1. Introduction to English pronunciation and phonetics
Lecture 2

2. Diphthongs a glide between two vowel sounds
(di- = two); “double vowel”
two types of diphthongs
centring (as in near /ıə/)
closing (as in sky /aı/)
English has seven distinctive diphthongs

3. /eı/ as in ‘say’ Examples raven /ˈreıvən/ train /treın/
weigh/ way /weı/
Compare Sw ‘mig, nej’
Eng ‘May, neigh’

4. /aı/ as in ‘time’ Examples night /knight /naıt/ die/dye /daı/
sigh /saı/
Compare Sw ‘aj, maj’
Eng ‘I, my’

5. /ɔı/ as in ‘toy’ Examples moist /mɔıst/ soil /sɔıl/ coin /kɔın/
Compare Sw ‘koj, boj’
Eng ‘coy, boy’

6. /aʊ/ as in ‘scout’ Examples noun /naʊn/ howl /haʊl/ out /aʊt/ Note!
country /ʌ/
pause /ɔ:/
astronaut /ɔ:/

7. /əʊ||o(ʊ)/ as in ‘flow’
Examples
nose /nəʊz || noʊz/
boat /bəʊt || boʊt/
toe/tow /təʊ || toʊ/
row/roe /rəʊ || roʊ/

8. /ıə/ as in ’near’ Examples spear /spıə(r)/ beard /bıə(r)d/
fear /fıə(r)/
pierce /pıə(r)s/

9. /eə/ as in ’hair’ Examples wear/where /weə(r)/ fair/fare /feə(r)/
heir/air /eə(r)/

10. Note the pronunciation of these three
Note the pronunciation of these three! where /weə(r)/ were /wɜː(r)/ we’re /wıə(r)/

11. Consonants obstruction of the airstream
can be voiced (vibration of vocal cords) or voiceless (no vibration)
Examples
voiced voiceless
bill pill
goat coat

12. Describing consonants
the place of articulation;
where (e.g. bilabial)
the manner of articulation;
how (e.g. fricative)

13. Plosives (or stops) flow of air completely blocked and then released
English has six plosives
three voiced: /b/, /d/, /g/
three voiceless: /p/, /t/, /k/

14. /p/ as in ‘pin’ /b/ as in ‘bin’
’p’ is mute in words with pn- and ps-
pneumonia, psalm, pseudo, psycho
’b’ is mute in words ending in -mb
lamb /læm/, thumb, climb, comb
also mute in: subtle, doubt, debt

15. /t/ as in ‘tip’ /d/ as in ‘dip’
’t’ is mute in some words with -st-
listen, castle, Christmas, christen
‘-ed’ = /t/ in e.g. washed, asked, laughed
‘th’ = /t/ in Thames, Mathilda, Thomas
Compare
Eng/Sw ‘tips, tent, lead’ vs. ‘tips, tänt, lid’

16. /k/ as in ‘coal’ /g/ as in ‘goal’
’k’ is mute in words with kn-
knight /naıt/
knit /nıt/
’g’ is mute in words with gn- or -gn:
gnat /næt/
reign /reın/

17. Fricatives flow of air partially blocked, creating friction
English has nine fricatives; four voiced and five voiceless

18. /s/ as in ‘ice’ /z/ as in ‘eyes’
Examples
/s/ bus, price, niece, place
/z/ buzz, prize, knees, plays
Note: letter ‘z’ pronounced /zi:/ or /zed/

19. /s/ versus /z/ More examples /s/ /z/ peace/piece peas loose lose
rice rise
excuse (noun) excuse (verb)

20. /z/ normally used in ’-s’ after vowel or voiced consonant
(says, pays, dogs, scissors, Jim’s)
some common verb forms
(is, was, has, does)
some common function words
(his, hers, yours, as, whose)
some names
(James, Jones, Burns)

21. /ʃ/ as in ‘shore’ Examples shape /ʃeıp/ ship /ʃıp/ smash /smæʃ/
machine /məˈʃiːn/

22. /ʒ/ as in ‘measure’ Examples treasure /ˈtreʒə/ television /ˈtelevıʒən/
prestige /preˈstiːʒ/
usual /ˈju:ʒʊəl/

23. /θ/ as in ‘thin’ Examples faith /feıθ/ Thursday /ˈθɜː(r)zdeı/
thing /θıŋ/
cathedral /kəˈθiːdrəl/

24. /ð/ as in ‘then’ Examples then /ðen/ brother /ˈbrʌðə(r)/
feather /ˈfeðə(r)/
breathe /briːð/ (but: breath /breθ/ )

25. Pronunciations of ‘th’
/θ/
in most words beginning with th-
in most words ending in -th
/ð/
in some words beginning with th-
(then, thus, the, that, though)
in many words with -th- in the middle
(mother, another, weather)