Suffix –s, -es and Suffix –d, -ed

Nouns usually take orthographic “s” to form the plural: A similar phenomenon takes place for this suffixes,
Book- /bʊks/ when we form the past simple and past participle form
Pen- /pens/ of regular verbs.
Cat- /kæts/ We will add /t/ if the last sound of the verb is voiceless:
Dog- /dɔɡs/ Laughed /laft/
The pronunciation of these morphemes varies depending
on the sound that precedes it: the general rule is that it And we add /d/ if the last sound is Voiced:
should agree in voicing with the sound before it. Loved /lʌvd/
/bʊks/ /penz/
/kæts/ /dɔɡz/ But if the verb ends in /t/ or /d/ we add /ɪd/
Needed /nidɪd/, wanted /wɔntɪd/
These are These are
Voiceless voiced
“d” Morpheme
This means that if the word ends in a VOICED sound we
add /z/, and if ends in VOICELESS sounds we should add /s/ We add /t/ We add /d/
Ropes /roʊps/ robes /roʊbz/ /m/
/p/ /b/
Words that end in a Sibilant sound: /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /f/ or /f/ /v/
/ / / /
/dʒ/ we add /ɪz/
/l/
Roses /roʊzɪz/, Houses /haʊzɪz/, brushes / haʊzɪz/, /r/
beaches /biʧɪz/, garages /ɡəˈrɑʒɪz/, Ridges /ˈrɪʤɪz/ /n/
/s/ /z/
The same rule applies when we add “s” or “es” to verbs to / / / /
make their present simple form for the verbs of 3RD person / / / /
singular, and for “´s” /k/ /g/
Loves / lʌvz/, wakes /weɪks/, washes /wɑʃɪz/. / /
/h/
“s” Morpheme All vowels and
We add /s/ We add /z/ dipthongs
/m/
/p/ /b/ We add /id/ after
/f/ /v/
/ / / / /t/ /d/
/n/
/r/
/l/
/t/ /d/
/k/ /g/
/ / / /
/h/
All vowels and
dipthongs

We add /iz/ after

/s/ /z/
/ / / /
/ / / /
Phonetics: is the study of the physical and physiological aspects of speech sounds. It VOWELS
has three main branches: Vowels are sounds in which there is NO
Articulatory Acoustic Auditory CONTACT between the articulators. This
Phonetics Phonetics Phonetics means that the passage of air thought
the mouth is unrestricted.
In order to produce vowel sounds we
use the tongue, the lips and the jaw. So,
when we describe a vowel we consider:
The part of the tongue (front, center,
back)
Height of the tongue or openness
(open, open-mid, close-mid or close
Studies how sounds are Deals with speech It has to do with how the
position)
produced in the mouth sounds as sound waves. listener perceives sounds and Shape of the lips (spread, neutrally open
by the articulators. how the ear responds to them. or rounded).
THE VOWEL QUADRILATERAL
The vocal tract: Is a diagram that represents our mouth
Organs of speech: cavity. It is used to show an articulatory
Nasal cavity
Hard palate description of vowels.
Velum (soft palate) We don´t have real Front Centre Back
Close
organs of speech. 1 9
To speak we use Mid-close 2 8
Glottis organs whose
Upper and
primary functions is 3 7
lower Lips Mid-open
Larynx a different one; we
4
borrow organs from 6
Upper and Vocal folds Open 10
lower teeth the respiratory and 5
Trachea digestive tracks.
Tongue Phoneme: is the smallest unit of contrast
Mouth cavity in language, because I cannot divide
them, and if I change one, they make a
The mouth cavity: difference in meaning.
Allophone: is a variation, a different
realization of one sound that doesn´t
Tip of the tongue
produce a change in meaning.
Blade of the tongue
Front of the tongue
Consonants: are sounds in which two
Center of the tongue
organs form a complete closure or they
Back of the tongue
form a narrowing close enough to cause
Alveolar ridge
friction.
Hard palate
The description of a consonant:
Soft palate
*They are pulmonic because the air
Uvula
comes from the lungs so they are
Root of the tongue
Pulmonic.
*If the vocal folds are closed and vibrate
is Voiced, but if they are open, they no
vibrate and are Voiceless sounds.
Diphthongs: they are glides from one vowel position to another one. There are eight *The position of the soft palate, if the air
English diphthongs and we classify them according to: Where the movement ends and passes through the mouth, they are Oral,
which element is more prominent. but if it passes through the nose, they
Centring diphthong: the tongue move to the are Nasal sounds.
centre, these ends in schwa. /ɪə/, /eə/, /ʊə/. *The place of articulation can be bilabial,
Closing diphthongs: the tongue move to the labiodental, dental, alveolar, post-
close position. These end in vowel number 2 and alveolar, Palato-alveolar, velar and
vowel number 8. /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /əʊ/, /aʊ/ glottal.
Falling diphthongs: all the diphthongs are falling *And the manner of articulation can be
Rising diphthongs: some can be rising is special plosive, fricative, affricate, lateral or
ocations. approximants.
 THINGS TO REMEMBER:

For dictations: Transcription:

*Write what you hear, Not what you think the word is.
The symbols of pauses: You have a short time to use the dictionary so, is better if you
transcribe to phonetic symbols all the words you know or you think
We start and finish the dictation with //
that can be right. Therefore, when you use the dictionary look for the
Pause: / Stop: // words that you don´t know how to transcribe. Once you have all of
Common words: them, you can look for those words you are not sure about.
The: (strong form) /ði:/ To: /tʊ/ + vowel
(Weak form) /ðɪ/ /tə/ + consonant
/ðə/ + consonant.
And: (strong form) /ænd/ Suffix: -tion: /ʃən/
(Weak form) /ən/ + consonant The finishing –ure: /ə/
/ənd/ + vowel.
This: /ðɪs/
That: “Qué”, /ðət/
“Eso” /ðæt/ These: /ði:z/
Who: /hʊ/ From: /frəm/
Is: /ɪz/ Of: /əv/
But: /bət/ Was /wəz/
Use: (v), /ju:z/ Were /wər/
(n), /ju:s/
Used to: (as a fixed expression) /ju:st tə/
Phonetics
vN1: /i:/ Front VOWEL

The lips are spread and the tongue is tense.

The sides rims of the tongue
make firm contact with the
upper molars.

ee: cheese, tree, feet….

e: complete, these…

ea: seat, clean, tea …

i: police, machine, prestige…

ie: field, piece, shield…

ei: receive, seize…

ey: key …
, quay

As if smiling. It is quite long.

vN 2: /ɪ/ Front VOWEL

A part of the tongue nearer the

centre than the front is raised just
above the close-mid position.

The lips are loosely spread and tongue is lax.

The side rims make light
contact with the upper molars.

i: mint, silk, bikini…

e: England, careless, pretty…
y: symbol, city, syllable…
a: message, village, private…
ey: monkey, donkey, honey …

ie (inflectional suffix -ies):

Stories, carries, carried…

, built

, Sunday (days of the week)

vN 3: /e/ Front VOWEL

The front of the tongue is raised

between the close mid and the
open-mid positions.

The lips are loosely spread but more open than for /ɪ/

The side rims make light contact

with the upper molars.

e: bet, well, else…

ea : head, dead, breath…
a : any, many…

It is short.
 /æ/
vN4:
Front VOWEL

Open-mid

Apple /æpl/
Back /bæk/
Marry /mæri/

Daiquiri, plaid, plait, timbre

 /ʌ/
vNº 10:
CENTRAL VOWEL

The centre of the tongue is

raised above the open
position.

The lips are neutrally open

, tongue, Monday.
, Cut, result
Enough,
young
, blood
Vn 5: /ɑː/ Back VOWEL

fully open position.

, last, bath.
, hard, large.

, laugh.
, hearth.

Memoir, repertoire

Note: Usually /æ/ in AmE

(ask, plant, dance…)

It’s as if showing your throat

to the doctor.
vN6 /ɒ/ Back VOWEL

The lips are open and slightly rounded.

, gone, holiday.
, watch, what.

, Austria, laurel.
vN7: /ɔː/ Back VOWEL

Close-mid
Open-mid positions.

ar : warm, quarter, war …

or : cord, horse, short
ore : more , before , core
oar : board, soar
oor : door , floor …
our : four , court…
a : water…
al : talk, salt, small…
au , ou : caught, bought
aw : jaw , saw , yawn

sword Note: /ʊə/ turning /ɔ:/ for

spelling <ure>
There is lip projection. It’s a fairly
long sound.
vN8: /ʊ/ Back VOWEL

Close-mid

Worcester / wʊs.tə/

It is a short sound.
vN9: /u:/ Back VOWEL

A part of the tongue near

the back is raised below the
open position

Note: /ju:/ is usually realized

/u:/ in AmE (student,
news…)
There is lip projection. It’s a
fairly long sound.
vN11: /ɜː/ CENTRAL VOWEL

Close-mid Open-
mid

NO contact.
er, err (in accented syllables):
her , perfect, serve,
err, ur , urr : urgent, church,
hurt, purr

ir : bird, first, girl

yr : Myrtle, myrrh

w + or : word, worth, work

ear : earth, learn, search

our : courtesy, journey,

scourge

It’s a somewhat long sound

that occurs in accented
syllables. It's similar to the
sound we make when we
hesitate.
schwa /ə/ CENTRAL VOWEL

Close-mid Open-
mid
open
NO contact.
a: about, affect, woman…
e: milkmen, gentlemen, problem
i: possible, quality, family…
o: oblige, offend, common…
u: suppose, support, cactus
ar: particular
er: mother , waiter
or: razor , doctor
our: colour
ous: famous
ure: adventure , future , culture

Note : used in the weak realization of

structure words
It’s a short obscure sound. It
occurs only in unaccented
syllables.