DESCRIPTION OF

CONSONANTAL
SOUNDS – part 3
/s/

2
/s/
Pulmonic: because the air comes from the lungs.
Oral: the soft palate is raised so the air escapes only through the mouth.
Voiceless: the vocal folds are open so when the air stream passes through
them there is no vibration.
Alveolar: the tip and blade of the tongue articulate the alveolar ridge.
Fricative: because the tip and blade of the tongue and the alveolar ridge
are very near but they don’t form a complete closure so there is friction
when the air passes through them.

3
/s/
Bus
I heard a bus. SPELLING:
/aɪ hɜːd ə bʌs/ s-so, some /səʊ/ /sʌm/
ss-dress /dres/
Piece c-place /pleɪs/
I want the big piece. sc-science /ˈsaɪəns/
/aɪ wɒnt ðə bɪg piːs/ x-ax /æks/

Price
What's the price?
/wɒts ðə praɪs/
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/s/
⦁ A- Let's go to the seaside on Saturday sweetie.
⦁ B- Yes! Let’s go sailing and water-skiing. That's exciting!

⦁ - /eɪ/ lets gəʊ tə ðə ˈsiːsaɪd ɒn ˈsætədeɪ ˈswiːtɪ//

- /bi:/ jes/ lets gəʊ ˈseɪlɪŋ ənd ˈwɔːtə'skiːɪŋ// ðæts ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ//

5
/z/

6
/z/
Pulmonic: because the air comes from the lungs.
Oral: the soft palate is raised so the air escapes only through the mouth.
Voiced: the vocal folds are very near so they vibrate when the air passes
through them.
Alveolar: the tip and blade of the tongue articulate the alveolar ridge.
Fricative: because the tip and blade of the tongue and the alveolar ridge
are very near but they don’t form a complete closure so there is friction
when the air passes through them.

7
/z/
Zoo
That zoo was amazing!
/ðæt zuː wəz əˈmeɪzɪŋ/ SPELLING:
s-please /pliːz/
Z ss-scissors /ˈsɪzəz/
It’s pronounced /zed/ or /zi:/ (not very frequent; usually
/ɪts prəˈnaʊnst zed ɔː zi:/ with /s/)
z-zoo /zuː/
Zip zz-dizzy /ˈdɪzɪ/
Zip it slowly. x-exact / ɪgzækt/
/zɪp ɪt ˈsləʊlɪ/
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/z/

A- It looks so easy, doesn't it?

B- It does. But it isn't.

- /eɪ/ ɪt lʊks səʊ ˈiːzɪ/ dʌznt ɪt//

-/bi:/ ɪt dʌz// bət ɪt ˈɪznt//

9
/ʃ/

10
/ʃ/
-Pulmonic: because the air comes from the lungs.
-Oral: the soft palate is raised so the air escapes only through the mouth.
-Voiceless: the vocal folds are open so when the air stream passes through them there
is no vibration.
-Palato-alveolar: The tip and blade of the tongue articulate with the alveolar ridge and
at the same time the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate.
-Fricative: because the tip and blade of the tongue and the alveolar ridge as well as the
front of the tongue and the hard palate are very near but they don’t form a complete
closure so there is friction when the air passes through them.

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/ʃ/
She
She is third.
/ʃɪ ɪz θɜːd/

Shoes
I like shoes.
/aɪ laɪk ʃuːz/
Ship
Ship it carefully.
/ʃɪp ɪt ˈkeəflɪ/
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/ʃ/

sh-shoe ʃuː
ch-machine /məˈʃiːn/ (ch-usually
pronounced /ʧ/)
sch-schedule /ˈʃedjuːl/
su-sure /ʃʊə/
ssu-assure /əˈʃʊə/
ti-nation /ˈneɪʃən/
Consonant - si: mansion /ˈmænʃən/
ssi-mission /ˈmɪʃən/
sci-conscience /ˈkɒnʃəns/
ci-special /ˈspeʃəl/
ce-ocean /ˈəʊʃən/
NOTE: -x- in luxury /lΛkʃərɪ/,
anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/

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 /ʃ/
A- She shouldn't be wearing such a shabby skirt at
work, should she?
B- She certainly shouldn't.

- /eɪ/ ʃɪ ʃʊdnt bɪ ˈweərɪŋ sʌʧ ə ˈʃæbɪ skɜːt ət wɜːk/ ʃʊd ʃɪ//

-/bi:/ ʃɪ ˈsɜːtnlɪ ʃʊdnt/

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/Ʒ/

15
/Ʒ/
Pulmonic: because the air comes from the lungs.
Oral: the soft palate is raised so the air escapes only through the mouth.
Voiced: the vocal folds are very near so they vibrate when the air passes through them.
Palato-alveolar: The tip and blade of the tongue articulate with the alveolar ridge and
at the same time the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate.
Fricative: because the tip and blade of the tongue and the alveolar ridge as well as the
front of the tongue and the hard palate are very near but they don’t form a complete
closure so there is friction when the air passes through them.

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/Ʒ/
Casual
Michelle has a job in a shop selling casual shoes.
/mɪˈʃel həz ə ʤɒb ɪn ə ʃɒp ˈselɪŋ ˈkæʒjʊəl ʃuːz// SPELLING:
Massage vowel+si: vision
She also has a casual job doing sports massage. /ˈvɪʒən/, explosion /ɪks
/ʃɪ ˈɔːlsəʊ həz ə ˈkæʒjʊəl ʤɒb ˈduːɪŋ spɔːts ˈmæsɑːʒ// ˈpləʊʒən/
Occasionally s-measure /ˈmɛʒə/
She does sports massage occasionally, not every day. zu-seizure /ˈsiːʒə/
/ʃɪ dʌz spɔːts ˈmæsɑːʒ əˈkeɪʒnəlɪ nɒt ˈevrɪ deɪ// French words ending
in –ge: beige /beɪʒ/,
rouge /ruːʒ/, etc. 17
/Ʒ/
- /dæd/ wɒt raɪmz wɪð ɪksˈpləʊʒən//
- /ɪˈrəʊʒən//
- /wɒt əˈbaʊt kənˈkluːʒən//
- /kənˈfjuːʒən//
- /ənd ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən//
- /dɪˈsɪʒən/ rɪˈvɪʒən/ prɪˈsɪʒən//
- /stɒp/ dæd// ðæts ɪˈnʌf// θæŋk juː//
- /maɪ ˈpleʒə/ˈenɪ taɪm//
- Dad, what rhymes with explosion?
- Erosion.
- What about conclusion?
- Confusion.
- And television?
- Decision ... revision ...precision ...
- Stop, Dad! That’s enough! Thank you.
- My pleasure. Any time.
18
/h/

19
 /h/

Pulmonic: because the air comes from the lungs.

Oral: the soft palate is raised so the air escapes only
through the mouth.
Voiceless: the vocal folds are open so when the air
stream passes through them there is no vibration.
Glottal: it is articulated in the glottis between the vocal
folds
Fricative: the passage of air through the glottis causes
friction.
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 /h/
Hill
ls Tom Hill in hospital.
/ɪz tɒm hɪl ɪn ˈhɒspɪtl//

Heel
That's a beautiful heel.
/ðæts ə ˈbjuːtəfʊl hiːl//

Hand
Put your head, hand, heart into it.
/pʊt jɔː hed/ hænd/ hɑːt ˈɪntʊ ɪt// 21
 /h/

It is NOT pronounced:
Initially: hour/ˈaʊə/, heir /eə/, heiress /ˈeərɪs/, honour /ˈɒnə/,
honest /ˈɒnɪst/

Medially: exhaust /ɪgˈzɔːst/ , exhilarate /ɪgˈzɪləreɪt/, exhibit /ɪgˈzɪbɪt/,

vehicle /ˈviːɪkl/, vehement /ˈviːɪmənt/

Final suffixes: -ham: Clapham/ˈklæpəm/, Durham /ˈdʌrəm/ (Br. E)

/ˈd3:rəm/ (Am. E) ;
-herd: shepherd /ˈʃepəd/

22
 /h/

A- Have you ever been to a hospital?

B- Yes. I used to play hockey, and somebody hit my hand very hard
with a hockey stick. I had to go to Hill End Hospital.

-/eɪ/ həv jʊ ˈevə biːn tʊ ə ˈhɒspɪtl//

-/bi:/ jes// aɪ juːst tə pleɪ ˈhɒkɪ/ ənd ˈsʌmbədɪ hɪt maɪ hænd ˈverɪ
hɑːd wɪð ə ˈhɒkɪ stɪk // aɪ hæd tə gəʊ tə hɪl end ˈhɒspɪtl//

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