книги / Основы английской фонетики для будущих переводчиков

ПРАКТИЧЕСКАЯ ЧАСТЬ. УПРАЖНЕНИЯ

I. ENGLISH VOWEL SOUNDS. SHORT VOWELS

Study the comparative position of organs of speech while pronouncing short vowel sounds. Copy in front of a mirror and practise your position.

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PRACTICE 1

The sound [æ] – open jaw, open loose lips, almost flat tongue at the bottom of the mouth pressed at the back of bottom teeth.

-Let’s have a chat about that cat.

-My cat?

-Yes, ... erm ... it's too fat.

-Well, it is a bit fat. But it's ... mm ... a very happy cat.

NB! EVERY EXERCISE SHOULD BE PRACTISED MULTIPLE TIMES BOTH AT HOME AND IN CLASS WITH A MIRROR

1. Read the names:

Adam – Ann – Andy – Albert – Allen – Annabelle – Andrew – Anthony – Ashley – Gabriel – Janet – Diana – Harry – Garry – Larry – Jack – Matthew – Daniel – Bradley – Frank

2.Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

language – salad – habit – travel – absent – sandwich – contract – cancelled – animals Africa – antelope – passenger – alligator – advertise traffic – carry – can – has – have – hasn’t – haven’t – hand – happen – happy – fashion family – camera – January – Saturday – madam – plan – salmon – caviar

ash – act – actor – actress – action – pack – bad – bag – van – map – thank – that

Arab – Arabic – alley – angry – Paris – marry – standard – narrow

3.Read paying attention to the articulation of the sound [æ] in unstressed position.

Cash – Cashier /kæˈʃɪə(r)/ Can – Canteen /kænˈtiːn/ Ann – Antique /ænˈtiːk/

Camp – Campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ Act – Activity /ækˈtɪvəti/

Sham. Champagne /ʃæmˈpeɪn/ shampoo /ʃæmˈpuː/

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Am. Ambition /æmˈbɪʃn/ Ambassador /æmˈbæsədə(r)/ Fan. Fantastic /fænˈtæstɪk/

Tax. Syntax /ˈsɪntæks/ Back. Feedback /ˈfiːdbæk/ Jack. Hijack /ˈhaɪdʒæk/

Gram. Programme /ˈprəʊɡræm/

4. Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

A black cat sat on a mat and ate a fat rat.

A black fat cat was sad that he couldn’t grab a slice of ham.

It could be quite a challenge to manage a marriage. As a habit, I add some tomato to my hamburger. Too bad!

What’s that?

PRACTICE 2

The sound [e] – the jaw is approximately half open, tip of the tongue is behind the bottom teeth, the front of the tongue coming to about ¾ of the way up. The sound is pronounced in the front of the mouth.

-Is this milk fresh?

-Yes. Everything in this fridge is fresh.

1. Read the names:

Adele – Emma – Emily – Ben – Gerald – Geoffrey – Leonard – Dennis – Heather – Henry Jeremy – Terry – Jesse – Edward – Kevin – Melanie – Presley – Vanessa – Makenzie

2. Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

echo – peasant– desert (n) – demo – cleric – Greenwich – heaven– ebony– stereo

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century – legacy – cleanliness – emphasize – emphasis – everything – anything

leopard – jeopardy – leather – weather – pleasure – measure – treasure – leisure

sensible – ketchup – embassy – terrible – extra – expert – excerpt lecturer – editor – episode – delegate – devil – several

detective – pretend – intent – attempt – percent – percentage

effect – event – attend – instead – success – suspense – cassette – address

3.Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

All is well that ends well. Are you a friend of Emma’s?

Have you met my friend Adele yet, Kevin? It settles the question.

Nell has never felt better.

French women are very well-dressed.

It’s a real pleasure to rest on a nice leather sofa.

A red leather jacket was well presented on the display.

The weather was wet and windy when the men were mending the fence. Educated men have always measured every word they said.

I can resist anything except temptation.

4.Read the dialogue.

An Expensive Holiday

Eddie: Hello, Ellen! Hello, Ben. Hello, Jenny!

Ben: Hello, Eddie! Have a cigarette.

Eddie: Thanks, Ben.

Ellen: Help yourself to some Hennessy.

Jenny: It’s on the shelf.

Ben: How did you spend your holiday, Eddie?

Eddie: I went to America with a friend.

Everybody: Well!

Ellen: We are all jealous.

Ben: Was it expensive?

Eddie: Yes. Very. I’ve spent everything.

Jenny: Haven’t you any money left?

Eddie: Yes, Jenny– ten pence!

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NB! 5. Read the following. Distinguish between the sounds [e] and [æ]- Mind the positional length of vowels:

[e] to [æ]

Men – man Beg – bag Pet – pat Pen – pan Ten – tan Said – sad

Kettle – candle Bread – brand Set – sat Lend – land

Together – gather

[æ] to [e]

Had – head Mat – met Bag – beg Pack – peck Land – lend Marry – merry Can – ken Pat – pet Pan – pen Cattle – kettle

Expand – expect

PRACTICE 3

The sound [ʌ] – the jaw is quite wide open, almost as in [a:], but not quite. The middle of the tongue rises in the centre of the mouth, just a little, relaxed. Lips are relaxed.

–I’m hungry. How much money’s in the hat?

–Nothing.

–Nothing? I’m hungry too.

–Oh shut up! Everybody’s hungry.

1. Read the names:

Douglas – Justin – Russel – Chuck – Humphrey - Huxley

2. Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

upper – luck – truck – nun – tunnel – hundred – rugby – vulgar – punctual – ultra – multi

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dust – hum – thumb – dumb – lung – pulse – result – insult – plumber – none – once

come – worry – front – cover – dozen – tongue – ton – some – rough – tough – couple enough – southern – govern – monk – among – glove – stomach – thorough – money

3. Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

When you come to lunch in London on Sunday, remember to bring some money.

There are a number of nuns among us.

For someone with a love of money the sum of one hundred pounds was not enough.

Bud, love! Don’t worry! The victory is in front of us.

4. Read the dialogue:

Russ: Honey, why are you so sad? (Janet says nothing).

Honey, why are you so unhappy? I don’t understand. Janet: You don’t love me, Russ.

Russ: But honey, I love you very much.

Janet: That’s untrue. You love my cousin – Sunny. You think, she’s lovely and I am ugly.

Russ: Janet, just once last month I took Sunny out to lunch.

You mustn’t worry. I like your company much better than Sunny’s. Janet: Oh, shut up, Russ.

Russ: But honey, I think you are wonderful. You mustn’t… Janet: Oh, shut up…

NB! Distinguish between [ʌ] and [æ]. Mind their difference in the position of the bulk of the tongue, the variation in height and the difference in the opening between the jaws:

a 'Russian ‘stamp a 'black ‘cupboard a 'lovely ‘hat

a 'flat ‘cover

a 'sudden ‘bang an 'African ‘hut a 'dozen ‘apples a 'damp ‘rug

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PRACTICE 4

The sound [ɒ] – the lips are coming forward a little bit, but not too tight. The jaw is reasonably relaxed and quite open and the back of the tongue is slightly rising. The sound is pronounced in the back of the mouth. Imagine holding a ping-pong ball in your mouth and trying to spit it out.

–What’s wrong?

–I’ve got a really bad backache.

–I’m sorry to hear that.

1. Read the names:

Oliver – Oscar – Ostin – Poppy – Florence – Holly – Thomas – Joshua – John – Bobby Robert – Donald – Dorothy – Scott – Roger – Doris – Robin – Ross

NB! Note that in the American accent [ɒ] often tends to sound like [a:]

2.Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

odd – document - polish – lobster – proper – obvious – promise – knock – often – wrong not – lot – gone – cough – doctor – cost – Scotch – loss – respond – beyond – modern

quality – quantity – wallet – yacht – warrior – waffle – squat – wand – because

hostile – honour – horizontal – origin – oxygen

3.Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

A lot of odd documents in strong boxes are locked in the office. Sorry, I’ve forgotten my wallet in the shop.

Can I wash my cotton socks in the long pond? What do you want?

What’s wrong with Ostin? Don’t go to the wrong doctor.

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The doctor promised to watch Tommy’s cough and after four days the cough stopped.

The conversation in the office was moderated by the boss.

Roger and Robin often spend their holiday in Scotland in October. All I want is a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee pot!

4. Read the dialogue:

-What does that model cost? -Mm.

-This modern model?	-What have you got?
-What does it cost?	-Er… Not a lot.
-Oh, not a lot.	-Mm.

5. Ask a partner:

Have you ever lost your way? Have you ever been to hospital? Have you ever won a competition? Have you ever lost consciousness?

Have you ever got locked up in a lift? Have you ever got an anonymous letter? Have you ever got off at the wrong stop? Have you ever seen Hong Kong dollars?

PRACTICE 5

The sound [u] – lips rounded and forward a little, not as forward as in the long sound [u:]. The jaw is almost closed, but not quite. The back of the tongue is fairly high in the back of the mouth.

-Could you tell me where you’ve put my book? -Isn’t it on the bookshelf?

-No, the bookshelf is full of your cookery books. -Then you should look in the bedroom, shouldn’t you?

1. Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

good – look – book – wool – wood – wolf – stood – woman – hook – foot – cookie

should – could – would – whom – cushion – bull – full – push – butcher – bullet

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2. Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

Good looks. Put some sugar.

Put my foot in it*. By hook or by crook.

Look at another woman.

Could you put this good Worcester wool in the wooden chest? The butcher saw a wolf looking in every nook for the fallen rook. Our cook couldn’t cook without looking in the cookery book.

If you are preparing a pudding, you must have sugar and a good cookery book.

PRACTICE 6

The sound [ı] – the front of the tongue comes high in the front of the mouth, not quite as high as the long [i:] and just a fraction back. The sound is somewhat between the Russian sounds [и] and [ы].

-Excuse me, when’s the next train to Liverpool? -Six fifty.

-Which platform? -Platform six.

1. Read the names:

Bill – Philip – Brittany – Vincent – William – Dylan – Christian – Virginia – Nick – Cynthia Timothy – Kimberly – Richard – Linda – Hilary

2. Read the words (consult Oxford Learner’s DICTIONARY if necessary):

mini – pity – dinner – inner – picture – bitter – vivid – video – visit – consider – issue whisper – mirror – minute – scissors – driven – risen – ridden – shiver – lizard – rhythm – guinea /ˈɡɪni/ – sinister – hypocrite – biblical – wilderness – liquor /ˈlɪkə(r)/- vicar /ˈvɪkə(r)/

lynx – lyrics – gymnast – crypt – synonym – hymn – symbol – symptom depict – forbid – omit – amid – within – equip – violin

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Word elements. Word beginnings stressed

interactive – kilogramme – millisecond – mispronounce – misunderstand unstressed

believe – before – begin– behind– below – reform – repeat – remember enclose – empower – ecology – economy – enough– example – exact – escape

eleven – electric – mistake – decide – develop – delicious – denote prepare – preserve – preside – implosive – irregular – indignity – involve

Word endings

-age – manage/ˈmænɪdʒ/ cottage/ˈkɒtɪdʒ/ orange /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ carriage / ˈkærɪdʒ/

village /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ cabbage /ˈkæbɪdʒ/ passage /ˈpæsɪdʒ/ image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ -ed -d -es –s – started dances washes married marries memories

NB!

doctrine /ˈdɒktrɪn/ lettuce /ˈletɪs/ prophet /ˈprɒfɪt/ (profit) surface / ˈsɜːfɪs/ porcelain /ˈpɔːsəlɪn/ banquet /ˈbæŋkwɪt/ passenger / ˈpæsɪndʒə(r)/ orchestra /ˈɔːkɪstrə/ syringe /sɪˈrɪndʒ/ promise /ˈprɒmɪs / determine /dɪˈtɜːmɪn/

3. Read the phrases. Look out for the sound in focus:

Those lettuces taste like cabbages.

I can’t stay a little longer in this miserable little pit!

Tim Grim is a solid, respectable man and is a pillar of society. This simple thing, a wedding ring, is a symbol, the oldest in history.

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Here’s a first-rate opportunity To get married with impunity To indulge in the felicity

Of unbounded domesticity.

You shall quickly be personified, Conjugally matrimonified

By a doctor of divinity Who resides in this vicinity.

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