Pronunciation:
Incorporating It Into The
Language Learning Process
From Day One
Diane Boardman, M.A., CCC-SLP
dbspeech@earthlink.net
WHY THIS TOPIC?
Background Concepts and
Information
How is Speech Produced?
Background Concepts and
Information
What is a Speech Sound?
Background Concepts and
Information
Letters vs. Speech Sounds
 Phonetic transcription to denote speech sounds as
opposed to letters.
 Some letters pronounced > 1 way:
Ex.:
“c” in “cat” pronounced as /k/; and
“face” pronounced as /s/
 Some sounds are assigned > 1 letter:
Ex.:
Sound / s / uses letters “c“ and “s” as in “cease”
 Vowel letters > 1 pronunciation:
Ex.:
Letter “a” pronounced as /ae/ “cat”, /a/ “father”,
or /ei/ “late”
Background Concepts and
Information
 Three parameters for distinguishing
one speech sound from another:
 Mechanical placement of oral structures
 Airflow
 Voicing
Subjects to be covered
 Intonation:
 Questions
 2-Syllable Nouns and Verbs, including
Heteronyms
 Can vs. Can’t
 “th” and use of this in the most
frequently used words
Intonation
What is this? Rhythmic quality of the language.
English: Is a stress-timed language.
Syllables may last different amounts of time.
Ex: “about” - The stressed syllable is “bout”.
Compared to “a”, it takes longer to say and the pitch rises
French: Is a syllable-timed language.
Syllables all take approximately the same
amount of time.
Intonation
 Also includes pitch changes, what
words to stress in a sentence, and
types of links or liaisons in connecting
sounds within and between words.
Both English and French use linking
(yay!!).
IT’S THE MELODY OF THE
LANGUAGE
Intonation in Use
Questions
Rule: Pitch drops at the end of a question sentence.
Ex: Would you like coffee or tea?
Exceptions:
Yes/no questions:
Ex: Would you like some coffee?
Highly emotional questions:
Ex: Why don‘t you pay attention to me?
Intonation in Use
2- Syllable Nouns and Verbs
 For 2- Syllable Nouns in general, stress is on the
first syllable:
 Ex: baby, finger, journey, soldier, dinner, bottle, paper,
sorrow, elbow, shadow
 For 2-Syllable Verbs in general, stress is on the
second (last syllable):
 Ex: repair, attack, approach, invite, rely, annoy, forget
Intonation in Use
2- Syllable Nouns and Verbs (cont.)
 Heteronyms
 When a 2-syllable word can be used either as a noun or
verb, the same rules apply. Examples:
 contract





“I signed a contract.” OR
“I will contract that disease if I’m not careful.”
permit
“I need a permit to set up a march.” OR
“Permit me to pay for this meal.”
 Other examples: content, record, subject, present, convict,
object, contrast, project, defect.
Intonation in Use
Can vs. Can’t
1a.
Can
When “can” is used with another verb, we do not stress it. We
stress the verb that follows. Our pronunciation becomes “cn”
(/kn/), as if the vowel didn’t exist.
Examples:
I can (/kn/) do it. Can(/kn/) you lend me $5.00?
I can (/kn/) go later. Those Can-Can girls can (/kn/) sure dance.
1b.
Can
However, when “can” finishes a sentence, there is heightened
emotion, or you are contradicting someone, it is said completely
(full vowel).
Examples:
I can!
Speaker#1: You can’t swim.
Speaker #2: I can swim. I do it every day
Intonation in Use
Can vs. Can’t (cont.)
2.Can’t :
We stress this word: The vowel is said fully, the pitch rises and it
takes longer to say.
Examples:
You can’t do it.
You can’t go to the movies.
If I can’t go, you can go. (Compare with: If I can go, you can go.)
Examples of Both Can and Can’t:
Can he come if you can’t?
I can see that he can’t handle the job.
“TH” /θ/ /ð/
How produced:
Oral structures: Tongue touches the back of the
upper teeth.
Air Flow: Fricative. Air is pushed through a narrow
passage and sounds like a hiss.
Voicing: Can be either voiced or voiceless.
Examples:
Voiceless: think, theater
Voiced: brother, that
“TH”/θ/ /ð/
The, this, that, these, those, there, with
“the”:
“that”:
“with”:
“this”:
“there”:
Most used word in English language
Number 7
Number 17
Number 23
Number 35
Emphasize the difference between “this and “these”.
Why?
- Difficulty with which is singular/which plural.
- Difficulty with pronouncing them differently even when
they know the differences in the meanings:
- Native English speaker will think they don’t
know their grammar: “This are mine.”
“TH”/θ/ /ð/
Pronouncing “this” vs. “these”:
Similarity:
Both begin with voiced “th”
Differences:
Vowel: / I / in “this” and /i/ in “these”
Final Sound:
Voiceless /s/ in “this”
Voiced /z/ in “these”
(they need to feel the “buzz” in their necks)
Pronunciation:
Incorporating it Into the Language
Learning Process
from Day One
FINAL QUESTIONS?
Diane Boardman, M.A., CCC-SLP
dbspeech@earthlink.net