IPAand the sounds of

English

ENGLISH ALPHABET

Has 26 letters: 5 vowels and 21 consonants

Has 35 sounds: 11 vowels and 24 consonants

International Phonetic Alphabet

It is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation-based primarily on the Latin alphabet.

It is a pronunciation alphabet in which every speech sound is represented by a symbol.

It was devised by the International Phonetic Association as a standardized representation of the sounds of spoken language.

PHONETIC ROMAN

Aims at accurate listening and pronunciation

Aims at correct spelling, writing to facilitate the reading of texts

Represents sounds thru symbols

Uses a fixed number of letter

Transcribes a word into the corresponding sound

Writes words according to the conventions of spelling

Demands listening to the pronunciation to transcribe the sound

Necessitates memorizing the spelling and consulting the dictionary

Vowels: Minimal Pair

1. peel – pill2. fleet – flit3. weak – wick4. pause – pose5. neat – knit6. heap - hip

Vowels: Minimal Pair

1. dean – den2. meat – met3. bead – bed4. sweet – sweat5. seal – sell

Vowels: Minimal Pair

1. map – mop2. rat – rot3. black – block4. sack – sock5. battle – bottle

Vowels: Minimal Pair

tang – tongue mad – mud cat – cut lack – luck bag – bug

Vowels: Minimal Pair

stewed – stood fool – full cooed – could cool – cook shoot – shook Luke - look

Diphthongs: Minimal Pair

paint – pint day – dye lay – lie bay – buy gay – guy tray – try main - mine

Diphthongs: Minimal Pair

boat – bout coach – couch load – loud though – thou poach – pouch rote – route know - now

Organs of Speech

Lips (labio/labial)› bounded by the cheeks, chin, and nose

Teeth (dento/dental)› sounds involving “lip & teeth” and “tongue &

teeth”

Alveolar ridge (alveolo/alveolar)› teeth or gum ridge

Hard palate (palato/palatal)› anterior roof of mouth

Organs of Speech

Velum (velo/velar) - soft palate› mucous membrane continuous with hard palate

Uvula – loose hanging end of the soft palate

Tongue (lingua/lingual)› most important of the articulators

Mandible (mandibulo/mandibular) - lower jaw› regulates the size of opening beneath teeth

Consonant sounds

Unlike vowel sounds, consonant sounds are produced with either partial or complete obstruction in the mouth.

Voiced consonants are produced with vibrations of the vocal cords, while voiceless consonant sounds are divided into seven groups.

Stops

In producing them, the air is stopped in the mouth and then released immediately.

Bilabial stops

voiceless / p / as in pin

voiced / b / as in bin

Alveolar stops

voiceless / t / as in tin

voiced / d / as in din

Velar stops

voiceless / k / as in kill

voiced / g / as in gill

Review

pill bill prim brim

crane grain coat goat

trill drill tip dip

punch bunch cram gram

Fricatives

produced by allowing the air to pass through a small passage, thereby producing friction.

Labio-dental

voiceless / f / as in fan

voiced / v / as in van

Inter-dental fricativesvoiceless / / as in thinvoiced / / as in then

Glottal fricatives

voiceless / h / as in hug, hymn, hope

Alveolar fricatives

voiceless / s / as in sip

voiced / z / as in zip

Palatal fricativesvoiceless / / as in assurevoiced / / as in azure

Review

thin then thigh thy

fault vault sip zip

leash liege fat vat

theme them hail home

Affricates

It is a combination of a stop and a fricative. The two sounds are produced so rapidly that they are heard as a unit.

Voiceless / / as in cheer Voiced / / as in jeer

Practice

chest jest batch badge

chunk junk etch edge

choke joke rich ridge

Nasals

Sounds pass through the nose rather than through the mouth. All nasals are voiced.

Bilabial nasal

/ m / as in meat, drum, mum

Alveolar nasal

/ n / as in nun, own, noun

Velar nasal/ / as in sing, tang, ink

Review

moon mail mouth

noun nail knee

tang sing think

Alveolar lateral

It is produced by pressing the tongue against the alveolar ridge and letting the sound pass through the sides of the tongue.

/ l / as in leave, spell, lull

Retroflex

It is produced by letting the sound pass between the hard palate and the slightly rolled tip of the tongue.

/ r / as in rare, boar, roar

Semivowels or Glides

Bilabial semivowel

/ w / as in win, wet, woe

Pre-palatal semivowel

/ j / as in yell, union, uniform

Let’s EXERCIS

E!

The “th” sound—as in think, bathroom, and teeth

Place the tip of your tongue between your upper and lower teeth.

Don’t put it between your lips. Make the sound by forcing air through

the opening between your teeth and tongue.

Don’t vibrate your vocal cords.

Exercise 1: Word repetition

Listen to these words and repeat.

Thursday without teeththink bathroom paththird nothing methodthrow breathless boothThelma mythology wrath

Exercise 2: Minimal pairs Listen to the following word pairs. Repeat

them, being careful to make the distinction between the two sounds.

three free thin sinThor soar pass pathboth boat fought thoughttore Thor moth

mossfrilled thrilled three free

Exercise 3: Phrases with “th”

You will hear phrases of words that either contain the sound “th” or do not.

As you listen to each phrase, write “Yes” if you hear “th,” and “No” if you do not.

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

1. Geoffrey saw the ( pass, path ) and took it.

2. Thora and Thelma read all about the ( trees, threes ).

3. After the rain, his ( booths, boots ) were covered with mud.

4. All the students saw the ( free, three ) men and applauded.

5. The new manager really liked his new (theme, team ).

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

6. That man was ____________________ when I saw him.

7. Paula and John were ____________________ by the Halloween costumes.

8. The little girl had a big ____________________.

9. My ____________________ are no good.10. The baseball player had a hot

____________________.

The “TH” sound—as in those, mother, and soothe

Place the tip of your tongue between your upper and lower teeth.

Don’t put it between your lips. Make the sound by forcing air through

the opening between your teeth and your tongue.

Vibrate your vocal cords to make “TH.” The difference between “TH” and “th” is that the first is voiced and the second, voiceless.

Exercise 1: Word repetition

than although sheathethose mother loathethere father teethethem northern soothethy whether

seethe

Exercise 2: Minimal pairs

than Dan breathing breeding

father fodder dare thereeither ether clothing closingteething teasing thy thighthose doze thy die

Exercise 3: Phrases with “TH”

You will hear phrases of words that either contain the sound “TH” or do not.

As you listen to each phrase, write “Yes” if you hear “TH,” and “No” if you do not.

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

1. They were ( breathing, breeding ) like rabbits.

2. I don’t enjoy getting ( ether, either ) at all.

3. When exactly will ( they, day ) come?4. My neighbors ( soothe, sued ) me

often.5. I don’t think that essay is ( worthy,

wordy).

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

6. He can spell ____________________ very well.

7. All my children like her ____________________.

8. His writing became ____________________ after each paragraph.

9. The little girls are ____________________.10. The snake is beginning to

____________________.

The “p” and “f” sound—as in pat and fat

For “p,” have your two lips touching, like in “b,” except make it voiceless.

For “f,” put your top teeth onto your bottom lip, and make a sound exactly like “v” except voiceless.

Exercise 1: Word repetition—

Pat fat telephonepunish furnish peripheryapart afar

photographcouple TOEFL*

philosophypupil fulfill phosphor

Exercise 2: Minimal pairs

pine fine supper sufferpeel feel copy coffeeopen often pew fewpork fork cheap chiefdepend defend cups cuffs

Exercise 3: Phrases with “f”—

You will hear phrases of words that either contain the sound “f” or do not.

As you listen to each phrase, write “Yes” if you hear “f,” and “No” if you do not.

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

1. He saw a ( pile, file ) of books on the desk.

2. The guard is keeping the ( pork, fork ).3. I’m trying not to ( pry, fry ).4. They wondered when they were going

to ( supper, suffer ).5. The ( coffee, copy ) machine is broken

again.

Exercise 4: Minimal pair distinction

6. We ____________________ the orange.7. You are ____________________ me again.8. His ____________________ were stolen

last night.9. John did the ____________________ thing

at the conference.10. The ____________________ looks

wonderful on the table.

The “b” and “v” sound—as in bat and vat

bat vatbile vile

base vaseban van

bend vendbane vaneberry very

bet vetbest vest

Exercise 2: Minimal pair distinction

1. That’s a very big ( bat, vat ).2. What does “( bet, vet )” mean?3. He ran to the ( base, vase ).4. What’s another word for “( bow,

vow)”?5. Does this word start with a “( B,

V )”?

Exercise 2: Minimal pair distinction

6. How do you spell “( berry, very )”?7. Did you say “( best, vest )?”8. How do you say “( ban, van )” in

Japanese?9. He tried to buy my ( boat, vote ).10. Could you explain the word

“(bending, vending )”?

PAIR DICTATION