ORAL EXPRESSION TECHNIQUES

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃn/
Dr Yacine Benghebrid
Senior Lecturer A
University of Algiers 2
Conference Interpreter
Member of AIIC
Official Translator
Arabic – English – French
 Lesson 4
I. Phonetics

2. English Spelling and Sounds

a) Vowel Combinations (practice)

b) Consonant Combinations (practice)
c) Suffixes (-s, -ed, -e)
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

English spelling is a particular obstacle to non-native

speakers
(This is because English has been influenced by numerous
languages during the course of its history )
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

Sometimes the same letter is pronounced differently

(depending on its position in the word and in the sentence)
and sometimes the same sound is found in different letter
combinations
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

For example, the sound /ʃ/ is to be found in the following

letter combinations:
shut, champagne, nation, expansion,
conscience, issue and sugar
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

Sometimes words spell alike, but do not sound alike

(homographs)
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

On the other hand

some words do not spell alike, but sound alike
(homophones)
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

In addition,
many words are formed with letters
that are not pronounced
(silent letters)
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
- s suffix
The morpheme -s of the 3rd person singular (e.g. he works),
of the noun plural (e.g. books), of the possessive form (e.g.
John’s) and the contraction of ‘is’ or ‘has’ (he’s) is pronounced
in 3 different ways
depending on the sound that preceds it:
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
-s suffix
/ s / or / z / or / ɪz /
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds
/s/
if the final sound of the word is:
/f/, /k/, /p/, /t/ or /θ/
(unvoiced consonants)
 Lesson 4

/f/ cliffs, laughs

/k/ cooks, makes
/p/ cups, stops
/t/ students, hits
/θ/ months, baths
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

/z/
if the final sound of the word is:
/b/, /d/, /g/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /r/, /ð/ or /v/
(voiced consonants)
Or
a vowel sound
 Lesson 4

/b/ pubs, robbs

/d/ cards, rides
/g/ bags, rings
/l/ deals, hills
/m/ dreams, climbs
/n/ runs, pens
/ŋ/ sings, drawings
/r/
/ð/ clothes, breathes
/v/ gloves, drives

All vowel sounds: plays, cows, eyes, cities, ploughs, fears

 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

/iz/
if the final sound of the word is:
/dʒ/, /ʒ/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/ or /z/
(sibilant consonants)
 Lesson 4

/dʒ/ changes, encourages

/ʒ/ garages, mirages
/s/ buses, taxes
/ʃ/ dishes, washes
/ʈʃ/ churches, teaches
/z/ prizes, rises
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
-ed suffix
The morpheme -ed of the past tense (or past participle) is
also pronounced in 3 different ways
depending on the sound that preceds it:
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
-ed suffix
/d/ or /ɪd/ or /t/
 Lesson 4
I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds
Pronunciation of /d/ at the end words

/d/
if the final sound of the word is:
/b/, /g/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /θ/, /ð/, /v/ or /z/
(voiced consonants)
Or
a vowel sound
 Lesson 4

/b/ robbed, rubbed

/g/ hugged, bugged
/l/ called, mailed
/m/ named, blamed
/n/ complained, cleaned
/r/
 Lesson 4

/dʒ/ charged, changed

/ʒ/ garaged, camouflaged
/θ/ bathed, oathed
/ð/ clothed, breathed
/v/ loved, saved
/z/ squeezed, pleased

All vowel sounds: cried, enjoyed, played

 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

/ɪd/
if the final sound of the word is:
/d/ or /t/
 Lesson 4

/d/ needed, branded

/t/ waited, wanted
 Lesson 4
I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

/t/
if the final sound of the word is:
/f/, /k/, /p/, /s/, /ʃ/ or /tʃ/
(unvoiced consonants)
 Lesson 4

/f/ laughed, handcuffed

/k/ parked, barked
/p/ hoped, stopped
/s/ passed, pressed
/ʃ/ washed, finished
/ʈʃ/ watched, coached
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
-e suffix
Sometimes the addition of the -e suffix to a noun ending
with th to form a verb changes the quality both of the
vowels sound and of the final -th from /θ/ to /ð/
 Lesson 4

I. Phonetics
2. English Spelling and Sounds

c) Suffixes
-e suffix
bath (n) /bɑːθ/ - bathe (v) /beɪð/
breath (n) /breθ/ - breathe (v) /briːð/