“Pronunciation”

Instructor – Tr. Yamone Phoo

B.A. English (YUFL)
Cambridge TKT
Contents

1. Introduction of pronunciation
2. Contractions
3. Linking in words
4. Pronouncing “the”, “-ed”
5. Stress in English
6. Intonation
7. Tongue Twisters
8. Pronunciation tips
Chapter – 1
Introduction of Pronunciation
➢ Defination of Pronunciation
➢ Fluency
Introduction

▪ The first English lesson should deal with pronunciation. When you
don’t do pronunciation first, and whatever you do and if it involves
speaking then bad pronunciation habits are formed. If you don't know
how to pronounce and yet you pronounce your own way at the
beginning of your learning, then you are building your habits in the
wrong way. Learning words without pronunciation on the first lesson
is damaging.
▪ If you're a person whose mother-tongue is not English, the
chances are, you've learnt English in the 'non-natural way'. The
natural way of acquiring a language is to learn to speak it first and
then to write it. Those people who do not learn English the natural
way, know reasonable English - or even excellent English. And if
you ask them to write a report or something in English, they may
do it fairly well. But, if you ask them to speak to you about the
same thing, they find it hard to do. Or even impossible.
▪ When they start speaking, most of the words remain on the tip of
their tongue and don't readily come out. And often, what words do
come out sound disconnected and random. Then, they keep
fumbling for something to say. And then, they tend to fall back
upon their mother-tongue - or become tongue-tied.
Defination of good pronunciation
Definition of good pronunciation is:
( 1) easy to understand by advanced users of English,
(2) pleasant to hear for advanced users of English,
(3) easy to pronounce for oneself.

Don’t worry about fluency (Speaking slowly is OK)

▪ English learners are often worried about their lack of fluency. They need much
time to build sentences and this worries them. They would like to speak as fast as
in their native language. Please notice that building sentences in a foreign
language is a real challenge for the brain. There are chemical processes that take
place in the brain before a sentence can be built in a foreign language. Those
processes take more time than building sentences in one's native language.
▪ At least in the beginning. Fluency comes with time and practice and
it should not to be expected in the beginning of learning.

▪ It's a general opinion that it is a good habit to speak slowly and

carefully in a foreign language.

▪ Learners should accept the fact that speaking in a foreign language is

more difficult than speaking in one's native language. There is no
need to worry about this. There is little fluency in the beginning and
this is okay. Don't worry about lack of fluency.
Chapter – 2
Contractions
Contractions
Contraction means to shorten a word or phrase by omitting one or more
sounds or letters from it.
The apostrophe has two uses:
1. To show that we have made words shorter. We have contracted them.
(he is = he’s)
2. To show that something belongs to someone, i.e. they possess it.
(possession)
(My dad's car is red.)
Now, let’s look at the apostrophes for contracting words.
▪ Is
he is - he’s there is – there’s where is – where’s
she is - she’s that is - that’s how is – how’s
it is - it’s what is - what’s who is - who’s
e.g.
• He's not answering the phone = He is not answering the phone
• He's from France = He is from France
• She's my friend = She is my friend
• It's going to be a rainy day = It is going to be a rainy day
• What's that? = What is that?
• What's the matter? = What is the matter?
• Where's my wallet? = Where is my wallet?
• How’s your trip? = How is your trip?
• Who's that? = Who is that?
• Who's calling? = Who is calling?

▪ Am
I am = I’m

e.g. I’ m a student. = I am a student.

I’m a fashion designer. = I am a fashion designer.
▪ Are
you are = you’ re they are = they’re
We are = we’re there are = there’re

e.g.
• You're supposed to be there at eight = You are supposed to be there
at eight
• We're meeting them at nine = We are meeting them at nine
▪ Has
He has = he’s there has = there’s where has = where’s
She has = she’s that has = that’s how has = how’s
It has = it’ s what has = what’s who has = who’s
e.g.
• He's been my friend = He has been my friend
• She's been to the store = She has been to the store
• It's been fun = It has been fun
• Who's taken my keys? = Who has taken my keys?
▪ Have
I have = I’ve they have = they’ve
you have = you’ve we have = we’ve

e.g.
• I've got something to say = I have got something to say
• You've seen her before, haven't you? = You have seen her before,
haven't you?
• We've seen that movie already = We have that movie already
▪ Had
I had - I’d we had – we’d what had - what’d
you had - you’d who had - who’d that had - that’d
he had - he’d they had - they’ d

e.g.
• You'd better watch out! = You had better watch out!
• We'd better be getting back = We had better be getting back
• He'd better be more careful = He had better be more careful
▪ Will
I will - I’ll she will – she’ll they will - they’ll
You will - you’ll it will - it’ll what will - what’ll
He will - he’ll we will -we’ll there will - there’ll
e.g.
• We'll be there in a little while.
• She'll be riding a white horse.
• He'll see you now.
• I’ll be right back.
▪ Would
I would - I’d it would - it’d what would - what’d
You would - you’d we would - we’d there would - there’d
He would - he’d they would - they’d

e.g.
• It'd be a nice thing to do = It would be a nice thing to do
• What'd be the best thing to do? = What would be the best thing to do?
• That'd be nice = That would be nice
▪ Not
is not - isn’t shall not - shan’t does not - doesn’t
Are not - aren’t should not - shouldn’t did not - didn’t
Was not - wasn’t cannot - can’t must not - mustn’t
Were not - weren’t could not - couldn’t may not - mayn’t
Has not - hasn’t will not - won’t might not - mightn’t
Have not - haven’t would not - wouldn’t need not - needn’t
Had not - hadn’t do not - don’t
e.g.
• He hasn't been here in a long time.
• He isn't here now.
• I don't know when he will be here.
• He doesn't know when he will get here.
• I won't know until he gets here.
• I haven't been told.
• I wouldn't tell you if I knew.