An Introduction to English Vowels Pronunciation

Greetings, ADM Assistant students,

Vowels in English

Based on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

The Vowels in English:

Pronunciation is important: Beer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE_yeNS6m_U

Pronunciation is important: Ship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JISqEnHRgE

International Phonetic Alphabet.(IPA)

What is IPA? http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm

And here is a little explanation about the differences among the vowels and the different alphabets: http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/blog/learn-english/pronunciation/vowels-phonetics/

During this month, we are going to concentrate on these sounds:

/a/   /e/   /i/   /æ/   /ǝ/   /ɛ/   /ɚ/   /ʌ/   /ɝ/ = / ɜː/

During the second month, we are going to concentrate on these sounds:

/ɪ/   /ʊ/   /u/   /ɔ/   /o/   /aɪ/   /aʊ/   /ɔɪ/

Go to this site and listen carefully the following links:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

Now, let’s start by the “Sounds of English” http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/

/a/ = /aː/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_3.shtml

/e/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_6.shtml

/i/=/iː/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_1.shtml

/ǝ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_5.shtm0l

/ɛ/

/ɚ/

/ʌ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_3.shtml

/ɝ/=/ɜː/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_5.shtml

/ɪ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_1.shtml

/ʊ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_2.shtml

/u/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_2.shtml

/ɔ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_4.shtml

/o/

/aɪ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_dip_3.shtml

/aʊ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_dip_7.shtml

/ɔɪ/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_dip_4.shtml

Minimal pairs: noun, Linguistics

A pair of words, as pin and bin, or bet and bed, differing only by one sound in the same position in each word, especially when such a pair is taken as evidence for the existence of a phonemic contrast between the two sounds.

 Minimal Pairs: Ship or sheep: http://www.shiporsheep.com/

Sheep – Ship:  /i: / /i/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page1.html

/I/ Pronunciation English Meeting ESL   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrnifRtWxI

Tin – ten: /i/ /e/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page2.html

Bet – Bat: /e/   /æ/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page3.html

Bet – Bait: /e/  /ei/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page4.html

Bat – Bad: /æ/ /æː/     http://www.shiporsheep.com/page5.html

/æ/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClZmEFqMgWk

Cat – Cut: /æ/  /ʌ/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page6.html

Cat – Cart: /æ/  /ɑː/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page7.html

 Cart - Cut: /ɑː/  /ʌ/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page8.html

Cut – Curt: /ʌ/  / əː/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page9.html

Look – Loop: /u/ /uː/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page10.html

Cart – Caught: /ɑː/  /oː/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page11.html

Caught - Cot: /oː/  /o/ http://www.shiporsheep.com/page12.html

Caught - Coat: /oː/  /əʊ/ http://www.shiporsheep.com/page13.html

Caught – Curt: /oː/  / əː/ http://www.shiporsheep.com/page14.html

Curt – Cot:  /əː/ /o/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page15.html

Coat – coot: /əʊ/ / uː/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page16.html

Darling – dialing: /ɑː/  /aiᵊ/ http://www.shiporsheep.com/page17.html

Air – A : /eː/  /ei/   http://www.shiporsheep.com/page18.html

Tail – toil: /ei/  /oi/    http://www.shiporsheep.com/page19.html

Tail – Tell: /ei/  /e/ http://www.shiporsheep.com/page20.html

Tail – Tile: /ei/  /ai/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page21.html

Tile – toil: /ai/  /oi/  http://www.shiporsheep.com/page22.html

Hour – are: /au/  / ɑː/   http://www.shiporsheep.com/page23.html

Poor pronunciation HURTS:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LocxRXGvCAs

Finally, relax and enjoy a bit of “I Love Lucy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g10jFL423ho

 IPA for writing: http://ipa.typeit.org/