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:

1. Let's look at pronunciation in detail in theory;
2. Let's practice using a special set of words and tongue twisters for the sounds of the English language;
3. 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 have 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.
• Af 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, located in the central part of the oral cavity, slightly moved back. 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.
• Af u nny p u ppy r u ns in fr o nt of a p u b. Afl 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 the 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 such a detailed analysis of similar sounds a permanent blog section. If you are for it, mark it in the comments to the post :) See you!

", 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 signs, 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 only stands at unstressed syllables and can be practically inaudible or indistinguishable, for example, ["letə", "letter" - a 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 language 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. Ultimately, the transcription will allow you to correctly pronounce sounds in English.

Memorizing English with transcription and correct pronunciation English letters and words will be perfectly supported by dictionaries. 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

When starting to learn English, many neglect to study transcription, considering it a pointless waste of time. However, correct pronunciation is one of the main goals in learning a foreign language.

Where to start?

Pronunciation of individual sounds. Words in English are read differently than they are written, so learning transcription will be the most effective approach to learning the language. In order to learn english sounds independently, it is recommended to study each sound of the English language separately.

All sounds of English

Reasons to learn the sounds of English

1. When studying transcription, you learn the rules of reading. Having analyzed only about a hundred words, you can build logical chains, determine the basic patterns of pronunciation of sounds. Over time, you will be able to pronounce words correctly without much effort. Learning the rules does not eliminate the need to listen English speech. It is important to develop both auditory and visual memory.
2. By reading aloud you improve your pronunciation skills. The lack of correct pronunciation will become an obstacle in overcoming the language barrier, and in the future will cause the development of a communication complex. Incorrect pronunciation can change the meaning of a word or sentence.

Intonation. When working on intonation, it is important to listen foreign speech. Regularly use audio lessons in your training, repeat after the speaker, try to feel the intonation. Memorize short poems and dialogues. In order to hear yourself from the outside, use a voice recorder, and then work on your mistakes.

Just Letters and Sounds Just letters and sounds

The English have 26 letters in their alphabet - seven less than ours. Which already makes it easier for us to get to know English.

The English Alphabet - English alphabet
Ahh(Hey)	Nn(en)
Bb(bi:)	Oo(OU)
Cc(si:)	Pp(pi:)
Dd(di:)	Qq(Q:)
Her(And:)	Rr[ɑ:] (a:)
Ff(ef)	Ss(es)
Gg[ʤi:] (ji:)	Tt(ty:)
Hh(H)	Uu(Yu:)
II(ouch)	Vv(in and:)
Jj[ʤei] (jay)	Ww["dʌblju:] (dabblju:)
Kk(kay)	Xx(the ex)
Ll(el)	Yy(wow)
mm(Em)	Zz(zed)

Square brackets indicate how each letter of the English alphabet is pronounced. In Standard British English the letter R sometimes it doesn’t “speak out” at all: car(car), star(star), door(door). In America, as well as in some areas of England, this letter sounds - a dull growl - and you can safely pronounce it if you wish: arm[ɑ:rm] (hand), form(form, form), turn(turn).

If you see a dotted line under the text, then there is a hint for that text. IN in this case This is the approximate (≈) Russian pronunciation, represented in the English alphabet by parentheses. And now attention! Yours task for this lesson: learn to read as it is written in square in parentheses, not in round ones! Pronunciation in parentheses is given only for those who are new to the English language. Immediately after getting acquainted with all the sounds below, they will not be there. And if someone somewhere teaches you to read using Russian transcription, know that they are deceiving you. Below will be given text, audio, video explanations of each sound.

Alphabet need to learn by heart. Why?

It happens that we are not sure how to spell a particular name correctly and we have to clarify: Spell your name.- Tell.
It happens that we are not sure how to spell a particular name correctly and we have to clarify: your name your name. spell by letter Tell it, please.

-

his -

Additionally, to reinforce the English alphabet:

Word - Word

It happens that we are not sure how to spell a particular name correctly and we have to clarify:- a useful verb that helps us clarify the spelling of any word, even the most “tricky” one. There is a city in England called Leicester. By ear, the name has five sounds: ["lestə]. Let's try to find it on an English map. Where is it? Let's check with our friend Tim:

How do you spell it?
- How do you write it?

Spell this name for us. - Spell this name for us.

[ɑ:] - Tim spells the name. We write it down. We write down:.

Leicester There are only five sounds, but nine letters! Tim spells the name. We write it down. We write down: There are nine letters in

. Historically, some letters in this name became “silent”.

	[ɑ:]
	[ɑ:]

Tim will name a few more cities, and you will write them - right here on the lines.

Notes - Notes

Names (Ann, Tim), names of continents (Africa, Asia), countries (England, Russia), cities (Bristol, York), villages (Pendrift), streets (Oxford Street), squares (Trafalgar Square) and alleys (Penny Lane ) are written with a capital letter.
Your Dictionary

Your dictionary

Your dictionary is English-Russian, it contains English words with Russian translation. They are arranged strictly in alphabetical order. Let's find the translation of the word please - in the section under the letter R

1. . A few simple rules: In order not to read the entire section from beginning to end, we look at the second letter of the word - l . The alphabetical principle applies again: letter combination pl comes after combinations, pa, re, ph pi . The alphabetical principle applies again: letter combination: . Here come the words to place (place), plain e(plain)... It’s time to look at the third letter A. Then on the fourth . And then after pleasant ["plezǝnt] (pleasant), but before pleasure

2. ["рлеʒǝ] (pleasure) we find the word we need. Let's find the translation of the word After worth the reduction v . And then after - A , after . What kind of "secret writing" is this? The solution-explanation is at the very beginning of the dictionary - in List of abbreviations . Bukovka n stands for noun worth the reduction - (noun); verb A - (verb); adjective (adjective); - adv adverb
(adverb).

These pointers are not meant to "burden" you with grammatical terms. In English, there are cases when the same word can act as a noun or a verb, an adjective or an adverb. The dictionary will tell you what part of speech it is and then give you the translation. 1. worth the reduction help . Bukovka to help. 2.
help; assistant. 1. A fast (adjective); fast, quick. 2.

3. fast.

Nouns in all dictionaries are given in the singular. . The alphabetical principle applies again: letter combination Some words do not have a singular number. The letters indicate this : from plural

(plural). . Bukovka . The alphabetical principle applies again: letter combination clothes
cloth scissors . Bukovka . The alphabetical principle applies again: letter combination["sɪzəz]

scissors It happens, fortunately, rarely that the word “looks” like, but in fact it is in the only thing. The dictionary will not let you make mistakes: sing means singular (singular). For example, news(used as sing) news, news.

4. Verbs are given a stem from which other verb forms are formed - in particular, the past tense.

5. A word can have two or more meanings, so don’t rush to take the translation that comes “first on the list.” Let's say noun letter translated as letter or letter. Let's read two sentences: the first one talks about letters, the second one about letters.

There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. - There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.

We write and get letters. - We write and receive letters.

6. It is useful to look at all the explanations for the paragraph in which the desired word appears. Let's quickly run our eyes through it, and something will be “deposited” in our memory.
Let's look at the paragraph (nest, as dictionary compilers call it) in which the word “nests” look. The first value is look. Second - to look like. And additional information: look in combination with after has the meaning take care(about someone) keep an eye on(behind someone). Combination look for translated search.
After some time, you come across a text with these combinations and, quite possibly, you will translate it from memory, without looking at the dictionary.

I look at my sister. - I look at my sister.
She looks fine. - She looks great.
I look after my sister. - I take care of my sister.
She looks for her doll. - She's looking for her doll.

7. The dictionary gives the transcription, that is, the pronunciation, in square brackets. Only with the help of dictionary transcription we learn that, for example, London(London) pronounced ["lʌndǝn], a Tim spells the name. We write it down. We write down:(Lester) is read ["lestǝ] and nothing else.
If a word has one syllable, the stress mark is not placed in the transcription; there is no need for it.

If two or more syllables are pronounced, the stress must be indicated, and the sign appears before the stressed syllable.

alphabet["ælfəbət] . Bukovka alphabet
England["ɪŋglənd] . Bukovka England
English["ɪŋglɪʃ] and English
tomorrow . Bukovka Tomorrow

In Russian, vowel length does not matter. In English, pronounce a long sound twice as long as a short sound. Otherwise fist will turn into feast, A pot- V port. The length of a vowel sound is marked with [ː] or simply a colon.

Transcription is especially necessary when there are letter combinations that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. As in these pairs of words:

The Sounds of English
Sounds of English

Click on the red button on the right to watch the video.
Also don't forget to point at tips, highlighted with a dotted line.
Different spellings of one sound are given through a fraction, i.e. for example, in dictionaries you may also find[i], And [ɪ] :)

Vowels - Vowels

[æ]	c a t (cat), c a rry (carry), r a t (rat), d a d, m a n (person, man) Note: This sound Not correspond to Russian E. If someone teaches you this, you are being cruelly deceived. Hover over the tooltip on the left for details.
[ɑ:]	h ar m (harm), f ar(far), cl a ss (class)
	h e(he), m ea l (food), tr ee(tree)
[i]/[ɪ]	i t (it), s i t (sit), t i ck e t (ticket)
[e]/[ɛ]	b e st (best), m e nd (to repair), p e n (handle)
[o]/[ɔ]	c o ffee (coffee), n o t (not), r o ck (rock)
[o:]/[ɔː]	m or ning (morning), b a ll (ball), sm a ll (small)
[u]/[ʊ]	b oo k (book), f oo t (leg), p u t (put)
	bl ue(blue), m o ve (move), s oo n (soon)
[ʌ]	c u p (cup), m o ther (mother), s o me (a little)
[ɜː]/[ǝ:]	th ir d (third), w or k (work), l ear n (teach)
[ǝ]	teach er(teacher), Sat ur day (Saturday)

Diphthongs - Diphthongs

(combinations of two vowels)

/	b a by (child), s ay(say), tr ai n (train)
/	i ce (ice), l ie(lie down), m y(my)
/	cl ou d (cloud), fl ow er (flower), t ow n (city)
/[ǝʊ]	n o(No), o nly (only), r oa d (road)
/[ɔɪ]	c oi n (coin), n oi se (noise), b oh(boy)
/[ɪǝ]	ear(ear), d ear(dear), h here(Here)
[ɛǝ]/	air(air), b ear(bear), th here(there)
/[ʊǝ]	p oor(poor), s ure(confident)

Consonants - Consonants

[b]	b ack (back), hus b and (husband), ri b(edge)
[p]	p ast (past), o p en (open)
[d]	d ay (day), d ark (dark), win d ow (window)
[t]	t ake (take), t ree (tree), ho t(hot)
[k]	k ing (king), c old (cold), si ck(sick)
[g]	g et (receive), ba g(bag), g irl (girl)
[v]	worth the reduction ery (very), ha worth the reduction e (to have), ne worth the reduction er (never)
[f]	f i f teen (fifteen), wi f e (wife), re rase (phrase)
[z]	z ero (zero), ma z e (labyrinth), ro s e (rose)
[s]	s o (so), ba s ket (basket), c ity (city)
[θ]	th in (thin), th ink (think), no th ing (nothing)
[ð]	th is (this), toge th er (together), fa th er (father)
[ʃ]	sh ip (ship), fi sh(fish), Ru ss ian (Russian)
[ʒ]	lei s ure (leisure), gara g e (garage), mira g e (mirage)
[ʧ]	ch air (chair), ea ch(each), mu ch(a lot of)
[ʤ]	j u dg e (judge), a g e (age), language g e (language)
[h]	h at (hat), un h appy (unhappy)
[l]	In order not to read the entire section from beginning to end, we look at the second letter of the word - ike (to love), pu ll(to pull), In order not to read the entire section from beginning to end, we look at the second letter of the word - ast (last)	. Bukovka ever (never), li . Bukovka e (line), rou . Bukovka d (round)
[ŋ] y es (yes), on i on (bow), Ital i an (Italian)

Tim will name a few more cities, and you will write them - right here on the lines.

1. Doubled consonants in English words pronounced as one sound.

2. Unlike Russian, English voiced consonants at the end of a word do not become voiceless. For example, in the word rub should sound clear [b]. In a word good also clearly pronounce the sound [d], and in the word dog sound [g].

Conversation - Conversation

I want to speak as quickly as possible. And the best way to start a conversation in English is hello. This greeting corresponds to Russian Hello, Hello, Hello.

Hello, boys and girls. - Hello, boys and girls.
Hello, everybody. - Hello everyone.

Use hello in conversation with close relatives, friends, classmates.

Hello Mum. - Hello mother.
Hello Dad. - Hello, dad.
Hello Nick! Hello Tim! - Hello, Nick! Hello Tim!

Speak hello, calling out to someone on the street, attracting attention, or answering a phone call.

Hello! - Hey!
Hello. - Hello.

Discussion - Discussion

English dad And mum correspond to our dad And Mother. When talking about your own parents, these words become like names and are written with a capital letter: Mum, Dad. There are more affectionate address: Mummy["mʌmi] (mommy), Daddy["dædi] (daddy).
On more formal occasions they are used father["fɑ:ðǝ] (father) and mother["mʌðǝ] (mother).

Exercises - Exercises

Exercise 1. Place the words in alphabetical order.

Dog, girl, go, acorn, tree, and, spell, sit, dad, conversation, well, he, what, take, egg, make, sorry, little, big, wife, question, word.

Exercise 2. Spell these words. - Spell these words.

Father, money, which, quarter, seem, jam, gust, peck, next, zebra, capital.

Exercise 3. In the famous book "Alice Through the Looking Glass", the chess White Queen boasts to Alice that she knows the alphabet (ABC) and can read single-letter words.

The White Queen says, "I know the ABC. I can read words of one letter."

Words with one letter are a very rare thing, for example, an article A. There are much more words of two and three letters, for example, go(go), do(do), in(V), and(And), but(But).

In the following text, without going into its meaning too much, select all words of two, then three letters.

London is a big city. It is very old. It lies on the River Thames. The history of London goes back to Roman times. London has a lot of sights. There are many parks in it. a

Phrases - Phrases

When saying goodbye, the British say:

Good bye. - Goodbye.
Bye! - Bye!
See you later. - See you later.
See you tomorrow. - Till tomorrow.

P.S. A little clarification for beginners:

• The lesson contains a description of the dictionary and an exercise for working with the dictionary. There is no dictionary on the site, only the lesson dictionary in the following lessons. You must have your own dictionary, whether paper or electronic, but you must have it. Among electronic ones, Lingvo X5/X6 and the Lingvo Live website are recommended. Google translator is not a dictionary; it may or may not guess the correct translation; inexperienced people should not use it.
• In this 'English alphabet lesson' you only need to be able to read and reproduce sounds correctly. Start memorizing words from the following lessons.
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Elena Britova

Academic manager of the TransLink-Education company, certified trainer in speed reading and memory development.

The English alphabet has 26 letters and 44 sounds. If in some languages ​​each letter represents only one sound, then in English one letter can convey up to four sounds, and in some cases even up to seven. Hence the favorite English saying: “We write ‘Liverpool’, but we read ‘Manchester’.”

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

If you want to get rid of your accent or at least get closer to speaking English, all the differences need to be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to improve your 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.” This is where knowing 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 definitely be pronounced as in the alphabet.

2. Practice articulation when pronouncing consonants

Once you have mastered the letters of the alphabet, feel free to move on to studying the sounds they convey. Train yourself to use correct articulation right away. First learn to pronounce sounds individually, bring them to automaticity, and then move on to words, phrases and sentences.

In the English language there are consonant sounds 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 hit your teeth? Congratulations, you can pronounce the Russian alphabet. Among the native English, the tip of the tongue at this time is on the alveoli (the most greater tubercle on the upper palate). Give it a try. Now you have purely English sounds. Practice: bed - ten, not, rat, sun, zoo.

2. Draw a hare when pronouncing the sounds [f] - [v]. Upper teeth must be placed on the lower lip. Practice: fat - vet.

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

4. When practicing the [w] sound, take a candle: this is the best way to learn how to pronounce it correctly. Curl your lips and stretch them forward (like little children stretch out for a kiss), and then smile sharply. Then this sound will come out. When training, hold the candle at a distance of 20–25 cm from your lips. If the flame goes out when you make a sound, then you are doing everything right. Practice: say the word well.

5. Warm your hands when practicing the [h] sound. It has nothing in common 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 exhale. During exhalation, a light, barely audible English sound[h]. As in the word home.

6. Practice the [ŋ] sound when severe runny nose or imagine that you have it. There is no such sound in the Russian language; it is conveyed by the combination ng in English. Press your tongue like a spatula against your upper palate and release the sound through your nose. It’s a bit like [n] if you pronounce it when you have a bad runny nose. Don't forget that your tongue is still touching the alveoli, not the teeth. Practice: interesting [ˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪŋ].

7. Be the snake and the bee to practice [ð] - [θ]. These sounds are absent in Russian and are formed by combining the letters th in English.

[ð] - voiced sound. Lightly bite the tip of your tongue with your teeth and pronounce the sound [z]. If your lower lip and tongue are ticklish during training, then you are doing everything right. If not, you may have bitten the tip of your tongue too hard, loosen your teeth a little. Say the word this [ðɪs], does it work?

[θ] - dull sound. The articulation is the same, we just pronounce the sound [s]. To practice the dull sound [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 (syllable ends with 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 (this is where knowledge of the alphabet came in handy for us!). For example: plane, nose, tube, Pete.

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

• [æ] is an open sound, not long. The letter conveys it A in a closed syllable. Test yourself: sit at the table, straighten up, place one elbow on the surface, bend your hand under your chin. You will have some space between your chin and your wrist, if, of course, you straighten your back. Now we lower the lower jaw down so that it reaches the hand, and pronounce [e]. Practice with the word bag.
• [e] is often confused with the previous sound. When pronouncing [e], you just need to slightly raise the corners of your lips up, as if smiling slightly. These are two different sounds, and they are not similar to each other, and especially not to Russian [e]. Practice: pet .
• Short sounds [i], [ɔ], [ʌ], [u] are pronounced intensively, not into a chant: big, box, bus, book [bʊk].

In the third and fourth types of syllables the letter R is not readable, it only forms a syllable and lengthens the vowel sound: car, sort, turn.

, [ɔ:] - special sounds. Imagine that you are at an appointment with a doctor who is examining your throat. The root of your tongue is pressed with a stick and asked to say “Ah-ah.” This is exactly the position the tongue should be in when pronouncing the sounds [a] and [o]. If this makes you want to yawn, then you are on the right track! Try it now: car , sort .

4. Remember the correct accents

Most often in English the stressed syllable is the first. If you need to pronounce a word, but there is no one to ask or there is no dictionary at hand, put the emphasis on the first syllable. Of course, it’s better to immediately memorize words with the correct stress or check yourself in the dictionary.

5. Don't forget four important rules

• The English language completely lacks soft consonants.
• Voiced consonants are not devoiced at the end of a word.
• Vowels can be long (in transcription they are designated [:]) and short.
• No unnecessary - especially sharp - movements of the lips.

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 (“person”, “man”) and men (“men”); ship [ʃip] (“ship”) and sheep [ʃi:p] (“sheep”) and so on. Many people read the word three (“three”) as (and this means “tree”) or (“freedom”), not taking into account that th [θ] is read differently, it simply is not in the Russian language (remember the exercise "bee"). Knowing the correct pronunciation of words, you will definitely not get into trouble!