Voice and Accent Training:

Tutor Support

PRONUNCIATION
What is good English pronunciation?

There are three levels of English pronunciation:

LEVEL 1: People often don’t understand what you want to say. You use the wrong sounds in
English words.

LEVEL 2: People understand what you want to say, but it is unpleasant to listen to.

LEVEL 3: People understand you and your English is pleasant to listen to.

Level 3 will be called “good pronunciation”.

PRONUNCIATION TECHNIQUES

Here are four techniques that Filipinos can use to speak American English more clearly:

1. Lengthen your vowel sounds → in stressed syllables.

2. Try to put the tip of your tongue between your teeth for the TH sounds.
3. Pay attention to your word final S sounds- Americans often use a voiced /z/ sound for
S.
4. Learn to use the sentence stress & intonation patterns that we use in the US. ♬
PRONUNCIATION TIPS

TIP 1:

Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling. For example, “threw” and
“through”, although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or
letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the “ough” in
“though” and “through” represents a different sound in each word.

Remember: Learn to practice what you hear, not what you see.

TIP 2:

Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it. Try to visualize the positioning of your mouth
and face. Think about how you are going to make the sound.

TIP 3:

The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently. It is
important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.
PRACTICE EXERCISES

The “P” sound:

 Peter had a problem with his project

 Pickles are more expensive than peas
 My parents made the payment for Patricia’s picnic.
 Politicians are publicizing the polished policemen’s work.
 The patient ran in panic for no particular reason.

The “K” sound: (emphasize on the ‘k’ sound)

I was coming back home after my coaching classes. On my way I saw a cute girl clinging and
cringing on the branch of a tree. She was crying at the top of her voice. I called out for her and
asked her to calm down. She requested me to help her come down the tree. I feared that my
clothes will get soiled. But I somehow gathered the courage to climb the tree. Just when I was a
little short of clutching her arm, my leg slipped and I came crashing down the road. The cream
color of my collar became black and I got a cut on my right knee. I quickly contained my anxiety
and made quick steps towards the cocoon of my home.

The voiced “Th” sound:

 This  Breathe  Mother

 That  Bathe  Brother
 These  Teethe  Father
 The  Seethe  Bother
 They  Sheathe  Weather

Unvoiced “Th” sound:

 Thud  Something  With  Thousand

 Both  South  North  Thank
The “V” sound:

 Verify  Discover  Voice

The “W” sound:

 Work  Wednesday  Weekend

The “Ch” sound:

 Charlie chose the chilly chicken.

 Chester chanced to sit on the Chiming chair.
 Cherry cheered the charming champion.
 Check the cheese before you eat.
 Channel of the chimney was charred.

The “dj” sound:

 Gin and tonic water is the gist for success for gigantic parties.
 Gillette is the brand of a shaving gadget.
 The gentleman gently gestured the sign of the cross.

The “sh” sound:

 Shell  Chef, Champagne

 Shift  Musician, Ancient
 English  Tension, Pension
 She  Russia, Expression
  Sanction, Section

The “S” sound:

 System  Silly  Smoke  Sam

 Sells  Subway  Street  Study
The “Zh” sound:

 Pleasure  Measure  Treasure

 Seizure  Leisure  Azure

The “Z” sound:

 Amaze  Gaze  Crazy  Blaze

 Cozy  Maze  Glaze  Lazy
 Lizard  Freeze  Buzz  Prize
 Ease  Busy  Praise  Accuse

Some Commonly Mispronounced Words:

 Hotel  Component  Petrol

 Industry  Engineer  Cassette
 Decade  Chaos  Development
Intonation
Intonation is the rise and fall in pitch.

It conveys personal intentions and emotions.

PITCH is the number of vibrations per second.

Remember: Change in pitch determines the TONE of speech.

Intonation Practice:

1. I didn’t say he stole the money.

2. I didn’t say he stole the money.

3. I didn’t say he stole the money.

4. I didn’t say he stole the money.

5. I didn’t say he stole the money.

6. I didn’t say he stole the money.

7. I didn’t say he stole the money.

RULES OF INTONATION

1. Contrasting perceptions

a. She learned cooking but never used that skill.

b. She studied French but did not enjoy it.
c. Mary speaks Spanish but she teaches English.

2. Opinions

a. I believe he is intelligent but you may disagree.

b. It looks like a gun but it is a toy.
c. I feel they are extremely happy about the incident.

3. Negotiations and Contractions

a. I can’t do anything about it.

b. I won’t do it for a million bucks.
c. She shouldn’t be going out alone.

4. Adjective Phrases

a. A beautiful girl b. A refreshing drink

c. A lovely rose d. An amazing journey
e. A delicious meal f. The lonely man

5. Noun Phrases

a. A hotdog b. A matchstick
c. A businessman d. A teacher

6. When there are no adverbs or nouns intone on the verbs

a. They drank it fast.

b. He came back for me.
 7. Longer Phrases or Sentences

a. I tried to cook a delicious meal for her.

b. Our meeting schedule is flexible this afternoon.

ASKING QUESTIONS

 Close-ended Question:

Do you like studying English?

 Open-ended Question:

How long have you been studying English?

NUMBERS

Example: My phone number is 91 11 2847 683

GIVING CHOICES

Remember: Intonation will rise on the first choice or all the choices before the last one and
down for the final option to indicate end of the choice.

Example: Do you want red, black or yellow?

OTHER RULES OF INTONATION:

When new information is conveyed, nouns which are the carriers of new information are
stressed.

Examples:

People enjoy parties

Cats drink milk

Men drive cars

What happens when we lack intonation while conversing?

- Negates the essence of information

- Makes us sound mechanical
- Causes miscommunication