12 words you might be mispronouncing

You will probably find this post useful if: 1. Youre a teacher of English. 2. English is not your native language. 3. You have recently made the transition from advanced student to teacher. 4. You suspect that you might still make a few pronunciation mistakes, which never get corrected. Heres a list of some of the most common pronunciation mistakes I have heard in over fifteen years of lesson observation: 1. OK, guys, lets work on the pronunciation of the TH sound now. Maybe youre saying /prnnsien/, with the nun sounding like noun. You should say /prnnsien/. The nun is pronounced like sun. The verb is to pronounce /prnns/. 2. This course will help you get ready for the most important Cambridge exam. Maybe youre saying /kmbrd/ - /k/ as in cat. You should say /kembrd/ /kem/as in same. The same applies to dangerous /dendrs/, for example. 3. You learned this in basic 2, remember? Maybe youre saying /bezk/, with a z sound. You should say /besk/ with an s sound. 4. This will help you increase your vocabulary! Same thing: /s/ NOT /z/. When increase is a verb, the stress usually falls on the second syllable. When its a noun, the first syllable is usually stressed. 5. Can we check use of English, exercise 2, now? When use is a noun, the s is pronounced s: /jus/ 6. Now lets try this communicative activity. Maybe youre saying /kmjun.k.tv/, with the stress on the third

syllable (ni). You should say /kmju.n.k.tv/ in British English OR /kmjunketv/ in American English. In both cases, the stress falls on the second syllable (mu). 7. Is this a noun or an adjective? Maybe youre saying adjective, with the stress on jec. You should say/dektv/, with the stress on the first syllable (ad), NOT on the second one. The same applies to adverb. 8. What kind of pronoun is this? Maybe youre saying pronoun, with the stress on the second syllable. You should say/pronan/ or /prnan/, with the stress on the first syllable. 9. Now fill in the blanks using the correct possessive pronouns. Maybe youre saying: /psesv/, with an /s/ sound and the stress on the first syllable. You should say/pzesv/, with a /z/ sound and the stress on the second syllable. 10. What color is that? Maybe youre saying: /kl(r)/ or /klr/. If so, what youre saying is collar. You should say /kl(r)/. The // is the vowel sound in sun, bus, and mother. 11. Can I have another volunteer, please? Same thing: Say /n(r)/ rather than /nr/. Remember: The // is the vowel sound in color. Practice saying another color fast, without changing the vowel sound. 12. Use the code on the last page to access the website. Maybe youre saying access, with the stress on the second syllable. You should say /kses/, with the stress on the first syllable, for both the verb and the noun.