Basic information for beginners

1. PHONETICS

3. VOWELS
SHORT:
/ae/ cat /e/ pet /i/ hit / ɒ/ pot /u/
pull /∧/ but
LONG:
/a:/ car /3:/ bird /i:/ sheet /ɔː/ pork
/u:/ pool /Ә/ teachER

4. SCHWA /ə/
 UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES
 NUM- ber ANS-wer
 /ˈnʌmbəʳ/ /ˈɑːnsəʳ/
 CO-lour COM-mon
 /ˈkʌləʳ/ /ˈkɒmən/
 a-BOUT im-POR-tant
 /əˈbaʊt/ /ɪmˈpɔːtənt/
 STAND-ard FA-mous
 /ˈstændəd/ /ˈfeɪməs/

5. DIPTHONGS

6. CONSONANTS

7. MINIMAL PAIRS
UNVOICED
 /p/ pin
 /t/ ten
 /k/ car
 /s/ see
 /θ/ think
 /f/ fan
 /tʃ/ watch
 /ʃ/ wash
VOICED
 /b/ bin
 /d/ den
 /g/ girl
 /z/ zebra
 /ð/ they
 /v/ van
 /dʒ/ job
 /ʒ/ television

8. SILENT LETTERS
 K (KNOW, KNIGHT…)
 L (HALF, CALM, WOULD, WALK, TALK…)
 T (CASTLE, LISTEN…)
 W (ANSWER, WRITE, SWORD…)
 S (ISLAND, AISLE…)
 B (PLUMBER, CLIMB ….)
 H (HONEST, HOUR…)
 G (SIGN, DESIGN…)
 U (BISCUIT, BUILD …)
 I (FRIEND)
ETC.

10. STRESS

11. EXAMPLES
 QUESTION
 /ˈkwestʃən/
 VEGETABLE
 /ˈvedʒɪtəbl/
 FAVOURITE
 /ˈfeɪvərɪt/
 DIFFERENT
 /ˈdɪfrənt/

12. TIPS
 CONSONANTS AREVERY IMPORTANT
 ESPECIALLY FINAL CONSONANTS and PLOSIVES
BUT /bʌt/
PUB /pʌb/
 DON’T FORGET ABOUT INTONATION AND RHYTHM

13. LINKS
 Visit the following site to check pronunciation:
http://www.howjsay.com
 Visit the following site to learn more and practise pronunciation
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/spanish/features/pronunciati
on/shortvowel1