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SUSSEX COUNTY LIBRARy SYSTEM

[ Drills for an American Accent
by Jane Wellborn
SUSSEX·WANTAGEBRANCH
69 Route 639, Wantage, NJ 07461 elcome to Accent Reduction Made Easy, a
(973) 875·3940
W course to help you pronounce Standard American
English as radio and TV announcers do. If you practice
often and loudly, these drills can change the muscle habits of your

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mouth so that in conversation you can think about your ideas
instead of where to put your tongue, Also the COUFSehelps you see
how spelling is related to pronunciation;
This booklet, and the tapes which follow it exactly, contain
words and sentences with all of the sounds spoken in Standard
American English. Those sounds, called phonemes, are arranged in
the order in which most people have difficulty with them. The hard-
, est ones come first because you will probably drill on these sounds
Tape recordings were made by Doppler Studios, Atlanta, Ga.;~ first and most often.
Book and tapes © ® 1991 Jane Wellborn. ",
'.F HOW TO USE
All Rights Reserved
LEARN IN YOUR CAR-ACCENT REDUCTION MADE EASY

Produced & distributed by

co Before learning in your car, please read the book and listen to the
X , tapes at home. In doing this you can see how the sounds are spelled.
Penton Overseas, Inc. ENGLISH A There wi II be some words whose meaning you don't know. Don't
2470 Impala Drive ARM ;:.' let that stop you. Since young children learn to read and pronounce
Carlsbad, CA 92008-7226 }/ without knowing what they are reading, surely you can too. Use a
317-9 ,,~1¥J,.good American-English dictionary to learn the meanings-increase
8001748·5804·760/431-0060 SW ,~~fyour vocabulary, your ability to think-and pronunciation of words
PRINTED IN MEXICO
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not on the tape. (British English has some different spellings, The drills in this program are arranged in the order in which most
meanings, and pronunciation.) people need help: the th's coming first, then r. I, and so on.
Enlist the help, of an educated American. If you aren't sure Determine the 4-6 sounds with which you have most difficulty, and
. whether you're pronouncing or using a word' correctly, ask this a
concentrate on those. An Ynderline in sentence is. for rhxthm.
goodhearted American. Ifthe friend says no, go back to the instruc-
tions for pronouncing that word or sound, read carefully, and drill THE FOLLOWING IS SPOKEN ON THE FIRST TAPE.
again and again. Before Ibegin the drills, Iwant to preview the sounds in the IPA that
we will be using. This is like a Table of Contents. You can use this
A Few Ideas to Help You Use this-Program as a warm-up and as a way of identifying what sounds you need to
1.You ~ speak in different styles in different social situations. work on.
There is not a single "right" way to speak at all times, The princi- A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in speech. Groups of
ple of "context-restricted rules" implies that we have different rules phonemes make up the words we speak. Now I'll read each
for different social situations. Just as we wear different clothing, phoneme and examples of each sound spoken in words.
grammar and pronunciation may vary in giving a formal speech, in
talking to children, or while at work. This course teaches the culti- ~Phon. Phonetic Examples of spelling
vated speech of educated Americans in conversation. But in order ~No.: Symbol: of the sound in words:
to communicate with some other people and make them feel com- TAPE ONE "
fortable, you may sometimes want to speak in a different way. - SideA-
2. Practice as loudly and as often as you can ..The part of our ner- I e in thrift, something, birth
vous system that controls language tells us that we learn whatever 2 <5 in the, this, brother, breathe
words, accents, even beliefs that we hear often and loudly. This is 3 r in respect, very, car
our "neurolinguistic system." Therefore, practice your drills as 4 I in love, collar, people
loudly as you can to infuse them unconsciously into your neurolin- 5 0 in singer, ringing, Nguyen
guistic system. 6 s in sun; citrus, ask, risks, exercise
3. Talk the talk at home. Urge members of your family to speak At Ph. 6 see when to pronounce added final "s" as / s / or / z J.
this cultivated English and use the dictionary all of the time. This
will help give all of you more options in life. -SideB-
4. Your individual ch~racteristics determine how quickly you 7 z in zone, isn't, exist, cars
can change your accent. There are five different variables. One is 8 J in shoe, dish, nation
the extent of your accent; another is your talent in imitating others. 9 3· in genre, garage, leisure
A third is age. Because our neurolinguistic system is not complete 10 tJ in choice, teach, nature II "-
until around age 12, youngsters with this flexibility absorb any lan- 11 d3 injoy, Georgia, logic, judge
guage better than most adults. A fourth variable is the amount of 12 v in·very, save, of, Stephen
time you have-to spend in drill. Two hours a day is good, And a fifth 13 w in water, quiet, persuade
is the- strength of your wish to change your accent.'
5. The IPA. This program uses the International Phonetic Alphabet
because=unlike spelling in American English-it affords preci-
sion and consistency in representing sounds. Don't let the IPA scare
14
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~ 16
i
)

3r
in sleep, each, lobby
in is, mill, women, activity
in refer, work, early I
you. Some symbols are like our roman letters, others are different.
"",H._ ••• ;;•.•
 j

TAPE TWO
r:
-SideA-
17 j inyou, union, vineyard
E
18 a: in cat, hat, ask, laugh, bear e
19 t in talk, item, can't, rushed
At Ph. 19 see when to pronounce afina/ "ed" as / t I. -----<0
en
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20 d in dog, butter, sealed, awarded
AI Ph. 20 see when 10 pronounce final "ed" as / d / or / rd /-".
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21 p in post, appetite, cap z; '-
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22 b in boast, eyebrow, cab o <IJ

23 u in good, woman, could, pull f: .;3

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24 d in away, concern, surround, ocean, ;:J o
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physician o ~
25 A in uncle, become ~
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26 h in how, who
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27 hw in what, why, somewhere U
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28 f in foot, Phillip, laugh W
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29 k in king, book, chaos, excel, queen
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AI Ph. 29 see when to pronounce "ex" as / rks / or / Igz /. U
30 in girl, exit, intrigue ,-,
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31 e in Asia, eight, straight, steak ~ ~~. ", ~~
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32 c in red, bell, bread, says, said so "'::::l ct .~ - •••. ><
33 u in school, cruise, true, truth, new
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34 o in open, coat, chateau ~ ·13:· E ., ••..c
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35 o in auto, saw, talk '" '"
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a in olive, art, guard, honest, hurrah < 0 '" t'l
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37 au in our, now, house, cow C/) 0..0
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38 al in nice, aisle, guide, buy ::z:: .s ~ 2, :lE 'x o"'~ 11);:::::---
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40 n r in new, know, rain, gnat .2 ~ '~I c I';: 0:::
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41 m in mother, immune, thumb
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Main dictionaries consulted were Merriam-Webster's Collegiate ;> 0

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Dictionary, Tenth Edition; John S. Kenyon and Thomas A. Knott, ~~o~
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A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English, pub. Merriam- '"
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Q.,ooE··
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Webster; and Longman Dictionary of American English. -0 .. (II c; 1 ... _ .<: t::
c.. oS ••• ~ c: - ::::l
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Diagrams were based on information in anatomy texts in the
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Emory University Medical Library. f-"'~ c;
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 D(g2,:t: I : en
ACCENT REDUCTION MADE EASY: DRILLS FOR AN ~MERICAN ACCENT 2

PHONEME NO. 1: as in thrift, birthday, and teeth

Some people in most groups have difficulty with this sound.

Speakers substitute / t /, / S /, or / f / for the / 8 l,

TO PRONOUNCE / e /,
place the tip of your tongue between
your top and bottom front teeth, barely touching your teeth. (You
should be able to see the tip of your tongue with a mirror.) Blow
air through your teeth, unvoiced: / e /.
.. lP~(\ 'E'~o
INITIAL: thoughtful therapy thoroughfare thunder thermostat thermometer thing tfiief theft
theory thorift thread "thank you" through theater theme / Osr 'me-rna-tar /
~,,~ 'tW"

NOT ON THE TAPE:

thesis Thursday thorn thwart thyroid throughout three thousand thankful thankless
thirst thatch Thanksgiving therapeutic thistle thirty-fifth

MEDIAL: something atheist ethnic ethical anything arithmetic faithful bathtub nothing truthful':>\'(\~'O
southward earthquake author healthy method breakthrough bathroom lithograph birthday
diphthong

-------------- ._--

NOT ON THE TAPE: I .

mathe~atics he~lthful athlete athletics arthritis anathema pathway birthright lethar .

catholic catharsis pathology earthenware wrathful pathos sociopaths psychopaths I gy
\~~~ .
~~~:.
I gr~~o;th~n~rth fifth sixth death sheath oath breath wreath math myth bath birth healt~ wratiftC\E'\O
eat \~art~lf-truth
(.\'t."'*'!'<.~
labyrinth uncouth faith psychopath
'i3THc::t---...
. .\1, _~~~;.
tA.:l\~\'\-
NOT ON THE TAPE: ~o.r
with stealth Goliath monteith monolith bismuth Earth sooth truth Ruth Seth firth mirth
seventh teeth path to~th month fourth froth sociopath moth loath booth broth both

SENTENCES: Was Ethyl's thesis on an atheist with arthritis?

Thatcher thought that thrift / was an thi I h
/ /l~ tf
~- ar
e
oCt) ua:(t)
"fu:Ift / WdZ on
e rea growt
'~-9(-bl oroe
path.
~ ~./

·.. '.~
NOT ON THE TAPE:
Fa~her was thoughtful about feathers on the thoroughfare.
Will Arthur thank Keith for the fourth lithograph?
The theft in the cathedral showed the method of the atheist.

Ph.!

\ <,
 ,;

PHONEME NO.2: f/:2.'I, as in this, brother, and breathe

4

As with phoneme number I, most groups seem to have

some difficulty with this sound. Some speakers substitute
e
I d I, I t I, I z I, I v I, or I I (llllvoiced th) for this voiced tho

TO MAKE THE SOUND / 6 /, place the tip of your tongue

between the top and bottom front teeth, barely touching your
teeth. (You should be able to see the tip of your tongue with
a mirror.) Blow air through yourteeth, and voice the sound:
/ 3 / as in this, brother, and breathe.

.,
INITIAL: this the those than they their thy thus then themselves thereabouts these thereby
though them that thine thee therefore thereafter / ocm '~I

(
MEDIAL: further farther feather another gather mother father brother weather rather leather either
heathen teething bother scathing together bather clothed clothing northern southern rhythm breather

NOT ON THE TAPE:

truths oaths wreaths booths loathes paths moths

F[NAL: with writhe tithe smooth seethe breathe wreathe clothe scythe swathe bathe lathe loathe

~~~TENCES: Does this leather clothing belong with my brother?

10' e are ~e harvest, the family, / the apples the autumn
M~~ler ~r ;l ',har-vlst, O;l 'fa::-md-li, I 6i' ~-plz: oi',;;!-t;}ffi.·/
g ve clothing to the aunts and the cousins after they had bathed.

NOT ON THE TAPE:

T?e smooth, the seething, the breathing-they were all there
D~d they then gather the other brothers together? .
Old Brother use that scythe to cut a swathe in the heather?

9K\)~S~~?\\a\\-:.~l=,,{\CC\\'Ne/~a\ced
\\\C\\A ... 1\
/6/
Ph.2

Den~l . 5
 6
PHONEME NO.3: I r I, as in respect, America, and chair
Some Arabic, Greek, Hispanic, Italian, Slavic, Turkish, and others
"roll" the "r" and pronounce it as / elr I. Many Asians exchange it
with I I I, Phoneme 4. Some French and German speakers tense the
tongue in the back of the mouth, making sounds not used in English.
TO MAKE THE I r I SOUND, relax your lips, and keep an open air
passage through them. Curve the front of your tongue up toward the
top of your mouth, but don't let it touch your mouth. The back of
your tongue should be relaxed. Voice the sound, and let air come
through your mouth: / r /.
DISTINGUISHING PAIRS: rake-lake, reave-leave, rung-lung, rove-love, right-light, weary-Willie
bereave-believe, mayor-mail, tire-tile. wrong-long, rift-lift, rung-lung, carry-Callie, red-led
NOr ON THE TAPE: truth-sleuth, more-mole, care-Cal, rife-life, nlst-lust, rink-link
INITIAL: rational react rhyme raise railroad rain random rare robe respect repudiate radio run recall
representative repose reputation request rose roster recent regain round ride

NOT ON THE TAPE:

release ready rather rush rock republic range radius rob renew round rough rotate religious
requirement reactionary reflection rely rate ratio write wright right rollback
.,

MEDIAL: current bureaucrats California York diarrhea ministry pronounce pronunciation every
carpet through thorough deride securities arbitrage average already brokers airport Jbruptly
I
l;l 'brApt-li I
NOT ON THE TAPE:
general three throng crash street berate control introduce arbitrary program trillion crew
Arabic trip verify shrimp shred shrewd prayer plural poetry cramp crab fragile chorus

FINAL: Although most Americans pronounce a final "r" with a slightly softened vowel sound, like
/ ar l, for this exercise I'll pronounce these words with a hard / r I: car care more store sure pure cure
endure procure insure bore mare fire tire ire aware stare pair pare

SENTENCES: Rose wrote average poetry / with reflections on right and wrong.
Will the rain ruin the carrot crop and run up the price?
Robert Ramsey, the corporation president, / arbitrated the collateral.
I'ro-b;lr(t) 'reern-zi, O;l 'kor-pa-re-jcn 'prc-zo-dant , I 'or-br-tre-tud) O;l ka 'lee-ta-ral. I

Of
NOT ON THE TAPE:
"Riboflavin prevents skin dryness," the radio reported.
Do you recall that the religious program was average?
The Trade Ministry prevented a rational reaction.

Ph.3
7
 PHONEME NO.4: I I I, as in love, alveolar, and lateral 8

Some Asians exchange this with I r I otI n I (see Phonemes

3 and 40). and some Africans, Portuguese, Indo-Chinese, and
U.S. Southerners omit it altogether in a medial or final position.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I I I, place the tip of your tongue

lightly on your alveolar ridge. Make your tongue narrow (but
not stiff) so that air will go over the sides of your tongue and
out your mouth. Voice the sound: I I I.
IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: let-net,
lick-nick. letting-netting, lumber-number, low-know, calorie-cannery, darling-darning, ill-in, kill-kin,
lure-newer
NOT ON THE TAPE: lateral-natural, million-minion, gull-gun, loll-knoll, load-node, Lou-
knew

INITIAL: lunch local lull London long life Luxembourg learn literal love large literature locomotive
lobby library larynx

NOT ON THE TAPE:

liquor longevity look lunatic luscious luxury labyrinth long Larry level lipreading libation
liaison libel letter lettuce landscape lapel lorry laden lumber lint lipstick litany longitudinal

MEDIAL: influences world alveolar William's millions volume flood globe readily suddenly believe
pulling killing fields children Atlanta St. Louis glue capitalism solve pluralistic
/ sen(t) 'ill-(W)IS / / plu-ra 'ha-nk /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
shield inflation floated flow alliance abnormality jailer allay alloy ballpark splinter
collar darling elevator failure hallway self lollypop ambulatory flirtation molar plump
knowledge polar relative glad slow 'sleep flame flood splash film realm scald pulp felt

financial pharmaceutical powerful

NOT ON THE TAPE:
l
FINAL: people girl bottle incredible trail critical industrial miracle full control available little

lateral xenophile homophile school braille medical educational bewail judicial, atrol
pole stole still multinational paternal rascal dental bicycle bundle apple useful' iddle

SENTENCES: Large lobbies influence millions of dollars.

/ lard3 'ill-biz 'rn-flu-ms 'mII-j;mz ~v 'do-lorz. /
Did the children learn lipreading from a fellow pupil?
I love and respect my inner self and the self of others.

NOT ON THE TAPE:

The medical alliance learned of an elevator failure at the mall.
\ Braille is a valuable tool for the blind to learn at school.
.\ \
ph.a 9

*DesC~~\\CX\~II /\ja\ceo/\\nr;;:JQ~oJ\jffi\OY
*L\Q\J\D~
 PHONEME NO, 5: / IJ /, as in Nguyen, hanger, tongue, and laughing 10

Some Slavic, Afghan, and Ethiopian speakers add a hard / 9 / after ing or
substitute a k for the g in ing. Some Ethiopians and u.s. Southerners omit the
gin ing in slow speech. (Of course, it's OK if you're relaxin'.) Some Slavic,
Greek, Italian, and Irido-Chinese speakers add a hard / 9 / after a medial / IJ /
when there should not be a hard / 9 /.

TO MAKE THE SOUND / I) I, place the back of your tongue up against

your soft palate. Voice the sound, sending air through your nasal passage:
/ I) I as in ringing. At the end of an "ing" sound, leave the back of your tongue up for a second or two.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS (for Slavic, Afghan, and Ethiopian speakers), learn to hear the
difference and say the difference: sink-si~g, seizink-seizing, pink-ping, cannink-canning, think-thing,
kink-king, clink-cling, wink-wing, brink-bring, eatink-eating, rink-ring I Oll)k - OIl) I

INITIAL: The sound I IJ I has not occurred in the past at the beginning of words in English, though it
does occur in the Vietnamese name Nguyen. Because we can expect this name to become part of
American English, and we wish to show respect to Vietnamese people, we should learn to pronounce
it correctly: Nguyen I nwcn /. Say "sing-wen" and then "ngwen."

\ :,-:

,~.
MEDIAL: (a) singer I suj-ar I strength length ringer bringer singing handkerchief lungs sings wings
(b) finger I fllJ-gar I stronger English language linger longer hunger stronger single singly
Toform (a) let your tongue slide forward a little on the roof of your mouth and break away softly.
Toform (b) let your tongue break away suddenly, strongly, and loudly from your soft palate.

NOT ON THE TA'PE:

bringing wringing ringing clinging bangs winging hanging stringer Long Island strings clings
I
FINAL: long winning rang ring morning running passing studying harangue brushing washing
writing wishing driving flying

NOT ON THE TAPE:

boating swimming working computing aligning drawing selling painting reading cooking

SENTENCES: The singer Nguyen is working on spring mornings.

Mr. Finger will linger longer because his hunger is stronger.
Is the stringer Ming / playing Long Island ping-pong?
/IZ Od 'ill!n-ar mi.n / Ille.-II) Qn ftl-Ian(d) 'IDn-lUD.? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

She's winging it in Washington and-runningin the mornings.
Strong was washing and sweeping for-Frank's lungs.
ph.5 II
t ~
 ..•

PHONEME NO.6: / s I, as in sun, listen, and race. 12

Some Hispanic and Afghan speakers add an I e I or I ;) I before

an initial I s 1 when that sound is followed by a consonant. Some
u.s. Southerners and Asians omit a final I s I, and some Southerners
invert it with I k I: ask becomes aks. Some Slavic speakers substitute
1 z 1 for this sound.

TO MAKE THE SOUND 1 s I, have your lips relaxed and open, and
your teeth slightly apart. Place the tip of your tongue close to your
front teeth-but not touching them. (Your tongue may touch your side
teeth but not your front teeth.) Blow air through your teeth, unvoiced: 1 s I.'

INITIAL: scarce spell school scout spare swing sweet strain stop skeptic succession standard
pseudoscientific stamp small Spanish strap spokesperson stoic m~. scissors·
1 set scz I
NOT ON THE TAPE:

( psychological seven Saturday store scenery surf scent smorgasbord signal sign stay slash
psychosomatic sneeze split splinter straight squeamish splash slow strike square smoke

MEDIAL: proceed listen Christmas risk list task fast mask past just moist haste isthmus .
excavation exceptional extra restaurant Boston fascinate classification .ask, discern asterisk
1 eesk 1 1 'ees-ta-rrsk I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

facility heresy hostile institution isotope lambast excitement toast exchange execute crisp

FINAL: mass tax sex fix mix husks risks whisks frisks looks race selects let's boats hunts wisps gasps
remarks masks masts socks tasks bursts ~ ~ lasts lists mists fasts boasts .Iisns
1 srks 1 1 eesks 1 1 lrsts or lrss I I lisps I
NOT ON THE TAPE:
grasps wasps rejoice techniques class reports laughs lifts asterisks requests casks hopes tops

GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF ADDED FINAL "s." As you may know,
most nouns in English show the plural by adding an "s" at the end of the word, and for verbs, the third
person singular, present tense, adds an "s," as in he waves. If the sound that precedes the "s" is voiced,
then the"s" is voiced and is pronounced 1 z I: labs, tags, waves. If the sound that precedes the "s" is
unvoiced, then the "s" is usually unvoiced and is pronounced I s I: laps, tacks, waift.

SENTENCES: Stewart asks for a standard psychology staff?

Asa says he made requests I for spying on Sadat's restaurants.
I 'e-so sez hi med rt 'kwests I for ~ on so tdcts 'tes-te-rents. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

The staff selects a Christmas smorgasbord of sweets?

13
 PHONEME NO.7: / Z l, as in zone, exhaust," and cars" 14

Some Afghan, Arabic, Germanic, Greek, Hispanic, Turkish,

Indonesian, and Indo-Chinese speakers do not voice this sound.
Instead of / z / they s:ty / s /. Some Southerners substitute / d /
in "isn't" and "business"; they say / I(d) n / and / 'brd-nrs /.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I z I, have your lips relaxed and open

and your teeth slightly apart. Place the tip of your tongue close to
your front teeth-but not touching them. (Your tongue may touch
your side teeth but not your front teeth.) Blow air through your
teeth, and voice the sound: I z I.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: seal-zeal,
sag-zag, loose-lose, bus-buzz, vice-vies, fleece-flees, cross-craws, brace-braise, grace-graze,
sing-zing,
price-prize / flis - fliz /

INITIAL: xenophile czar zoom zipper zealous Xerox zero zoology zone zeitgeist zinfandel Zaire

NOT ON THE TAPE: ..

zenith zephyr Zeppelin zigzag Zola "Zuider Zee" Zachary Zebulon xylophone Zanzibar
zoo Zealand zodiac "zip code" zebra zinger zinc Zion zealous zirconium zither zany zest
(<i
" ::~j,;,:.".

MEDIAL: isn't doesn't business executive causes exist exotic..illlill!illL resume crydenza criticism
. 1 n-'zjum 're-zo-me / I
NOT ON THE TAPE: .
exorbitant hasn't pleasant example Tuesday Thursday exit cleansing diesel Brazil wasn't
crazy scissors lazy disaster disease raspberry newspaper possess ozone schnauzer pausing

FINAL: as has is was 'whose please says cares Japanese losses signs because auctions cars companies
90s raise surprises world's standards means

NOT ON THE TAPE:

buzz clothes comes drives listens turns pays pause maze haze revitalize Lyle's bonds news
Joneses Harry's Thompson's Brewers oppose miniaturize pose Korea's reasons

SENTENCES: The zipper czar bought cars for the Brazilians.

Xavier was exasperated / by the exorbitant prices.
/ 'zs-vi-er W<JZ Ig '~-Pd-~-tl(d) / bar oi Ig 'zor-bo-tnt 'QUU-SIZ. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Lizards exist here as well as in Brazil.
The zither from Zebulon has caused a pleasant musical craze.
-:', / 'Zl-8dr /
* See Ph. 6 for note on pronunciation of final "s' and Ph. 29 for note on pronunciation of "ex,"
\ Ph.7 15

'1l...imrnC\\c~l21££i31\\ft(s.'QW/ 1\DlQ;Q\~,
 PHONEME NO.8: 1 J I, as in shirt, nation, and dish 16

Some Asian and Greek speakers substitute / s / for this

sound, and some Hispanic speakers have difficulty with
the initial / I I.

TO MAKE THE SOUND / I t, purse your lips noticeably

forward, keeping them open. Have your teeth slightly apart.
Place the firm tip of your tongue very close to your front teeth
but not touching them. Blow air through your teeth, unvoiced: 1 I /.

INITIAL: she sugar shall should shred surely shut show shame shape shrimp shun shop shirt shoe
shoulder shelf ship shadow shy Chicago chef

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Chablis shore shave shovel shrapnel shield shingle shroud shrink shrubs sheep shrewd
shamrock shawl shack shade shift shield shake shallow shin shine shock shower shave

( MEDIAL: national motion conscious mission special reputation official machine fishing pressure
insurance sunshine social initiate judicial

NOT ON THE TAPE:

fascism cliche fuchsia crescendo nauseous ocean ashamed bashful addition subtraction
emulsion multiplication tissue competition racial cooperation aspiration occupation ashes
judicial devotion cushion bushel nation fission sunshine 1 res-p<l 'ts-Jan 1

FINAL: finish hashish fish leash dish rush wash trash ash push crash selfish boyish bookish

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Irish Fin'nish purplish thrush thrash marsh blush Scottish splash mash squash I
...~, stash cash cache plush fresh flesh creche flash bush douche bash rash
,
.,
.~

SENTENCES: The transition specialists / should surely push this shield, said Rush. I
Should she pressure the brash official/to cash in on the social issue?
/ [ud ji 'llIT.-I<lr <'I<! !mtl <l'li-I;)! / tu kreC In on 6<l '§Q-J<ll 'j-ju? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

The fishing ship was awash in the ocean.
Was the chef ashamed to use the precious sugar?
Irish Lash had a shameful showing in machinery.
She sells seashells on the seashore.

Ph.8
 PHONEME NO.9: 13 I, as in genre, measure, and garage, 18

Some Arabic, Asian, Germanic, Greek, Hispanic, Turkish, .

Slavic, and African speakers pronounce this as the unvoiced
I J I, though it should be voiced, Some add a I d I, making
a I d3 I sound.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I 3 I, purse your lips slightly

forward, keeping them open. Have your teeth slightly
apart. Place the tip of your tongue behind and close
to your front teeth but not touching them. Blow air
through your teeth, and voice the sound: 13 I.

SIMILAR PAIRS. Learn to hear the difference and say the difference: major-measure, vigilant-visual,
legjon - lesion .
ledger-leisure, lodge-loge, virgin-version,
I '[j-dyan - 'll-3dn I .

INITIAL: genre, the French pronunci~lion of: Jacques

)
MEDIAL: measure Persian azure derision evasion leisure negligee seizure usual visual casual'
decision division erosion explosion intrusion lesion pleasure anesthesia allusion illusion
~,
·····1··

NOT ON THE TAPE:

disillusion rouging ambrosia Anastasia amnesia regime glazier

;tl., FINAL: garage prestige beige corsage mirage persiflage rouge menage collage massage loge
~~
SENTENCES: The genre of the writer was a measure of his vision.
Look at the prestige that his beige corsage gave to the Persian!
1M e(t) od pres 'tis oret hiz Qn kor 'gu ~ tu od 'JUr-3dn! I
',.,
,"
NOT ON THE TAPE:
The treasure hunt was a pleasurable occasion.
',
Does camouflage really employ visual illusions?
'::.:.
Anastasia envisioned herself in a beige negligee.
He made an allusion to the invasion of Persia.
They filled their leisure hours with casual pleasures.

Ph.9

\,
 PHONEME NO. 10: the consonant combination I tf I, as in 20
Chinese, culture, and watch.

Some Hispanic, Asian,Arabic, and Slavic speakers omit the

I t I in this combination, so that the above words sound like
shin-ese, cul-shur, and wash. Some Asian speakers omit the
combination altogether as a final sound.

TO PRONOUNCE THIS COMBINATION, purse your lips slightly forward, keeping them open. Place the
front of your tongue firmly on the alveolar ridge. Dropping your tongue and jaw, explode air unvoiced: / tf /.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: ship - cbip
sheik-cheek, crush-en/tell, sheep-cheap, shc!e-chew, shin-chin, sheet-cheat, dish-ditch Iflp - tjrp I

NOT ON THE TAPE: wish-witch, cash-catch. mash-match, leash-leech

;
i
INITIAL: Czech check champion charge cheap charming charter children Chinese choose chosen chin
J choice chip chicken chairman challenge

j NOT ON THE TAPE:

change chill cheese cheerful cheek cheeseburger chase chain chance chew cello Charles chum

1
l
Chattanooga chancellor chamber

MEDIA~: righteous question influential nature situation conjecture lecture culture literlture exchange
grandorild kllchen matches teacher I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

clock-watcher ditching drenching detached Portugal century maturation bachelor merchant
ketchup preaching richest wretched touchy Kampuchea

FINAL: beach branch bunch catch church lunch march much which coach match pitch ipeech touch
rich watch latch porch trench teach niche I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

glitch stitch Mitch hutch kitsch larch natch leech parch preach rich wretch arch ditch detach

SENTENCES: Did the influential Chinese children / choose a bachelor speech coach?
At the Merchants Kitchen I there is a 12k ture of a ni tcher.
I <e(t) ad mar-tfonts ki-um / ocr IZ d !llk-tJdr av d !ll-tJdr /

NOT ON THE TAPE: The Kampuchean teacher chose a cheerful beach porch.
( Shall we lunch on cheese in the church kitchen?
'-,

21
 PHONEME NO.ll: the consonant combination I d3 I, 22
as in jacket, soldier, and page

Some Hispanic speakers pronounce the "j" and "g" as

I h I. Some Arabic, Asian, and French speakers, on the
other hand, omit the / d / part of the combination. Some
Germans do not voice this combination and say cherman.

TO PRONOUNCE THE COMBINATION I d3 I, purse

your lips slightly forward, keeping them open. Place the front of your
tongue firmly on the alveolar ridge. Dropping your tongue and jaw, explode air and voice the sound: I d3 I.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: chin-gin,
chess-Jess, chunk:iunk, choke-joze, chug:iug, cheer-jeer, chump-iump, chairman-German, chill-Jill
I t]xrnp-dyxmp / .
INITIAL: jump just joke gymnasium ., January Japan jealousy jogger journey German Georgia
joy justice geometry judge germane / 'd3ren-ju-(w)c-n / / 'Q3x-d3a /

( NOT ON THE TAPE: generous jovial gigantic geometric jocular jewel jeep gem jazz jacket
generate jeans genes genetic general joined jay

MEDIAL: logic soldier ledger budget exaggerate graduation agenda Bejing charged logistics damaged
psychology manager tangible regenerating / be 'Q:lln /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

legend legible majestic major agent gorgeous raging theological ingenious ingenuous
region unjust hedges register longevity imagine magic pigeon adjective / In '~-ju-(w)as /

FINAL: page heritage image large language orange age badge fudge huge ledge lodge oblige ridge
rage bridge edge cringe cage charge judge

.~ NOT ON THE TAPE: I

dodge hodgepodge lodge George binge allege dunnage personage sponge plunge drudge

SENTENCES: Will George allege / the manager tr.ie? to damage the ledgers? I
General Page WIll arrange to JOIn the soldiers.
/ dwn-ral D.e..d.3 wII d 'umd3 tu dsam oa '.s.ill-d3arz. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

John's language is a hodgepodge of Georgian and Japanese.
There was a jury to judge arrangements.
.~ Ph.11
\ -. ";:
23
\~
 PHONEME NO. 12: I v I as in very, Stephen, and of 24

Some Afghan, Arabic, Asian, Germanic, Hispanic,

Italian, and Turkish speakers substitute I b I, I w I,
I f I, or I p I for this sound.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I v I, place your top front teeth

lightly on your bottom lip, blow air, and voice the sound: I v I.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference:
Asian & Hisp: beer-veer, beal-veal, bowl-vole, bane-vane, lib-live, bowel vowel
boat-vote, bale-veil / 'bau-wol - 'YillI-w<l1/
Mid. East, Ind. & Germ.: wine-vine, weal-veal, went - venc,'waste-vase, west-vest. lower-lover,
wane-vane I went - vent I
ALL: feel-veal, fear-veer, thief-thieve, face-vase, fine-vine, grief-grieve, safe-save, fat-vat
I Iial - vial I

INITIAL: voter very valuation vice-president vying values volume virus volatile virtually vegetarian
vault virtuous velocity vision vehicular / 'vo-la-tal /

NOT ON THE TAPE: violence vowels voluminous voyage vindictive vernacular voice view
veracity validate vanilla verbatim vinyl vision visit visible vita Velcro velvet visa vinegar
vintage violin violate vice vine voluntary

MEDIAL: ever Stephen caveat halves shelves wives savings advantage heavily never advance levy
government driving avoid provoking even investors

NOT ON THE TAPE: movement developer nervous calves advisor ovarian overtly evidence
overt uneven alleviate grievance marvelous sever savvy poverty investment dividends level

FINAL: of save wave heave massive move drive have halve eve salve brave crave believe love curve
carve stove alive grave strive thrive beehive
-:;.

NOT ON THE TAPE: drove solve deprive cleave weave wove behave grieve talkative
microwave pave rave leave sieve serve supportive dove valve mauve shove heave starve

-.
SENTENCES: Does the vice president ever drive a weaving vehicle?
Steve was a voter advisor who valued . volume.
I stiv woz o 'Y,Q-t;:)r edvar-zor hu 'YKl-jud 'vol-jum. I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Van is brave and will stay alive by his level values.
Will the volume of this Velcro cause rave reviews?

25
 PHONEME NO. 13: I w I, as in water and quiet 26

Some Asian, German, Scandinavian, and Slavic speakers

substitute I v I for this sound and say, "Ve are going."

TO MAKE THE SOUND I w I, purse your lips forward,

and make an opening-small enough for only a straw. Blow
air through your lips, and voice the sound: 1 w I.

INITIAL: will would work were went word won well with wish·we wit win worry Wednesday wall
"wonders of the world" wind way wield Washington /'wcnz-deJ /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

waterfowl wander wonder "witch hazel" wound walkway wave wealth worldwide watch
waffle want winter weather weary web-footed
.{
MEDIAL: between persuade vowel seaweed backward away rewind reward segue anyway onward
always bewai Isquall square squat squeal squeak squawk /' ~-gwe I

NC?TON THE TAPE: I

twig twice .twelve driftwood power shower Schweitzer swear swan swell swim sweep twin
quell ~ QUIte quick quest twist choir patois acquire
1 kwar-ot 1 / kwart / / pre 'two /

FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

SENTENCES: Wyvel, worried the West / woul? get a wave of stonewalling. "I
Will Wall Str~et s rewards wane / If workers wield power?
IWII w:)I
strits rr 'wordz wen / rf 'mr-brz wield 'lliill-w<lr? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

r wish he would watch his words and quit waffling.
The waterfowl squawks, wants to swim and be wet.
The quest for wealth is a worldwide occupation.
Did the squall wash seaweed and driftwood onto the beach?
Twice the door banged, awakening William .
\",
.
Ph./3
We're leaving to avoid winter weather.
 "

PHONEME NO. 14: I i I, as in easy, people, and agree 28

Some Southerners make a diphthong out of this vowel and say

I slxip I instead of I slip I, or I xit] I instead of I it] I. Some
Hispanic, Asian, and Slavic speakers substitute an I I I sound.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I i I, open your mouth slightly, relax

your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue behind your lower
front teeth. Raise the middle of your tongue up near the
roof of your mouth, and voice the sound: I i I.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, notice that the I i I sound is usually spelled "ee" or "ea." Learn
to hear the difference and say the difference: each-itch, eat-it, sleep-slip, deep-dip, sheep-ship, reach-
rich, seat-sit, heat-hit, sheen-shin, leave-live, keel-kill, bean-bin, heal-hill I [ip - j rp I

INITIAL: each evening ego equal east easy eat either even eager ease eastern eavesdrop ecosystem
egress emit aegis emission equidistant aeon

, NOT ON THE TAPE: emendation emend equilibrium equator Eve eel egoism egotism
1 Egypt elude evil Eden eagle easel England eaves

j,
'1
,I
~ MEDIAL: sleep please receive relieve people between beach sheet grief leave machine read heal
teacher release police bleed deep greens peas

NOT ON ~HE TAPE: these ideal esteem immediately lethal complete beet increase
i
Entrean Vietnamese keep magazine European heat pizza create feature phoebe
.j creed bean measles I 'Iili.-s~I

FINAL: free key plea tea trustee se~ decree degree he she we be knee photography "MC" full
emergency empathy agree empty epilepsy lobby "t-h-e" before a Vowel sound: the hOu/
I

NOT ON THE TAPE: completely harmony hostility oversee Cree lee Emmy sea ~afty
spree embody ski flee three tree agree fee glee elegy I

S~NTENCES: Each of the three will agree to keep the teacher.

Will h~ or Eve lie on the sheet at the beach?
I wrl hi Of ~ m
on 0<) Iit re(t) 0<) hiti? /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
Steve needs to eat peas and beans for his meal.
We could see the Eritrean was reading the magazine.
f

( The Japanese photography will please the trustee.

ph.14 The Eastern team was completely defeated. '
29
 "

PHONEME NO. 15: I I I, as in is, women, and remarkably 30

Some Arabic, Asian, Greek, Hispanic, Italian, French,

Ethiopian, Slavic, and Turkish speakers substitute an / i /
for this sound. Some U.S. Southerners add a / jd / after a
medial / I /, saying / br- jat / instead of / bit /. Some Italian
and french speakers add a / h / sound before an initiat r r '.

TO MAKE THE SOUND / I t, open your mouth slightly,

relax your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue behind your
lower front teeth. Gradually dropping your jaw, voice the
sounds on the diagram: / i, 1/.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference.
bid-bead, dip-deep, pill-peal, dim-deem, did-deed, bit-beet, dill-deal, kin-keen, bin-bean
pick-peak, kill-keel, sill-seal, till-teal, mil/-meal/bIn - bin /
f
\.
INITIAL: is its in ill ink impotence inevitable initial issue investing illicit inclination illogical
initiative immigrate impact imply immune / In-kid 'ne-f::Jn /

NOT ON THE TAPE: illustrate ignore ignorant illiterate innocent Illinois impracti~al
I I-I::J 'ill! /

impossible isthmus indiscreet initial inhale interact intention Israel integration interest

MEDIAL: wish serious women busy myth hear beer counterfeit weird rhythm carriage sieve
building with homage think sink dish fish rendezvous.

NOT ON THE TAPE: jurisdiction prohibition coincidence distributing bring political

I
conservative responded legitimate ethnic therapist prohibit division incision official

FINAL: (The flnal Z I / is found most often in 'y" at the end of words such as "abilityi' and
"casualty." Even these ':»
S" are sometimes pronounced / i / by Americans. Either war you
pronounce the final 'y" is all right-! i! or! I!.We will use! I!for this exercise.)
activity trinity officially taxi remarkably suddenly singly seriously monthly slippery sleepy

NOT ON THE TAPE: thirty icy rainy sunny chemistry happy surely slightly motherly
quarterly body healthy sickly Willy twenty

SENTENCES: At the picnic the Israeli dill pickle was delicious.

The immigrant ignored the irritable official in the taxi.
/oi 'j-rna-qrant Ig 'nord oi 'j-ro-tc-bl ::J 'fJ.-fdl In od 'trek-si. /
\~. NOT ON THE TAPE: Will the investigator imply the activity was illicit?
Ph.IS
31
 PHONEME NO. 16: / ar /, the combined vowel 32
and consonant phonemes that make a strong "er"
sound, as' in early, w~rJd, and refer.

Some Asians, Afghans, and Africans substitute / a /

or / II /. Some Slavic, Greek, and other speakers pro-
nounce "or" as / or / in those strange situations when
it should be pronounced / sr /. Some Middle Eastern
and Hispanic speakers insert a / d / with the / r / part.
of this combination, "rolling" their "r's,"

TO PRONOUNCE THE COMBINATION / ar I, relax your lips and

have them slightly apart. Lift the tip of your tongue just a little, and point
it toward the alveolar ridge. Voice this sound with energy: / ar /.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: burke-bock
burl-bahl, dirt-dot,jilrl-fahl, berg-bog, perk-pock, pert-pot, Ernest-honest, heard-hod, bird-bod
/ hard-hod /
NOT ON THE TAPE: tum-tahn, worst-wahst, turns-tahns, sir-sah

INITIAL: earn Irwin early earned earth earthen erg ergo irk llliS. ermine herb Earl irksome ersatz
/ arz / / arb / / 'sr-scts /

urchin urge urban urn Irma.

NOT ON THE TAPE: earthbound urgent Ursula earthworm earthquake earthly
(adjective and noun.) earnest (name:) Ernest

MEDIAL: turn fern bird journal colonel heard service stirred tenn work worst word world reserve
alternative observe certification surgeon nurse
I
NOT ON THE TAPE: myrtle permanent university fervent return ber 'serk curtain dearth
church girl herd turban burn dirt hurt learn lurch shirk shirt sperm worm third burglary

FINAL: stir blur sir spur' were prefer defer bestir demur incur infer inter refer chauff+r

SENTENCES: The nurse made a survey of burns incurred.

Does the girl want to work on the worst word in the ~Orld?
/ doz 0;) g;lli worut) ta w3rk on 0;) W3rst .!Y.;mi III 0;) En:l.d? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Irksome Irwin of the Reserve said. we should defer the work.
The Journal confirmed Colonel Bird would return the shirts.
The chauffeur may err if he should take the cur to the fur service.
Fern wants to work on the worst word in the world and learn it.

ph.16 This concludes Tape 1. 33

 PHONEME NO. 17: I j I, as inyou, onion, and IIseful 34

Some Hispanic speakers see the letter "y" and pronounce it

I d3! as it is pronounced in some Hispanic languages. In English
the letter "y" is usually pronounced / j / as in you. Some Portu-
guese, Indian, and Japanese speakers omit the initial I j I
sound for "year" and say "ear."

TO MAKE THE SOUND I j I, open your mouth slightly, relax

your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue behind your lower front
teeth. Bring the flat blade of your tongue up near the roof of your
mouth, and voice the sound: / j / as in you.

(
A DISTINGUISHING PAIR NOT ON THE TAPE. Learn to hear, feel, and say the difference: year-ear

INITIAL: you yours yet yard yes yellow yield young yesterday year Yale unify uvula yen use yawn
yuppies York yank united yam youth

NOT ON THE TAPE:

your yoke yawl yacht Yankee useful yearn usually yeast yam unit yell

MEDIAL: coal-yard new opinion loyal canyon vineyard February million onion issue tortilla
/ 'IT-bju-~-n /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

refuse continue beauty contribute overused few bureaucrat feud cute strenuous fuel billion
hallelujah stallion valiant minion grunion collier bullion alien adieu familiar tribune value
union dues amuse accuse abuse

'y
FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

SENTENCE:
The yellow yacht from the Vineyard I was owned by a young millionaire.

-.
/6d 'k-Io 1m from 6d 'Ylll-jdrd / w~z Qlld bar d .Lill 'nul-Jo-ner. /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
Did Yuppies yesterday yearn to see New York?
You young yippers may continue to play in the yard.
Have you got a good yield of yellow yams this year?
Its ear fell off last year.

ph. 17
35
 PHONEME NO. 18: Ire I, as in ask and lallgh 36

Some Slavic speakers substitute I eI (eh) for this sound, and

some Africans substitute I a I for it. Speakers influenced by
British speech may substitute an I a I. Some Southerners
add I j;;) I after I re I before d, I, n, and t: "man" becomes
Imre-j;m/. -

TO MAKE THE SOUND Ire I, open your mouth slightly,

relax your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue behind your
lower teeth. Gradually dropping your tongue and jaw, voice
the sounds on the diagram until you reach I re I-I i;YI, e, C, ~ I.

SOUTHERNERS, avoid inserting I j<l I in these words: am bad dab ham lap mad man mat nab can
( pal rat shall add as at ran that than sad cat

INITIAL: action aunt as ash at airplane absolute ambulance agitate apple atom abstract agate ask asks
avid aerial attitude angry abolition abdicate abdomen absent accent accident alley amnesia lresk-resksl

NOT ON THE TAPE: alloy (noun:) attribute alphabet activity amplify amorous
amphibian analytic ancestors annex Albert animated atrophy appetite acrid application

_.1.

"

MEDIAL: laugh salary mandatory bear bare factory companion clash salmon management facile
anatomy contract meringue began sporadic calf rather than diplomatic janitor calculate catch rank
cache habit master strategy chamois

NOT ON THE TAPE; hallow slant tad has nasty rat mat fat bank chat crabapple latch
back detached backpack hat champagne daring collapse enigmatic diagonal jackrabbit
match pasture passion passageway rascal "Anglo-Saxon" Daniel Calvin Sally branch

FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

SENTENCES: AI calculated he would barely catch his airplane.

Did Mack ask about an Apple salary contract?
I drd mrek resk <l'lliill!. <In ~-pl ~-ri kan-tneCklt? I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Anglo-Saxon is an ancestor of the English language.
Does Alvin's application for the contract accent his background?
The factory management reacted to uniondemands,
Albert's companion always carries his backpack.
Ph.18
37
(0

PHONEME NO. 19: I t I, as in telephone, auto, and cat 38

Most Americans usually pronounce the medial "t" as a soft I d I, especially in relaxed speech. However,
we should be able to pronounce it as I t I when the situation calls for more cultivated speech .. Some
U.S. Southern, Hispanic, Korean, Indo-Chinese, and African speakers do not pronounce thefinal"t"
in a word even slightly, and this can cause misunderstanding. The listener must guess which word is
being used; is it can or can't?

Some French, Slavic, Afghan, and Arabic speakers pronounce the "t" as an exploded I e / with the tongue
between the teeth, and American listeners may be uncertain about which word is being used.

Some Africans speak the medial "t" too vigorously:' To be heard as

more like Americans, they need to soften this sound and sometimes
even pronounce it as a soft "d."

{ TO MAKE THE / t I SOUND, relax your mouth, and keep your lips
slightly open. Place the tip of your tongue on your alveolar ridge just
above your teeth. Suddenly dropping your tongue, explode air from
there, unvoiced: I t I. (By "explode" I mean to stop the air and·suddenly
let it go.) Sometimes the I t / is formed but not exploded, as in mountain.
INITIAL: talk time thyme ptomaine travel temperature total tomorrow truth 'transcontinental tofu
I 'to-men I I '1£!D.-pd-rd-t rur I

NOT ON THE TAPE: truck Thompson trout trigger trap tree transportation tooth tobacco
Thames trail tough texture Texas telephone toilet topography tomato tourist transparent

MEDIAL: item attitude better butter debtor Atlanta months mountain Clinton button et cetera (etc.)
I '~-tdr or 'bc-(d)dr I I 'maorut l-n I I et 'se-t o-re /

NOT ON THE TAPE: tarter mortar Carter barter lottery intermediate rrietric s~utter hotel
start crater constitution creative hotel ventilate itinerary contract batter isolated introduce

FINAL: at it can't cost write just next best. Regarding the next five words, if the baselof a verb ends in
the sound of I f I, I s I, I k I, I p I, or I f I, the past tense. or past participle with "ed" sounds like I t I,
and there's no extra syllable: cashed missed worked hoped puffed. Remember "sh & skpf + C' [See
Phoneme 20 for note on other pronunciation of "ed."] I
NOT ON THE TAPE: yacht gnat knot debt receipt tent rant paint glint berate walked asked

SENTENCES: Betty rushed out and bought some butter .

He moped but introduced a writer I who laughed a lot.
,,
j \",.
.
/ hi mopt bat 'ill-tr.,-illl!s1 .,- '~-tdr I hu liili d lot. I
(

1 NOT ON THE TAPE:

i .Heworked late and missed his transcontinental flight.

·Lw~¥1~./Ii;IV~~.C.*
•.~"¥l1iilliliai'
1 Ph.19 (( 'y\\

39••••• ,
 I.
1

PHONEME NO. 20: / d I, as in dog, radio, and handed 40

Some Hispanic, African, Indo-Chinese, Korean, Indonesian,

and U.S. Southern speakers omit the final / d /.

Some Slavic; Turkish, Arabic, and Afghan speakers

substitute / t / or / 0 / (voiced tlJ).

Some Africans speak the medial and final / d / too forcefully.

To sound more like Americans, they could soften those sounds.

TO PRONOUNCE / d I, relax your mouth and keep your lips slightly open. Place the tip of your tongue
on your alveolar ridge. Suddenly dropping your tongue, explode air from there, and voice the sound: / d /.
(By "explode" I mean stop the air and suddenly let it go.) Sometimes the / d / is formed but not
exploded, as in sudden / sA-(d)n /.

INITIAL: dichotomy dynamic demilitarize decimal deception December daughter diversify delight

NOT ON THE TAPE: double draw drain dramatic dreary drugstore done date deserve
democracy dance dote dedication duty drastic dogmatic drudgery day demagogue decibel

MEDIAL: yesterday reader writer better garden hidden children building good-bye pedagogy

"'-

NOT ON THE TAPE:

-
radio bedroom birthday president sidewalk sudden rendezvous expedient radish modify
intimidate Cambodia comedy murder nondescript indifferent headache accident calendar

FINAL: did card lead would should could bad good hard child cupboard avid bond IJaded crowded
braid eastward mind bound glad herd compound impound invalid add curd field

NOT ON THE TAPE: parricide grand livid period protrude head pyramid rapid raid
bromide dud bread spend hound stockyard grade hand tread pod unload made odd red

THE SOUND OFed IN THE PAST TENSE OF VERBS: If the base of a regular verb lendS in tor d,
for the past t.ense we pronounce ed as an extra syllable, as in demanded, selected, plead ed, resisted.
I

However, for most verbs (those not ending in tor d, and not ending in the sound of / f, s, k, p, or f /
with the past tense shown by ed, we pronounce only the / d / (with no extra syllable), as in called,
rouged, explained, answered, and sewed, (At ho.neme 19, see note on final ed soundirl g like / tI.)
p.

SENTENCES: Dana demanded a board for the children on the playground.

\ <, Edward guarded· a drugstore and gouged for high prices.
/ 'ed-ward 'ggr-dld O'l 'drMJ.-stor' en saudsd for hat 'llliU-SIZ. /
a
Did a child in the. bedroom demand a drink and radio?
 PHONEME NO, 21: / p / as in post, appetite, and cap 42

Some Indian and Arabic speakers voice this phoneme

and make it sound like / b /. Is it post ot boast?

TO MAKE THE SOUND / p /, close your lips, then explode

air out through your lips-unvoiced: / p /.

1
j INITIAL:. post partner placement position please proud predict propaganda
1 ., .
1 NOT ON THE TAPE:
j plague plaque pierced plump provision papa pregnant posturepollution petroleum picture
I
.i predict postpone pistol potato potatoes penicillin pasture pigeon personal perspiration

I
perspective positive pal poise pitch "petit mal" play plenty prayer pledge plaza poetry
plus pocket / '~-ti mol /

MEDIAL: therapy aptitude appetite operate surprise complex example depot appeal
. . / '.di~po I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

grandpapa explosion laptop impression inapt inept apparent operation open-ended
opening opiate principal principle chapter chiropractic population spokesperson compile
computer cheapen relapselampshade poppies popular chapel popcorn splinter

FINAL: map equip citizenship help lamp stereotype sharp wasp mishap VIP relationship stamp

NOT ON THE TAPE:

reap rip rap clap drape ~roP.fop flop flap nap pap quipcarp. sap tap wrap zips'lap slip
chap slop plump Pope pipe step steep type up rope strap strip trap gap group troop

SENTENCE: Papa's poetry, laptop, and pipe / were his prime \ therapies.
/ 'l1Q-pn 'lilll-tri, '~-top, ren .lli!.ill / W3r hIZ llUli!ll '8c-f;1-piz. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Did the captain approve the petrol provision at the depot?
There's plenty of penicillin for the operation on the chiropractor.
How did the people keep the paper shop so prosperous?
:~
They purchased pictures and caps to pin on the pole.
{

~\CbJ 43
 PHONEME NO. 22: / b /, as in belt, eyebrow, and tube 44

Some Hispanic, Indo-Chinese, and Southern speakers omit the

final / b / sound in words, and some Asian and Hispanic speakers
have difficulty distinguishing 1b 1 from 1 v I.

TO PRONOUNCE 1 b I, relax your mouth and close your lips.

Explode air out through your lips, and voice the sound: 1 b I.

INITIAL: better business bureaucrat basis bribery brouhaha block breakers backlash baby bulletin
·l bourbon bracelet broadcast bungalow brag 1 'hru-ho-hc 1

NOT ON THE TAPE:

bay betting burger bargain button bridge backbreaking bookmobile brush bundle builder
barbarous barometer barometric

MEDIAL: cupboard neighbor habit tangible rubbing robber liberty labial dubious table about debate
eyebrow lobby Robert abandon abortion above

NOT ON THE TAPE:

problem public hubbub fly-by-night clubby combat lumber tuber fabulous carburetor

1
1
vibration lowboy raspberry robust jawbone nobility aberration cabin heartbroken
I
-r
I
FINAL: adverb job probe grab crib cub knob rib rob sob tab web snob bribe cab robe disturb tab
! scrub tube "ad lib" lab crab babe globe herb curb

NOT ON THE TAPE:

jibe stob lob cob rehab scab tribe vibe verb blab stab lobe daub bulb jab ebb jib neb strobe
nib nub dub pub fib blurb

SENTENCES: Bob Barnett is in trouble with his job.

Is the bureaucrat at liberty / to ad lib about the broadcast?
IIZ Og '!lli!.-rg-krret re(t) '[j-bor-ti / tu ~ ;:)'billlill 0;:) '.bNr..d)-krest? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Barbara began to study verbs and adverbs.
My brother Robert will abandon the skateboard.
Has Betty lobbied her neighbors about the bribe?
Ichiba san saw the big bird grab the baby rabbit.

,~~b~
Then it ~ above the bush into the barn.
/ba(b)d/

Phfns\:c 'blill&~C~D 45

,
(~

PHONEME NO. 23: I u I, as in good, woman, could, and pull 46

Many newcomers to English have difficulty in deciding whether

to pronounce some sounds as I u I or I u I, for there seems to be
little consistency in spelling and pronouncing patterns. All of the
spellings for I u I are illustrated above, but there are 13 spellings
for the sound I u I, including those above.

The sound / u I is found only in the middle of words, whereas

I u I is found at the beginning, middle, and end of words.

TO MAKE THE SOUND / u / as in good book, relax your lips and keep them open. The blade of your
tongue should be relaxed flat at a medium level. Let the tip of your tongue rest behind your lower front
.teeth. Now voice the sound: / u /.

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference: pull-pool,
look-Luke, should-shooed, hood-who'd,Jr.tll-fool, could-cooed, would-wooed, stood-stewed
I wud - wud I

MEDIAL ONLY: good book woman understood neighborhood look should could hood full
would stood bullet took brook bush cook foot put nook push

NOT ON THE TAPE: wool wood pudding jury cushion juror sugar good-bye

SENTENCE:
You should look at a book sometimes; it's good for you.
/ ju fud 1llk £(d) ::> b!.!k 'sAm-'talmz; Its .ill!Ld'l fgr ill. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Did Brook pull the wool over the eyes of the jurors?
I couldn't weave "Good-bye" on a woolen cushion.
Has he understood that the full hood would be in the pulpit?
A bullet hit Crook in the foot:
Would you bake cookies for the neighborhood?

47
..

1
iE
 PHONEME NO. 24: / ;} l, the schwa, the unemphasized, unaccented 48
uh sound, as in alive, policy, ocean, and quota. It's the vowel sound
of many unemphasized syllables in English and is spelled in many
different ways.

Some Africans pronounce this as / e /, I a I, or / e / and give it too

much energy. This sound is supposed to be uninteresting and weak.
Do not give it style or emphasis.

TO PRONOUNCE THE / ;}/, relax your lips but keep them open.
Drop your jaw and tongue a little lower than you would for / u /.
Let the tip of your tongue rest behind your lower front teeth. Voice
the sound with only a little energy: / d l, .,

INITIAL: about await essential along another anonymous, the indefinite articles "a, an": a book, an
apple, "of"-usually unemphasized: "One Qf / av / three people,"

NOT ON THE TAPE: away annoyance asleep Arabia abroad escape estate arena abut amaze
alleviate aplomb attach approve effeminate effective appreciation appease appliance assume
1 apprentice announcement apologize esteem establish anatomy above analysis analogy appeal

I
r-"''''·•••.•
I
I
·'''·
.•~•.••••
MEDIAL: was telephone communication decision physician democrat republican general nation
economic foreign cafeteria, the word "a" almost always pronounced / d /: a book, a personve school.

'''''"'•••••- •••··''•c.•••·••
'm•• ·=-.''""'' ·· •••••• ·'' '·' "···••he•••
· '"'.;,e••••• ~ .•• tc ••, •••±Ie_ "v"'·"·••,,,,"'·w••_"'· ••...,;,.".,••..•••",.,,. •••.•_ ••••••' ••••' ••. - •••.••. _y.,....,•••.•••••.-~~-
••rti•••• ••••••••••• ----..---

NOT ON THE TAPE: concern argument sophisticated England circus verandah ocean
luncheon collegiate McCoy fashion Phoenician porpoise famous pillowcase guerrilla
bureaucrat gorilla buffalo surround ventilation customer policy silent maritime monetary
connection Italy

FINAL: "T-h-e" before a consonant as in "the house." camera data area Asia banana Florida China
cinema Africa dogma papa mama Atlanta Georgia soda sofa Russia

NOT ON THE TAPE: drama mania quota stanza vista Alabama Carolina Uganda mica
Louisiana Iowa Arabia tuba vanilla verandah gorilla zebra Anna balsa bravura polka
I lu-wi-zi 'i!<-nd I

SENTENCES: The general was annoyed at the delay of the announcement.

.\
Both Democrats and Republicans made economic decisions.
/ boO 'dc-mc-krrets en n-'M-bh-k:mz med 'i-ks-na-rmk fd 'si-sonz. I
\ -, NOT ON THE TAPE:
'.
In Poland we danced the polka until the dawn.
The Florida drama group made a policy compromise.

4
 PHONEME NO. 25: I A I, the emphasized, accented uh 50
sound, as in uncle and become

Some Asian, Afghan, Ethiopian, Greek, Italian, and Slavic

speakers pronounce this sound as / a / (ah). Some Hispanic
speakers substitute / J / (aw) for this sound, and some
French speakers add a I h I before an initial vowel.

TO PRONOUNCE THE / I\. I, relax your lips, but keep them

open. Drop your jaw and tongue a little lower than you would for the I u /. Let the tip of your tongue
rest behind your lower front teeth. Voice the sound with some energy: / I\. / as in hungry.

DISTINGUISHING PAIRS for Hispanic and Asian speakers. Learn to hear the difference and say
the difference: nut-not, dun-Don, run-Ron, Huck-hock, bucks-box, rut-rot, /Ul-tot, mud-mod,
mull-moll, punned-pond I bxks-bcks /

INITIAL: other understand umbrella ultimate uncle otherwise uncertain unctuous ulterior
ulcer ultimatum unruly uncooperative unprofitable / 'AUk-tJd-WdS /
/ xl-to 'me-torn /

NOT ON THE TAPE: under unbelievable unconscious uncouth uncover unlock undress
unidentified undercover undercoating unconventional ugly unfortunate unknowingly
unlikely unoccupied unsung unwilling unwritten upholstery upward upper-class

l utmost unction unclassified umpire underachieve unkind utterance

I
1
MEDIAL: become mother does butter culture among discover encourage one must love study rough
customer some bulk tough public government won

NOT ON THE TAPE: cover incumbent but number tug thus mugged brother lovtr sun
.1
J rustic punishment humdrum cultivate hundred flood summary above obstruct Judge sudden
I
1 FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

II SENTENCES: The Wonder Club discovered unjust punishments.

Does
/ dAZ
the
5d
judge
d31\.d3
understand
Ml.-ddf '~
public
'M,-bhk
functions?
'fADk-fdnz? /

I
,1
NOT ON THE TAPE:
The unidentified man was studying in the sun. .
l Does your uncle cultivate cucumbers in his study?

I ,~ L s:&:IJl\~ l 51
'~C\\;;~
Ph25~
!ii!!@!!g '" " PM] = g i:~~ em :Z:!l!!E •

I
 PHONEME NO. 26: J h J as in hand and grasshopper 52

Some Afghans, Italians, and others omit the initial II and say
'and instead of hand. Some French and Italian speakers
add a J h / at the beginning of words that begin with a
vowel sound. We do not add a J h J sound to words' which
do not begin with the letter "h.".

TO PRONOUNCE THE J h J, open your mouth slightly, and

let your tongue lie on the bottom of your mouth. Explode
your breath at the back of your mouth unvoiced: J h J.

INITIAL: holiday home Chanukah who *hose whom whole human history Hollywood hailstorm
humanity humor humorous humid humidity humble humility historical homage
· j,

NOT ON THE TAPE: horse house hill has hurt here hairspray halfhearted hinge hominy
host hood holy honey homespun hypnotism heaven hell hopped howl heating hose hair
half-and-half his hers

NOTE ON THE SILENT INITIAL "h": The following words are spelled with an initial "h,' but that "h"
is not pronounced. It is silent. These are the only words in English thatl know of that are like this.
There may be some others. All other initial "h's" are pronounced.

honor honorary honorarium honest honesty heir heiress h~irloom he.rb herb~1 ~~rb,~ceous
hour hourly hour-long .BI2L / etj-di-cl / and other s~ts .of mIt!aI~ b~gmnmg WIth H.
hors d'oeuvre I s: 'darv / and other French words beginning WIth h.

MEDIAL: childhood secondhand preheated inhuman gray-haired hitchhike unhappy

NOT ON THE TAPE: high-hat unholy hothouse household unhurt unhip beehiv behest
r.
post-holiday lighthouse "rose hips" tinhorn subhuman Stonehenge unhidden pre~lstory
grasshopper

FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

SENTENCES: He hitchhiked to prehistoric Stonehenge.

his happy, humorous
I self.
Harry came home for Chanukah / and was
hIZ 'hre-pi, . 'hl\l.-mg-fgS self. /
/ 'hee-ri kern horn for 'ho-ng-kg / end WgZ

NOT ON THE TAPE: _

Did the gray-haired historian give honey to his horse?
"Hi!" called Hod, as he hopped into the lighthouse.
 PHONEME NO. 27: the consonant combination / hw / as in
,,,hat and somewhere 54

Many Americans pronounce this without the / h / before the

/ w /. Notice that thespelling is "wh,' but the more cultivated
pronunciation is "hw," Some German speakers substitute a / v /
for this sound. Ist-

TO MAKE THE / hw / SOUND, first make the motions for

the unvoiced / h /. Then follow immediately with the motions
for the voiced / w /: purse your lips forward, making an opening
small enough for only a straw. Blow air through your lips, and
voice the second part of the combination: / hw /. .,

2nd-
(

INITIAL: why where when what white whiskers whisper while which whether

NOT ON THE TAPE: wheedle whelp wheeze whale wheat whistle whimper wham
whiskey whirlpool whirlwind whiz whiff whopper whither whittle wharf whitefish
white-collar whisk whine wheelbarrow

MEDIAL: somewhere somewhat nowhere meanwhile everywhere elsewhere bobwhite awhile

anywhere whole-wheat off-white four-wheel overwhelm two-wheeler three-wheeler Cool Whip
18-wheeler

FINAL: This combination does not occur at the end of words in English.

SENTENCE: The bobwhite whistled somewhere in the wheat.

/O;} 'barb) 'illYill 'hwr-sold 'sxm-hwer In a;} hwit. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

He only heard a wheel creak and whine.
The man with the whip whistled through his whiskers.
The wheel came off somewhere with a whirling sound.
(The following are rhetorical questions and do not go up in tone and pitch at the end.)
( Why does he whine and whimper everywhere?
Who's whipping the white horse? Chasing the white whale?
Ph.27
55

-'35":·:··w-·~·
 1
NO. 28: I f I, as in phone, coffee, and rough
I
I
PHONEME 56

! Some Asian speakers substitute I p I for this sound or

add a I p / to it. They may say "beep" for beefor "pfat"
for fat. Some Hispanic speakers omit the final I f I in words.

TO MAKE THIS SOUND, place your top front teeth on your

bottom lip, and blow air unvoiced: / f l,

INITIAL: feel frustrated face frequently file pheasant free fifth phoneme phonetics Phillip favorite

NOT ON THE TAPE:

froth flagrant fixture flannel phoney fermentation famous frequency "photo finish" phenol
farewell ferry fear fertilizer fracture fifteen fricassee flavor photograph family falling final

{
MEDIAL: office prefer magnificent breakfast careful coffee different professional sophomore chiffon

cafeteria left-handed beautiful malfeasance cartography diaphragm sofa deafen laughable

loafing prophet refute soften fifty suffer refrigerator telephone

FINAL: sheaf thief photograph phonograph grief proof laugh life .wife tough knife calf cough enough
off half if leaf staff beef chief cuff deaf muff skiff waif reef miff wolf puff stuff turf paragraph rough

NOT ON THE TAPE:

quaff rife riffraff tiff scoff strafe woodruff mischief pilaf stiff scarf scruff scuff trough dwarf

SENTENCES: The thief fixed the fracture and shouted, I "I have to go!" I
Does Phillip prefer a French coffee I to serve Chief Wolfe?
/ doz 'fIl-dp prt 'fur d frent ( 'ko-Ii I t<l S3fV tjif wulf? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Alfred Farmer telephoned an oaf whose wife was tough.
Was beef carefully fricasseed the chef's favorite food?
He flavored the pheasant with woodruff leaf.
The office staff filled the refrigerator with flowers .
.~.

" ..
 PHONEME NO. 29: / k / as in quiet, excel, and book 58

Some Asian speakers omit the final / k /, and some Hispanic

speakers omit the / k / sound in words beginning with "ex."
They might say "estremities" instead of "extremities."

TO MAKE THE / k / SOUND, have your mouth relaxed and

your lips open. Place the back of your tongue up against the
soft palate. Explode air from there unvoiced: / k /.

INITIAL: can kindness kitchen chaos charisma qujet ~ catharsis kosher

/ kwat-ot kwart /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
kindling queen kitten kabob eaten' crisis kaleidoscope kangaroo kinetic Keith cope
cooperate cottage customary kindly cosmetics quart kid cause kiss curse keyboard kiwi
care kimono criterion kilowatt companion kindergarten kindred critical chamomile

MEDIAL: extreme acquire picture deduction excellent dictionary access account explicit
Irk 'strim I / 'prk-tjcr / / 'eek-ses / / lks-'Jill-Slt /

NOT ON THE TAPE: (In "picture" above, you should form but not explode the / k lsound.y
exceptional expert experiment exhale tax plankton experience broker peacekeeping echo

blanket Jacuzzi jacket packing maker expenses exceed exclaim liquor explore exercise
. excuse explain express cricket biscuit saccharine arChipelago excite
Irks 'k jus/ Irks 'IlTIcl/ /or-ko 'Ilt-J;}-go/ / rk 'salt /

NOTE ON PRONUNCIATION OF EX: Usually ex before an unvoiced sound (often a consonant) is

pronounced unvoiced as / ik 5/ in explain. Ex before a voiced sound (often a vowel) usually will be
voiced as / Ig Z / in executive. An exception to this is exercise.

FINAL: seek task take plaque talk thank sink link lick pick sank trick

NOT ON THE TAPE: brick bank creek streak brake break steak folk prank back balk
stick walk joke clank lark Dick Nick Rick oak balk stalk bulk dark mark ~ stock
strike stroke park broke ark crank dank drank frank brink flank Hank / kok Y

SENTENCE: Will the expert explain all the expenses?

/wd oi 'ck-sp3rt lk'splen ;ll oi tk 'spcn-slz? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Dick would be an extremely frank examiner.
The Jacuzzi was excellent for taking a work break.
Will you take the caulk and pack itto fix the sink?

Ph.29 , h /'\( ~ I ( . ~( . 59

'~~"-'=~
I
!

PHONEME NO. 30: 19 I, as in girl, examination, and peg 60

Some Hispanic and Asian speakers omit a final I 9 I, or they may

su.bstltute for It a I k lor a non-English sound. Words beginning
with er are often difficult. (See Phoneme 29 for note on the pro-
nunciation of "ex.") ~

TO MAKE THE SOUND I 9 I, have your mouth relaxed and your

lips open. Place the back of your tongue up against the soft
palate, and explode air from there, voicing the sound: I 9 I.

INITIAL: gratitude grace glaucoma goal good government grand golf gray
., / 'fjA-v:lrn-m:lnt /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

ga~ gate gallery give garden glorious great green get gift grade gold gown glade guest
goings-on grown g~vernor goose grant gripe grain garlic gamble grass gross globe glass
grim gloss guide grief glance grandfather grammar grateful gravity greed

MEDIAL: again exaggerate ~ examine recognize executive legal regulate di~ress .

I '£g-Zlt I 119 'zee-man 1 /dal'~/
--,.';.,- .'

NOT ON THE TAPE: (See Phoneme 29 for the pronunciation of "ex.")

egregious exasperate exhibit bagging bigotry sugar brigade cigarette magazine
stagger trigger vigorous chigger neglect agriculture agonize integrate degree flagrant
linger legality aggressive pomegranate ragged trigonometry program egotism

FINAL: flag beg synagogue drug catalog plague renege intrigue

1 ri '!l!.9.1
The Hague
/ 6:l 'hea /
~I
/ prag /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
clog tug bug rug snug Meg brag grog stag log smog keg drag stalag shag slug erg wag brig
dig dug craig dog tog jig bog vogue vague fog zigzag rag "egg nog" rogue sprig rig hug wag
hag frog bag

executive an exaggeration?
SENTENCE: Was Gil's allegation about the
/ wn m1z re-I:l 'g.e.-J:ln :l'.blli.!ill oi 19 '~-kju-1!Y een Ig-~·d3:l '~-f~m? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

The exec at The Hague bagged a sprig of green for the frog.
Did the governor get a catalog of flags at Prague?
Peg regarded the guarantee of a dog as a good guard.

6\
 PHONEME NO. 31: / e / as in Asia, relationship, and May
62
(Actual pronunciation may sound like / er / at the end of a word
.J such as May, or might sound like / ec / before an "I" as in mail.)

Some Asian speakers pronounce this as / e t, saying J rcn J for

rain. Some U.S. Southerners use the wrong diphthong, saying
/ rxm J or J ram J for J rem J. Some Slavic speakers pronounce
this as J ze J.

TO MAKE THE SOUND J e J, open your mouth slightly, relax your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue
behind your lower teeth. Gradually dropping your tongue and jaw, voice the sounds in the diagram until
you come to this one: / i, I, .k /.
.,
IN THESE DISTINGUISHiNG PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference.
bake-beck, dale-dell, sale-sell, bait-bet, Yale-yell, laid-led, bail-bell, tale-tell,~, date-debt,
Jail-fell, raid-red / beol-bcol / / let-let /

INITIAL: able alien ache age aid Asia aim apron ate eighty acre agent alienation aching

NOT ON THE TAPE: "apron strings" ailing aimed acreage Asian ace age-old aiding.
aimless amiable ape apex ail atheist asocial atheism aviation aviator "ace in the hole"

MEDIAL: main straight vein steak heinous indicate crate gauge regulation praise

NOT ON THE TAPE: maelstrom decade savings arraign prayed displayed parade reign
James deliberation potato lazy situation administration raise "amazing grace"

FINAL: say pay stay way weigh day beret mislay play bouquet array tray gainsay matinee
/ mre(t) 'ne /
NOT ON THE TAPE: mainstay hideaway Tuesday midday Malay melee
spray parlay bray pray bay flay gay hay Jay Kay lay splay quay Ray gray prey pray

SENTENCES: May sang "The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain."
Is eighty acres enough to raise potatoes for the hideaway?
/IZ 'h-ti 'e-korz g 'nxf tu rez po 'te-toz for Og '.b..aL-d<)-we?/

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Asa won't stay unless we can make the estate pay.
Did Ray bake her favorite cake yesterday?
The amiable Asian will play in the Mayday games.
She'll make a great name for her place.

Ph.31
63
 PHONEME NO. 32: I c I, as in any and everywhere 64

Some Indo-Chinese and others pronounce the initial I t: I as I i I.

Some U.S. Southerners pronounce the medial! c / as / I /;pen
becomes pin, and men becomes min. Also Southerners sometimes
add I ja I before d, 7, n, and t (remember DALNET) in short
words spoken slowly. Some say / fc-jal / for "fell" and I pe-jan /
for "pen." For "says" I scz I and "said"l sed I, some people
incorrectly use I sez I and I sed I.

TO MAKE THE SOUND I c I, open your mouth slightly, relax your lips, and rest the tip of your tongue
behind your lower teeth. Gradually dropping your jaw, voice the sounds on the diagram until you get to
the one you want: I i, I, e, ~ I. .,

IN THESE DISTINGUISHING PAIRS, learn to hear the difference and say the difference.
Southerners, be careful not to add I je I in the middle of these words: bin-Ben, will-well, kin-Ken,
big-beg, pin-pen, filljell, bit-bet, pig-peg, sit-set

NOT ON THE TAPE: bill-bell, pick-peck, him-hem, git-get, did-dead, min-men

INITIAL: enterprise end engineer excess empty anybody entrance energy emphasis

NOT ON THE TAPE: eminent. excellent enemy every aesthetic excavate eloquent envy
elephant elegant anyone edit anything educate anywhere elevator elementary evolution

MEDIAL: said says bread friend their there get medical against many directly benevolent general
president generation pressure respect seven eleven

NOT ON THE TAPE: cleanse bed self trajectory election pen electric library expenses
sent set yet then them several bell chemical heifer leopard bet men tell ten yell yen never
1
FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English.

!
i
,I
SENTENCES: The president says excess never brings recession.
Was
/ wn
the
oi
ebony.
'~-b;:)-ni
elephant
'~-l;:)-f;:)nt
against
a '~
the
oa
keg
~
on
::>0
the
od
deck?
Qd? I
I The men said it was an aesthetic treasure.

~
.. NOT ON THE TAPE: ,
( Was Ted dead set that Red should.not tell of the bet?
65
 PHONEME NO. 33: I u I. as in ooze. cruise. and bille 66

Few people have difficulty pronouncing this phoneme. Some

speakers in the Northeastern US. insert I w;) I between III I
and the letter "I." Rule and school become I 'ru-wol ? and
I 'sku-wol z, -

TO PRONOUNCE THE SOUND lu I. round your lips and

purse them noticeably forward. Keep an opening in them
small enough for only a straw. Voice the sound from the
back of your mouth: I u I.

.j
INITIAL: ooze oodles oolong oops

MEDIAL: beauty moon neurotic bureaucracy newspaper school truth cool Jewry jewelry

NOT ON THE TAPE:

loose lose move noon rule soon whom lieutenant lunar boulevard brood maneuver nuclear
neurolinguistic neutralize prelude prove pursuit revolution ruler tooth whose boom boot

doom hoot loop pool shoot tomb root rheumatism youth cruise goose plume Buddhism
I 'bu-dizm I

FINAL: blue chew misconstrue flew flu grew shoe through you interview construe

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Hindu view Jew clew mildew pursue renew tattoo preview threw through to too two
who bamboo crew igloo true undo queue voodoo woo rue grew ewe you whew drew
avenue hue hew cue brew lieu knew new do pew

.1
SENTENCE: Lou will brew oolong tea for the newspaper review,
I ill wI! bru 'u-lan ti br 0;) 'njuz-pe-paf n'vju. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Did the crew pursue the beauty who flew to the roof?
A review of the school helped Sue conclude the proof.
Will the youth lose his cool ifhe shoots the mule?
The voodoo man would chew when he drew the blue tattoo .
.~

67
fA
"

PHONEME NO. 34: /0/. as in open, coat, and chatean 68

Few people have difficulty pronouncing this phoneme correctly.

Some speakers of Persian and some from the Northeastern U.S.
and from Charleston, South Carolina, may utter deviations.

TO PRONOUNCE THE SOUND /0/, round your lips and purse

them noticeably forward. Keep an opening in them large enough
for a small carrot. Voice the sound: 1.0/.

INITIAL: own odometer open overpopulated omit obedience only oatmeal oath opacity oriental

NOT ON THE TAPE:

obese Otis obey oasis oar orientation oval ovarian ozone ovation overly overreact Olivia
overachiever overall overpriced overdue overnight overqualified overage ownership odious
old-fashioned okra OK oleander omega omen omission opaque opium opiate opine opus

MEDIAL: rose chauvinist coat alone "faux pas" disposal homophobia phone yeoman pedagogy

NOT ON THE TAPE:

boulder ashore bone folk moan hone lonely motive "Memorial Day" telephone photograph
photojournalism phoney clothes pose drove stove clove support snore stoic story storefront

pole clone alcove force frozen heroic hope home approach indisposed goat load holy ghost

FINAL: though know plateau sew so sow below vertigo video ghetto undergo

NOT ON THE TAPE:

window depot hero indigo lingo meadow mellow throw tomato potato tornado torpedo
torso foe hoe tow no row low fandango flow go chateau grow glow slow blow mow Jumbo
}. bow tow touch-and-go trio jumbo pharaoh woe weirdo

SENTENCE: Did the photo story on Memorial Day omit Old Joe?
I dud) 0;) ,fo-to 'sto-ri :)n mo 'mo-rr-al de o trnrt or(d) d3Q? I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Otis showed a cold shoulder to Mo.
Did the woeful yeoman dance the fandango at the Oasis?
Row went below and cooked oatmeal on the stove.
The owner stayed overnight in the Plateau Motel.
'~

-,
69
 PHONEME NO. 35: I:J I, as in allto, talk, and rail' 70

Some U.S. Southern, Indo-Chinese, and Ethiopian

speakers substitute a diphthong for this sound and say
I au I or I au /. Some Africans substitute an I 0 I, and
some Afghans and Indo-Chinese substitute an 10/.
Some U.S. Northerners may say I roa I for raw.

TO PRONOUNCE I:J I, purse your lips forward

and drop your jaw a bit. Now voice the sound: I :J I.

INITIAL: almost automobile already often auspicious office authorization always auxiliary

NOT ON THE TAPE: audition audiovisual austere austerity Austria August orthodox offer
awful author Australian autocratic autonomous autograph offer awkward awning offset awl
all auction audible autumn augment automatic audit automation although alternative

MEDIAL: broad gaudy Georgia caucus maul haughty cauliflower lawful daughter thought Caucasian

i' NOT ON THE TAPE: law-abiding born-again border caught Boston brawl brawn broth

I
.~
Broadway broadcast caldron fault faucet fought former form lawn wall loss daub dawn talk
;

t
·-~.~ttrf

fought hawk naught sauce soft sausage caught broad bought dog boss lawless b oadcloth
cause caution cross yawn ball warm

FINAL: law claw draw thaw withdraw gnaw paw raw saw straw flaw jaw

NOT ON THE TAPE: outlaw seesaw Shaw Utah taw haw caw squaw craw guffaw chaw

SENTENCES: Austin talked in the office about calling the law on Shaw.
Does the Georgia boss always find a flaw in the audit?
I daz Od 'ct3x-d3d b:Js '~-wez famd d fb In oi ';l-dlt? I
The austere Austrian had a ball of straw and a seesaw.

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Horse-drawn vehicles are called for at Warm Springs.
The Boston office may withdraw formal broadcasts.
The dog and the hawk fought for the ball.
When it's warm, I often sit in the orchard.
Did Paul's audience applaud warmly?
I thought Cawthen Shaw was the author.
(
J The law calls for immediate withdfawal of all sausage.
 1
/
j
l
PHONEME NO. 36: I a I, as in olive, father, and hurrah 72
l
Some Slavic speakers substitute an I J I (aw) or an 101
1 for this sound, especially when it's spelled with an "0."
And some Africans ~ubstitute an I a I or an 101 for it.
·1
j TO MAKE THE SOUND I a I, relax your tongue and lips,

I and drop your tongue and jaw II bit: Voice the sound: / a /.

INITIAL: art obligation honest entree arbitration honor occupy obstacle

~
NOT ON THE TAPE: .,
~ argument odd arm armchair arthritis articulate operation article oxygen obsolete optical
Occident octane opposite opposition optical ostentation ostrich oxen Oxford arbor Oliver

',·:
.~
arch olive opera aunt artist archbishop occupation honorable honorary honorarium osmosis

I
occupant arbitrary
...:

L..
~' MEDIAL: car bottle guard economy sergeant mob modem foreign policy garage Washington

p.rOlllb.liem.hillieiliia.r.t iIilblillur:!ire~ailllu!!licil!ra!!ilc!!iJY!!lci:0!!lnlitriillo=vjjjerifl.js1iYlicioWn!iiisil.!!ti!!!tu!!iIt!lio~nl!i!!iYg~~

NOT ON THE TAPE:

shop pharmacy K-Mart wallet responsibility logic market college possible hominy
honcho impostor poverty philosophy impoverished respond improvisation pontiff
mockery macho Mafia sarcasm popular population sociology tardy target toddler
methodology concept hardly apothecary bazaar jockey Machiavelli body hardly

FINAL: This sound does not occur at the end of words in English except for ma, pa, hurrah!
ah! patois, and shah-a few colloquial American words and two foreign words.

SENTENCE: Will Oliver argue about a policy of the Botany Department?

/ wrl 'Q-Ia-var 'QI-gju a 'baut a 'J2Q.-la-si av aa 'lli!.ill-ni di'llQIill-mant? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

The artist mocked the popular marketing of cars.
Dishonesty blocks competition in the economy.
Might the sergeant's logic win him a job with the Shah?
Olive is an artist who occupies the opposite apartment.

'_.
I'I
;
,
Ph.36
73
PHONEME NO. 37: the diphthong I au I, as in out, 74
hOllse, and noOl'

Some U.S. Southerners add I j I between both parts of the

diphthong, so that brown I braun I becomes I bra-jun I,
and cow I kau I becomes /ka-jo I.

TO PRONOUNCE THIS DIPHTHONG, relax your

tongue, and slightly widen your lips. Drop your jaw and
tongue a good bit. Voice the I a I, and immediately bring
your jaw up and relax your lips (unwiden them).
Continue to voice the sound: I au I.

INITIAL: hour our ours out outline output outdoors outside ounce outfit

NOT ON THE TAPE: outgoing outlandish outfield outreach outnumber out-of-bounds

oust outcast outer outlaw outlay ourselves outlet owl output outset outward outcast

outbreak outrage outdo outwit outfox outsmart outskirts outwardly

MEDIAL: flower found house mouse round power gout crown loud about down clown abound
downward around brown downgrade count mouth pout town hound mound crowned drown

NOT ON THE TAPE:

howl grounder trout clout lout louse lousy count trowel ground astound devour blouse
dowry endowment douse growl tower scout scowl shout noun flounder sauerkratt

FINAL: allow brow chow endow how now Frau plow bough eyebrow prow Moscow somehow
sow kowtow bow Dow know-how thou I 'ffiOS-kau\ r
SENTENCES: Did you allow Clower to go outdoors and prowl around?
Moscow has lousy clout with powers that be.
Our agent in
/ au-(w);Jr '~-d3;Jnt III 'mos-kau luez 'lau-zt klalJt wle 'Qilll-Wirz ore(t) hi. /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

He found an hour to catch flounder and trout at the prow.
Did the owl sit on a bough outside the townhouse?
Frau Brown won in the chow hour with sauerkraut.
 P~ONEME NO. 38: the diphthong / ai t, as in aisle, rice,
glllde, and buy 76

Some. U.S. Southern~rs make this too simple and pure b

orruttmg the second part of the diphthong and making t:e
sound a flat / a /.

TO PRONOUNCE THE DIPHTHONG / ar zrel

ton dr' re ax your
a g~~~ ~~t :nl~htIY wi~en your lips. Drop your jaw and tongue
. ,VOice t e / a /. Then Immediately brin our
Jaw up and contmue to voice the sound: / at /. gY

INITIAL' . ey es I'dI enn ifiicanon

. aisle
. eyewitness
.y
HID card" Item
. eyebrow island iconoclastic
/ at-ka-na 'klees-nk /
( NOT ON THE TAPE:
,
~,

'.": identity isolated ideal ideally idolize irate Irelan " '. . .
Ire IVOryiceberg idea ivy aikido iri . . d Irish Isolation Isotope ICIcle iota
c IrIS Iron ironmg eyelash "eye contact" e ye I'd .
I eyestra In

MEDIAL: height Zion humidifier itemize finance sunrise reliable' pnmary vrtarruns
" . - prime
satire ".

~,.

NOT ON THE TAPE:

papaya geyser rhyme choir cried grinding fine humanize five hide kind like ride dive light
line mile mine night pile shine tire wise nice white rice heist child bite blight divide fire
guide pine porcupine private retire rile shine surprise tribe united unkind wine frd hire

FINAL: buy occupy identify die eye thigh fly why rely solidify testify personify

NOT ON THE TAPE:

my try sky high vie DeVry nigh deny by tie pry rye shy spy sly humidify sigh pie beautify
crucify sanctify citify dye exemplify occupy preoccupy lie

wine / with chicken pie and ivory rice?

SENTENCE: Did I imbibe white
wam / wle tiJ.-km llill end 'ill.-VrI [lill.? /
/ did ill. rm lbillh lNilli

-,
NOT ON THE TAPE:
Guy hired the private eye for his style.
DeVry decided to beautify the island geyser site.
Did Irene dye the five ties at night?
The child used aikido in fighting the irate islander .

77

....1.. lli5\\ ~I ~DLs1ow.s.. llllillllli.-••• IIIII.tnR_lUIIIE.! •• lIIitlll_ ••••• '.I.__ ••• 11. •1 1
 f

l
f
(
··'1:··
PHONEME NO. 39: the diphthong t » I, as in oil, choice,
78
i and boy
'~

Some Slavic speakers and Northern U.S. speakers, when this

diphthong is before an I I lor I s I sound, may pronounce it as
1 ar I, as in / srl ,' and 1 tjsrs 1 for "oil" and "choice."

TO PRONOUNCE!HE ~IPHTHONG 1 si ), purse your lips

forward, drop your Jaw a little bit, and voice the sound / o 1
Then widen your lips, bring up your jaw, and continue to .
voice the sound: / JI I.

INITIAL: oil oils oily oiled oyster oilcloth oilskin ointment

MEDIAL: coin noise lawyer choice boisterous poise loyal broil foible

NOT ON THE TAPE:

avoid soil alloyedmoiety anthropoid poinsettia adroit voyage Freudian boil coil Doyle
toil foil toyed void Hoyle Boyce Royce foist poignant toilet hoist moist voice point
anoint joint join sawing pawing clawing annoying jawing boys poison toys cloister

FINAL: corduroy soy "SI. Croix" joy employ annoy "hoi polloi" destroy

NOT ON THE TAPE:

decoy alloy enjoy Roy ahoy convoy toy boy coy deploy envoy Savoy Troy ploy cloy

SENTENCE: The lawyer hoisted toy to avoid the oil.

10';) 'lai-iar 'hors-trd tzu tu ~ 'voud) oi ;)1~1. I

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Was Boyce sawing the joist after oiling the joint?
Roy is loyal to The Cloister in spite of the hoi polloi.
The boy was poisoned by the clawing.
Loy's fun destroyed Doyle's poise at SI. Croix.

Ph.39 79
 r

PHONEME NO. 40: / n / as in gnat, anything, and rain 80

Some Hispanic and Asian speakers substitute an / m /

sound for this in the final position. Some speakers from
the interior of China confuse this with the / I / sound. (See
Phoneme 4.) ~

TO MAKE THE / n / SOUND, place the tip of your tongue

firmly against the alveolar ridge. Keep your tongue rather wide
to prevent air from coming out your mouth. Air will then go
up through your nasal passage. Voice the sound: / n /.

INITIAL: no know gnat neighbor know.'1"1pdge mnemonic

_ natural pneumonia nonverbal
/ nr 'mo-rn k / /,.
NOT ON THE TAPE: nu mon-jo ,'
knuckle nuclear nearsighted negligent negotiate naive nostalgia Norway notion
(A nomenclature note nonsense noble n~utral notebook night knight negative nose knot
nasal gnaw gnome gnu knotty naivete navy negativism neither pneumatic nervous name

MEDIAL: elementary com~troller . personnel can't kindness finances government mentalit

/ ken tro-lor / / 'fill.-nren-slz / . Y

NOT ON THE TAPE:

minimal mainstay wonder canopy sensitive vastness inclination ground France larynx
mount land persistent lunch phoneme reluctance banner anticlimax plenty offense island
seminar seasonal honor oncoming transit chronological sequence business Connecticut
mother-in-law fathers-in-law / ko '~-t1-bt /

FINAL: woman women contain inauguration cotton certain sign telephone motivation alone

~~~~: I

person melon reign rain bacon ribbon membrane queen remain scene sewn moon vision
seminarian figurine American eaten taken lighten button grosgrain rotten brokfn sudden
kitten chicken garden portion radiation inclusion incline man men season cannon canon

SENTENCE: Do science and industry combine to nudge thl country?

/ du 'ill-;ms end 'm-des-tri kern 'lliun tu DMl3 6;) 'ktill-tri? /

NOT ON THE TAPE:

Nan Knight's paintings don't make her a new queen.
Will the politician finance the nuclear plant now?
The Nantucket neighbor included the telephone plan.
Is the information common knowledge in the national news?
Ph.40 81

~:
 (

•.. _- J"

PHONEME NO. 41: / m / as in magazine, immune, and thumb 82

Almost no one has difficulty pronouncing this phoneme, but

I'm providing drills in case the unexpected occurs .
:~
.
TO PRONOUNCE / m l, relax your mouth with your lips
f:·
closed. Voice the sound, and let air come through the nasal
passage: / m /.

.,
INITIAL: mother make master modify manufacture matter moisture morning
t 'mors-tj'or /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
monetary money medicine measure mercury military militarism mildew middle malaria
midnight minus miniskirt minister mountain museum municipal matrix "Micky Mouse"
meticulous microscope macroeconomics mutual music merini:ue motion movies multiply
muffins mosquito mountain motive merit / ma 'ren / I
MEDIAL: sample democrat argument pneumonia government temperature climate
/ 'lrnl-pa-ra-tfu( I.
NOT ON THE TAPE:

~ __~ 'r :....:.2_::... __ ,. __ . '_~~_ .. Y

•••••. - •• , ••.,., "1'"

animal sophomore Christmas asthma isthmus thermometer tamper camp army dummy
columnslampoon postman Congressman Congresswoman employment comply comment
.; commander company communication humanities inmost reprimand parliament arithmetic
, parsimonious sample appendectomy Thames
".-~:~.

FINAL: column thumb autumn climb item problem calcium phlegm recidivism symposium

NOT ON THE TAPE:

arm condemn comb lamb dumb harm hoodlum jam reform come calm thyme chasm whiin
clam atom balsam claim heroism anthem regionalism same.shame scheme system ham vim
transform symptom random syndrome transform brim psalm isolationism blossom
rhyme rhythm truism sham emblem spasm opossum hymn / at-sa 'k;-f<'l-mzm /

SENTENCE: Might the medical commander deny claim of recidivism?

/ rnaut) 6<'l 'ID&-da-kl b 'men-der dt 'nar kkm av rr 'sr-de-zizm? /
NOT ON THE TAPE:
( Mother's meditation helped her be calm in communicating.
The manager claimed he was a reformed hoodlum.
On Christmas morning the mood of Mbaya was something else.
Mighty with rhythm, his anthem boomed.
Ph.41