Embedded Files
Consonant Sounds
/dz/
1. Enjoy yourself; it’s later than you think!
2. He is a ‘jack of all trades’.
3. When you become a citizen, you pledge allegiance to the flag.
4. I will be there, in just a second.
5. It’s not good to hold a grudge.
6. John can’t take a joke.
7. Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.
8. We have exceeded our budget.
9. Can you please adjust the volume on your phone? I am unable to hear you.
10. We will be happy to replace your joystick.
11. Please connect this chord to the junction box.
12. The objective of this exercise is to ensure performance of the processor.
13. You are not able to access your messenger.
14. That’s an expensive piece of technology.
15. Do you have the original CD with you?
/zh/
It is always a pleasure to meet you.
The tailor asked me to step aside for measurements.
The class had to undergo very strict supervision.
She usually wears a black gown for formal occasions.
Read the passages in the best possible manner:
Last week was one of the most important occasions in our school. Under the supervision of the teachers, the students had prepared an array of visually delightful programs. There was no measure of the principal’s joy. It was a great show without any confusion.
2. In the year 2005, Dell will introduce a new version of the Trainer Manual. The version will be a fusion between hardware and software applications. As usual, Dell will make the announcement official in a press release, which we can view on the television.
/f/
Last Friday, we went to the movies to watch the flick, “The Fast and the Furious”.
2. I have to attend a conference call at five minutes to five.
3. They met at the family function for the first time after fifteen years.
4. Enid Blyton was the author of, “The Famous Five”.
5. The physics professor at the university was a master at teaching the different forms of gravitational forces.
Read the passage in the best possible manner:
The freshmen in college wanted to watch a flick on the last day of their final examinations. They had no option but to watch Collin Farrell’s ‘Phone Booth’. They were not too keen to watch this flick. However, since they wanted to forget all about their finals, they went ahead with their plans. Halfway through, they looked forward to the second half because they found the first half of the film very interesting. Overall, they had a fun-filled day.
“Far Seekers” was known to be a very famous group for conducting forest expeditions. They would not take a group of more than fifteen people into the forest at any given point of time. These groups would hunt or fetch for food. Most of the time, they would fish so as to provide food for themselves. “Far Seekers” would teach people how to find bare necessities in difficult situations and fight against the forces of nature.
/V/
1. The rooms with the seaside view are not vacant.
2. The violets look lovely in the sunlight.
3. The Tuscan valley is known for its vineyards.
4. The visitors were provided with some venison and veal.
5. The soldiers will never forget their victory in the battle.
6. Very good.
7. Moreover, rover.
8. Drive carefully.
9. Twelve valleys.
10. The TV show is on at seven.
11. Eleven piles of leaves.
12. We’re invited to visit in November.
13. Venture capital.
Read the passage in the best possible manner:
When Vanessa met William, she was not sure whether or not their friendship would last. William was a young man from Venice and Vanessa was a lovely girl from Washington. Their families were aware of their friendship, however they wanted to give the young couple a chance to express their views to each other. Eventually, Vanessa and William were convinced that they were meant to be together and thus to avoid any more delay they announced their wedding.
Note: V is the voiced form of F. We bite the Vs.
V is a quicker and crisper sound. But if “V” is in the middle of a word, we cannot bite the “V”. In that case, it is a gentle press of the upper jaw on the lower lips. You would look like a rabbit when you bite your Vs to get the correct sound.
/w/
1. They had some wafers while watching the World Series.
2. The wizard gave Harry Potter the most powerful wand.
3. The Westerly winds turned wild during the weekend.
4. The window in my hotel overlooked the backwaters.
5. The queen wore a diamond-studded wristwatch.
6. Where do you work?
7. A long way away.
8. We are going away.
9. I walk quickly.
10. One plus one is two.
11. Waste not, want not!
12. Where is it, anyone?
13. Wise and wonderful.
14. What do you want?
Read the passage in the best possible manner:
The children were excited to take a walk with their parents on the beach. They walked along the wet sand and kept running away when the waves came closer. The children waited for the weekends anxiously because, besides going to the beach, they would also visit Wendy’s, the famous fast food restaurant, at water’s edge. The day would end with a quick stop at Wal-Mart.
Note: We kiss the Ws.
W is a longer sound as compared to V. We need to round / pout our lips to get this sound, just the way when we whistle. Try it with this tongue twister from “Speak with Distinction” by Edith Skinner.
Whenever the weather is cold,
Or whenever the weather is hot,
We'll be together whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.
Whenever the weather is hot,
Or whenever the weather is cold,
We'll be together whatever the weather,
Whether we're young or we're old.
Whenever the weather is good,
Or if ever the weather be bad,
We'll be together whatever the weather,
Whether we're happy or sad.
/p/
1. I would like another piece of pie please!
2. Your credit card payment is overdue.
3. The police caught him on speeding up.
4. When does the post office open?
5. The population in Peru is very scarce.
Read the passages in the best possible manner:
1. Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Did Peter piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter piper picked?
2. Pied Piper played flute all day and earned a penny or two for support. The people in the village were not very happy with him. They thought that he could support his parents in their business. His parents owned a small shop on the pavement near the banks of the village river. They sold homemade pancakes there.
3. Pizza Hut is one of the most popular fast food joints in Pennsylvania. Their service is very prompt. The employees of Pizza Hut make sure that they please all their customers. The people visiting this place usually leave with pleasant memories and hope to return soon.
/r/
This year summer was very hot.
The Vice President of Sutherland was greeted with a bouquet of red roses.
3. The restaurant overlooked the river.
4. The millionaire wants to take a trip to Rhode Island this spring.
5. The specialist made an error in the report he sent out last Thursday.
6. See you there!
7. I’m very sorry.
8. I’ll be right over.
9. Summer flowers, winter showers.
10. Where are they?
11. Four cars.
12. Over there, over here.
13. Thank you for dinner.
14. Correct order.
15. Corporate culture.
16. Work environment.
17. Is your issue resolved now?
18. Please give me some time while I verify your records.
19. Could you repeat the serial number of your system?
20. Your hard disk warranty has expired.
21. When did you purchase your computer?
22. What is the error message that appears on the loan?
23. May I go ahead and place your order?
24. What is the O/S that is installed on your PC?
25. Please restart your system.
Read the passage in the best possible manner:
1. The new shop at Beverly Hills sells the rarest species of birds. Some of the well-known species are the African Parrot and the White Beard Macaw. These birds have been imported from various different countries. The best thing about this store is that it has provisions for all types of other domestic pets too. They provide services wherein one can leave their pets in their day care center and travel for a period of 15 days at a stretch. This Bird Store is a blessing for the residents of Beverly Hills.
2. Roger was born on the 1st of April. This day is celebrated as April Fool’s Day in most parts of the world. Every time Roger threw a birthday party his guests would fail to turn up assuming that he was playing a prank. Roger was so tired of this that to make his birthday parties special he started throwing the party a day in advance. He now celebrates his birthday on the 31st of March.
Note: This speech sound is the style-giving factor to the American accent. The sound made is similar to the croaking of a frog “err”. We need to curl our tongue inwards without touching any speech organ to get the “R” sound.
/t/
1. Tim placed the telephone on the table.
2. One must pay attention to all that is taught in class.
3. Tina loves having tomato soup as an appetizer before her meal.
4. The teacher selected ten teams to play table tennis.
5. He felt better after the doctor examined him.
Read the passages in the best possible manner:
1. Tanya wanted to go to Texas for her Christmas break. She wanted to be away from all the snow. She wrote a long letter to her cousin Tora asking her to join her on the trip to Texas. The motive behind the trip was to attend a ten-day camp on learning how to skate. Tanya was excited about her trip however wasn’t sure if Tora would feel the same.
2. The hunter was very upset because he had not been able to capture Tigre Tiger. Tigre Tiger had escaped from the circus sometime ago and the hunter was asked to look for him in the Tundra forest. The tiger had not been very happy about the way he was treated at the circus and therefore he escaped. The little tiger had been tied with a tight rope to the circus manager’s tent all night with no food or water.
Note:
“T” in the beginning of a word is aspirated, which means we release a distinct puff of air when we pronounce these speech sounds.
/s/
1. Sit down.
2. Nice to meet you, Steven.
3. The stop sign is near the corner.
4. Speak for yourself.
5. He lives in a fancy society.
6. Send the basic by fax.
7. They won the race at a swift pace.
8. The weekend is on Saturday and Sunday.
9. Susan tried to stop smoking.
10. The famous boss stood on the stage.
1. Sharon went to the supermarket to buy some shampoo.
2. Sheldon polished his shoes till they shone like stars.
3. The knights were the epitome of chivalry in olden times.
4. The musicians at the Hawaiian Shack are the best.
5. There has been a sharing violation on this application.
Read the passages in the best possible manner:
1. My mom makes the best strawberry shake. She buys fresh strawberries from the fruit shop. After washing them, she soaks them in sugar syrup. She then adds crushed ice and cold milk into the mixer topping it with strawberries and clamps the lid tight shut.
2. Sean and Shakira are great singers. They sang together at the opening ceremony of the National Games at Shanghai. Their show was a big hit. Sean and Shakira wore shimmering suits and everybody shook along with them.
/sh/
Are you sure?
Please, shut the door.
Let me shake your hand.
4. I’m a bit short on cash.
5. My washing machine is fixed.
6. I have six shirts at the cleaners.
7. We should assure you that the president passed the motion.
8. Charles gave Sharon permission to go to Russia.
9. Surely, it is a pleasure to speak English!
10. The profession of a physician is demanding.
11. Shall we start the installation?
12. I do appreciate your patience.
13. Have you tried on-line shopping?
14. Can you please elaborate on the issue?
15. What is your system configuration?
16. You will have to shut down and re-start your system after ten minutes.
17. Is your keyboard functioning?
18. Shall we start the troubleshooting?
19. Your credit card details are extremely confidential.
20. I will transfer your call to another technician who deals with this issue.
/ch/
1. Watch out!
2. I think I’m catching a cold.
3. I love chocolate chip cookies.
4. Which furniture did you purchase?
5. I’m searching for Charles in the kitchen.
6. Here is a cheese sandwich for lunch.
7. The teacher will teach the lesson.
8. Can you please check to see if the green light is glowing?
9. Please reach for the green cable at the rear of the tower.
10. I can help you to search for the help file.
11. I understand that the picture on your screen is distorted – I can help you with this issue today.
12. Can you ask me that question one more time please?
13. Each of the options listed on the menu will perform a specific action on your system.
14. I would like to do some research on this issue.
15. I apologize for the lack of clarity in my speech – I am suffering from acute laryngitis.
16. Thank you for teaching me to say ‘hello’ in your language – I really appreciate that.
17. I would be more than willing to call you back after lunch.
/z/
1. Prince Charles is the heir to the throne of England.
2. The Zulu king was possessive about his tribe.
3. Ziggy is my favorite cartoon character.
4. There is a zigzag road that leads to my village in Zambia.
5. The movie, “The Mask of Zorro” made Catherine Zeta Jones famous.
Read the passages in the best possible manner:
1. Zelda the zebra was bored of the jungle life. All she did was graze by day and doze all night. Looking for some zing in life, she ran off to the city to work in the zoo. But Zelda was zapped when the zookeeper told her that all she had to do was pose for snaps.
2. Zig Ziglar is a guru of sales and marketing training. Ziglar Training Systems offers an array of packaged training programs and sales programs to increase awareness, reshape attitudes, and fine-tune skills. Oh, and if you want to ask Zig a question? Just fire away. Zig loves to hear from you!
1. That suit is my size.
2. The puzzle is easy.
3. My cousin was visiting.
4. The zebra lives in the zoo.
5. His eyes looked glazed.
6. Exercise is advisable.
7. Please Xerox the agenda.
8. Will he arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday?
9. These clothes fit well.
10. The President was supposed to resign.
1. If you follow these steps, your issue will be resolved in no time.
2. Have you tried deleting the cookies?
3. Do you hear any kind of a noise when you switch on your computer?
4. I apologize for the delay.
5. Are you onto the page with the browser?
6. Can you tell me where your cursor is positioned?
7. Let me summarize the trouble shooting steps for you.
8. Is your computer hooked on to the net?
9. Can you tell me which time zone you are calling from?
/th/ - unvoiced
1. The theme play at the theatre was attended by thousands of people.
2. The author wrote the truth about Thumbelina’s life.
3. He celebrated his birthday party at his new house in South Carolina.
4. He is recognized as the third best therapist in America.
5. The little boy hurt his thumb when he held a rose stem covered with thorns.
Read the passage in the best possible manner:
1. Last Thursday, Thomas went to the theatre with his parents. They took him along, although Thomas was not keen on watching the flick. He thought it wasn’t worth it to waste time on trash. He’d rather stay home and prepare the school skit for Thanksgiving, which was approaching on the third Thursday of next month.
Note:
This is an aspirated speech sound. This means that we release a distinct puff of air when we pronounce this speech sound. The method of getting the right sound is by sticking your tongue out (like a snake) and pushing the air between your teeth and above your tongue.
/θ/
1. Thank you very much.
2. I think I’ll come with you.
3. Let’s go south.
4. Tell the truth.
5. I bought her a birthday present.
6. I’d like something to eat.
Passages –
K
Consider the significance of computers in our society. Although you might complain that a computer is confusing, most people now recognize the importance of improving computer skills. Every workplace utilizes this valuable machine, whether it is an airport at which you can confirm flight details - “flight one seven zero will depart at twenty to one” - or a store that can record customer purchases and customer details. Today, you can access the Internet and get information on anything you wish. Perhaps you are traveling to Cardiff and want to check weather conditions or look up the address for a vegetarian restaurant. Maybe you want records on violence in your suburb or to check what industries are in your area. You might even want to make a credit card purchase over the Internet. In fact, where would the world be without the detailed and specific records that can be stored and accessed by a computer?
The computer cursor careened across the screen erasing key characters as it scrolled past. The technician was equally confused by the computer technology and the complicated keyboard, so he clicked off the computer, cleaned off his desk, accepted his paycheck, and caught the cab for the airport, destination Caracas.
Z
A lazy Thursday at the zoo found the zebras grazing on zinnias, posing for pictures, and teasing the zookeepers, whose noses were bronzed by the sun. The biggest zebra’s name was Zachary, but his friends called him Zack. Zack was a confusing Zebra whose zeal for reasons caused his cousins, who were naturally unreasoning, to pause in their conversations. While they browsed, he philosophized. As they grazed, he practiced Zen. Because they were Zack’s cousins, the Zebras said nothing, but they wished he would muzzle at times.
Zero Zippers is a zillion dollar organization near the Osgood Zoo in Zimbabwe. It zigzagged through an embezzlement scandal and zipped past all reasonable expectation. Zero was in the most desirable zip code in the business zone, but the end result was zilch. As the founder’s motto was “Easy come, easy go!” no one resented the bizarre disaster.
S
A surly sergeant sacked an insolent sailor sitting silently on a small seat reserved for youngsters. He stayed for several minutes, while tots swarmed around. Sam asked the sailor to cease and desist, but he sneered in his face. Sam was so incensed that he considered it sufficient incentive to sock the sailor. The sailor stood there for a second, astonished and then strolled away - Sam was perplexed but satisfied, as the tots scampered like ants over the see-saw.
It’s so sad. Sally stole Sammy’s snakeskin suit and sold it to a salesman from Sonoma. Sid, the salesman, suggested that Sally stop stealing, but Sally simply said, ”So what!” Sid sighed sadly and stomped off to search for a more suitable subject.
Th
The throng of thermometers from the Thuringian Thermometer folks arrived on Thursday. There were a thousand and thirty-three thick thermometers, instead of a thousand thirty-six thin thermometers, which was three thermometers fewer than the thousand thirty - six we were expecting, not to mention that they were thick ones rather than the thin ones. We thoroughly thought that we had ordered a thousand thirty - six, not a thousand thirty - three thermometers, and asked the Thuringian Thermometer folks to reship the thermometers: thin ones not thick ones. They apologized for sending only a thousand thirty - three thermometers rather than a thousand thirty - six and promised to replace the thick thermometers with thin thermometers.
W
What a wacky world we were when we fought World War I. On one wonderful Wednesday, we were wandering in Westwood with a wonderful woman from Wisconsin, whose name was Wanda Winderson. We had been with Wanda for weeks, and we were wondering when we would wear out our welcome. Don’t worry warbled Wanda, waving wildly.
V
Victor Vickerson voted to review the viable version of the veto to avoid a controversy. Even Evan viewed Virginia’s available provisions for the vacation as inevitably devoid of value. Evan eventually arrived at the village and saved the day with vast amounts of venison and veal.
Vowel Sounds
Mark Mourn Moan Moon Mane Mean Mine
Part Port Pole Pool Pain Peep Pie
Tar Tall Toll Tool Take Teeth Tie
Lark Lawn Load Loan Loo Lake Lie
Saab Saw Sown Soon Sane Seen Sigh
Bar Born Bone Boon Bail Been Bile
Tart Taught Toe Too Tail Teal Tile
Far Four Foe Fool Fail Feel File
Gurd God Goad Goon Gail Geek Guy
Hard Hoard Hole Hoop Hail Heat Hi
Nasty Not No Noon Nail Neat Night
Car Cost Coat Cake Keep Kite
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