Lesson 9: The [ /ɒ / ]sound as in "box"

Short vowel [ /ɒ / ]

Speech organs Position

The lips are coming forward a little, but not tight; the jaw is reasonably relaxed and quite open,
and the back of the tongue is slightly rising in the mouth. The sound pronounced in the back of the mouth.


Words

Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

Highlighted bold letters pronounced as [ /ɒ / ]


o - fond, lock, stop, gone, odd, lost, sorry,wrong, often, clock, knock, obvious, promise, doctor

a - want, was, wander, wallet, wallow, wash, watch, warrior, waffle, squat, quantity



sentences

Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.


1. A lot of odd documents in strong boxes are locked in the office.

2. Can I wash my cotton socks in the long pond?

3. The doctor promised to watch Tommy's cough and after four days the cough had stopped.

4. Sorry, I've forgotten my wallet in the shop.

5. The conversation in the office was moderated when the boss, Mr Oxford, came in.

6. Roger and Robin often spend their holidays in Scotland in October.


verses


All I want is a proper cup of coffee,

Made in a proper copper coffee pot.

Tin or iron coffee pots,

They're no use to me

If I can't have a

proper cup of coffee

In a proper copper coffee pot

I'll have a cup of tea.


..............


Learn English , Learn English Online , Learn British Accent

Lesson 8: The [ / ʌ / ]sound as in "duck"

Short vowel / ʌ /

Speech organs Position

The jaw is quite wide open, almost as far open as in [ /ɑː/ ] (Lesson 1),
but not quite. The middle of the tongue rise in the center of the mouth, just a little, relaxed.
Lips are relaxed.


Words

Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

Highlighted bold letters pronounced as [ / ʌ / ]

u - must, luck,dump, just, upper, nun, bus, lunch

o - come, worry, front, love, done, once, cover

ou - rough, tough, country, couple, double, trouble


sentences

Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.

1. For someone with a love of money , the sum of one hundred pounds was enticing.

2. Bud, love! Don't worry; victory is in front of you!

3. I can't understand the fun of traveling by bus on such rough country roads.

4. There are a number of nuns among us.

5. Here I am, in front of a tub with a rub and a scrub!

6. When you come to lunch in London on Sunday , remember to bring some money.



Word Comparisons: [ /ɑː/ ] and [ / ʌ / ] sounds


Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

[ /ɑː/ ] ---------------------- [ / ʌ / ]

father -------------------------- front

dark ---------------------------- duck

bath ---------------------------- bud

pardon ------------------------- punch

startle -------------------------- stuck

rather -------------------------- rough

target --------------------------- tough

verses

Your captain was the other!!!

They left their foster-mother,

The one was Ralph, our brother,

Our captain was the other,

A many years ago.



A many years ago two

tender babes i nursed !

one was of low condition,

The other upper crust,

A regular patrician.

oh, bitters is my cup!

However could i do it ?

I mixed those children up....

Comparison [ /ə / ] - [ / i / ] and [ / i / ] - [ / i: / ]

Letter: 'e' is in the article 'the' is Pronounced as [ / i / ] and [ /ə / ]

Letter: 'e' is Pronounced as [ / i / ] in 'pit' [----------------- ] Letter 'e' is pronounced as a

(Lesson 7) when the next word begins [ -------------------- ] schwa [ /ə / ] in 'banana'

with a Vowel [ -------------- ] (Lesson 6) when the next word

---] begins with a Consonant

the instrument ---- - ---------------------------- the skill

the only-------------------------------------------the pill
the Upper House -------------------------------- the ship
the odd ----------------------------------------- the pitch

the enquiry ---------------------------------- the kitchen

the oak ----------------------------------------- the coffin
the elision ----------------------------------- the gymnast
the illness ------------------------------------------ the kin

Comparison : long [ /i:/] and short [ /i/]

[/i:/] ---------------------- [ /i/]

reason ------------------- risen
been ------------------- bin
ease ------------------- is
sleep ------------------- slip
cheap ---------------- chip
wheat ------------------wit
leap ------------------ -lip
feet ------------------- fit
team ----------------- Tim
beast ------------------ bit
queen ------------------kin
deal ------------------ dill
need -----------------Nick
leek ------------------lyric
people ------------------pitch
greed ----------------grid
leave ----------------- live
sneaky -----------------snip


----------

Words: long [ /i:/ ] highlighted as bold and short [ / i / ] highlighted as in the Red

colour

Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

believe

reveal

defeat

recede

retrieve

receipt

greasy

easy

sneezing

thesis

seeing

serene

relieve

repeat

meeting

yielding

seizing

freezing

sentences

Sentence : short [ / i / ] highlighted as in the Red colour and long [/i:/]

highlighted as bold



Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.


1. The width of the sleeves still needs to fit my neat linen jacket.

2. I am not particularly keen to give the victory to a different team.

3. These silver rings belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

4. Tim is completely out of Nina's league and she isn't keen on being chased him.

5. There is a little something missing in this meal. Have you tried to add some dill?

6. My next of kin, Mr. Bean, is a Dean of Leeds University.



verses

He is an English man

For he himself has said it,

And it's greatly to his credit,

That he is an English man !

Lesson 7: The [ / i / ]sound as in "pit"

Short Vowel [ /i / ]

Speech organs Position

The front of the tongue comes high in the front of the mouth, not quite as high as the long [/i:/] sound (Lesson 4) and just a fraction back.


Words


Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

Highlighted bold letters pronounced as [ / i / ]

i - him , hilarious, hideous, hint, whim, vision, spirit

a - village, cabbage

e - delete, defeat, delusion

y - crypt, synonym, symbol, symptoms, hymn



sentences

Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.

1. Those lettuces taste like cabbages.

2. Bill lifted the lid of the bin tentatively and found not a single thing.

3. Tell Jill I think this is a silly little game.

4. I can't stay a minute longer in this miserable little pit!

5. Tim Grim is a solid, respectable man and is a pillar of society.

6. This simple thing, a wedding ring, is a symbol, the oldest in history.

7. Climbing over a rocky mountain, skip the rivulet the fountain.

Verses

Here's a first-rate opportunity

To get married with impunity,

To indulge in the felicity

Of unbounded domesticity.

You shall quickly be personified,

Conjugally matrimonified,

By a doctor of divinity,

Who resides in this vicinity

Lesson 6: The [ /ə / ] (Neutral Vowel)sound as in "banana"

Short Vowel [ /ə / ]

Speech organs Position

Jaw is half open, relaxed tongue and lips.Middle of the tongue is halfway up.Tongue position is a bit lower than when pronouncing [ /ɜː/] (Lesson 5)
Tongue is not going forward. The sound is very short.


Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

Highlighted bold letters pronounced as [ /ə / ]


The first syllable unstressed - away, agree, abuse, aboard, against, advice, attain,
advance, canal, correct, police, support


The second syllable unstressed - doctor, under, figure, colour, absent, constant,
standard, oral, forward, upward, awkward



Unstressed Positions

and----------------------------- a ---------------------an

Fish and chips ---------------Get a spoon------------ - Have an apple

Salt and pepper------------ --Cut a piece -------------A question and an answer

pork and beans --------------Here's a plate ------------An aunt an uncle

Ladies and gentlemen------- Lend a hand -------------Listen to an announcement

Comparison

[ /ə / ] ------------- [ /ɜː/]

slogan ------------- girl

forward ---------- word

awkward ----------third

standard ---------- earn

upward ------------word

backward ---------work



Sentences


Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.


1. what are you doing in London? we are looking for a hairdresser.

2. Is it made of glass? No, it's made of plastic.

3.What can i do ? What has she done? What have you done?

4. she had done it before she came here.

5. Amanda, phone call for you .

6. The conductor of the orchestra was amazed to see the viola player drink a scotch and soda

7. Tell my sister Amanda to buy some better bananas as well as potatoes and tomatoes.