This document provides an overview of voice, accent, and communication skills. It discusses the basics of vowels, consonants, pitches, and pronunciation. It covers understanding influences from one's mother tongue and developing vocabulary, fluency, and avoiding grammatical errors. Specific topics covered include phonetics, voiced and unvoiced consonants, categories of vowels, intonation, pitch, tone, listening skills, mother tongue influence, differences between accents, and improving rate of speech. The goal is to learn how to communicate effectively through neutralizing accents and mastering pronunciation, pitch, grammar and listening skills.

1. Voice and Accent
Understanding V&A Neutralization, Pitch, Rate of Speech & Intonations

2. ◉The Basics
◉Vowel Sounds
◉Pitches
◉Pronunciation
◉Understanding Mother Tongue Influence
◉ Business/ Formal verbal communication
◉ Develop vocabulary
◉ How to speak fluently
◉ Basic grammatical errors and how to avoid them
◉Open house – Discussion
What We Will Learn

3. The Basics
1. Understanding Consonants and Vowels
2. Phonetics
3. Voiced & Unvoiced Consonants
4. Categories of Vowels based on Phonetics
5. Understanding Intonation, Pitch & Tone

4. There are 26 letters in an English alphabet.
And further classified into two types:
1. Consonants:
• They are usually created by blocking the outgoing breath.
• To pronounce them clearly one needs to understand the obstruction.
• They are usually classified according to their obstruction.
• They vary in quality with different languages
1. Vowels:
A speech sound which is produced by comparatively open configuration of
the vocal tract, with vibration of the vocal cords but without audible
friction, and which is a unit of the sound system of a language that forms
the nucleus of a syllable.
B C D F G H J K
L M N P Q R S T
V W X Y Z
A E I O U

5. Phonetics
Phonetics is the systematic study of speech and the sounds of language.
 Traditionally phoneticians rely on careful listening and observation in order to
describe speech sounds.
 The production of speech looks at the interaction of different vocal organs, for
example the lips, tongue and teeth, to produce particular sounds.
 Phonetics also looks at the concept of voicing, occurring at the pair of muscles
found in your voice box

6. Categories Of Consonants Based On Phonetics
Voiced consonants are consonant sounds that are made
by vibrating the vocal chords.
Example
Voiced consonants include:
/b/ as in 'bed' /d/ as in 'dip' /g/ as in 'good'
Consonants
Voiced Unvoiced
Unvoiced consonants are consonant sounds that are
made without vibrating the vocal chords
Example
Unvoiced consonants include:
/p/ as in 'pet' /t/ as in 'top' /k/ as in 'cat'

7. Read out loud:
• Pickles are more expensive than peas.
• /Ph/ickles are more expensive than peas.
• My parents made the payment for Patricia’s picnic
• My parents made the /Ph/ayment for Patricia’s /Ph/nic
• The patient ran in panic for no particular reason.
• The /Ph/atient ran in panic for no /Ph/articular reason
• Peter had a problem with his project.
• Peter had a /Ph/roblem with his project.
This is an aspirated sound. It has to be pronounced like ‘kh’ with
a puff of air thrown out:
Word Pronunciation
Color - /Kh/alar
Contribute - /Kh/antribute
Customer - /Kh/ustomer
Practicing the ‘p’ “Ph” & the ‘k’ Sounds
/ / Pronunciation stress

8. • Thissoundiscreated byplacingthe tonguebehindyour
teeth touchingtheupperpalateof your mouth.
• The voiced ‘th’ usually occurs in function words or
pronouns andwords that endwith‘the’.
Examples: That
The
Breathe
Bathe
Father
These
They
Teethe
Sheathe
Brother
• Theunvoiced ‘TH’soundiscreated byplacingyour tongue
betweenyour lipsandreleasingtheairthroughthe slit.
• Theunvoiced ‘TH’soundusuallyoccursin contentwords.
With
South
Examples:
Thud
Thousand North
Something
Both Thank
‘th’ voiced ‘th’ unvoiced
Practicing the ‘th’ voice & unvoiced sounds

9. The‘W’sound
This is a voiced sound. To produce the ‘w’ sound, make your lips
rounded andthe tonguedrawn backasin the position of‘u’.
Examples:
Wary Worse Whale While
/w/ary /w/orse /wh/ale /wh/ile
The 'Ch' sound
Thisisanunvoiced aspiratedsound:
Church
Cherish
Chant
Chamber
The'Dj'Sound
Thisisavoicedsound
Gin Ginger
/ / Pronunciation stress
Practicing the ‘w’, ‘wh’ ‘Dj’ voiced & ‘ch’ unvoiced sounds

10. Categories Of Vowels Based On Phonetics
Vowels
Pure Vowels Diphthongs
Pure means a single vowel sound.
• There are 12 “pure” sounds.
• When you say these sounds the position of your tongue changes.
• These different movements give distinction between each sound.
• The difference in the sounds make the differences in the words.
• The general descriptions of the vowel sound is important, not so much the
pronunciation.
Types of Pure Vowels:
1. Close Vowels: The tongue takes different positions, from the back and the
front. Examples: bead, key, cheese, scene, police, people, quay
2. Mid Vowels: The tongue is neither high nor low. Again the position moves
from front to back too. Examples: egg, left, said, head, read (past), instead,
any, leisure, leopard
3. Open Vowel: The tongue is low in the mouth. Examples: hat, attack,
antique, plait, run, uncle, front, nourish, does, come, flood
A diphthong is a combination of vowel sounds.
The first sound is held longer and louder.
There are usually 8.
Types of Diphthongs:
1. Centering Diphthongs: These sounds end with a long sound like the “a”
Examples: beer, beard, fear, pierce, Ian, here, idea, sure, moor, tour, obscure,
where, wear, chair, dare, stare, there, cake, way, weigh, say, pain, they, vein
2. Closing Diphthongs: The position of the tongue is higher. Examples: 'oy' as in
'toy', 'ow' as in 'now', ‘oh' as in 'no','ai' as in 'buy', 'ay' as in 'say' , 'ew' as in 'few'

11. A combination of three main components:
• Intonation (Speech Music)
• Liaisons(Word Connection) and
• Pronunciation (the spoken sounds of Vowels, Consonants and Combinations)
Example:
Would you like some white bread along with butter?
Understanding Accent
What is a comprehensible Accent?

12. Pronunciation: Difference between (British vs American)
VS

13. AccordingtoOxforddictionariesforwords(Accessedon2nd August2018)
Understanding Intonation, Pitch & Tone
Intonation: Rise and fall in pitch is called intonation. It can also be
defined as “Speech Music”.
Pitch: The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations
producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.
Example: Hi! Am I speaking to Ted Brunei? My name is Alex and I am
calling you in regards to an excellent opportunity, with my direct client.
Tone: A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and
strength.

14. Understanding Listening
1. Difference between Listening and Hearing
2. Types of Listening Skills

15. Listening is the active process of receiving and responding to spoken (and sometimes unspoken) messages.
"Listening is not merely not talking," said poet Alice Duer Miller.
So how does listening differ from ‘hearing’ ?
While listening is the process of acknowledgment of what you hear, hearing on the other hand is a
physical attribute.
What you hear ?
• Tone of voice
• Vocal clarity
• Verbal expressiveness 40% of the message
Understanding Listening & Hearing

16. Questions !
• What was video about?
• Summarize what did the
lady wanted to say to her
partner?
• Was the partner
listening/ hearing?
Video credit: Jason Headly,
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
4EDhdAHrOg (Accessed on 2nd
August, 2018)
Sample Example: Listening & Hearing

17. Types of Listening Skills:
• Active Listening
• Reflective Listening
• Passive Listening
• Comprehensive Listening
• Selective Listening
• Comprehensive Listening
• Sympathetic Listening
• Empathetic Listening
Video credit: Optimal Llifestyle
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-rNd7h6z8 (Accessed on 2nd August, 2018)

18. MTI & ROS

19. US
Accent
Spanish
Accent
Indian
Accent
MTI – Mother Tongue Influence

20. • What was the reason of
misunderstanding by the
customer service person?
• How could it have been
avoided?
Video credit: Youtbe Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=GFcwQdmln0s
Example of MTI & Accent miscommunication

21. Speech rate is the term given to the speed at which you speak. It's calculated in the number of words spoken in a minute.
ROS – Rate of Speech
Improving ROS
1. Read factual reports
2. Experiment with one of your own speeches
3. Practice with a partner
4. Listen to good speakers
Reasons for ROS:
• Fear of appearing nervous
• Concern that others are judging you
• Poor or insufficient preparation
• Narcissism
• Dissatisfaction with your abilities
• Discomfort with your own body and movement
• Poor breathing habits
• Comparing ourselves to others