Spoken English Review

/p/pear people toppick September hippet apple peppalm purple nappart complete cappoor apartment soup

/t/tea butter shirtten potato butto letter eatteach sister gettable little foottell water fast

Note: Aspiration varies ---beginning “t” - definite aspirationmiddle “t” - tighter aspirationfinal “t” - very light aspiration

Do not drop the final “t” sound in:

kept finished thankedleft washed talkedswept laughed workedpushed flushed bestcoughed test

/k/cat o’clock lookcan cool becausemake call pictureschool like comeAmerican thank tookescape walk cut

The Vowel [æ] as in “Bat”

Adam back glad man gasbank fact laugh after bandgrass tan ran exact examinesurpass am black have standdisaster evaporate embarrass maximum ascan land catch fantastic moralearrogant drastic and chance handlast banquet malice damage anecdote

The Vowel [ ] as in “Ball”

laundry call fault altar tallautomatic August audience author cautionlord sorry sausage short installsought strawberry fought orbit boughtlaw waltz bald cause fraudwater dawn pause walk lawnnormal daughter pawn storm forestlong dog orange officer losscough borrow horror ought ballthought always soft taught alsojaw belong salt hall draw

Note: The unstressed syllables in the following nouns and adjectives are not given this diphthong. Instead, the

vowel in “bit” is used.

captain mountain delicate necklacechocolate certain cabbage cottageprivate menace accurate climatevillage bargain surface fountainbandage average damage college

The Diphthong [ou] as in “Go” soul choke tone hope nosecold don’t ocean cone foldfolk Rome most wrote polegroan social ghost open bothhost so only slow holdknow old roll bold homeover frozen negotiable patrol elopenoble emotion alone motor thronecustodian awoke total post baritoneremote motive go devoteexposequotient notable October anecdote doughnutepisode phonograph opponent erroneous

Practice Words

best haste crushed pressedrest cast last lestpest past released progressedtest crest chest stressedtoast trust contessed addressedcaressed frost first thirstdressed crushed crashed refreshedunstressed breast clashed fastmust toast rust roast

The final “t” sounds after the “s” sound is also difficult to some students. Practice the following, being careful not to add an “s” sound after the final “t” sound.

Practice Words

pushed washed cashed brushedrushed crashed fished mashedflashed crushed wished finishedthanked blanked linked spankedwinked blinked inked flunkedworked talked smoked lockedlaughed snuffed coughed scoffedsniffed roughed rift soft

The final “t” sounds after “sh”, “ngk” and “f” is also a problem to some students. Practice the following, making sure that the final “t” sound is clearly heard.

champagne Chicago chandelierchaperone chemise chivalryChopin cliche mustacheparachute chauffeur chef

The “ch” sound spelling equivalent to the “sh” sound

ac’curacy appre’ciate cataloguing coher’entadmin’ister aspir’ant cem’etery com’mentedadmin’istrative asso’ciate cer’emony com’mentingad’mirable a’viator cer’tain com’parableadoles’cence bamboo’ cer’tainly incom’parableagree’ment ben’ifited char’acteristic commit’teean’cestors benefi’ciary chari’table condo’lenceam’icable cana’ry char’acterize contrib’uteap’plicable cap’italist cir’cumstances contrib’utingin’famous ca’mouflage spir’itual rep’utabledef’icit com’fortable res’taurant ped’estalbap’tism can’didacy ines’timable prac’ticallydec’ade form’idable in’tegral pref’erabledem’onstrate gov’ern inev’itable profes’sor

Common Words in Which the Accent is Often Misplaced

accommodation administration autobiographyadvantageous aristocratic continuitycircumstance cigarette contradictioncancellation characteristic disobedientdiabolical emigration hesitationincomprehensible international intolerableindependent monumental memorizationnaturalization examination pronunciationoriginality psychological crystallizationqualification overwhelming understandingrecommendation superstitious continuationdiscrimination exaggeration electrificationpeculiarity evacuation theoreticalrehabilitation materialistic propaganda

Secondary Stress in Longer Words

Unstressed FormLet her* go.You must help her.Did he pass?That’s his book.We got her to sing.Will you join the group?She’s in her room.They bought his house.Did you solve it?Shall we ask her?Clean your room.Will you join the picnic?Will he sing also?Did he play at all?Are they serious?

Stressed and Unstressed PronounsStressed FormHer voice cracked, not mine.I like her, not Clara.Pablo did. He didn’t.His is new. Mine is old.Her singing is different.If you come along, too.Her grades improved.His car broke down.No, did you?Don’t ask her. Ask her brother.Your room is untidy.Only if you do.He will sing also.He was the hero of the game.They are. I’m not.

* When unstressed, the “h” beginnings of pronouns are omitted in rapid speech.

Unstressed Form

Look at the moon.She’s looking for her book.He comes from the South.The end of the road.We’ve nothing to eat.They went into a coffee shop.She saved for Christmas.To whom are you speaking?Those are for the mechanic.The bag is for the maid.The wall of the house.Give it to the guard.Look at the good food.The noise is coming from the streets.

Stressed and Unstressed Prepositions

Stressed Form

What are you looking at?What’s the umbrella for?Where’s he from?What of it!To and from.The house was broken into.What’s the gift for?Whom are you speaking to?What re those for?What’s the bag for?What’s it made of?Whom should it be given to?What are you staring at?Where is the noise coming from?

Stressed and Unstressed Prepositions

Let her go. - Let ‘er go.Call her up. - Call ‘er up.I know her. - I know ‘er.Stop him. - Stop ‘im.Give it to her. - Give it to ‘er.

Mary had a little lamb,It’s fleece was white as snow.And, everywhere that Mary went,The lamb was sure to go.

“There goes the last one.”

“The winners are John, Henry, and Bill.”

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

“What kind of thing is this?”

“I have told you a hundred times, and the answer is still the same.”

One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.

Mark Twain

So, Naturalists observe a fleaHas smaller fleas than on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite ‘em:And so proceed ad infinitum.

Jonathan Swift

I have waited with patience to hear what might be urged against the bill; but i have waited in vain: The truth is, there is no argument that can weigh against it.

Lord Mansfield

Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace! - but there is no peace. The war has actually begun! I know not what course other may take; but, as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

Patrick Henry