English Pronunciation: the American Way
Audio details
Detailed table of contents
Part I. Introduction to Pronunciation
Pronunciation, the foundation
Characteristics of American English
Part II: Vowels
American vowels
Vowel definition
American elementary school classification
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Rhotic R
American vowels vs British vowels
15 vowel phonemes of standard American English
Monophthongs
Diphthongs
Vowel Diagram
Tongue height
Advancement
Vowel diagram
Tenseness
Similar sounding vowel pairs
Front high vowels: /i/ vs /ɪ/
/i/ words
/ɪ/ words
/i/ vs /ɪ/ minimal pairs
/i/ vs /ɪ/ in sentences
Front low vowels: /ɛ/ vs /æ/
/ɛ/ words
/æ/ words
/æ/ vs /ɛ/ minimal pairs
/æ/ vs /ɛ/ in sentences
Back high vowels: /u/ vs /ʊ/
/u/ words
/ʊ/ words
/u/ vs /ʊ/ minimal pairs
/u/ vs /ʊ/ in sentences
/ju/ sound
/ju/ words
Yod dropping
Back low vowels: /ɔ/ and /ɑ/
The cot–caught merger
Homophones due to /ɔ/ and /ɑ/ merger
Pronunciation of /ɔ/
/ɔr/ words
/ɑ/ words
R-colored /ar/ words
/ɑr, /ɔr/ minimal pairs
/ar/, /ər/ minimal pairs
/ɔr/, /ər/ minimal pairs
/ɔr/ vs /ər/ vs /ar/ comparison sentences
Middle center vowels: /ʌ/ vs /ə/
/ʌ/ words
Schwa for de-emphasis
Multisyllabic words
Function words
/ər/ words
/ʌ/, /ər/ minimal pairs
Diphthongs: /eɪ/, /aɪ/ & /ɔɪ/
/eɪ/
/eɪ/ words
/ɛ/, /eɪ/ minimal pairs
/aɪ/
/aɪ/ words
/aɪər/ words
/ɔɪ/
/ɔɪ/ words
/eɪ/, /aɪ/ & /ɔɪ/ sentences
Diphthongs: /aʊ/ and /oʊ/
/aʊ/
/aʊ/ words
/aʊər/ words
/aʊ/ sentences
/oʊ/
/oʊ/ words
/oʊ/ homophones
/oʊ/ sentences
/oʊ/, /aʊ/ minimal pairs
/oʊ/, /ɔr/ minimal pairs
Part III: Consonants
Introduction to Consonants
Vocal tract
The tongue
The IPA chart for English consonants
Place of articulation
Bilabial
Labiodental
Interdental
Alveolar
Palatal
Velar
Glottal
Manner of articulation
Obstruents
Plosives (stops)
Fricatives
Affricates
Sonorants
Nasals
Liquids
Glides
Voicing
Voicing for grammar
From noun to verb
From adjective to verb
From singular to plural
Voice assimilation
Voicing of -s or -es
Voicing of -ed
Consonant dropping in consonant clusters
Pre-fortis clipping
Minimal pairs for pre-fortis clipping
Plosives (Stops)
Phonemes vs allophones
Glottal stopping for /t/, [ʔ]
Alveolar flapping for /t/, [ɾ]
Allophones of plosives
Aspirated
Unaspirated
Held
Devoicing of voiced plosives
Bilabial plosives: /p/ and /b/
Aspirated p, [pʰ]
Unaspirated p, [p]
Unreleased p, [p̚]
Complementary distribution vs free variation
Silent p, b words
/p/, /b/ minimal pairs
/p/, /b/ sentences
Alveolar plosives: /t/ and /d/
/t/, /d/ minimal pairs
/t/, /d/ minimal pairs for pre-fortis clipping
Allophones of /t/
Flap T
Homophones due to flap T
After stressed vowel and before unstressed vowel
Before syllabic L
After an r-colored vowel
Silent T
Glottal stop /ʔ/
Before syllabic N
Velar plosives: /k/ and /g/
/k/, /g/ minimal pairs
/k/, /g/ sentences
Fricatives
Labiodental fricatives: /f/ and /v/
/f/, /v/ minimal pairs
/f/, /v/ sentences
/f/, /p/ minimal pairs
/f/, /p/ sentences
/b/, /v/ minimal pairs
/b/, /v/ sentences
Interdental fricatives: /θ/ and /ð/
/θ/, /ð/ words
/f/, /θ/ minimal pairs
/t/, /θ/ minimal pairs
/t/, /θ/ sentences
/d/, /ð/ minimal pairs
/d/, /ð/ sentences
Alveolar fricatives: /s/ and /z/
/s/, /z/ minimal pairs
/s/ and /z/ as grammar particle sounds
/s/, /θ/ minimal pairs
/ð/, /z/ minimal pairs
/s/, /z/, /θ/, and /ð/ sentences
Palatal fricatives: /ʃ/ and /ʒ/
Words with /ʃ/
Words with /ʒ/
French origin words
Word endings with -SION, -SUAL, -SURE
From /z/ to /ʒ/
/ʃ/ and /ʒ/ minimal pairs
/ʃ/ and /Ʒ/ sentences
/s/, /ʃ/ minimal pairs
/z/, /ʒ/ minimal pairs
Glottal fricative: /h/
Silent H words
/h/, ∅ minimal pairs
/f/, /h/ minimal pairs
/h/ dropping in connected speech
The ‘h’ pronouns
The ‘have’ verb
Affricates: /ʧ/ and /ʤ/
/ʧ/, /ʤ/ minimal pairs
/ʧ/, /ʤ/ sentences
/ʒ/, /ʤ/ minimal pairs
/ʃ/, tʃ/ minimal pairs
/ʤ/, /z/ minimal pairs
Nasals: /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/
Syllabic consonants
Bilabial nasal: /m/
Syllabic /əm/
Alveolar nasal: /n/
Syllabic /ən/
Velar nasal /ŋ/
Syllabic /əŋ/
/m/, /n/ minimal pairs
/n/, /ŋ/ minimal pairs
/m/, /n/ and /ŋ/ sentences
Liquids: /l/ and /r/
Lateral liquid /l/
Light L
Light L words
L Blend words
Light L sentences
Dark L
Dark L words
Dark L sentences
Retroflex Liquid /r/
Prevocalic R
Prevocalic R words
R bland words
Vocalic R
Vocalic R words
Vocalic R sentences
Intervocalic R
“A” before “R”
“E” before “R”
Mary–marry–merry merger
“I” before “R”
Mirror–nearer merger
“O” before “R”
“U” before “R”
/l/, /r/ minimal pairs
Challenging words with L and R
/lr/ combination words
/rl/ combination words
Glides: /w/ and /j/
Labial glide /w/
Semivowels vs their vowel counterparts, /u/ and /i/
Words with /w/
/w/, ∅ minimal pairs
/v/, /w/ minimal pairs
/w/ sentences
Palatal glide /j/
‘Y’ as a vowel
‘Y’ as consonant
Words with /j/
Words with yod- dropping
Posh English vs working-class English
/j/ - ∅ minimal pairs
/w/, /j/ minimal pairs
/j/, /dʒ/ minimal pairs
/j/ sentences
Part IV: Connected Speech
Introduction to Connected Speech
Syllable-timed rhythm vs stress-timed rhythm
Thought groups
Predictable patterns of sound change
Five methods of connected speech
Intrusion
/j/ intrusion
/w/ intrusion
Catenation
Catenation after H dropping
“My seat” vs “mice eat”
Gemination
Continuous consonants
“I scream” vs “ice cream”
Stops
“Red eye” vs “red dye”
Affricates
Elision
Elision in function words
H-dropping
Contraction
Pronunciation of contracted words
Negative contractions
Inferring elided sounds
CAN vs CAN’T
Syllable elision
Elision in consonant clusters
-nt, -nd ending in word boundary
Assimilation
Assimilation of voice
Alveolar consonant assimilations
/t/ to /p/ or /k/
/d/ to /b/ or /g/
/n/ to /m/ or /ŋ/
Nasal, lateral plosives
Palatalization
/t/+/j/=/ʧ/
/d/+/j/=/ʤ/
/s/+/j/=/ʃ/
/z/+/j/=/ʒ/
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