PRONUNCIATION

I. The importance of pronunciation in speaking English

+ Pronunciation is an essential thing in good communication because the wrong pronunciation will lead to misunderstanding and a negative impression of others. According to Suwartono (2006: 41), Pronunciation is an essential part of a language, for the nature of the language is spoken. Pronunciation is the most important and difficult problem that non-native English speakers have to face when studying English.

1. Vowels

- Vowels are vibrations of the larynx or sounds that when we emit air from the larynx to the lips are not obstructed. Vowels are divided into 2 types:

a, Single vowels:

+ There are two types of vowels in English: long vowels and short vowels. The correct pronunciation of long vowels and short vowels is extremely important, because many times if you pronounce them completely wrong, it can cause listeners to misunderstand that conversation into another meaning.

b, Diphthong:

- The diphthong in English is the combination of two single vowels together, thereby forming a complete diphthong.

a, Voiced Consonants:

- Voiced consonants are sounds that come from the throats of all of us and you can completely feel the vibration of the vocal cords when we pronounce them. The steam will open up from the throat, then through the tongue, and finally out through the teeth when you pronounce these sounds.

b, Voiceless consonants:

- When you pronounce soundless consonants, you can only hear the pop or the wind. We do not feel the vibration of the vocal cords when making these sounds. The airflow will come from the mouth instead of going slowly from the throat.

c, The remaining consonants:

- They are m, l, j, h, n, r, w, and ŋ. You can watch this video to know how to pronounce the remaining consonants correctly

III. Tips to improve English pronunciation

1. Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and learn each English sound separately

+ The International Phonetic Alphabet the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a set of symbols and characters that record the sounds of a language. Once you know all the English sounds, and the symbols and symbols that represent them, you should be able to pronounce any word in English.

2. Reduce your speaking speed

+ Most English learners think that speaking English fluently means speaking quickly, this is completely wrong! When you speak fast, it is difficult to read a word well enough, how can you pronounce it correctly? Fast pronunciation also makes it hard to think about what you're saying. Not to mention speaking quickly will make you look like you're nervous about something.

+ Speak slowly, so you have time to think about what you are saying and will say, helping you focus on your speaking and pronunciation. Speaking slowly also makes it easier for your listeners to understand what you're saying, and also makes it easier for you to speak.

3. Record your own words

+ This is a great way to know how you sound when you speak. Try recording yourself reading a short article from a magazine or a page of a book in English. Then you will have a comparison with the native speaker's voice, find out the similarities and differences and then practice and correct the mistakes yourself.

+ You can't correct a mistake if you don't know where you went wrong. And if you don't correct your mistakes, you can't learn from experience, so it's hard to improve your pronunciation.

+ If you are simply reading an English passage, it will be difficult to find mistakes in your pronunciation. Because at that time, you will only focus on reading the passage, your speaking, but hardly notice the errors in pronunciation.

4. Watch pronunciation videos on Youtube

- American accent:
+ Rachel’s English
+ Pronuncian/Seattle Learning Academy

- British accent:
+ The Phone Voice
+ VirtuAule