Monday, November 17, 2014

[Pronuciation] Short I, B and P Sounds

1. SHORT I - AHD Symbol /i(/
Common Spellings: i, y (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)





is / it / in / wrist / kiss / fit

sip / swim / dim /gym / fix / hid

kid / pin / lip / lick / slip / wish

Dick / pick / sick / tip / list / Rick

history / continue / Mickey / resist / exit / Nicholas

consist / exist / trick / fish / switch /busy

triple / been


1. Do you wish to exit the theater?

2. I tried to slip this bracelet over my wrist, but it doesn't fit.

3. I wish to be picked up at six.

4. The list is hidden in a closet.

5. I've been busy.

Lesson 1: He Bit the Pit
Focus: Words in the -it family

This is a peach.
It has a pit.
The man bit the peach.
He bit the pit.
He spit out the pit.

This is a boy.
He likes to hit.
He hit the girl.
Now he has to sit.
He got mad and had a fit.
He does not like to sit.


Lesson 2: The Big Pig
Focus: Word in the -ig family

This is a pig.
It is a big pig.
The big pig can dig.
This is a wig.
The big pig has a wig.

Is the pig big?
Yes, the pig is big.
Can the big pig dig?
Yes, the big pig can dig.
Does the pig have a wig?
Yes, the pig has a wig.


Lesson 3: The Thin Pin Can Spin
Focus: Word in the -in family

This is a pin.
The pin is thin.
What can the pin do?
The pin can spin.

I like to win.
My fast car has fins.
The fins are made of tin.
I win in my car with tin fins.

The pin and the fins are made of tin.
The pin is thin. The fins are not thin.
The pin spins. The fins win.


Lesson 4: Kick the Brick
Focus: Word in the -ick family

This is a brick.
The brick is thick.
The girl can kick the thick brick.

This is a stick.
The stick is not thick.
The boy can pick the stick.
He picks a thin stick.
He does a trick with the stick.

The baby licks the stick.
The baby can get sick.
Quick! Take the stick.
Take the stick so the baby is not sick.

Monday, November 3, 2014

[Pronuciation] Short A, R and T Sounds

Mình xin phép được lấy bài học từ diễn đàn Viet-ESL để thực hành.

1. SHORT A - AHD Symbol /ă/
Common Spelling a (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)




cat / bag / sag / lap / wrap / man

last / fast / gas / track / pack / sandwich

Mac / half / have / has / apple / magazine

attitude / candid / tragedy / handy / cavity / habit

trash / laboratory / procrastinate


1. Wrap your trash in a bag.

2. I'll just sit on the grass with my magazine, my sandwich, and my apple.

3. What kind of an attitude is that?

4. The black cat is happy in my lap.

5. Sarah said I had bags sagging under my eyes.

2. R Sound - AHD Symbol /r/



river / arrow / rise / right / bigger

road / radio / red / raid / mirror

right / reporter / wrong / orange

rare / refrigerator / ride / rest / restaurant.


1. The arrow raced to its target.

2. Please don’t raid the refrigerator.

3. The Red Anchor Restaurant is in the Harbor.

4. The radio has the real news.

5. I think I took a wrong turn.

6. Robert prefers to ride on the right side.

7. Raymond wrote the red book.

3. T Sound - AHD Symbol /t/



Place the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge, stop the air completely, then release the air. Do NOT make a vocal sound.

When a word begins with /t/, make the sound with a noisy puff of air. To be sure the puff of air is strong enough, place a small piece of paper in front of your mouth when pronouncing the following words. The paper should move considerably.

tame
tap
team
ten
tip
tray* (Voiceless r)
tree*
twin* (Voiceless w)
twelve*
thyme

Make the same noisy puff when a word ends in another consonant sound plus /t/.

act
lift
fault
can't
apt
last
borscht
text

* Make the same noisy puff for -st or -est at the end of an adjective to make the superlative form.

best
biggest
happiest
worst
smallest
silliest
most
least

Note: The past tense marker, -ed, is pronounced /t/, with the puff of air, when the verb ends in a voiceless consonant sound such as /p/, /k/, /ch/, /f/, /sh/, /s/, or /ks/. Be careful not to make a vowel sound before the /t/.

taped ...... /ta-pt/
picked ..... /pi(kt/
watched ... /wo(cht/
laughed .... /la(ft/
washed .... /wo(sht/
passed ..... /pa(st/
faxed ....... /fa(kst/

* Do NOT make the puff of air when /t/ follows /s/ at the beginning of a syllable.

stamp
step
stove
mistake
faster
history

* To pronounce /t/ just before the sound /s/ at the end of words, tap the tip of your tongue on the palate (Unstressed T), then slide your tongue forward to make /s/.

bats
rests
bites
cats
beasts
coats

* To produce the /t/ at the end of words that occur before words beginning with a consonant, tap your tongue on the alveolar ridge, stop the vocal sound, then go on to the next word.

1. She ate three hot dogs.

2. The fat cat sat down on the mat.
3. I'll bet she got the hat with that money.
4. I met them at the market.

* In certain words, the /t/ is unreleased as above, then followed by the unstressed vowel sound /&/, then by the sound /n/ (Syllabic N).

button
mitten
kitten
bitten
fountain
mountain
important
sentence

* When the last word you say ends in the sound /t/, pronounce it either with or without the puff of air. There is no difference in meaning.

With the puff  and without the puff of air.

* He sat on his hat.

* She put on her coat.

* They came to visit.

* He didn't eat.

* I didn't say that.


Practice
1. Those tenants tore up the apartment.

2. Leave the stew on the stove for two minutes.

3. Just a minute, please.

4. I put the buttons in my pocket.

5. Stand up straight.

6. Janet washed her skirt and two t-shirts.

7. She wished she had polished her boots.

8. The last time I went to that store, I got lost.

Note: The letter t, when followed by the sound /yoo-/ is usually pronounced /ch/.

Examples: situation, ritual, factual, congratulations, let you, don't you, won't you, can't you, didn't you, wouldn't you

When the letter t occurs between vowels, it has one of the pronunciations of the sound flap/tap. To make this sound, tap the tongue quickly on the palate without holding it, then go on to the next vowel.

Examples: city, later, shorter, grated, subtle, little

* The letter t is silent in the following words.

often
listen
fasten
hasten
mortgage
mustn't

-------oOo--------
PRACTICE MORE

Lesson 1: The Cat on the Mat
Focus: words in the -at family

There was a cat.
The cat sat.
The cat sat on a mat.

There was a rat.
The rat had a hat.
The rat with the hat sat.

The cat sat.
The rat sat.
The cat and the rat sat on the mat.

Lesson 2: The Man Has a Can
Focus: Words in the -an family

Can you see the man?
He has a van.
In the van, he has a can.

He is a man.
He has can.
The can is in the van.

He has a can and a pan.
He ran to the van with his pan.
The can is in the pan.

Lesson 3: Tap on the Map
Focus: Words in the -ap family

That is the map.
Tap on it.
Tap on the map.

This is a man.
He has a cap.
Tap on the cap.

He had a nap.
His nap was in the map.
He can nap on the map.

Lesson 4: Snack in the Sack
Focus: Words in the -ack family

This is a sack.
This is a snack.
I pack my snack.
The snack is in the sack.
I put the sack in my backpack.

Jack has some tacks.
He put the tacks into a stack.
His tacks are black.
He has a stack of black tacks.

Jack has some tacks.
I have a snack.
His tacks are in a stack.
My snack is in my backpack.

R sound

red / run / row / read / rest /
rich / rain / real / wrong / write

very / marry / story / berry / sorry /
hurry / carrot * karat / orange / around / tomorrow

or / are / far / door / near /
more / sure / their / before / appear

bring / cry / tree / proud / drink
freeze / grow / press / broke / dry

1. Where are you?
2. near or far
3. Are you sure?
4. See you tomorrow.
5. I'm very sorry.
6. He'll be right there.
7. Roy returns tomorrow morning.
8. The train arrives every hour.
9. I already read that short story.
10. Rose is wearing a red dress.
11. Robert ran around the corner.
12. Rene'e and Larry are married.
13. Remember, never put the cart before the horse.
14. Mark couldn't start the car.
15. I rented a four-room apartment.

T Sound

two / two / too
tube / took / tea / team

forgetful / until / attend / hunter / romantic
it / but / boat / late / light /feet

1. Tell the teacher.
2. tea and toast
3. to be or not to be
4. light on your feet
5. Today is Tuesday.
6. That team is the top winner.
7. Tim bought two tickets.
8. Pat wrote a letter.
9. The boat won't return until eight.
10. Leave the waiter a fifteen percent tip.

Homonyms

1. Tess had ____ much to eat. (to/ two / too)

2. I must return ___ TVs. (to/ two / too}

3. "Two wrongs don't make a ___." (right / write)

4. Please ___ me a note. (right / write)

5. Tim's ___ is twenty-two. (aunt / ant)

6. I see an ___ hill in the backyard. (aunt / ant)

Dialogue

TIM: Tina, who were you talking to on the telephone?

TINA: Terry White. She wanted to know what time the party is tonight.

TIM: Terry is always late. She missed our tennis game last Tuesday.

TINA: Two days ago, she didn't come to breakfast until two. Terry is always in a tizzy!

TIM: Terry missed her flight to Tucson last week.

TINA: That routine of hers is typical!

TIM: That is terrible! What time did you tell her to come tonight?

TINA: I told Terry to come at six fifteen. The party is really at eight.

TIM: To tell the truth, I wish you told her it was at two. I don't trust her!