LPE2301 ACADEMIC INTERACTION & PRESENTATION

SEMESTER 2, 2020/2021
LECTURE NOTES 1 (WEEK 1 – 2)

Recognising the Phonetic Symbols: Consonants, Vowels and Diphthongs

The topics included in this lecture notes are:

1. The Sound System

a. Consonants
b. Vowels
c. Diphthongs
2. Correct pronunciation of commonly used words in discussions
3. Phonetic Symbols: Further practices

1. The Sound System

Language learners need to identify the phonetic symbols which represent the sounds.
Generally, the sounds can be categorized into three classes.

A. Consonants

No. Sound Word

1. /p/ /pen/ pen /kæp/ cap

2. /b/ /bæɡ/ bag /rɒb/ rob
3. /t/ /tʌn/ ton /fɪt/ fit
4. /d/ /dʌk/ duck /fiːd/ feed
5. /k/ /kʊk/ cook /dɑːk/ dark
6. /g/ /ɡɜːl/ girl /flæɡ/ flag
7. /ʈʃ/ /tʃuːz/ choose /wɒtʃ/ watch
8. /dʒ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /eɪdʒ/ age
9. /f/ /fʊl/ full /biːf/ beef
10. /v/ /vest/ vest /lɪv/ live
11. /θ/ /θɪŋk/ think /feɪθ/ faith
12. /ð/ /ðəʊz/ those /ˈfɑːðə(r)/ father
13. /s/ /skweə(r)/ square /ˈsaɪləns/ silence

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 14. /z/ /zɪp/ zip /nəʊz/ nose
15. /ʃ/ /ʃɜːt/ shirt /rʌʃ/ rush
16. /ʒ/ /ˈʒɒnrə/ genre /ˈvɪʒ.u.əl/ visual
17. /h/ /haɪ/ high /help/ help
18. /m/ /ˈmʌðər/ mother /hɑːm/ harm
19. /n/ /nəʊ/ know /tɜːn/ turn
20. /ŋ/ /lɒŋ/ long /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/ morning
21. /l/ /liːp/ leap /bɔɪl/ boil
22. /j/ /ˈjel.əʊ/ yellow /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ usual
23. /w/ /wɑ:l/ wall /əˈweɪ/ away
24. /r/ /rəʊd/ road /ˈeɪprəl/ April

Exercise 1

Pronounce the words according to the transcriptions.

No. Transcription

1. /pəʊst/ /stɒp/
2. /bəʊt/  /vɜ:b/
3. /ti:z/ /si:t/
4. /di:d/  /li:d/
5. /kraɪ/ /sɪk/
6. /ɡrɑ:sp/ /klɒɡ/

7. /tʃek/ /kætʃ/
8. /dʒʌdʒ/ /ˈdʒɪndʒə(r)/
9. /fɪʃ/ /li:f/
10. /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ /breɪv/
11. /θi:f/ /ti:θ/
12. /ðəʊz/ /smu:ð/

No. Transcription

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13.  /si:s/ /naɪs/
14. /zu:/ /u:z/
15. /ʃeɪk/ /kæʃ/
16. /ˈju:ʒuəl/ /ˈpleʒə(r)/
17. /həʊm/ /hʌɡ/
18. /mes/  /teɪm/

19. /net/ /ten/

20. /slæŋ/ /ˈdʒʊərɪŋ/
21. /laɪf/ /bel/
22. /rɒd/ /rɒt/
23. /jes/ /jɪə(r)/
24. /waɪld/  /wɪəd/

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 B. Vowels

No. Sound Word

1. /ɪ/ /tʃɪp/ chip /sɪt/ sit

2. /i:/ /tʃi:p/ cheap /si:t/ seat
3. /e/ /send/ send /pet/ pet
4. /æ/ /sænd/ sand /pæt/ pat
5. /ʌ/ /sʌn/ sun /pʌk/ puck
6. /ɑ: / /hɑ:d/ hard /pɑ:k/ park
7. /ʊ/ /fʊl/ full /pʊl/ pull
8. /u:/ /fu:l/ fool /pu:l/ pool
9. /ɒ/ /spɒt/ spot /pɒt/ pot
10. /ɔ:/ /spɔ:t/ sport /pɔ:t/ port
11. /ə/ /əˈlaɪv/ alive /ˈrʌbə(r)/ rubber
12. /ɜ:/ /nɜ:s/ nurse /bɜ:st/ burst

Exercise 2

Pronounce the words according to the transcriptions.

No. Transcription

1. /ɪt/ /bɪd/
2. /i:t/ /bi:d/
3. /let / /lend/
4. /ˈmænɪdʒ/ /lænd/
5. /kʌt/ /mʌst/
6. /kɑ:t/ /mɑ:st/
7. /pʊl/ /fʊt/
8. /pu:l/ /bu:t/
9. /dʒɒb/ /klɒk/
10. /dʒɔ:/ /kɔ:z/
11. /əˈhed/ /əˈraʊnd/

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 12. /ɡɜ:l/ /wɜ:st/

C. Diphthongs

No. Sound Word

1. /eɪ/ /feɪs/ face /reɪn/ rain

2. /aɪ/ /praɪd/ pride /naɪt/ knight
3. /ɔɪ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /kɔɪl/ coil
4. /əʊ/ /əˈləʊn/ alone /stəʊn/ stone
5. /ɪə/ /fɪə(r)/ fear /dɪə(r)/ dear
6. /eə/ /steə(r)/ stair /peər/ pear
7. /ʊə/ /ˈdʒʊərɪŋ/ during /kjʊə(r)/ cure
8. /aʊ/ /taʊn/ town /aʊt/ out

Exercise 3
Pronounce the words according to the transcriptions.

Transcription
No.

1. /beɪ/ /feɪd/
2. /raɪs/ /haɪd
3. /bɔɪ/ /vɔɪs/
4. /fəʊn/ /jəʊk/
1. /fɪə(r)/ /bɪəd/
2. /peə(r)/ /deə(r)/
3. /tʊə(r)/ /lʊə(r)/
4. /laʊd/ /ɡraʊtʃ/

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 2. Correct pronunciation of commonly used words in discussions

Below are some of the common words used in discussions. Take note of the phonetic
transcriptions of the words to know the correct pronunciation.

My honest opinion would be …. /ˈɒnɪst/

Let me initiate the discussion. /ɪˈnɪʃieɪt/
Before we end our discussion, we need to summarise all the important /ˈsʌməraɪz/
points in the discussion.
Please allow me to finish my points first. /əˈlaʊ/
Ravi, I think the information that you quote on health is interesting. /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/
I think Farrah feels that … /θɪŋk/
I think that you are absolutely right. /ˈæbsəluːtli/
There is no doubt that your point is correct. /daʊt/
/kəˈrekt/
Sorry to interrupt, but .... /ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/

Exercise 4

With your partner, practise saying the words correctly.

/ˈɒnɪst/ /əˈlaʊ/ /ˈæbsəluːtli/

/daʊt/
/ɪˈnɪʃieɪt/ /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/
/kəˈrekt/

/ˈsʌməraɪz/ /θɪŋk/ /ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/

Exercise 5

What are other words that are commonly used in a discussion? List them out together with
their phonetic transcriptions.

1) Opinion /əˈpɪnjən/

2) Explain /ɪkˈspleɪn,ɛkˈspleɪn/

3) Agree /əˈɡriː/

4) Disagree /dɪsəˈɡriː/

5) True /truː/

6) False /fɒls/

7) Yes /jɛs/

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 8) No /nəʊ/

3. Phonetic Symbols: Further practices

Exercise 6

Practise saying the following words with correct pronunciation. Refer to the online dictionary
for accurate pronunciation.

Consonants

/p/ /b/ /t/ /d/

pin bin tore door

cap bear tarts darts
pup pub train drain

/k/ /g/ /v/ /w/

cold gold very wary

back bag vary wavy
kill gill van weary

/s/ /z/ /ʒ/ /dʒ/

face phase pressure jab

race rise leisure large
price prize television damage

/ʃ/ /ʈʃ/ /ð/ /θ/

shop chop neither thin

shoe chew feather wrath
mush munch that faith

/l/ /r/ /f/ /j/

leech reach fern yam

lamp ramp friend yellow
letter rattle wife yet

/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /h/

money now ring hatch

roam bin spring hut
mine certain finger heap

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Vowels

/ɪ/ /i:/ /e/ /æ/

fill feel pencil passage

still steal help air
pit peat expensive landlord

/ʌ/ /ɑ:/ /ʊ/ /u:/

but bark soot suit

puck park full fool
luck lurk wool food

/ɒ/ /ɔ:/ /ə/ /ɜ:/

wash wore salad bird

watch walk ago early
pot pause thorough alert

Diphthongs

/eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ /əʊ/

late pint toy bone

race tight boil bowl
paste thigh coil bow

/ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/ /aʊ/

deer mare mature down

fierce dare manure loud
rear chair security found

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Exercise 7

Below are 15 words that are usually mispronounced by students. Refer to the online
dictionary and write the correct phonetic transcriptions. Then practise saying the words
correctly with your partner.

E.g. graduate /ˈɡrædʒuət/

1. aren’t /ɑ:nt/
2. audio /’ɔːdɪəʊ/
3. comfortable /’kʌmf(ə)təb(ə)l/
4. colleague /’kɒli:g/
5. collect /’kəˈlekt/
6. college /’kɒlɪdʒ/
7. headache /’hedeɪk/
8. individual /’ɪndɪˈvɪdʒʊ(ə)l/
9. men /’men/
10. mosque /’mɒsk/
11. pressure /’preʃə/
12. schedule /’ʃedjuːl/
13. though /’ðəʊ/
14. university /’juːnɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ/
15. women /’wɪmɪn/