to confuse this sound with [e], otherwise instead of “bad” (bad) you will get “bed” (bed). You need to stretch your lips wide, lower your lower jaw and say “eh” from the heart. |
| [h] | hot, head, uphill | Every Russian man knows how to pronounce this sound. When you are asked to “come on, breathe,” then all men begin to speak English, because they pronounce [h] exactly as it should: a light exhalation, vaguely reminiscent of “x.” |
| [r] | red, random, orange | Russian bears speak English [r] well. Try growling with your tongue up. |
| [w] | well, what, windows | Fold your lips into a tube and stretch them sharply. And now the same thing, but with sound. |
| [ŋ] | strong, sing, sink | Children are scolded for talking with their mouths full. But if you listen to the sounds made, many consonants sound exactly like [ŋ] . Open your mouth and, without closing it, say “n.” |
| [θ] | thanks, ethical | Place your tongue between your teeth and say “s.” |
| [ð] | they, there, other | Place your tongue between your teeth and say “z.” The best training is to say the expression “Is this” 100 times. You will never confuse “z” with [ð]. |
folk - people, folk
The letter “l” has become a victim and is not pronounced at all - .
comb - comb
No “comb” - only “com”. The English “m” and “b” are quite insidious guys who will mess things up more than once. Be on the lookout!
won’t - won’t - short for “will not”
We were tormented by the question of how the cunning English distinguish between “want” and “won’t” in oral speech? You just have to pronounce the negation in the future tense correctly - . That's all the magic.
salmon - salmon
Not “salmon” and certainly not “solomon”. Salmon is on your mind - as in “cat” and “apple”.
Bonus for the most patient
The human brain is the eighth wonder of the world, the deep capabilities of which we can only guess at now. Something important for us is now known for sure: the brain has a speech center. There is no special center responsible for reading, but there is one for speech. That's why we strongly recommend repeating the words out loud for the hundredth time. Precisely out loud, and not silently, because in in this case muscle memory also comes into play. Naturally, words can “live and resound” in your head. The main thing is not to get stuck and stop at the stage of decoding transcription symbols, selecting the necessary rule for each sound. In this case, only a snail's speed is guaranteed.
If the language is still alive after previous exercises, then we bring to your attention a video that is better to see once than to hear about it 100 times. The entire phonetic transcription of the English language in 10 minutes. Clear, competent and very visual.
So, here we are at the last sixth vowel of the English alphabet letter Uu. If you have studied reading rules inEnglish language According to our recommendations, you already have sufficient theoretical knowledge. However, practice is most likely not enough. However, our course in reading does not end there. Practice awaits you ahead. More on this a little later.
In Lesson #25 you will learn:
- how to read a letter Uu in English;
- repeat the pronunciation of sounds , [ʌ], [ə:], .
Rules for reading the English letter U
Here are phrases to help you remember reading the letter U in each syllable type. A dictionary is connected to the site and, if in doubt, click on a word and listen to how it is pronounced.
Reading the English letter U in 4 syllable types. Tongue Twisters
1. : I don’t like u sual t u nes in m u sic. — I don’t like ordinary melodies.
2. [ʌ]: Have l u nch with u s. - Have lunch with us.
3. [ə:]: I have a p ur ple p ur se. — I have a purple wallet.
4. : I am s ure. - I'm sure.
Phonetic exercises for reading the letter U in open and closed syllables
U (I, II):
fun, music, plum, cube, pumpkin, rubber, super, drum, student, stupid, hunting, hungry, tune, tunic, luck, supper, super, to return, curl, sunny, pupil, blue, uniform, summer, suck , unit, due, ugly, mutton, butter, struggle, to construct, to consult, cluster, dub, drunk, true, tulip, use, upland, under, computer, cucumber, buck, must, to amuse, mummy, truth, gum, bubble, much, huge
to– sign of a verb. Most verbs have stress on the second syllable
Exceptions:
1. after letters l, r, j vowel U often read as: blue, true, truth, June, July,
2. after letters b, p, f vowel in a closed syllable U often read as [u]: full, bush, put, pull, etc.
Words to remember:
- busy [‘bizi] - busy
- study [‘stʌdɪ] - to study
- sugar [‘∫ugə] - sugar
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Phonetic exercises for reading the letter U in the third and fourth type of syllable
U (III, IV):
church, turn, burn, to return, pure, curl, curb, fur, hurt, sure, nurse, curse, curt, burning, turning, turkey, lure
In an unstressed syllable U is read as [ə]:
to s u ppose ,`fig u re [‘fɪgə], `maxim u m [‘mæksɪməm]
Phonetic exercises for practicing reading the letter U with audio recording and answers (closed content)
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Title: Phonetic exercises with audio recording
Description: Access to restricted content *Repeat the rules for reading in English*
Reading the letter combination UI:
3. UI read
– in a closed syllable after n,
s: suit - suit, nuisance [‘nju:səns] - annoyance. Exception: suite - hotel room
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Reading the letter combination QU
1. qu read
almost always: qu ick qu ickly qu iet, qu ietly, qu estion, qu iz, qu it, qu ite, s qu irrel, qu ail, qu ill, qu ilt, qu arter
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Don't be confused: qu ite - quite And qu iet - quiet
This was the last lesson of the course "Teaching English reading and pronunciation at the same time." In conclusion, I would like to once again draw your attention to the fact that in the first 20 lessons I relied on reading teaching method "from sound to letter" and in the last 5 lessons on reading teaching method "from letter to sound" and finally the circle is closed. There is such a thing English expression"to round up". I hope that you now have sufficient theoretical knowledge to, as a reinforcement, study on your own a few more articles, namely:
Having studied the Russian alphabet, we can easily read any texts. But to read correctly in English you will have to put in more effort, because there are many discrepancies between the spelling and pronunciation of words. If you decide to learn this language on your own and cannot understand how to read words in English correctly, then this material is exactly what you need. Today we will look at the nuances of pronunciation of English letters and letter combinations, and find out how easy it is to learn to read English from scratch. A table that shows all the letters and their sounds will help you learn the rules of reading English for beginners.
First, let's get acquainted with the most important law of reading in English - the rule of open and closed syllables. There is no similar norm in the Russian language, so we will analyze in detail what it is. Please pay attention to the transcription.
An open syllable is a syllable that ends with a vowel sound. As a rule, it occurs in the following cases:
- The word ends in a vowel, so the last syllable is always open: t ake[take].*
- A vowel is followed by a consonant, followed by another vowel sound: ed uca tion [education].
- There are two vowels adjacent to the word: cr ue l [cruel].
*Final e in most cases it is considered “dumb”, that is, it is not pronounced, but appears at the heart of the word precisely to form an open syllable.
In open syllables, the vowel is always pronounced smoothly and drawn out. Accordingly, closed syllables are all those syllables in which the vowel sound is closed by a consonant and therefore sounds short and abrupt: c ut[cat].
In addition, special reading rules in English are characteristic of syllables in which the vowel sound ends with the letter r. The fact is that in the British version of the pronunciation of such syllables, the letter r is often completely omitted, i.e. not pronounced. Therefore, there are two options for reading such letter combinations:
- In an open syllable, when r is surrounded by vowels, only both vowels are read: c are[keea]. In such cases, the last e will not be dumb.
- In a closed syllable ( voice+r+acc.), r is also unreadable, but affects the sound of the vowel sound, making it longer: start [staat]
The rule of open and closed syllables is the basic law of reading in English, although there are many exceptions to it. But it’s too early to teach exceptions without knowing the main rules. Therefore, now we will look at the sound options of all letters and letter combinations.
Rules for reading English for beginners - letter and sound correspondence table
Even if you started learning English and reading it from scratch, you are probably already familiar with the spelling and sound of all the letters of the English alphabet. But, as we already learned from the previous section, when reading, the pronunciation of letters depends on the type of syllable or letter combination. Therefore, in the tables below you can find several sound options for the same letter. But don't be alarmed, there will be an accessible explanation for each case. So, let's continue to learn English for beginners and learn the rules of reading in English.
Consonants
Let's start with the easiest thing: with a table of consonants, the pronunciation of which is similar to the Russian sound.
| Letter | Transcription | Russian pronunciation |
| B | [b] | b |
| D | [d] | d* |
| F | [f] | f |
| K | [k] | To |
| L | [l] | l |
| M | [m] | m |
| N | [n] | n |
| P | [p] | P |
| R | [r] | R |
| S | [s] | With |
| [z] | z (only in special positions: after voiced consonants, between two vowels and in the suffix –ism.) | |
| T | [t] | T* |
| V | [v] | V |
| W | [w] | V** |
| Z | [z] | h |
*English d and t are pronounced with more aspiration than their Russian counterparts.
**w is pronounced with the lips extended into a tube, the result is something between the Russian sounds v and u.
Now let's look at more complex letters.
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation and explanations |
| C | [s] | s (before vowels i, e, y) |
| [k] | to (in other cases) | |
| G | j (before vowels i, e, y) | |
| [g] | g (in other cases) | |
| H | [h] | Very weakly pronounced Russian X (almost just a strong exhalation) |
| Q | kv | |
| X | ks (before a consonant or at the end of a word) | |
| gz (between two vowels) | ||
| [z] | z (at the beginning of a word before a vowel) |
We will also study letter combinations of consonants in English.
| Combination | Transcription | Pronunciation |
| ck | [k] | To |
| ch | h | |
| tch | ||
| ng | [ŋ] | nasal n |
| ph | [f] | f |
| sh | [ʃ] | w |
| th | [θ] | 1) sound intermediate between s and f (tongue between teeth) 2) the sound is average between z and v (tongue between teeth) |
| wr | [r] | R |
| wh | [w] | u/v x (only before o) |
| qu | kv |
In addition, it is worth considering that the English language never allows consonants at the very end of a word to be deafened. Otherwise, you may say something completely different from what you wanted. For example: back [back] – behind, behind; bag [bag] – bag, sack.
Vowels
It is much more difficult to cope with reading English vowels, but the already familiar rules of open and closed syllables will help us understand it. We take them into service and learn to read the vowels of the English language correctly.
| Closed syllable | |||
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation | Examples |
| A | [æ] | uh | bat, track, sad |
| E | [e] | uh | pet, red, check |
| I | [ɪ] | And | pit, fill, tin, system, myth, lynx |
| Y | |||
| O | [ɒ] | O | spot, not, cross |
| U | [ʌ] | A | spun, truck, butter |
Do not forget that in a closed syllable all letters are pronounced briefly.
| Open syllable | |||
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation | Examples |
| A | Hey | game, flame, lake | |
| E | And | he, be, Pete | |
| I | ah | mine, like, nine, cry, bye, type | |
| Y | |||
| O | [əʊ] | OU | bone, tone, rose |
| U | Yu | pupil, music, cube | |
And the vowels of an open syllable are always smooth and drawn out.
| Open syllable with r | |||
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation | Examples |
| A | ea | square | |
| E | [ɪə] | ie | here |
| I | aye | tired | |
| Y | |||
| O | [ɔː] | oo | more |
| U | Yue | cure | |
We remember that the letter r after a vowel, as a rule, is not pronounced.
| Behindcovered syllable with r | |||
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation | Examples |
| A | [ɑː] | ahh | dark |
| O | [ɔː] | oo | sport |
| E | [ɜː] | e | pert, bird, myrtle, burn |
| I | |||
| Y | |||
| U | |||
Now we know how to read vowels in English words. But for perfect reading in English, it is necessary to study one more point.
Diphthongs and triphthongs in English
An important aspect of English for beginners is diphthongs and triphthongs, i.e. combinations of two or three letters that have a special sound. Their pronunciation is called sliding, because. First, the main sound is pronounced intensively, and then it is smoothly transferred to the secondary sound. Diphthongs are a kind of exception and do not obey general grammatical laws, so they can only be learned by heart. The table below will help us learn the rules for reading English diphthongs for beginners.
| English diphthongs | ||
| Combinations | Transcription | Pronunciation |
| air, ear, are | uh* | |
| ye, igh, uy, ie | ah | |
| ea, ey, ay, ai, ei | Hey | |
| ere, eer, ier, ear | [ɪə] | IEE |
| oh, oh | [ɔɪ] | Ouch |
| ou, ow | awww | |
| ou, ow, oa, ol | [əu] | oooh |
| ure, ue, our, oor | wow | |
| English triphthongs | ||
| ower, our | aaue | |
| eur, ure | Yuyue | |
| iet, ire, ier, iar, yre | aaye | |
*doubling the letter indicates the length of the first sound in relation to the second.
So, we have looked at the main nuances of reading in English. Treat the stated rules responsibly: conduct reading lessons more often and be sure to learn to distinguish between types of syllables in English. Otherwise, you will make gross mistakes in pronunciation, which will lead to a complete misunderstanding of your words by the interlocutor. Good luck in learning English and see you again!
