About English Sounds

What happens with the English consonants don't exist in the mother tongue?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:38:00 PDT

It is true that some English consonants do not exist within the mother tongue of many languages across the globe.

When this happens, it presents real challenges to the emerging English speaker. They are likely to use a sound that approximates to or is made in a similar spot to the English sound.

This causes confusion to the ears of their listeners.

Learning professionals in the fields of language, voice and speech know this. They have identified which sounds are appromiated, which sounds are confused and which sounds simply don't exist.

With attention, focus and practice it is possible to learn the sounds, recognise the spelling combinations they may attract, and replicate them accurately in emerging English speakers.

Resources and learning tools are available to help you learn, practise and integrate the sounds into your spoken English. Contact me to find out more.

English consonants - Where and how they are made

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:35:13 PDT

In July 2011, I listed the family of consonants in English via the the quality of their sound. Here they are again.

This time they are listed according to where they are made. As you explore the list, imagine that I am moving from the front of face into the mouth travelling towards the rear of the mouth and throat.

In all cases, the technical term is followed by an explanation and the sound or sound pairs in words:

bi-labial (both lips) as in put and butter; mountain; and the semi-vowel represented by w and wh

labio-dental (top teeth and bottom lip) as in fine and vine

pre-dental (tongue tip and top teeth) as in with and then

alveolar (dental ridge and tongue tip or tongue blade in a range of complete or partial connections) as in ten and den; said and zest; nest; ran; limit, William and well

palato-alveolar (towards rear of dental ridge and tongue blade) as in shall and pleasure; church and judge

palatal (central hard palate and central tongue) in the semi-vowel represented by the letter y as in yellow and yacht

velar (uvula and the back of the tongue) as in king and gun; and the sound represented by the letters ng in words like king, fang and song

glottal (back of the throat and just above the vocal folds) as in hello

It is normal for people who speak several languages to approximate these sounds to ones that they use in their mother tongue and those that are most familiar to them.

Of interest is that people who are learning English for the first time will hear some of these sounds differently cmpared with many native English speakers.

It is common practise to teach the sounds of the language through both the quality of the sound and the place of its creation. Yes, it is a slow process, but worth the time and effort.

Explore more about accent adjustments and make contact with me to discuss your individual requirements.

Pronunciation Offer - Multi-Syllable Feedback

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:28:38 PDT

This follows my recent article about stress in English.

Words of 3 and more syllables can be problematic, particularly if you’ve grown up knowing one pronunciation and you find yourself in a country where the stress is different from your custom.

Here is my offer to you: Via email, send me a list of twenty words that you struggle with, stumble over or are unsure of when you speak. In your email, include your name, a skype name or contact number in Australia.

Then, record these words via +61 3 8610 0193. I’ll get back to you with some feedback and we can even have a chat about how to make future changes to the way you use stress in English.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Stress in Multi-Syllable Words

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:45:19 PDT

This follows my recent blog article about stress in English. Words of 3 and more syllables can be problematic, particularly if you’ve grown up knowing one pronunciation and you find yourself in a country where the stress convention is different from your custom.

Here is my offer to you: Via email, send me a list of twenty words that you struggle with, stumble over or are unsure of when you speak.

In your email, include your name, a skype name or contact number in Australia.

Then, record your twenty words (or use these ones) via +61 3 8610 0193 and remember to send me your details via email.

I’ll get back to you with some feedback and we can even have a chat about how to make future changes to your pronunciation, enunciation and the way you use stress in English.

I look forward to hearing from you!

The Neutral Vowel and Stress in English

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:55:34 PDT

The neutral vowel, also called the 'shwa', arises in words where no stress on the vowel is present. Let me explain.

There are three types of stress in English words:

Full stress occurs, where the voice gives weight to the entire vowel sound so that it is audible and dominant e.g. wave; view; sat; sift; perch, also implicit, important and effective
Half stress occurs, where the voice gives partial weight to the vowel sound so that it is audible but not dominant in the word. Half stress occurs in words of two or more syllables e.g. implicit; important; effective
No stress occurs, when the voice glides over the actual vowel sound and reduces or neutralises it. No stress occurs in words of two and more syllables such as about, feather, measure and also in implicit, important, effective

Listen to this as an example of how to manage the stress in these words.

For more information about when, where and how to use stress in English, contact me via the Voice & Word website

Semi-Vowels - Why are they called this?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:30:54 PDT

There are two semi-vowels in English:

The sound (or sounds) represented by the letters wh and w as in which, where, why and want, wine, weather

The sound represented by the letter y as in yonder, yesterday, year, yellow and yacht.

They are identified as semi-vowels because they are neither full vowels (where the tongue position in relation to the hard palate combined with the shape of the lips influence the quality of the sound) nor full consonants (where two organs of speech come together, fully or in part, to create a unique sound).

In some English speaking countries you will still hear the difference between wh (which is voiceless and aspirated) and w (which is voiced). In others, there is no marked difference between these two sounds.

English Consonants - Quality of sound

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:10:32 PDT

As mentioned previously, we can categorise consonants via the quality of their sound. Here is the full list of English consonants listed via alphabetic letters (rather than phonetic symbols) in relation to their quality of sound. In each list the voiceless preceeds the voiced sound:

Plosive put butter; ten den; king gun;

Fricative fine vine; with then; said zest; shall pleasure; hello;

Affricative church judge;

Nasal mountain; nest; and king (voiced through nose)

Rolled ran (voiced)

Lateral limit William well (voiced)

It is important to be aware that regional differences occur across the English-speaking world. Take these into account when working with spoken English in your country and city

Of interest is that people who are learning English for the first time will hear some of these sounds differently cmpared with many native English speakers. For instance, the lateral sound can be influenced by its proximity to some vowels and consonants; this accounts for some of the differences in the quality of the sound that occur. It can be most confusing to new learners of the language!

Explore more about accent adjustments and make contact with me to discuss your individual requirements.

Consonants - Voiceless and Voiced

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:37:38 PDT

Consonants are often described as the backbone of the language. In spoken English, they are responsible for giving meaning to the language. A rough 'rule of thumb' is this, if the consonants are clear and complete it is likely that the speaker will be understood.

Consonants can be categorised according to the presence of voice, the quality of their sound and to the physical location where they are created in the vocal mechanism.

When it comes to quality of sound, we find a group of voiced and voiceless consonants in English. This means that the output and location of the sound being made is the same except for the presence or lack of voice in the final result.

This is a confusing concept for many language speakers where all consonants are given voice. The voiced and voiceless consonants are given here in pairs. In this list, the voiceless consonant appears first, followed by the voiced equivalent of the sound:

put          butter
ten          den
come      go
church    judge
full          very
thin         then
some      zeal
ship        pleasure

For more information, visit this page on the Voice & Word website.

If you struggle with any of these sounds, feel free to submit an audio snapshot of this list to me.

You can listen here to the words and sounds.

Sounds in English - two vowel sounds blend and make a dipthong

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:09:00 PST

To complete the family of vowel sounds, you will hear diphthongs in English. This is where two vowel sounds are blended to create a new vowel sound. You can learn to detect these sounds by listening closely.

Dipthongs are captured in this nonsense sentence:

Go play now my boy; here, there, more, sure!

Once again, the shifting positions of the tongue combined with the mouth aperture and lip movement influence the quality of the sound.

Open this link to hear me saying the sentence and the individual sounds.

You may find that, depending on where you live and work, there will be significant changes to some of the sound qualities within the sentence. You're simply observing regional differences in the way that English sounds are made across the globe.

If you'd like to know more, leave me a voice message on +613 8610 0193 or send me an email with your request.

The following links take you to information relating to clear speech and accent adjustment.

Sounds in English - the long vowel sounds

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:53:00 PST

The long, single vowel sounds in English are captured in this nonsense sentence:

Far fleas flew for her

Notice how your mouth opens and your lips move as you say these single long vowel sounds. As your voice sustains the sound, and gives it length, the mouth and lips remain in position to complete the sound. Once again, the placement of the tongue in the mouth, plus the shape of the mouth aperture and the lips contribute to the unique quality of each sound.

If you open this link, you can hear me saying the sentence and the individual sounds.

If you'd like to know more, leave me a voice message on +613 8610 0193 or send me an email with your request.

The following links take you to information relating to clear speech and accent adjustment.

About English Sounds - The short vowel sounds

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:41:11 PST

The short vowel sounds in English are captured in this nonsense sentence:

Let's put hats in hot huts

Notice how your mouth opens and your lips move as you say the individual short vowel sounds. It is the combination of the position of the tongue in the mouth, plus the shape of the mouth and the lips that contribute to the unique quality of each sound.

If you open this link, you can hear me saying the sentence and the individual sounds.

If you'd like to know more, leave me a voice message on +613 8610 0193 or send me an email with your request.

The following links take you to information relating to clear speech and accent adjustment.

Sounds in English - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:58:55 PST

Welcome to this reference and resource.

As a voice, speech and spoken word practitioner, I have long desired to share practical information that helps people achieve clarity in the way they sound when English is their second or third language.

As you work through this material, please remember that your accent is a central component of your identity. It gives people an audio snapshot of your background, origins and life context; they have a sense of knowing something about you that is unique, unusual and very much part of you. Therefore, aim to achieve overall sharpness and clarity rather than specific, pure sound changes. This will help your speech sound authentic, natural and will be easy for you to manage.

As you work through this material I recommend that, for best results, aim first for clarity, second for a rich, full voice and third for accuracy in the sound. This approach preserves your identity while ensuring that you can be clearly heard and your message interpreted in the way you intend it to be.

If you have any questions, get in touch with me via email:sandra@voice-word.com.au Alternatively, you can call +613 8610 0193 and leave a message with your contact number. I am also available on skype - invite me to connect with you.

The information that I'm sharing with you is generic and thus close in sound and execution to what was known as standard or received English in the 1960's. I am only using that system, because we have to start somewhere. This strategy in no way positions that particular way of speaking English as the benchmark for current times. Rather, it is a starting point for you to identify each sound and groups of sounds. From this point you're able to explore how the sound has been adapted in the English-speaking environment where you currently live and work.

And remember, if you come across a sound you're unsure of, one that is used in your region or geographic area, please get in touch. I'd be happy to explore its usage with you.

Let's begin with general information about the sounds in the English language.

Vowel Sounds in English can be short, long and blended into new families of sounds. It is often said that vowels provide the music of the language. It is through the vowel sounds that we hear the uniqueness of each language, including English. Vowels are often represented by the letters a e i o and u. But they are not exclusively attached to these letters. When combined with other letters, including consonants, this is an indication that the quality of the sound has changed.

Consonants are sounds that are captured in the remaining letters of the written alphabet. These sounds are said to give the language its meaning. If the consonants in everyday words are clear, you are likely to be understood by people around you even if you believe your spoken English requires more work! Consonants are often described as giving language its backbone.

Here is an example:

Take the nursery rhyme 'Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?'
Separate the vowels from the consonants so you get aa aa a ee a ou a=y oo...
Separate the consonants from the vowels so you get b b blk shp hv y n wl

If you test it on people around you, you'll find they are most likely able to guess what you are saying when you use the consonants not the vowels!

Vowels and consonants are blended together in spoken words much as they are formed into words, phrases and finally sentences in written contexts. Your challenge is that the spelling in English does not always reflect how the word should be said.

In spoken contexts in English we also use stress to indicate how a word should be pronounced. You'll find that half-stress, full stress and no stress exist in English. Any good dictionary will include these stress marks in their pronunication guide so that you know just where the weight of the voice falls in the pronunciation.

Shortly, I will build a link to a pdf so that you can download more about stress and listen to an audio capture of some common words that demonstrate half, full and no stress in them.

On additional pages of this blog you'll find phonetic symbols most commonly used in the Collins or Oxford dictionary references plus links to the sounds that they represent.

Feel free to contact me via sandra@voice-word.com.au or leave a message on +613 8610 0193 to request specific help.