HOW TO PRONOUNCE ENGLISH

A few pronunciation difficulties

He was too close to close the door. We polish Polish furniture.

polish (vb) o de not / Polish (adj.) o de noA dump was so full it had to refuse refuse.

refuse (vb) i de did / refuse (n.) e de betI did not object to the object. object (vb) / object (n.), o de dotThey couldn’t wind the sail in the wind.

Hurt / heart / art it / heat / hit / eatLow / law sleep / slipNot / note Air / hairAlso / althoughThough / so / thought

TONGUE TWISTERSAny noise annoys an oyster but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more. Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.Which witch wished which wicked wish?Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,

with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,he thrusts his fist against the postsand still insists he sees the ghosts.

She stood on the balconyinexplicably mimicking him hiccupping,and amicably welcoming him home.

Exercise 1: find out the odd one(s)a) Isolated – practice – ally – mine – trial – primary - survivalb) Protest – note – knot – code – core – Moscow – vote - ballotc) Town – tone – down – about - cloudd) Preacher – threat – treaty – reason e) War – born – torn – carve f) Egypt – Iran – Iraq – Italy – extreme – scheme – green g) Declare – spread – health – wealth – debt - paperh) Debate – operator – racism – favorite - banned i) Near – severe – era – repeal - appearj) Dirty – versus – urban – person – term – purpose – beard - worldk) Site – seat – means – beating – cheat - l) Measure – spread – death – waste – ware - pressure

Exercise 2: th

The Smiths wear thin clothes during the winter months.Six thin things. Three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts. Now if three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts, how many thoughts did each thief think?

Throughout the strike, thugs threw stones through windows.

Though some thought the aftermath of the war hit throngs of workers, thankfully the country thrived.

The threats toughtened throughout the decade.Thinking the sinking of the ship had thrown passengers off

board, they thought they could sink too. Theoretically the thought-provoking theme of the talk was

third world thorough bankrupcy.This thing and that thing are better than those things. If you buy a ticket to see the thicket, you get a thorn to

adorn your thicket ticket.

WORD STRESS

Classify the following words into four different categories according to word stress (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th syllable stress):

Journalist – monarch – politician – political – anarchy – communism - majority – organization – terrorism – explosion – parliament – election – address – attack – implementation – agreement – soldiers – impetus – voters – education – government – measure – policy – disobedience – immediately – survival - pioneer – belief – opponent – conservative - labour

Correction

Journalist – monarch – politician – political – anarchy – communism - majority – organization – terrorism – explosion – parliament – election – address – attack – implementation – agreement – soldiers – impetus – voters – education – government – measure – policy – disobedience – develop - immediately – survival - pioneer – belief – opponent – conservative - labour

Intonation

IT’S UP TO YOU:

New elections took place in 2008. The elections were historical. They were not like other elections because the independent parties played a role. Independent parties seldom garner many votes but in 2008, they changed the political landscape of Britian forever.

New elections /took place/ in 2008. The elections /were historical./ They were not/ like other elections/ because/ the independent parties /played a role/. Independent parties /seldom garner many votes /but/ in 2008/, they changed /the political landscape of Britian / forever.

Variation in stress patterns

A: Oh! Just listen to that! A group of anti-capitalist terrorists has recently kidnapped eight young French girls in a shopping mall in the city center!

B: NO! Terrorists can’t have kidnapped eight girls in a shopping mall right in the city center!

ExerciseB: After the war, England thrived throughout the 1960s. A: Yes. One of the happiest decades in England was the 1960s, don’t you think so ?B: Well, I’m not so sure, you see. Back in the 1960s, there were still pockets of

poverty and slums. The life of working class people was not all beer and skittles! The working class claimed better working conditions and higher wages.

A: There were pockets of poverty but new blocks of flat were being built and people’s purchasing power skyrocketted. It climbed up to unprecedented levels.

B: How many flats were built exactly ? A: Throughout the fifties and sixties 1 million new accomodations were built. B: 1 million! That’s a significant number indeed ! And people will have enjoyed

modern dwellings with brand new appliances. Yet, not everyone could afford them, could they?

A: There were some deprived families, families living below the poverty line and for whom modernity was still only a dream. Yet, on the whole the sixities were happy times. The seventies were much darker.