Lesson 4 + 5

Exercise 1: a) Vowel Combinations

Practice saying the following words
u: bun /bʌn/, put /pʊt/, busy /ˈbɪzi/, bury /ˈberi/, rude /ruːd/, huge /hjuːdʒ, focus /ˈfəʊkəs/,
burn /bɜːn/

ea: beach /biːtʃ/, bread /bred/, break /breɪk/, bear /beə(r)/, dear /dɪə(r)/

au: aunt /ɑːnt/, author /ˈɔːθə(r)/, because /bɪˈkɒz/, gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/

oo: too /tuː/, look /lʊk/, flood /flʌd/, brooch /brəʊtʃ/, floor /flɔː(r)/

ei: eight /eɪt/, receive /rɪˈsiːv/, counterfeit /ˈkaʊntəfɪt/, leisure /ˈleʒə(r)/, height /haɪt/

ui: fruit /fruːt/, build /bɪld/, suite /swiːt/, guide /ɡaɪd/

ou: out /aʊt/, soul /səʊl/, touch /tʌtʃ/, could /kəd/, you /ju/, pour /pɔː(r)/

oa: road /rəʊd/, broad /brɔːd/

ow: now /naʊ/, know /nəʊ/, knowledge /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/

ough: though /ðəʊ/, through /θruː/, bought /bɔːt/, drought /draʊt/, borough /ˈbʌrə/, cough
/kɒf/, enough /ɪˈnʌf/

augh: taught /tɔːt/, laugh /lɑːf/

Exercise 2: b) Consonant Combinations

Practice saying the following words
ch: character /ˈkærəktə(r)/, choice /tʃɔɪs/, chef /ʃef/, yacht /jɒt/

cc: success /səkˈses/, account /əˈkaʊnt/ , cappuccino /ˌkæpəˈtʃiːnəʊ/

gn: sign /saɪn/, recognize /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

ng: sing /sɪŋ/, finger /ˈfɪŋɡə(r)/, danger /ˈdeɪndʒə(r)/

Exercise 3: Circle the word that is pronounced differently from the other words based
on the vowel and consonant combinations underlined.
 1. Accident access accommodate accept
2. Sheep beer field people
3. Angry jungle English spring
4. Shout now round mould
5. Cheese chip machine attach
6. Signature foreign Gnostic tongue
7. Suit fruit cruise biscuit
8. Though rough enough tough
9. Floor poor flood door
10. Author caught laughter daughter

Exercise 4: Write the sound /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/ next the following words.
1. Judges ----- 6. watches -----
2. Lives ----- 7. attends -----
3. Plates ----- 8. tapes -----
4. Classes ----- 9. books -----
5. Breathes ----- 10. wives -----

Exercise 5: Write the sound /d/, /t/ or /ɪd/ next the following words.
1. Studied ----- 6. answered -----
2. Judged ----- 7. tested -----
3. Listened ----- 8. invented -----
4. Missed ----- 9. researched -----
5. Worked ----- 10. enjoyed -----

Exercise 6: Listen and circle the word you hear.

1. Breath / Breathe in deeply and then out again.
2. Suits were usually made of wool cloth / clothe.
3. I really loath / loathe the fashion of the 1980s.
4. The medicine soothes / sooths the pain of the inflammation.
5. The baby’s teeth / teethe are coming through.
Exercise 7: Listen and circle the transcription you hear.
/haʊz/ /haʊs/
/teə(r)/ /tɪə(r)/
/kləʊz/ /kləʊs/
/wɪnd/ /waɪnd/
/ˈkɒntrækt/ /kənˈtrækt/

Exercise 8: Listen and circle the word you hear in its context.
1. whose / who’s 6. right / write
2. there / their 7. hear / here
3. sale / sail 8. rain / reign
4. rode / road 9. bare / bear
5. steel / steal 10. by / buy

Exercise 9: Mark the silent letter in the following words.

1. Answer 6. castle 11. subtle 16. island
2. Greenwich 7. Design 12. vegetable 17. mustn’t
3. interest 8. know 13. generous 18. Wednesday
4. restaurant 9. comfortable 14. psychosis 19. bomb
5. written 10. honest 15. cupboard 20. hopes

Practice: This poem illustrates the various English complexities. Read it aloud.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word

That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead, it’s said like bed, not bead-
for goodness’ sake don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(they rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in mother,

Nor both in bother, broth or brother.
 And there is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s doze and rose and lose-
Just look them up- and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart-
Come, I’ve made a start!