Vowels Book v6

O
S UND

PRONUNCIATION

Prof. William Charpentier

I-2021

1

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Unit 01: Vowel /i/ .................................................................................................................................... 14
Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/.................................................................................................................................... 18
Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/ .......................................................................................................................... 22
Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/ ................................................................................................................................... 26
Unit 05: Vowel /æ/.................................................................................................................................. 31
Unit 06: Vowel /a/ ................................................................................................................................... 35
Unit 07: Vowel /u/ ................................................................................................................................... 39
Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/ ................................................................................................................................... 43
Unit 09: Vowel /ʌ/ ................................................................................................................................... 48
Unit 10: Diphthong /oʊ/.......................................................................................................................... 52
Unit 11: Vowel /ɔ/ ................................................................................................................................... 56
Unit 12: Vowel /ə/ ................................................................................................................................... 60
Unit 13: Vowel /ɝ/................................................................................................................................... 64
Unit 14: Vowel /ɚ/ .................................................................................................................................. 68
Unit 15: Diphthong /aɪ/ .......................................................................................................................... 72
Unit 16: Diphthong /ɔɪ/........................................................................................................................... 76
Unit 17: Diphthong /aʊ/.......................................................................................................................... 80
Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. 84

Pronunciation of Countries................................................................................................................ 84
Some World Landmarks.................................................................................................................... 88
Sample Words with Tripthongs ........................................................................................................ 88
Free Variation Samples..................................................................................................................... 89
Strong – Weak Forms........................................................................................................................ 90
Common Affixes ................................................................................................................................. 90
Homophone Samples ........................................................................................................................ 93
Some Common Heteronyms ............................................................................................................ 94
Loanword Samples .......................................................................................................................... 100
References............................................................................................................................................ 102

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

Introduction

If you are reading this book, you have embarked on the study of phonetics. Simply
put, phonetics is the scientific study of speech (which involves sound production and
sound combination across languages). It is not solely devoted to study the English
language but to study different languages across cultures and time. You will notice that,
without being a phonetician, there are many concepts, symbols, and sounds that already
form part of your linguistic repertoire. Others will have to be acquired both throughout
theory and practice. But, why is phonetics important? Although phonetic awareness can
be applied in different fields, in terms of language acquisition, its study can greatly
improve your ability to understand language and improve your pronunciation. In the past,
non-native speakers of the language were expected to achieve native-like proficiency in
the target language. Recently, having a non-native accent (a concept we will be
discussing later) does not denote any stigma, at least from listeners who are used to and
receptive of foreign accents. Nevertheless, having a heavy accent or failing to articulate
sounds properly may hinder communication. Varying just one sound could change the
meaning of a word and lead to misunderstanding or embarrassing situations. By studying
the theory on pronunciation and practicing, it is possible to avoid those communication
pitfalls.

Phonetic Symbols and Phonetic Transcriptions
Different organizations have dealt with phonetics and have developed different

alphabets. In this sense, this book follows the conventions established by the
International Phonetic Association (IPA). This association was founded in 1886 in
Paris. It is one of the most well-known and the oldest organization for phoneticians (The
International Phonetic Association, 1999). The main goal of the IPA is “to promote the
scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science. For
both these it is desirable to have a consistent way of representing the sounds of a
language in written form” (The International Phonetic Association, 1999, p. 3). The
International Phonetic Association created the International Phonetic Alphabet (also
IPA) to achieve this consistency and to provide a universal way to represent sound units

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

(or phonemes) through phonetic symbols. A symbol is not to be confused with a letter
(also called grapheme) or a group of letters. The phonetic symbol is the written
representation of a sound. Let’s exemplify this. Imagine you are asked to find one
similarity in terms of pronunciation in the following words.

Word Language Meaning
флаг Russian flag
fuerte Spanish strong
phrase English -

After some thought, you may arrive at the conclusion that all the words start with the same
sound; that is if you know something about Spanish or Russian! Notice that we have three
different spellings that account for the same sound. Unfortunately, as you saw before,
conclusions about pronunciation are difficult to reach without either listening to the word
or seeing a phonetic transcription. A phonetic transcription is the written representation
not just of a sound but a sound or a group of sounds that carry meaning. The symbol /ɪ/,
for example, does not transmit any meaning by itself. Nevertheless, when combined with
other symbols to form words, the combination can transmit many different ideas: /ɪt/ (it),
/tʃɪn/ (chin), and /əˈdʒɪl.ə.t̬ i/ (agility) to name just a few. Notice that transcriptions are
always enclosed in slanted lines (//) when using the IPA. Although there can be a
grapheme-symbol correspondence, this is not generally the case. Test this by doing the
following exercises.

A. Consult a dictionary that uses IPA. Write the phonetic symbol that corresponds to
the underlined letter a in each word.

1. above 2. cart 3. fall 4. many 5. orange 6. pat 7. sale
// // // // //
// //

B. Read the following words aloud.

1. break 2. fade 3. feign 4. main 5. obey 6. say

What do all six words have in common? _____________________________________
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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

C. Read the following words. On the first column, write the number of letters each word
has. On the second column, write the number of sounds in each word. You do not
have to write the phonetic symbol, only the number of symbols you would use to
transcribe in each word.

1. fix ______________ ______________
2. knee ______________ ______________
3. night ______________ ______________
4. taxi ______________ ______________
5. though ______________ ______________

At first, transcriptions may be a bit intimidating or hard to understand for some
people. As mentioned before, transcriptions are written representations of sounds. You
may compare this idea to musical notation. Musical notation is not the music itself, but it
represents the music in written form and shows other people how to perform a particular
piece. In the same way, a phonetic transcription represents how words are pronounced
and helps other people to pronounce words correctly. Let’s take a look at some of the
most common elements found in transcriptions using the transcription of the word
controversial as an example.

12

/ˌkɑːn.trəˈvɝː.ʃəl/
3 45 6

Transcriptions are always enclosed with slanted lines1 (/ /) or square brackets ([ ]).
Strictly speaking, phonemic transcriptions use slanted lines and provide general
information about the pronunciation of a word. Phonetic transcriptions, on the other
hand, are enclosed in square brackets and provide more detailed information about how
a word should be pronounced. IPA stress marks indicate the lexical emphasis in a word.
They are placed before the syllable that receives the emphasis. The superscript stress
mark2 represents primary stress while the subscript strees mark3 represents secondary
stress. Some transcriptions may also include lenghthening4. Vowels are lengthened

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

before voiced consonants or when they are the last sound in a word. Notice the difference
between beat /bit/, bead /biːd/, and bee /biː/. This extra lenghthening does not occur in
short or lax vowels. In transcriptions, periods5 divide syllables. Syllables could be formed
by groups of consonants with a vowel sound, a vowel sound alone, and in some cases a
syllabic consonant by itself. The rest of the symbols that you see in our example are
sounds. Sometimes the /ə/-sound could be written in superscript (/ə/). In this case, it is a
very, very weak sound. Some speakers will even omit it. In transcriptions, only actual
sounds are written; therefore, letters that are not pronounced are not included. In some
cases, parentheses, or sometimes italics, are used to indicate that a specific sound may
be pronounced or omitted depending on the speaker’s preference, e.g. /ɪɡˈzæk(t).li/.

Accent vs. Emphasis
At the beginning of this introduction, we discussed the idea of “accent.” This

concept denotes two main ideas. On the one hand, accent refers to the variation in
pronunciation that characterizes speakers from the same language. Consider for example
the British accent vs the American accent. Even in the same country, there are many
variations in terms of accent. It is not uncommon in the United States to hear somebody
with a more Southern or Northern accent. These different accents are often particular of
a region or a certain population group. They do not necessarily hinder communication
although getting used to a different accent may require some effort. In this sense, it is
important not to confuse a dialect with an accent. A dialect does not vary in terms of
pronunciation only but in vocabulary and grammar as well.

On the other hand, accent can also equal emphasis or word stress (actually, you
can find these terms used interchangeably in different books). In this sense, an accent
can help us decide what vowel we should use. The word desert, for instance, changes
both meaning and pronunciation depending on where it is emphasized. Desert used as
noun (a very dry area with little precipitation and usually covered with sand) is transcribed
as /ˈdɛz.ɚt/ (the symbol “ˈ” marks primary stress); however, desert used as a verb (to
abandon or leave behind) is transcribed as /dɪˈzɝːt/.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

Weak and Strong Variations
Another feature which can change vowel quality (the properties that are unique to

each vowel) is the role that a word plays in a sentence or the emphasis it receives in a
word. Usually, we distinguish between content words (mainly nouns, main verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs) and function words (prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliaries,
determiners, articles, among others). Content words carry the meaning of the sentence.
Function words mostly provide the grammatical sense of a sentence. Consider the
following groups of words:

1. a but an
2. happy family is earlier heaven

In number one, it is impossible to understand what the speaker wants to say, but in
number two, it is possible to get an idea of the original sentence: A happy family is but an
earlier heaven (George Bernard Shaw).

Function words may also have a weak and a strong form. This means that the same
word can be pronounced, and therefore transcribed, in two different ways depending on
the emphasis we want the word to have or even its place in the sentence.

1. A new era has begun. The time to be strong is now.
/eɪ/ /u/

2. Mark called a while ago. He wants to talk to you.
/ə/ /ə/ /ə/

You will find more examples of weak and strong forms in the appendix at the end of this
book.

In English, the norm also dictates that vowels that occur in unstressed syllables
are almost always reduced to a neutral one, usually a schwa or a lax ɪ. We call this
characteristic vowel reduction or vowel obscuration. Consider the word Canada. This
word has three syllables, each with the letter a. Nevertheless, only the letter a in the first

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

syllable has a distincitive pronunciation, while the other vowels are obscured or reduced:
/ˈkæn.ə.də/.

Articulators
So far, we have defined different concepts related to phonetics and studied some

features that may make the same word sound different. Now, it is time to study how these
sounds are produced. All sounds are produced by using our speech organs or
articulators.

Adapted from: NCI

These articulators interact with the air-stream (the flow of air coming from our lungs) to
form different sounds. The most frequently described articulators are lips, teeth, tongue
(divided in tip, blade, front, and back), alveolar ridge, hard palate, velum (a.k.a. soft
palate), uvula, glottis, and vocal cords. Articulators can be classified as passive and
active. Passive articulators do not move to interact with other articulators or to produce
a sound (the upper lip, teeth, alveolar ridge, hard palate, soft palate, and uvula, for
example). On the other hand, active articulators do move to interact with other articulators
and to produce sounds (the tongue, the jaw, the vocal cords, and the lower lip). The role
of articulators in sound production will be explained when we describe each sound.

Vowel Sounds
The articulators help us produce segmental (vowels and consonants) and

suprasegmental (stress, rhythm, and intonation, among others) speech features. A vowel

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

sound is produced without any restriction of the air-flow, whereas consonant sounds
obstruct the air-flow in different ways and degrees. Right now, we will concentrate on the
study of vowels but some practical features of consonants will also be included later in
this chapter.

Vowel sounds are usually divided in three sub-categories. The first one, and most
evident, is the monophthong. Simply put, a monophthong is a single sound. There are
around 12 single sounds in the English language. The second sub-category is that of
diphthongs. Diphthongs start with one sound but end with a different one. To be more
precise, we usually say that a sound glides (moves) to a different one to form a diphthong.
There are approximately five diphthongs in English. Finally, we have triphthongs. As you
may guess, they are the combination of three vowel sounds. They are not usually given
as much relevance as monophthongs and diphthongs. There are also five triphthongs in
English. They are mostly the combination of a diphthong and a schwa (the most common
sound in English).

In order to classify and organize the different sounds of a language, vowel and
consonant sound charts are created. They are specific for each language, and it is also
possible to find charts that contain all the sounds coming from different languages. The
following chart is the one we will be using for our study of the English vowel sounds.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

This chart represents our speech organs working together to produce the vowel
sounds. Close, Mid, and Open describe the movement of the jaw. A sound where the
jaw lowers is known as an open vowel. In contrast, a sound where the jaw is high is a
closed vowel. Additionally, Front, Central, and Back refer to the position of the tongue.
You can try this by saying the words tee and too. The last sound in tee is /i/. You should
be able to feel your tongue moving towards the front part of your mouth, near the alveolar
ridge. The last sound in too is /u/. In this case, the tongue moves to the back of your
mouth, near the soft palate. Finally, the terms tense, lax, and round denote the position
our lips take when producing a sound. You might have heard people saying cheese when
someone is taking a photograph. The tense sound /i/ in cheese makes your lips tense as
when we smile. No photographer would ask you to say all since the sound /ɔ/ makes our
jaw fall and our lips go round! In general terms, the jaw, the tongue, and our lips help us
shape the sound we want to produce. Remember that when producing vowel sounds our
vocal cords will always vibrate and the air-stream will flow without obstruction. Sounds do
not vary only in the way our articulators interact but also in the length or time needed to
produce them. For example, the sound /i/ is longer than the sound /ɪ/. All these aspects
should be taken into account when producing the sounds of the English language.

The English Language
In terms of sounds, English is quite an interesting language to study. Its alphabet

includes 26 letters, but, counting vowels and consonants, there are more than 40 sounds.
There are also many words written the same way but pronounced differently
(heteronyms), words written differently but pronounced the same (homophones), or
words that are pronounced the same except for one sound (minimal pairs). This last set
will be very important since it will help you train your ear and notice the different sounds
in context. Remember that it is not only theory but constant segmental, focused, and even
recreational listening what will help you develop your pronunciation skills. Equally
important is to consult your dictionary when in doubt and to involve yourself in
conversations or activities, such as recording yourself, presenting, or imitating someone,
where you have to produce language orally.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

Undoubtedly, English has become a widespread language. It is impossible to talk
about one English. Besides the different dialects that exist, sometimes words may have
two, three, or even more accepted pronunciations. This is called free variation. Free
variation includes the already mentioned weak and strong forms of words and the
aforementioned cases in which a word could have several accepted pronunciations. For
example, the word route could be pronounced /rut/ or /raʊt/. When, where, why, and what
could be pronounced with /w/ or /hw/ at the beginning. Indisputably, one variation stands
out according to the number of speakers that use it. You should bear in mind, however,
that you should be consistent and get in the habit of using one variation all the time.
Another aspect that should be emphasized is that of tolerance. Listening to a word and
judging it as wrong because it does not match our pronunciation could be a serious
mistake. A good approach is to consult your professor or a good dictionary (or several
dictionaries) to learn about other accepted pronunciations.

This book emphasizes Mainstream English or Standard American English (the
type of English used for broadcasting and official events) since it is the variation that will
mostly guarantee a fluid communication with most speakers worldwide. As sample words,
it follows the Academic Word List (AWL) developed by Coxhead in 2000. This list contains
high frequency words that appear in academic texts. Nevertheless, other less frequent
words may also be part of the sampling. Finally, transcriptions will start from simple words
with only one syllable and easy to recognize symbols to more complex ones, where
multiple syllables and more sounds will be present.

Although it is not necessary to know the theory to pronounce or transcribe a word,
it is important that you familiarize yourself with all the symbols. The following tables
contain the sounds used in English and three words to exemplify each sound.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

/i/ heal Vowels proceed
/ɪ/ kiss achieve consist
/ʊ/ put sing ensure
good assume
/u/ approve bloom method
/ɛ/ well accept available
/ə/ alive generous interpret
/ɝ/ assertive certain structure
/ɚ/ clever master construct
/ʌ/ love cuddle formula
/ɔ/ strong explore factor
active concept
/æ/ laugh confident

/a/ calm

/eɪ/ nature Diphthongs legislative
/aɪ/ kind safe identify
/ɔɪ/ joy smile employ
/aʊ/ proud choice outcome
/oʊ/ donate allow focus
hold

Consonants

/p/ inspire peace percent
variable
/b/ benefit bright affect
derive
/t/ attitude attractive contract
category
/d/ dice adventure enough
evident
/k/ care connect authority
gather
/g/ eager elegance analysis
defines
/f/ triumph family issue
conclusion
/v/ brave give
/θ/ thank authentic

/ð/ smooth together

/s/ trust respect

/z/ please surprise
/ʃ/ refresh action
/ʒ/ pleasure vision

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Introduction

/h/ wholesome heart hypothesis
/tʃ/ fortune cheer approach
/dʒ/ generous judge individual
harmony emphasis
/m/ embrace can implement
instinct function
/n/ honest loyalty publish
/ŋ/ willing freedom predict
rewarding woman
/l/ intelligence unity formulate
beautiful legality
/r/ relax written maintenance

/w/ quest

/j/ youth
/t̬ / vital
/ʔ/ mountain

Aspiration Diacritics
Syllabic n
Syllabic l /h/ part, cat, time
Rhoticity /n̩ / cotton, button, certain
/l̩/ bottle, table, cattle

˞ /ɚ/ and /ɝ/

Suprasegmentals

Syllable break . /ˈoʊn.li/

ˈPrimary stress /ˈsʌbˌtaɪt̬ əl/

Secondary ˌ /prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/
stress /miː/
Long sound ː

Note: Parentheses or italics are usually used to denote that a sound is optional.
Evidence can be transcribed /ˈɛvədənts/ or /ˈɛvədən(t)s/.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 01: Vowel /i/

Unit 01: Vowel /i/

/i/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Tense i, Lower-case i
Length: Long vowel Jaw: It lowers a little, but remains almost closed.
Tongue: The blade rises near the alveolar ridge.
Lips: The lips should be spread and tense.

Position in the syllable Track 01

Beginning Middle End
eagle legal identity
east proceed fee
eon scheme guarantee

Grapheme correspondence Track 02

e ee ea ie ei y oe i eo
delete degree each achieve conceive carry amoeba police people
precede speech eager belief deceit copy phoenix
these seem reason piece either very

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 03
contain the sound /i/.

1. I have a previous engagement.
2. Is it even legal?
3. Let me tell you my theory.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 01: Vowel /i/

4. Please proceed with caution.
5. Technique is really important.
6. This kind of plant grows only in tropical regions.
7. We have a lot more we need to achieve.
8. We have limited resources.
9. You need to seek help.
10. You're exceeding your authority.

C. Listen to the following sentences. Underline the letters that Track 04
have the /i/ sound.

1. Approximately thirty young people attended.
2. Can you give me a brief description of the thief?
3. Don't exceed the speed limit.
4. Let's try to be discrete about this.
5. Please send in your summary by Tuesday.
6. She revealed the secret to him.
7. They gave a series of concerts.

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet1.

1. /mi/ _______________ 6. /sit/ _______________
2. /ki/ _______________ 7. /wil/ _______________
3. /bi/ _______________ 8. /mit/ _______________
4. /fil/ _______________ 9. /grin/ _______________
5. /pis/ _______________ 10. /list/ _______________

1 Trancriptions are a wonderful exercise. They show how a word is pronounced. You will usually be asked to
transcribe words to IPA and also to transcribe words written in IPA to the Roman alphablet (the alphabet used in
most western countries). Remember always to use slanted lines (//) in your IPA transcriptions. Refer to the tables
on page 10 and 11 if you have any questions about a sound.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 01: Vowel /i/

E. Transcribe the following sentences from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. tea _______________ 6. seen _______________
2. he _______________ 7. treat _______________
3. eat _______________ 8. beast _______________
4. neat _______________ 9. scene _______________
5. flea _______________ 10. leave _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 05
/i/ sound.

He began to wonder whether we could ever make psychology so absolute a science that
each little spring of life would be revealed to us. As it was, we always misunderstood
ourselves and rarely understood others. Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely
the name men gave to their mistakes. Moralists had, as a rule, regarded it as a mode of
warning, had claimed for it a certain ethical efficacy in the formation of character, had
praised it as something that taught us what to follow and showed us what to avoid. But
there was no motive power in experience. It was as little of an active cause as conscience
itself. All that it really demonstrated was that our future would be the same as our past,
and that the sin we had done once, and with loathing, we would do many times, and with
joy.

From The Picture of Doryan Gray, by Oscar Wilde

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 06
pronounced with the /i/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or
pronunciation of any word that you not know.

What can Pokémon Go teach the world of conservation?

In the paper, the researchers explain that Pokémon Go has been shown to inspire high
levels of behavioral change among its users, with people making significant adjustments
to their daily routines and to the amount of time spent outside in order to increase their
chances of encountering target 'species'. There is also evidence that users are

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 01: Vowel /i/

discovering non-virtual wildlife while playing Pokémon Go, leading to the Twitter hashtag
#Pokeblitz that helps people identify 'real' species found and photographed during play.

However, the researchers caution that the success of Pokémon Go could also bring
challenges: for example, it may be that this type of augmented reality – featuring
engaging, brightly colored fictional creatures – could replace people's desire to interact
with real-world nature, or the focus on catching and battling Pokémon may encourage
exploitation of wildlife.

H. Discuss the following questions with a partner. Use as many words with
the /i/ sound as possible.

1. What other practical uses could these games and video games in general have?
2. Where do you think that virtual reality will take us 50 years from now?
3. Are there any other negative consequences of video games and virtual reality?

Which ones? What could the advantages be?

17

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/

Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/

/ɪ/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Lax ɪ, Small capital ɪ
Length: Short Jaw: Near-closed
Tongue: Up, near the hard palate
Lips: Lax, not tense

Position in the syllable Track 07

Beginning Middle End
exclude link No words end in /ɪ/ in
invariably negate English.
invest publish

Grapheme correspondence Track 08

y ui i e ea u o ee
abyss biscuit acid enormous appear busy women been
analyst buildup credit erosion beard minute
atypical guilty fakir pretty near

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 09
contain the sound /ɪ/.

1. According to statistics, world population is on the rise.
2. I couldn't have predicted this happening.
3. I declined his invitation to dinner.
4. I don't know what this symbol stands for.

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/

5. I think people should stop using disposable shopping bags.
6. Let's keep it civil.
7. Persistence will pay off.
8. We'll see the exhibit tomorrow.
9. You make many valid points.
10. You're just trying to shift blame away from yourself.

C. Listen to the following sentences. Choose the word used in Track 10
each case.

1. Be careful not to slip / sleep.
2. Did you like the mill / meal?
3. It was a terrible sin / scene.
4. I've lost my filling / feeling.
5. The hit / heat was terrible.
6. We can bit / beat them.
7. We've got this problem licked / leaked.

D. Listen to the following words. Circle that word that is Track 11
pronounced twice in each row.

/ɪ/ /i/
1. bid bead
2. biz bees
3. chick cheek
4. dip deep
5. fist feast
6. hip heap
7. pill peel
8. sill seal
9. skid skied
10. skim scheme

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/

´
E. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /stɪl/ _______________ 6. /ˈvɪzɪt/ _______________
2. /rɪskɪŋ/ _______________ 7. /rɪˈvil/ _______________
3. /pɪk/ _______________ 8. /dɪˈskrit/ _______________
4. /blɪs/ _______________ 9. /rɪˈstrɪkt/ _______________
5. /skɪl/ _______________ 10. /ɪkˈsid/ _______________

F. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. limit _______________ 6. grit _______________
2. business _______________ 7. fixing _______________
3. physics _______________ 8. silky _______________
4. silly _______________ 9. sphere _______________
5. stick _______________ 10. built-in _______________

G. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 12
/ɪ/ sound.

So once more the little company set off upon the journey, the Lion walking with stately
strides at Dorothy's side. Toto did not approve of this new comrade at first, for he could
not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the Lion's great jaws. But after a
time he became more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to
be good friends.

During the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar the peace of their journey.
Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road,
and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was
always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several
tears of sorrow and regret. These tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of
his jaw, and there they rusted. When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin
Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. He became
greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could
not understand. The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow

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Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 02: Vowel /ɪ/

seized the oil-can from Dorothy's basket and oiled the Woodman's jaws, so that after a
few moments he could talk as well as before.

Excerpt from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

H. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 13
pronounced with the /ɪ/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or

pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

Engineers design ultralow power transistors that could function for years without a
battery

A newly-developed form of transistor opens up a range of new electronic applications

including wearable or implantable devices by drastically reducing the amount of
power used. Devices based on this type of ultralow power transistor, developed by

engineers at the University of Cambridge, could function for months or even years
without a battery by ‘scavenging’ energy from their environment.

Using a similar principle to a computer in sleep mode, the new transistor harnesses a
tiny ‘leakage’ of electrical current, known as a near-off-state current, for its operations.
This leak, like water dripping from a faulty tap, is a characteristic of all transistors, but
this is the first time that it has been effectively captured and used functionally. The
results, reported in the journal Science, open up new avenues for system design for
the Internet of Things, in which most of the things we interact with every day are
connected to the Internet.

I. Discuss the following questions with a partner. Use as many words with
the /ɪ/ sound as possible.

1. What currently used gadget would you like this technology to be part of? What
invention could be possible by using this kind of transistor?

2. What do you know about the internet of things? Provide some examples.
3. Should engineers and scientists have carte blanche (complete freedom to act) or

should science and technology have limits?

21

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/

Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/

/eɪ/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Diphthong eɪ Glides from [e] to [ɪ]
Length: Long

Position in the syllable Track 14

Beginning Middle End
aid create decay
able data display
ache obtain survey

Grapheme correspondence Track 15

a ai ay eigh ea ey ei
ace aim delay freight breakup heyday feign
blame gain essay neigh greatly prey rein
wage main payroll sleigh steak whey veil

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 16
contain the sound /eɪ/.

1. He participated in the debate.
2. He was raised in the United States, but his native language is Japanese.
3. I usually read labels carefully.
4. I'll have to be innovative.

22

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/

5. I'm afraid I'm not available.
6. Prices are stable these days.
7. The new subway enables me to get to school in 20 minutes.
8. Think about the implications.
9. We should make every effort to maintain world peace.
10. We should move to a safer location.

C. Listen to the following sentences. Circle the graphemes Track 17
pronounced with /eɪ/.

1. Don't be afraid to fail.
2. Don't change lanes without signaling.
3. He promised to pay us high wages.
4. I arrived at the station ten minutes late.
5. It was a wild goose chase.
6. Let's take a rest in the shade.
7. The music faded away.

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /feɪs/ _______________ 6. /treɪs/ _______________
2. /kleɪm/ _______________ 7. /greɪd/ _______________
3. /tʃeɪn/ _______________ 8. /treɪt/ _______________
4. /ʃeɪkɪŋ/ _______________ 9. /streɪt/ _______________
5. /rɪˈteɪn/ _______________ 10. /ˈɪmplɪˌkeɪt/ _______________

E. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. bait _______________ 6. maintain _______________
2. displace _______________ 7. raid _______________

23

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/

3. eighty _______________ 8. shame _______________
4. H _______________ 9. trading _______________
5. mane _______________ 10. trainee _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 18
/eɪ/ sound.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not
infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood
upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night
before. It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as
a “Penang lawyer.” Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across.
“To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.,” was engraved upon it,
with the date “1884.” It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used
to carry—dignified, solid, and reassuring.

“Well, Watson, what do you make of it?”

Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.
“How did you know what I was doing? I believe you have eyes in the back of your head.”

“I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me,” said he. “But, tell
me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor’s stick? Since we have been so unfortunate

as to miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of
importance. Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it.”

Excerpt from The Hound of the Baskervilles, by A. Conan Doyle

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 19
pronounced with the /eɪ/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or
pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

‘Gut feelings’ help make more successful financial traders

24

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 03: Diphthong /eɪ/

‘Gut feelings’ – known technically as interoceptive sensations – are sensations that
carry information to the brain from many tissues of the body, including the heart and
lungs, as well as the gut. They can report anything from body temperature to
breathlessness, racing heart, fullness from the gut, bladder and bowel, and they
underpin states such as hunger, thirst, pain, and anxiety.

We are often not conscious – or at least barely aware – of this information, but it provides
valuable inputs in risky decision-making. High-risk choices are accompanied by rapid and
subtle physiological changes that feed back to the brain, affecting our decisions, and
steering us away from gambles that are likely to lead to loss and towards those that are
likely to lead to profit. This can enable people to make important decisions even before
they are able to articulate the reasons for their choices.

H. List four risky, decision-making situations. Compare them with a partner.
Check how may of the words you used have the sound /eɪ/.

1. _______________________________ 2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________ 4. _______________________________

I. Discuss the following questions with a partner. Keep in mind the
pronounciation of the /eɪ/ diphthong.

1. Do you take a lot of risks in life or are you risk averse? What’s the biggest risk
you’ve ever taken?

2. Are risk-takers more successful in life? Why?
3. What risks have you taken that have gone wrong, and which have worked?

25

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

/ɛ/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Epsilon
Length: Short Jaw: Open-mid
Tongue: Front
Lips: Unrounded

Position in the syllable Track 20

Beginning Middle End
area context The sound /ɛ/ does not
entry credit exist at the end of words in
entire vary English.

Grapheme correspondence Track 21

e ea a ai ue eo ua ie
adept ahead anybody against guess
amend breath care lair guest jeopardy guarantee friend
edit instead share said
leopard

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 22
contain the sound /ɛ/.

1. Are you currently using any medication?
2. Detectives are still investigating.

26

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

3. He guaranteed my debt.
4. I could hear everything the president said.
5. I have a flexible schedule.
6. Incentives always help.
7. Mental illness can affect anyone.
8. The export of weapons was prohibited.
9. We hope to see a lot of development over the next decade.
10. You should inspect the car well before you buy it.

C. Listen to the following words. Circle the word that is Track 23
pronounced twice.

1. desk disk
2. check chick
3. gem gym
4. bell bill
5. let lit
6. set sit
7. miss mess

D. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. cherry _______________ 6. inherit _______________
2. heavy _______________ 7. bench _______________
3. invest _______________ 8. levy _______________
4. pretext _______________ 9. cherish _______________
5. impress _______________ 10. hence _______________

E. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /ˈwɛlˌfɛr/ _______________ 6. /tʃɛr/ _______________

27

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

2. /trɛnd/ _______________ 7. /ʃɛr/ _______________
3. /ˈɪndɛks/ _______________ 8. /ɪnˈtɛns/ _______________
4. /tɛns/ _______________ 9. /dɪˈprɛs/ _______________
5. /ˈmɛri/ _______________ 10. /ˈɪnˌsɛkt/ _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 24
/ɛ/ sound.

There was once upon a time an old goat who had seven little kids, and loved them with

all the love of a mother for her children. One day she wanted to go into the forest and
fetch some food. So she called all seven to her and said: ‘Dear children, I have to go into
the forest, be on your guard against the wolf; if he comes in, he will devour you all—skin,

hair, and everything. The wretch often disguises himself, but you will know him at once
by his rough voice and his black feet.’ The kids said: ‘Dear mother, we will take good care
of ourselves; you may go away without any anxiety.’ Then the old one bleated, and went

on her way with an easy mind.

Excerpt from The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats, by The Grimm Brothers

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 25
pronounced with the /ɛ/ sound. Look up any word that you

do not know or do not know how to pronounce.

An hour of moderate exercise a day enough to counter health risks from prolonged
sitting

Ever since a study back in 1953 discovered that London bus drivers were at greater risk
of heart disease compared to bus conductors, scientists have found increasing evidence
that lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for several diseases and for risk of early
death. Recent estimates suggest that more than 5 million people die globally each year
as a result of failing to meet recommended daily activity levels.

Studies in high-income countries have suggested that adults spend the majority of their
waking hours sitting down. A typical day for many people is driving to work, sitting in an

28

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

office, driving home and watching TV. Current physical activity guidelines recommend
that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.

H. Imagine you have been assigned to improve people’s physical condition
in your school, workplace, or community. Plan with a partner some
measures you would implement to do so. Keep it mind the sound /ɛ/
during this task.

I. Silent e

It is very common in English for certain vowels to be obscured in speech. It is also possible
that some letters are completely omitted when pronouncing a word. When this happens,
we refer to that phenomenon as a silent letter. In certain languages, such as Spanish or
German, all letters are usually pronounced. Silent letters, however, are a common feature
of the English language.

The grapheme e is usually associated with /ɛ/. Nevertheless, it can be pronounced in
several ways or be completely silent. With some exceptions, silent e occurs at the end of
words. In this case, the preceding vowel is usually a long one.

Consider the following examples:

1. bit bite

2. can cane

3. hid hide

4. hop hope

5. kit kite

6. sit site

7. unit unite

Note: Not all pairs of words share a similar meaning.

Some exceptions to this lenghthening are the words giraffe, brunette, cassette, gazelle,
minute, and toxine. Adobe and recipe are instances were final e is pronounced, together
with words where e is the only letter (be, me, see). Finally, you should bear in mind that
loan words (words that are used in English whose origin is clearly from a foreign
language) do not always follow a particular rule. In café and résumé (from French), and
forte and al dente (from Italian), the last letter e is pronounced in different ways.

29

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 04: Vowel /ɛ/

J. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 26
contain a silent e.

1. Do you have the remote?
2. I admire your confidence.
3. I appreciate the updates.
4. I like your smile.
5. I take pride in what I do.
6. Rise and shine!
7. She raised her voice.
8. Take my advice.
9. That's a nice shade of blue.
10. We saw the parade move down the street.

30

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 05: Vowel /æ/

Unit 05: Vowel /æ/

/æ/

A. Background Point of articulation:

Name: Diagraph, Ash, Lower-case A-E Jaw: Near-open
ligature Tongue: Front
Lips: Unrounded
Length: Short

Position in the syllable Track 27

Beginning Middle End
actually enact The sound /æ/ does not
antique exact exist at the end of words in
average practical English.

Grapheme correspondence Track 28

a au i
dismantle aunt timbre2
distract laugh
fax laughter

2 Usually in free variation, timbre (/ˈtæm·bɚ/ or sometimes /ˈtɪm·bɚ/) should not be confused with timber
which is only pronounced /ˈtɪm·bɚ/

31

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 05: Vowel /æ/

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 29
contain the sound /æ/.

1. Give the administration3 a chance.
2. I can't believe the way everyone is reacting.
3. I can't figure out how to transfer MP3 files to my iPod.
4. Let's begin with the first chapter.
5. Let's establish some ground rules.
6. My passport is no longer valid.
7. The request was granted.
8. We had to abandon our plan.
9. You have a task to complete.
10. Your first draft was fine.

C. Listen to the following sentences. Circle the words that Track 30
contain the /æ/ sound.

1. After I graduated from college, I spent two years traveling around the world.
2. I can't stand that attitude of his.
3. Perhaps I could handle that.
4. Some food is pretty bland without salt.
5. The train ran off the tracks.
6. What exactly happened here?
7. Would you be willing to send me a sample free of charge?

D. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. abstract _______________ 6. classic _______________
2. abstain _______________ 7. flash _______________
3. access _______________ 8. than _______________
4. emphatic _______________ 9. bath _______________
5. expand _______________ 10. that _______________

3 Commonly, this initial “a” is pronounced with /ə/ (schwa).
32

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 05: Vowel /æ/

E. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /bænd/ _______________ 6. /dɪˈmænd/ _______________
2. /ˈhæpi/ _______________ 7. /mæθ/ _______________
3. /kræb/ _______________ 8. /glæns/ _______________
4. /læks/ _______________ 9. /mætʃ/ _______________
5. /ˈæksɪs/ _______________ 10. /stæf/ _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 31
/æ/ sound.

The thing the Time Traveller held in his hand was a glittering metallic framework, scarcely
larger than a small clock, and very delicately made. There was ivory in it, and some
transparent crystalline substance. And now I must be explicit, for this that follows—unless
his explanation is to be accepted—is an absolutely unaccountable thing. He took one of
the small octagonal tables that were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the
fire, with two legs on the hearthrug. On this table he placed the mechanism. Then he drew
up a chair, and sat down. The only other object on the table was a small shaded lamp,
the bright light of which fell upon the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles
about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room
was brilliantly illuminated. I sat in a low arm-chair nearest the fire, and I drew this forward
so as to be almost between the Time Traveller and the fireplace. Filby sat behind him,
looking over his shoulder. The Medical Man and the Provincial Mayor watched him in
profile from the right, the Psychologist from the left. The Very Young Man stood behind
the Psychologist. We were all on the alert. It appears incredible to me that any kind of
trick, however subtly conceived and however adroitly done, could have been played upon
us under these conditions.

Excerpt from The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

33

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 05: Vowel /æ/

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 32
pronounced with the /æ/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or
pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

Ageing affects test-taking, not language, study shows

The ability to understand language could be much better preserved into old age than
previously thought, according to researchers from the University of Cambridge, who
found older adults struggle more with test conditions than language processing.

Scientists from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN)
scanned participants during testing and found that the areas of the brain responsible for
language performed just as well in older adults as in younger ones.

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that increased neural
activation in the frontal brain regions of older adults reflects differences in the way they
respond to the demands of the task compared with younger adults, rather than any
difference in language processing itself.

H. Discuss the following questions with a partner. Use as many words
with the /æ/ sound as possible.

1. What other assumptions do people make based on race, gender, or age? Why do you
think people make those assumptions?

2. How has your English-learning process been so far? Have you tried learning any other
language? How was that process similar or different from learning English?

3. What skills or abilities would you like to develop? Do you think it is too late, just about
right, or time does not matter to start developing them?

34

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 06: Vowel /a/

Unit 06: Vowel /a/

/a/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Latin A, Script A
Length: Short Jaw: open
Tongue: back
Lips: unrounded

Position in the syllable Track 33

Beginning Middle End
argue heart The sound /a/ does not
art margin exist at the end of words in
obtuse start English4.

Grapheme correspondence Track 34

a o e ua
mark block sergeant guard
regard cloth
spark glossary

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 35
contain the sound /a/.

1. I can't figure out how to post a comment to this blog.

4 An exception could be the word spa.
35

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 06: Vowel /a/

2. I take partial responsibility.
3. I'm not getting involved.
4. Let's concentrate on the job at hand.
5. Let's look on the positive side.
6. Let's start with the obvious.
7. That's hardly a new concept.
8. The problem is complex.
9. Their contract expired on October 20th.
10. This is an extremely complicated process.

C. Listen to the following words. Circle the letter a that should Track 36
be pronounced with /a/.

1. a l a r m
2. c a r a m e l
3. d r a m a
4. g a r a g e
5. k a r m a
6. l l a m a
7. r a d a r

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /ækˈnɑlɪdʒ/ _______________ 6. /ˈkɑlig/ _______________
2. /bɑnd/ _______________ 7. /ˈkɑntrɛri/ _______________
3. /brɑθ/ _______________ 8. /dɪˈpɑrt/ _______________
4. /tʃɑrt/ _______________ 9. /gɑrd/ _______________
5. /gəˈrɑʒ/ _______________ 10. /ˈhɑbi/ _______________

36

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 06: Vowel /a/

E. Transcribe the following sentences from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. honest _______________ 6. scarf _______________
2. odd _______________ 7. shoplift _______________
3. pocket _______________ 8. stock _______________
4. profit _______________ 9. symbolic _______________
5. prospect _______________ 10. topic _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 37
/a/ sound.

THAT evening Mr. Utterson came home to his bachelor house in sombre spirits and sat
down to dinner without relish. It was his custom of a Sunday, when this meal was over,
to sit close by the fire, a volume of some dry divinity on his reading-desk, until the clock
of the neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly and
gratefully to bed.

On this night, however, as soon as the cloth was taken away, he took up a candle and
went into his business-room. There he opened his safe, took from the most private part
of it a document endorsed on the envelope as Dr. Jekyll's Will, and sat down with a
clouded brow to study its contents.

The will was holograph, for Mr. Utterson, though he took charge of it now that it was made,
had refused to lend the least assistance in the making of it; it provided not only that, in
case of the decease of Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc., all his possessions
were to pass into the hands of his "friend and benefactor Edward Hyde," but that in case
of Dr. Jekyll's "disappearance or unexplained absence for any period exceeding three
calendar months," the said Edward Hyde should step into the said Henry Jekyll's shoes
without further delay and free from any burthen or obligation, beyond the payment of a
few small sums to the members of the doctor's household.

Excerpt from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

37

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 06: Vowel /a/

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 38
pronounced with the /a/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or
pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

Six degrees of innovation

New report identifies six successful business models to guide companies. The Six
Degrees of Innovation are:

1. Tailor-made products and services: Meeting customers’ individual needs, such as
online retailers’ recommendation services.

2. Sustainability: Minimizing waste and managing resource costs, such as companies
which harvest and recycle parts.

3. Jointly owned assets: Boosting efficiency and lowering costs, for example in peer-to-
peer businesses.

4. Only paying for service that is used: like car-share companies.

5. Effective monitoring of supply chains: such as support service businesses that use
handheld tracking systems to better monitor the supply chain.

6. Using data to easily adapt to customer needs: such as clothing companies that
maintain little inventory and can quickly produce modern designs to meet fashion
trends and have bigger profits.

H. Together with a partner, rank the six degrees of innovation. Which one
do you believe is the most important one? Which one is the least
important? For each degree of innovation, provide the name of a
company or product that could be used as an example. Check if any of
those examples is pronounced with /a/.

38

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 07: Vowel /u/

Unit 07: Vowel /u/

/u/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Tense U, Lower-case U
Length: Long Jaw: Closed
Tongue: Back
Lips: Rounded

Position in the syllable Track 39
Track 40
Beginning Middle End
boost blue
The sound /u/ does not bruise drew
exist at the beginning of move glue
words in English5.

Grapheme correspondence

u oo o ew ue
rule choose do crew flue
rumor proof improve flew sue
truth mood prove jewel true

ui ou oe eu ieu ough
cruise canoe leukemia lieutenant through
fruitful coupon shoe
suitor group
route6

Note: After the graphemes d, n, s, and t, some vowels or combinations of vowels can be
pronounced /ju/ instead of /u/.

5 Some exceptions are the words ooze, ooh, and oops (pronounced also /ʊps/).
6 Also pronounced /raʊt/

39

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 07: Vowel /u/

Examples: /əˈsum/ /əˈsjum/
/kənˈsumɚ/ /kənˈsjumɚ/
assume /du/ /dju/
consumer /ˈdut̬ i/ or /ˈdjut̬ i/
due /ˈnutrəl/ /ˈnjutrəl/
duty /nu/ /nju/
neutral /ˈstudənt/ /ˈstjudənt/
new /tun/ /tjun/
student
tune

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 41
contain the sound /u/.

1. Do you have a copy of the new schedule?
2. Food will be included.
3. How do you feel about the issue?
4. I assume you've proofread this already.
5. I hate to be a nuisance.
6. The dog chewed up my boot.
7. This screw is loose.
8. Tulips will bloom soon.
9. Who are you rooting for?
10. Who removed it?

C. Listen to the following homophones. Write the different Track 42
words that can be pronounced in the same way.

1. __________________ __________________ __________________
2. __________________ __________________
3. __________________ __________________
4. __________________ __________________

40

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 07: Vowel /u/

5. __________________ __________________ __________________
6. __________________ __________________
7. __________________ __________________

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /ˈbluˌtuθ/ _______________ 6. /hut/ _______________
2. /buθ/ _______________ 7. /ˈdʒukˌbɑks/ _______________
3. /tʃuz/ _______________ 8. /dʒun/ _______________
_______________ 9. /mus/ _______________
4. /kul/ _______________ 10. /prun/ _______________
5. /dɪˈdus/

E. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. recluse _______________ 6. soothe _______________
2. rooftop _______________ 7. sue _______________
3. scrooge _______________ 8. suit _______________
4. shoelace _______________ 9. toothache _______________
5. shoot _______________ 10. truce _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 43
/u/ sound.

Pierre, after all, had not managed to choose a career for himself in Petersburg, and had

been expelled from there for riotous conduct and sent to Moscow. The story told about
him at Count Rostóv’s was true. Pierre had taken part in tying a policeman to a bear. He
had now been for some days in Moscow and was staying as usual at his father’s house.

Though he expected that the story of his escapade would be already known in Moscow
and that the ladies about his father—who were never favorably disposed toward him—

would have used it to turn the count against him, he nevertheless on the day of his arrival
went to his father’s part of the house. Entering the drawing room, where the princesses

spent most of their time, he greeted the ladies, two of whom were sitting at embroidery
frames while a third read aloud. It was the eldest who was reading—the one who had met

Anna Mikháylovna. The two younger ones were embroidering: both were rosy and pretty

41

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 07: Vowel /u/

and they differed only in that one had a little mole on her lip which made her much prettier.
Pierre was received as if he were a corpse or a leper. The eldest princess paused in her
reading and silently stared at him with frightened eyes; the second assumed precisely the
same expression; while the youngest, the one with the mole, who was of a cheerful and
lively disposition, bent over her frame to hide a smile probably evoked by the amusing
scene she foresaw. She drew her wool down through the canvas and, scarcely able to
refrain from laughing, stooped as if trying to make out the pattern.

Excerpt from War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoi

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 44
pronounced with the /u/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or
pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

Speakers of two dialects may share cognitive advantage with speakers of two
languages

The ability of children to speak any two dialects – two closely related varieties of the
same language – may confer the same cognitive advantages as those reported for
multilingual children who speak two or more substantially different languages (such as

English and French).

Although a topic of continuing academic and public scrutiny, a lot of research to date
reports a positive cognitive net effect for multilingual children compared to children who
speak only one language.

The effect is usually manifest in attention, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to inhibit
irrelevant information, with some researchers arguing that the advantages of bilingualism
are evident throughout the human lifespan. Until now, however, there has been very
little research on children speaking two dialects which may only be separated by subtle
linguistic differences.

H. In pairs, choose any skill or ability that you can develop (learning a
language, playing a sport, playing a musical instrument, etc.). List as
many benefits that come from that ability as you can. Check if you used
any words with the /u/ sound.

42

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

/ʊ/

A. Background Point of articulation:
Name: Lax U, Upsilon
Length: Short Jaw: Near-closed position
Tongue: Near-back position
Lips: Rounded

Position in the syllable Track 45

Beginning Middle End
No words begin in /ʊ/ in butcher No words end in /ʊ/ in
hook English.
English. tour

Grapheme correspondence Track 46

u oo ou o
ensure good could wolf
mature stood should woman
output wool would

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 47
contain the sound /ʊ/.

1. Could you pull over?
2. He took a job with an insurance company.
3. I assure you I'll accept full responsibility.

43

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

4. I could hardly endure the pain.
5. It's so hot that you could cook an egg on the hood of a car.
6. Let's stop beating around the bush.
7. Perhaps we should call security.
8. That's very mature of you.
9. We gave them our input.
10. Who put together this schedule?

C. Listen to the following words. Circle the word that is Track 48
pronounced with the /ʊ/ sound.

1. hoof parachute sugar
2. crook junior group
3. brook lunatic goose
4. bull rooster juice
5. luminary cruel woolen
6. cushion routine school
7. book tomb zoom

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet.

1. /ˈdʒʊri/ _______________ 6. /ɪnˈʃʊr/ _______________
2. /ˈbʊli/ _______________ 7. /ˈrʊki/ _______________
3. /ʃʊk/ _______________ 8. /ˈfʊtsi/ _______________
4. /ˈbʊlɪt/ _______________ 9. /ˈgʊˈdwɪl/ _______________
5. /dɪˈtʊr/ _______________ 10. /ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/ _______________

E. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. lure _______________ 6. poorly _______________
2. fully _______________ 7. should _______________

44

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

3. ambush _______________ 8. barefoot _______________
4. cookie _______________ 9. werewolf _______________
5. hoodie _______________ 10. bulletproof _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 49
/ʊ/ sound.

“A scarecrow, I’m afraid,” I replied. “Just glance at your draggled skirts, for instance.

Look at those three-cornered tears. And such a waist! It would not require a Sherlock

Holmes to deduce that you have been cooking over a camp-fire, to say nothing of trying
out seal-blubber. And to cap it all, that cap! And all that is the woman who wrote ‘A Kiss
Endured.’”

She made me an elaborate and stately courtesy, and said, “As for you, sir—”
And yet, through the five minutes of banter which followed, there was a serious something
underneath the fun which I could not but relate to the strange and fleeting expression I
had caught in her eyes. What was it? Could it be that our eyes were speaking beyond
the will of our speech? My eyes had spoken, I knew, until I had found the culprits out and
silenced them. This had occurred several times. But had she seen the clamour in them
and understood? And had her eyes so spoken to me? What else could that expression
have meant—that dancing, tremulous light, and a something more which words could not
describe. And yet it could not be. It was impossible. Besides, I was not skilled in the
speech of eyes. I was only Humphrey Van Weyden, a bookish fellow who loved. And to
love, and to wait and win love, that surely was glorious enough for me. And thus I thought,
even as we chaffed each other’s appearance, until we arrived ashore and there were
other things to think about.

Excerpt from The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

45

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

G. Read the following text to a partner. The words in bold are Track 50
pronounced with the /ʊ/ sound. Look up the meaning and/or

pronunciation of any word that you do not know.

Health costs of ageing will shoot up without technological innovation

A new report co-authored by Cambridge researchers warns that without good
technological innovation over the next decade, healthcare costs in the UK could be
significantly higher than currently projected. The report also highlights some ideas to
maximize the potential of the sharing economy to support our ageing society.

Cooking buddies
A barcode scanner in the home could be used to upload the contents of your fridge to an
interface which would share the information with people in your neighborhood. Taking
a look into each other’s fridges, seeing what people had a surplus of or what was about
to go out of date, could encourage neighbors to cook together making meal times more

sociable.

Integrated leisure and transport
Leisure activities, such as a trip to the theater or to a restaurant, could come with
transport included. When you book a ticket there could be the option to also book
transport. If a large number of people were also booking transport to an event, a mini-
bus could then be sent to collect them all at a much lower cost than them all booking
taxis separately.

‘Cuddle cushion’
A ‘cuddle cushion’ is a type of pillow which would allow relatives being able to send each

other cuddles.

H. In groups of three, develop a technological innovation that could
improve the lives of the population sector of your choice. Be ready to
present your idea to the rest of the class.

I. Silent u

The sounds /u/ and /ʊ/ usually correspond to the grapheme u. In this book, u + vowel is
considered as a sound. Nevertheless, it is possible to argue that the grapheme u is
silent in some cases. Consider the following examples.

1. linguistic guitar
2. anguish guilt

46

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 08: Vowel /ʊ/

3. penguin guide

In the first column, the graphemes u and i are pronounced as two distinct sounds. In the
second column, however, there is only one sound, supporting the claim that the
grapheme u is silent.

Note: The words in the first column are not pronounced with /u/ or /ʊ/. They are
pronounced with /w/.

J. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in Track 51
bold contain the silent u.

1. Can you guarantee that?
2. He entered the bank disguised as a guard.
3. Make a guess.
4. Sign the guest book.
5. Thank you for your guidance.
6. You caught me off guard.

47

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 09: Vowel /ʌ/

Unit 09: Vowel /ʌ/

/ʌ/

A. Background Point of articulation:

Name: Stressed schwa, Turned V, Jaw: mid
wedge Tongue: central
Lips: unrounded
Length: Short

Position in the syllable Track 52

Beginning Middle End
undo induction The sound /ʌ/ does not
undermine plus exist at the end of words in
ultimate reluctant English.

Note: /ʌ/ is found in stressed syllables only.

Grapheme correspondence Track 53

u o ou oo oe a
crutch company cousin blood does what7
null done double flood
trust tongue trouble

B. Listen and repeat the following sentences. The words in bold Track 54
contain the sound /ʌ/.

7 Also pronounced with/a/ (latin a) or /ə/ (schwa).
48

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 09: Vowel /ʌ/

1. He anonymously donated a large sum of money to the Red Cross.
2. I had back surgery a couple of months ago.
3. I just followed your instructions.
4. I'd like to discuss some of my suggestions.
5. The brain needs a continuous supply of blood.
6. They all looked somewhat8 stunned.
7. We're getting some interesting results.
8. Where's the funding coming from?
9. You could save money by buying in bulk.
10. You'd make a lovely couple.

C. Listen to the following words. Circle the one word in each line Track 55
pronounced with the sound /ʌ/.

1. a b c
2. a b c
3. a b c
4. a b c
5. a b c
6. a b c
7. a b c

D. Transcribe the following words from the IPA to the Roman alphabet9.

1. /mʌtʃ/ _______________ 6. /ˈsiˌgʌl/ _______________
2. /blʌʃ/ _______________ 7. /ˌriˈtʌtʃ/ _______________
3. /klʌtʃ/ _______________ 8. /ˈkʌpˌkeɪk/ _______________
4. /ˈbʌkət/ _______________ 9. /ˈhændˌkʌf/ _______________

8 The second letter a could be also pronounced with /a/ (latin a) or /ə/ (schwa).

49

Sound Pronunciation: Vowels Unit 09: Vowel /ʌ/
_______________
5. /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ _______________ 10. /ˈhʌniˌmun/

E. Transcribe the following words from the Roman alphabet to the IPA.

1. must _______________ 6. dustpan _______________
2. rough _______________ 7. subsidy _______________
3. justice _______________ 8. lovesick _______________
4. peanut _______________ 9. somebody _______________
5. country _______________ 10. unstressed _______________

F. Read the following text. Extract seven words that contain the Track 56
/ʌ/ sound.

DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when

the clouds hung pressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback,

through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of

the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it
was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded

my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable,

because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural
images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere
house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon
the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of
decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly
sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium—the bitter
lapse into every-day life—the hideous dropping off of the veil. There was an iciness, a
sinking, a sickening of the heart—an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading
of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it—I paused to think—

what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher?

Excerpt from The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe

1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 5. __________________ 6. __________________
7. __________________

50