Elena Britova

Academic manager of the TransLink-Education company, certified trainer in speed reading and memory development.

The English alphabet has 26 letters and 44 sounds. If in some languages ​​each letter is responsible for only one sound, then in English one letter can convey up to four sounds, and in some cases even up to seven. Hence the favorite saying of the English: "We write Liverpool, but we read Manchester."

In addition, articulation (movement of the tongue, lips, mouth) is significantly different from Russian. There are sounds similar to Russians, but when they are pronounced, the organs of articulation work differently.

If you want to get rid of the accent, or at least get closer to English speech, all the differences must be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to get yourself the correct English pronunciation.

1. Learn the alphabet

Many adults consider this a child's exercise. But one day they will definitely ask you: “Please, spell your name” (“Spell your name”). This is where knowing the letters of the English alphabet comes in handy. In addition, there may be letters in abbreviations, street names, house and flight numbers, and, for example, at the airport they will be sure to be pronounced as in the alphabet.

2. Practice articulation when pronouncing consonants

Once you have mastered the letters of the alphabet, feel free to move on to learning the sounds they convey. Accustom yourself to the correct articulation right away. Learn to pronounce the sounds separately first, bring to automatism, and then move on to words, phrases and sentences.

AT English language there are consonant sounds that at first glance (or rather, hearing) are pronounced as in Russian.

1. Check where the tip of the tongue is when pronouncing the sounds [d] - [t], [n], [r], [s], [z]. Sticking to your teeth? Congratulations, you pronounce the Russian alphabet. In native English, the tip of the tongue at this time is on the alveoli (the largest tubercle in the upper palate). Try it. Now you get pure English sounds. Practice: bed - ten , not , rat , sun , zoo .

2. Depict a hare when pronouncing the sounds [f] - [v]. The upper teeth must be placed on the lower lip. Work out: fat - vet.

3. Remember that the sound [l] is always hard: London [ˈlʌndən].

4. When practicing the sound [w], take a candle: this The best way learn how to pronounce it correctly. Fold your lips into a tube and pull forward (like small children reach out for a kiss), and then smile sharply. Then this sound will come out. When training, hold the candle at a distance of 20-25 cm from the lips. If the flame goes out when you pronounce the sound, then you are doing everything right. Practice: say the word well.

5. Warm your hands when practicing the [h] sound. It has nothing to do with Russian [x]. Imagine that you are very cold and are trying to warm your hands with your breath. You bring them to your lips and exhale. During exhalation, a light, barely audible English sound [h] is formed. As in the word home.

6. Practice the sound [ŋ] with a bad cold or imagine that you have it. There is no such sound in Russian, it is transmitted by the combination ng in English. Press the tongue like a spatula against the upper palate and let the sound through the nose. It reminds a little of [n], if you pronounce it with a severe cold. Remember that your tongue is still touching the alveoli, not the teeth. Practice: interesting [ˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪŋ].

7. Be a snake and a bee for training [ð] - [θ]. These sounds are absent in Russian and are formed by combining the letters th in English.

[ð] - voiced sound. Bite the tip of your tongue lightly with your teeth and pronounce the sound [z]. If during training the lower lip and tongue are tickled, then you are doing everything right. If not, then you may have bitten the tip of your tongue too hard, loosen your teeth a little. Say the word this [ðɪs], do you get it?

[θ] - dull sound. The articulation is the same, only we pronounce the sound [s]. To practice the hollow sound [ θ ], say the word thank [θæŋk].

3. Learn the four types of syllables for the correct pronunciation of vowels

The reading of vowels depends on the type of syllable in which they are:

• open (syllable ends in a vowel);
• closed (syllable ends in a consonant);
• vowel + r;
• vowel + re.

In the first type of syllable - open - vowels are read as in the alphabet (that's where knowledge of the alphabet came in handy!). For example: plane , nose , tube , Pete .

In the second type, you need to learn by heart the pronunciation of each vowel:

• [æ] - open sound, not long. It is conveyed by the letter A in a closed syllable. Test yourself: sit at the table, straighten up, put one elbow on the surface, bend the brush under the chin. Between the chin and the hand you will have a place, unless, of course, you have straightened your back. Now we lower the lower jaw down so that it reaches the brush, and pronounce [e]. Practice with the word bag.
• [e] is often confused with the previous sound. When pronouncing [e], you just need to slightly raise the corners of your lips up, as if smiling slightly. These are two different sounds, and they are not similar to each other, and even more so to Russian [e]. Practice: pet .
• Short sounds [i], [ɔ], [ʌ], [u] are pronounced intensively, not in a singsong voice: big, box, bus, book [bʊk].

In the third and fourth types of syllables, the letter R not readable, it only forms a syllable and lengthens the vowel sound: car, sort, turn.

, [ɔ:] - special sounds. Imagine that you are at a doctor's office examining your throat. The root of your tongue is pressed with a stick and asked to say "Aaaa." It is in this position that the tongue should be when pronouncing the sounds [a] and [o]. If at the same time you want to yawn, then you are on the right track! Try it right now: car , sort .

4. Remember the correct accents

Most often in English the stressed syllable is the first. If you need to pronounce a word, but there is no one to ask or there is no dictionary at hand, put the stress on the first syllable. Of course, it is better to memorize the words right away with correct accent Or check yourself in a dictionary.

5. Don't Forget Four Important Rules

• There are no soft consonants in English.
• Voiced consonants are not stunned at the end of a word.
• Vowels are long (in transcription they are denoted by [:]) and short.
• No extra - especially sharp - movements of the lips.

Learn a few phrases to practice correct pronunciation:

• Very well [‘veri ‘wel].
• World Wide Web or WWW [‘w əuld ‘waid ‘web www].
• Eleven benevolent elephants [ɪˈlevn bəˈnevələnt ˈelɪfənts].
• Stupid superstition [ˈstjuːpɪd ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃ(ə)n].
• Pirates Private Property [ˈpaɪrəts praɪvət ˈprɒpəti].

And remember: different sounds have a meaningful function. For example, man ("man", "man") and men ("men"); ship [ʃip] ("ship") and sheep [ʃi:p] ("sheep") and so on. Many people read the word three (“three”) as (which means “tree”) or (“freedom”), not taking into account that th [θ] is read differently, it simply does not exist in Russian (remember the exercise "bee"). Knowing the correct pronunciation of words, you definitely will not get into a mess!

Elena Britova

Academic manager of the TransLink-Education company, certified trainer in speed reading and memory development.

The English alphabet has 26 letters and 44 sounds. If in some languages ​​each letter is responsible for only one sound, then in English one letter can convey up to four sounds, and in some cases even up to seven. Hence the favorite saying of the English: "We write Liverpool, but we read Manchester."

In addition, articulation (movement of the tongue, lips, mouth) is significantly different from Russian. There are sounds similar to Russians, but when they are pronounced, the organs of articulation work differently.

If you want to get rid of the accent, or at least get closer to English speech, all the differences must be taken into account. Here are some tips on how to get yourself the correct English pronunciation.

1. Learn the alphabet

Many adults consider this a child's exercise. But one day they will definitely ask you: “Please, spell your name” (“Spell your name”). This is where knowing the letters of the English alphabet comes in handy. In addition, there may be letters in abbreviations, street names, house and flight numbers, and, for example, at the airport they will be sure to be pronounced as in the alphabet.

2. Practice articulation when pronouncing consonants

Once you have mastered the letters of the alphabet, feel free to move on to learning the sounds they convey. Accustom yourself to the correct articulation right away. Learn to pronounce the sounds separately first, bring to automatism, and then move on to words, phrases and sentences.

In English, there are consonant sounds that at first glance (or rather, hearing) are pronounced like in Russian.

1. Check where the tip of the tongue is when pronouncing the sounds [d] - [t], [n], [r], [s], [z]. Sticking to your teeth? Congratulations, you pronounce the Russian alphabet. In native English, the tip of the tongue at this time is on the alveoli (the largest tubercle in the upper palate). Try it. Now you get pure English sounds. Practice: bed - ten , not , rat , sun , zoo .

2. Depict a hare when pronouncing the sounds [f] - [v]. The upper teeth must be placed on the lower lip. Work out: fat - vet.

3. Remember that the sound [l] is always hard: London [ˈlʌndən].

4. When practicing the [w] sound, take a candle: this is the best way to learn how to pronounce it correctly. Fold your lips into a tube and pull forward (like small children reach out for a kiss), and then smile sharply. Then this sound will come out. When training, hold the candle at a distance of 20-25 cm from the lips. If the flame goes out when you pronounce the sound, then you are doing everything right. Practice: say the word well.

5. Warm your hands when practicing the [h] sound. It has nothing to do with Russian [x]. Imagine that you are very cold and are trying to warm your hands with your breath. You bring them to your lips and exhale. During exhalation, a light, barely audible English sound [h] is formed. As in the word home.

6. Practice the sound [ŋ] with a bad cold or imagine that you have it. There is no such sound in Russian, it is transmitted by the combination ng in English. Press the tongue like a spatula against the upper palate and let the sound through the nose. It reminds a little of [n], if you pronounce it with a severe cold. Remember that your tongue is still touching the alveoli, not the teeth. Practice: interesting [ˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪŋ].

7. Be a snake and a bee for training [ð] - [θ]. These sounds are absent in Russian and are formed by combining the letters th in English.

[ð] - voiced sound. Bite the tip of your tongue lightly with your teeth and pronounce the sound [z]. If during training the lower lip and tongue are tickled, then you are doing everything right. If not, then you may have bitten the tip of your tongue too hard, loosen your teeth a little. Say the word this [ðɪs], do you get it?

[θ] - dull sound. The articulation is the same, only we pronounce the sound [s]. To practice the hollow sound [ θ ], say the word thank [θæŋk].

3. Learn the four types of syllables for the correct pronunciation of vowels

The reading of vowels depends on the type of syllable in which they are:

• open (syllable ends in a vowel);
• closed (syllable ends in a consonant);
• vowel + r;
• vowel + re.

In the first type of syllable - open - vowels are read as in the alphabet (that's where knowledge of the alphabet came in handy!). For example: plane , nose , tube , Pete .

In the second type, you need to learn by heart the pronunciation of each vowel:

• [æ] - open sound, not long. It is conveyed by the letter A in a closed syllable. Test yourself: sit at the table, straighten up, put one elbow on the surface, bend the brush under the chin. Between the chin and the hand you will have a place, unless, of course, you have straightened your back. Now we lower the lower jaw down so that it reaches the brush, and pronounce [e]. Practice with the word bag.
• [e] is often confused with the previous sound. When pronouncing [e], you just need to slightly raise the corners of your lips up, as if smiling slightly. These are two different sounds, and they are not similar to each other, and even more so to Russian [e]. Practice: pet .
• Short sounds [i], [ɔ], [ʌ], [u] are pronounced intensively, not in a singsong voice: big, box, bus, book [bʊk].

In the third and fourth types of syllables, the letter R not readable, it only forms a syllable and lengthens the vowel sound: car, sort, turn.

, [ɔ:] - special sounds. Imagine that you are at a doctor's office examining your throat. The root of your tongue is pressed with a stick and asked to say "Aaaa." It is in this position that the tongue should be when pronouncing the sounds [a] and [o]. If at the same time you want to yawn, then you are on the right track! Try it right now: car , sort .

4. Remember the correct accents

Most often in English the stressed syllable is the first. If you need to pronounce a word, but there is no one to ask or there is no dictionary at hand, put the stress on the first syllable. Of course, it is better to immediately memorize words with the correct stress or check yourself in a dictionary.

5. Don't Forget Four Important Rules

• There are no soft consonants in English.
• Voiced consonants are not stunned at the end of a word.
• Vowels are long (in transcription they are denoted by [:]) and short.
• No extra - especially sharp - movements of the lips.

Learn a few phrases to practice correct pronunciation:

• Very well [‘veri ‘wel].
• World Wide Web or WWW [‘w əuld ‘waid ‘web www].
• Eleven benevolent elephants [ɪˈlevn bəˈnevələnt ˈelɪfənts].
• Stupid superstition [ˈstjuːpɪd ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃ(ə)n].
• Pirates Private Property [ˈpaɪrəts praɪvət ˈprɒpəti].

And remember: different sounds have a meaningful function. For example, man ("man", "man") and men ("men"); ship [ʃip] ("ship") and sheep [ʃi:p] ("sheep") and so on. Many people read the word three (“three”) as (which means “tree”) or (“freedom”), not taking into account that th [θ] is read differently, it simply does not exist in Russian (remember the exercise "bee"). Knowing the correct pronunciation of words, you definitely will not get into a mess!

Just Letters and Sounds

The English alphabet has 26 letters - seven less than ours. Which already makes it easier for us to get acquainted with English.

Square brackets indicate how each letter of the English alphabet is pronounced. In standard British language, the letter R sometimes it doesn't "pronounce" at all: car(car), star(star), door(Door). In America, as, indeed, in some parts of England, this letter sounds - growls dully - and you can boldly pronounce it if you wish: arm[ɑ:rm] (hand), form(form, form), turn(turn).

If you see a dotted line below the text, there is a hint for that text. In this case, it is an approximate (≈) Russian pronunciation, represented in the English alphabet by parentheses. And now Attention! Your a task for this lesson: learn to read as it is written in square brackets, not round ones! The pronunciation in parentheses is given only for those who are new to English. Immediately after getting acquainted with all the sounds below, they will not be. And if someone somewhere teaches you to read according to Russian transcription, know that you are being deceived. Below will be given text, audio, video explanations of each sound.

Alphabet need to learn by heart. Why? It happens that we are not sure how this or that name is spelled correctly and we have to clarify:

Spell your name. - Tell Your name spell.
Spell it, please. - Tell his spell, please.

And the interlocutor, whose name is, suppose, Timothy, or, for short, Tim, dictates to us:

Timothy -

Additionally, to consolidate the English alphabet:

Word - Word

Spell- a useful verb that helps us clarify the spelling ( spelling) of any word, even the most "tricky". There is a city of Leicester in England. There are five sounds in the name: ["lestə]. Let's try to find it on the English map. Where is it? Check with our friend Tim:

How do you spell it? - How do you write it?
Spell this name for us. - Spell the name to us.

Tim spells the name. We write it down. We write:

[ɑ:] - Leicester.

There are only five sounds, but nine letters! There are nine letters in Leicester . Historically, some letters in this name have become "silent".

Tim will name a few more cities, and you write them - right here in the lines.

Notes

Names (Ann, Tim), continents (Africa, Asia), countries (England, Russia), cities (Bristol, York), villages (Pendrift), streets (Oxford Street), squares (Trafalgar Square) and lanes (Penny Lane) ) are capitalized.

Your Dictionary
Your dictionary

Your dictionary is English-Russian, it contains English words with Russian translation. They are in strictly alphabetical order.

Let's find the translation of the word please- in the section under the letter R. A few simple rules:

1. In order not to read the entire section from beginning to end, we look at the second letter of the word - l. The alphabetical principle is in effect again: letter combination pl comes after combinations pa, re, ph, pi. Here come the words to pl: place(place), plain(plain) ... It's the turn to look at the third letter e. Then on the fourth a. And here after pleasant["plezǝnt] (pleasant), but before pleasure["pleʒǝ] (pleasure) we find the word we need.

2. After please worth the cut v , after pleasant - a . What is "secret writing"? Solution-explanation at the very beginning of the dictionary - in List of conditional abbreviations. Lettering n stands for noun(noun); v - verb(verb); a - adjective(adjective); adv - adverb(adverb).
These pointers are not meant to "load" you with grammatical terms. In English, there are cases when the same word can act as a noun or a verb, an adjective or an adverb. The dictionary will tell you what part of speech it is, and then give you a translation.

help 1. v to help. 2. n help; assistant.
fast 1. a quick, fast. 2. adv fast.

3. Nouns in all dictionaries are given in the singular.

Some words do not have a singular number. Letters indicate this. pl : from plural(plural).

clothing n pl clothes
scissors["sɪzəz] n pl scissors

It happens, fortunately, rarely that the word "looks" as in the plural, but in fact it is in the singular. The dictionary will not let you make a mistake: sing means singular(singular). For example, news(used as sing) news, news.

4. Verbs are given a stem from which other verb forms are formed - in particular, the past tense.

5. A word can have two or more meanings, so do not rush to take the translation that comes "first on the list." Let's say a noun letter translates as letter or letter. Let's read two sentences: the first deals with letters, the second deals with letters.

There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. - There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.

We write and get letters . We write and receive letters.

6. It is useful to look at all the explanations for the paragraph in which the right word. Let's quickly run through it with our eyes, and something will "be deposited" in memory.
Let's look at that paragraph (a nest, as compilers of dictionaries call it), in which the word "nests" look. The first value is watch. Second - to look like. And additional information: look in conjunction with after has the meaning take care(about someone) keep an eye on(for someone). Combination look for translated search.
After some time, you come across a text with these combinations and, quite possibly, you will translate it from memory without looking into the dictionary.

I look at my sister. - I'm looking at my sister.
She looks fine. - She looks great.
I look after my sister. - I take care of my sister.
She looks for her doll. She is looking for her doll.

7. The dictionary gives the transcription in square brackets, that is, the pronunciation. Only with the help of dictionary transcription do we learn that, for example, London(London) pronounced ["lʌndǝn], a Leicester(Lester) reads ["lestǝ] and nothing else.
If the word has one syllable, the stress mark in the transcription is not put, it is not necessary.

If two or more syllables are pronounced, the stress must be indicated, and the sign comes before the stressed syllable.

alphabet["ælfəbət] n alphabet
England["ɪŋglənd] n England
English["ɪŋglɪʃ] and English
tomorrow n tomorrow

In Russian, vowel length does not matter. In English, pronounce a long sound twice as long as a short one. Otherwise fist will turn you into feast, a pot- in port. Vowel length is marked with [ː] or just a colon.

Transcription is especially necessary when there are letter combinations that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. For example, in these pairs of words:

The Sounds of English
Sounds of English

Click on the red button on the right to watch the video.
Also don't forget to point to hints, highlighted with a dotted line.
A different spelling of one sound is given through a fraction, i.e. for example, in dictionaries you can meet and[i], and [ɪ] :)

Vowels - Vowels

Diphthongs - Diphthongs

(combinations of two vowels)

Consonants - Consonants

Notes

1. Double consonants in English words are pronounced as one sound.

2. Unlike Russian, English voiced consonants at the end of a word do not become deaf. For example, in the word rub should sound clear [b]. In the word good also clearly pronounce the sound [d], and in the word dog sound [g].

conversation

I want to speak as soon as possible. And to start a conversation in English is best suited hello. This greeting corresponds to Russian hello, hello, Hey.

Hello boys and girls. - Hello, boys and girls.
Hello, everybody. - Hello everyone.

Use hello in conversation with close relatives, friends, classmates.

Hello Mum. - Hello mother.
Hello Dad. - Hello, dad.
Hello Nick! Hello Tim! - Hello, Nick! Hi Tim!

speak hello calling to someone on the street, drawing attention to yourself, or answering a phone call.

Hello! - Hey!
Hello. - Hello.

Discussion - Discussion

English dad and mum match our dad and mother. When it comes to your own parents, these words become like names and are capitalized: mum, Dad. There is a more affectionate term: Mummy["mʌmi] (mommy), Daddy["dædi] (daddy).
In more formal cases, use father["fɑ:ðǝ] (father) and mother["mʌðǝ] (mother).

Exercises - Exercises

Exercise 1. Arrange the words in alphabetical order.

Dog, girl, go, acorn, tree, and, spell, sit, dad, conversation, well, he, what, take, egg, make, sorry, little, big, wife, question, word.

Exercise 2. Spell these words. - Spell these words.

Father, money, which, quarter, seem, jam, gust, peck, next, zebra, capital.

Exercise 3. In the famous book "Alice Through the Looking-Glass", the chess White Queen boasts to Alice that she knows the alphabet (ABC) and can read words from one letter.

The White Queen says , "I know the ABC . I can read words of one letter."

Single-letter words are a very rare thing, such as the article a. Words of two and three letters - much more, for example, go(go), do(do), in(in), and(and), but(but).

In the following text, without really going into its meaning, select all the words from two, then from three letters.

London is a big city. It is very old. It lies on the River Thames. The history of London goes back to Roman times. London has a lot of sights. There are many parks in it. a

phrases

Saying goodbye, the British say:

Good bye. - Goodbye.
Bye! - Bye!
See you later. - See you later.
See you tomorrow. - Till tomorrow.

P.S. A little explanation for newbies:

• The lesson contains a description of the dictionary and an exercise for working with the dictionary. There is no dictionary on the site, only a lesson dictionary in the following lessons. You must have your own dictionary, whether paper or electronic, but you must have it. Of the electronic ones, Lingvo X5 / X6 is recommended, the Lingvo Live website. Google translator is not a dictionary, it can guess the correct translation, or it may not guess, the inexperienced cannot use it.
• In this ‘English alphabet lesson’, you only need to be able to read and reproduce sounds correctly. Start memorizing words from the following lessons.
• Lessons are free! Additional the same lessons, incl. interactive, also free, but their number (free) is limited.
• Please update/change your browser if you have problems with the audio player. They appear only on something outdated.
• To go to the next lesson, click "Next >" below on the right, or select a lesson from the menu on the top right. On mobile devices, the right menu falls to the very bottom under the comments.

The first thing a person who starts learning English faces is the difficulty in reading most words. On this score, there are many jokes even among the native speakers of this language, to say nothing of those for whom it is not native. One Dutch linguist even wrote a poem containing the most difficult and controversial cases of English phonetics - it is difficult to read it without errors even for someone who knows the language well.

But jokes are jokes, but you need to learn how to pronounce words correctly. The rules for reading in English help with this. For beginners, they will be a little difficult, but this is only out of habit. Having understood them and well fixed the theory with examples, you will see how much they will make your life easier.

What are these rules for?

Without knowing them, it will be difficult to learn to read. Of course, you can memorize the transcription of those words that you come across. But in this case, your ability to read will be very limited. And if there is a word with a familiar root, but a suffix or prefix that is incomprehensible for reading? Or In such cases, mistakes are inevitable if you do not know the rules for reading in English. For beginners, they are especially important, because they allow you to feel and understand the logic of building a language at all levels, starting with phonetics.

Reading consonants

• always firmly pronounced;
• voiced sounds are not deafened at the ends of words;
• after the sounds there is aspiration, because the lips open faster than in pronunciation in Russian;
• the sound [w] is pronounced with two lips;
• when pronouncing the sound [v], on the contrary, only the lower lip is involved;
• many sounds are pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveoli, and not the teeth (as in Russian pronunciation).

Reading vowels: 4 types of syllable

We continue to analyze the rules of reading in English. For beginners with examples, it is better to submit material. Then it will be clearer how to pronounce this or that sound.

There are only six in the English alphabet, but the difficulty in reading them is due to the presence of four different types of syllables:

• open;
• closed;
• vowel + r;
• vowel + r + vowel.

Let's consider them all in order, not forgetting about the examples.

In an open syllable, the vowel is read as it is called in the alphabet: O is read as “ou (eu)”, U is read as a long “yu”, etc. The only exception is the letter Y, which is pronounced as “ai”. How can you tell if a syllable is open? It must end in a vowel, which can be:

• at the end of a monosyllabic word (me, go);
• at the beginning or middle (game, time, music);
• next to another vowel (suit).

In a closed syllable that ends in a consonant (sometimes doubled), the vowels are truncated:

• Aa [æ] turns into a cross between Russian sounds [a] and [e], for example: cat, apple.
• Uu [ʌ] is similar to the Russian sound [a], for example: rubber, jump.
• Ii is read as a short Russian sound [and], for example: sit, finger.
• Ee [e] is read with the sound [e], for example: pen, egg.
• Oo [ɔ] is read with a short sound [o], for example: shop, fox.
• Yy [i] under stress must be read as a short sound [and], for example: mystery, myth.

This is the minimum that the rules for reading in English for beginners include. With exercises for all 4 types, it is better not to rush, but first, it is good to learn the differences between closed and open syllables. Then you can move on to more complex cases.

The type of syllable "vowel + r" reads as follows:

• -ar pronounce with a long sound [aaa];
• -or reads like a long [ooh];
• -ur, -ir, -er are similar to the sound [o], but only pronounced by the throat.

The type of syllable "vowel + r + vowel" turns the sound into a special two-part phenomenon of English phonetics - a diphthong:

• Aa reads [ɛə], example: dare.
• Ee is read, example: mere.
• Ii is read, example: fire.
• Uu is read, example: cure.
• Yy is read, example: tire.

The exception is the letter Oo, which in the fourth type of syllable is not read as a diphthong, but simply as a long [ɔ:]. For example: more.

Reading letter combinations

Reading rules in English (for beginners and continuing students) cannot do without an explanation of the various combinations of consonants and vowels. Let's start with the first.

The combination of wr at the beginning of a word: the sound [w] is not pronounced. Examples: write, wrist, wrong.

The combination of wh at the beginning of a word: the sound [h] is not pronounced. Examples: why, what, white. But there is an exception here: if -wh is followed by the letter -o, then the sound [w] “falls out” when reading. This is how the words sound: who, whole, whose and others.

In letter combinations kn and gn at the beginning of a word: only the sound [n] is read. Examples: knot, gnat.

The combination ng at the end of the word sounds like the sound [ŋ] pronounced through the nose (going), and in the middle of the word - just [ŋg], for example: hungry, singer.

The combination ch reads like a Russian sound [h ’], soft. For example: cheese, coach.

The combination of sh gives the sound [ʃ], similar to Russian [sh] in a soft pronunciation. For example: she, push.

The combination of letters qu is read, for example: queen, quite.

The unstressed combination -our reads [ə]: colour, favourite.

The combination of letters -sion after a consonant is pronounced [ʃn], for example: mission. And then there is a voicing to [ʒn], example: decision.

Before the letters e, i, y: the consonant C is pronounced with the sound [s], G is pronounced. In other cases, it reads like this: C - [k], G - [g]. Compare: cell - cat, gym - game.

Vowel combinations: -ee, as well as -ea give a long sound, the combination -ai is read, the combination -oo conveys a long sound. For example: bee, seal, moon.

True, there are sometimes exceptions. For example, blood: in this word, the double O is read as the sound [ʌ]. But there are few such cases. They are easy to remember and do not over complicate the rules of reading in English.

For beginners

For children and adults, the explanation of the rules will be different. Young "English" will learn knowledge well if they are presented with elements of a game and a fairy tale. For example, one can explain types 1 and 2 of reading as “open” and “closed” doors, where in the first case the letters feel free and shout their name (from the alphabet) loudly, and in the second they are almost inaudible. In a similar way, you can compose a kind of grammatical fairy tale and tell it to your child. An interactive element can be a task: to “disenchant” the words by reading them correctly. It is much easier and more interesting to memorize the rules of reading in English.

For elementary school

The little table below includes the rules for reading vowels in two types of syllables. For the convenience of a child who is not familiar with transcription, next to the sound is placed approximately his reading, written in Russian letters. In any case, the table must be read aloud together with an adult who knows the language: you need to pay attention to how the same letter behaves in various types syllable, and understand the proposed examples of words.

Students are often asked to learn transcription icons at home. You can make a set of cards and work out like this: you read a short word where there is a certain sound, and the child shows a card with its designation. In group work, everyone should have their own set.

Read without hesitation

How can I quickly and better remember the rules of reading in English? For beginners, the exercises will be the most the best option. It is great if you can combine 2 types of activities: listening to samples and reading on your own. However, this approach can soon get boring, so it would be nice to include elements of the game and competition. For example, take two different lists of words for different rules - one for you, the other for a friend - and check who will read faster and with fewer errors. The game option may be as follows: using mixed cards with single words and with transcription icons, find and lay out matches.

Who needs reading rules in English? For beginners to study it (it goes without saying), for those who continue - to test themselves, and for those who have forgotten - to remember knowledge that has not been used for a long time.

We encounter discrepancies in the spelling and pronunciation of English words already in the first lessons, when we independently begin to read small texts and translate them. Therefore, along with the alphabet and the simplest vocabulary, novice students need to get acquainted with such a concept as English transcription. It is this multi-character system that helps to convey the pronunciation of the sounds that make up the word in writing. In today's lesson, we will analyze the work of these symbols in practice, i.e. we will learn how the English transcription, translation and pronunciation of the most useful words should sound correctly. At the same time, examples of the correct sound will be presented both in English and in Russian. But first, let's look at a few useful rules.

How transcription works

Record. Make it a rule that the transcription of English words is always written using square brackets: book — [ b ʊk ] - book.

stress. An apostrophe is used to indicate stress, or, more simply, a stroke icon. ′ , which the preceded stressed syllable: dictionary – [ˈdɪkʃənrɪ] - dictionary.

Special signs. The transcription may contain dots, colons, parentheses, and resized letters.

• Period - English uses this transcription mark as a syllable separator: undisputed – [ˈʌndɪsˈpjuːtɪd] - undeniable.
• Colon - an indicator of a long drawn out sound: water – [‘ w ɔ:t ə] – water.
• Parentheses are an indicator that the sound enclosed in them is not pronounced or is pronounced very weakly: happen – [‘ h æp (ə)n ] - happen, happen.
• The changed size of the letter is a designation of a sound that is not always pronounced. You can often find the sound r written in superscript format. This is an indication that the pronunciation of the word depends on the dialect or other circumstances, such as the subsequent word: car – [ k ɑːr ] - car. By the way, the British pronunciation of words is indicated by the abbreviation UK, and the American - US.

Repeat characters. Depending on the dialect being studied, the recording of transcription marks may also differ. However, only their spelling is excellent, these sounds are pronounced the same way. Here are pairs of such identical characters: [ɒ] = [ɔ] , [e] = [ɛ] , [ʊ] = [u] , [əʊ] = [ɔu] , [з:] = [ə:] , = [ɛə] .

Armed with these rules, let's begin our acquaintance with the transcription and pronunciation of the English language.

English transcription translation and pronunciation of popular words

For a Russian person, it is not new that words are not pronounced the way they are written. But the sometimes very large-scale discrepancy that occurs in the English language will amaze even the most unimpressive native speakers of the Russian language.

In the following tables, we will study all the transcription signs of the English language, working out their correct sound with the help of popular words. Since we still have an initial level of knowledge, we will work with pronunciation in an easy mode, i.e. additionally deciphering English words in Russian letters. In addition, each word will be represented With translation ohm into Russian. So by the end of the study of the tables, we will significantly expand our vocabulary and, working with entry-level texts, we will already be able to do without dictionaries and online translators.

Let's start with practicing vowels, as they are the most "capricious" in pronunciation. Stretch a short sound a little - and that's it, you have already said not a ship (ship), but a sheep (sheep). Therefore, be careful and monitor the quality of the pronunciation of each sound.

English transcription of consonants is much easier for Russian speakers to perceive, so the translation and pronunciation of words here will be intensively worked out only for special cases.