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The sounds of English
The sounds of English
When learning about English sounds, students need to develop two interrelated basic skills: Pronunciation and transcription.
When learning about English sounds, students need to develop two interrelated basic skills: Pronunciation and transcription.
English is known for its lack of correspondence between spelling and pronunciation. This lack of correspondnce makes it diffucult to learn the pronunciation of words when you first encounter them.
English is known for its lack of correspondence between spelling and pronunciation. This lack of correspondnce makes it diffucult to learn the pronunciation of words when you first encounter them.
Using a transcription system like the IPA (see below) helps achieve this correspondence between sounds and symbols. This way, what you read is what you pronounce!
Using a transcription system like the IPA (see below) helps achieve this correspondence between sounds and symbols. This way, what you read is what you pronounce!
English has 24 consonants in all:
English has 24 consonants in all:
- Stops/plosives: p/b, t/d, k/g
- Fricatives: f/v, θ/ð, s/z, ʃ/ʒ, h
- Affricates: tʃ/dʒ
- Nasals: m, n, ŋ
- Resonants: l, r
English has two semi-consonants/ vowels: j, w
English has two semi-consonants/ vowels: j, w
In addition, English has 22 vowels:
In addition, English has 22 vowels:
- Short vowels: ɪ, ʊ, e, ʌ, æ, e, ɒ
- Long vowels: i:, u:, ɜ:, ɔ:, ɑ:
- Diphthongs: ɪə, ʊə, əʊ, eɪ, eə, ɔɪ, aɪ, aʊ
It is not uncommon to find reference to the triphthongs aɪəʳ and aʊəʳ.
It is not uncommon to find reference to the triphthongs aɪəʳ and aʊəʳ.
Transcription
Transcription
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Click here, which is proposed by the International Phonetic Asociation Click here.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Click here, which is proposed by the International Phonetic Asociation Click here.
There are various transcription Apps available on the Web. Here are two which some of us are using.
There are various transcription Apps available on the Web. Here are two which some of us are using.
(In this website, we'll be using this one.)
(In this website, we'll be using this one.)
Reading transcription is a skill to be used in reading dictionary information, one of the basic study skills that students need to develop. It is true that dictionaries are now available online, and most of them provide pronunciation as audio files in addition to transcription (see the picture opposite); however, the transcription skills comes in handy on various occasions (think about linguistics courses, for instance.)
Reading transcription is a skill to be used in reading dictionary information, one of the basic study skills that students need to develop. It is true that dictionaries are now available online, and most of them provide pronunciation as audio files in addition to transcription (see the picture opposite); however, the transcription skills comes in handy on various occasions (think about linguistics courses, for instance.)
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/support_1
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