How to speak English
Beautifully?
(From the phonetic perspective)
Beautiful English speech
1. correct pronunciation of the vowels and
consonants in the English vocabulary ☞
2. appropriate treatment of the adjacent words in a
sentence ☞
3. the prominence given to the important words of
a sentence ☞
4. proper use of rhythm in the feet of a sentence
☞
5. clear awareness of sense groups and pauses
where particular tunes can be used ☞
1. correct pronunciation of the vowels
and consonants in the English
vocabulary
vowels
Long vowels
/i:/ /a:/ /u:/
Short vowels
/e/ /æ/ /ə/
tongue
• Tongue-tip
Front vowels - /i：/ /І/ /e/ /æ/
clear /l/
dark /l/
/s/ /z/
• Blade(front)
/t / /d/ /n/
• Middle /∫/ /ζ /
• Back
/k/ /g/
/り/
Positions are set
•
•
•
•
The tongue-tip
The teeth
The lips
The jaw
e.g. 1/ words in isolation
street fleet mill walk work
2/ speech
Either that there is an element of doubt
about the meal, or that there is an element of
doubt about him
2. appropriate treatment of the
adjacent words in a sentence
finals
initials
Street: str - initial
t - final
?
A final
+
An initial
Go to school
A few of the students
sang.
۩
At night, the electric
‫٭‬lights are switched
on.
☼
Complete pronunciation of the
adjacent finals and initials
• Dress smartly
f
l
• Happy li e during the schoo years
Incomplete plosives
• /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /k/ /g/ ---- incomplete plosion
when they are followed by all consonants
except /s/, /r/, in some situations
Exceptions:
• ts ds
pr br tr dr kr gr
• beats beads
apron abroad orchestra
across autograph
Footrace backroom
bedroom
‫٭‬
Linking
• A final consonant + an initial vowel
put it up on the wall
• A final vowel + an initial vowel
he is , she is , see it , go on
• Final “r” or “re” + a vowel
after a , far away , forever
‫۝‬
3. the prominence given to the
important words of a sentence
*the important words which are stressed are
words of the following five categories:
nouns; verbs; adjectives; adverbs;
numerals
*to show prominence to the important words,
vocal force is given to them
e.g.
When a horse gallops full speed, it
looks as if it were flying in the air.
When a 'horse 'gallops
'full ↗speed, it 'looks
as if it were 'flying in
the ↘air.
☞
4. proper use of rhythm in the feet
of a sentence
*a foot includes a stressed syllable and the
unstressed syllable(s) before the next
stressed syllable
'Go along the 'street
and 'take the 'first
'turning on the `right.
One beat to every foot
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
`Five
'Five and
'Five and a
'Five and about
'Five and about a
'Five and about a little
'Five and about a little `more
It was a Saturday evening. The streets
became dark. Very soon I couldn’t see the
clean street. Then a fat man was standing
in front of a café. He went into it and the
door was shut. I thought to myself: “I must
have seen that man somewhere.” My
curiosity was aroused, so I followed him
into the café. I sat by a window, where I
could see the man. To my surprise, he was
that Mr Fat I met in the city of Vienna.
‫۝‬
5. clear awareness of sense
groups and pauses where
particular tunes can be used
It was a Saturday evening. The streets
became dark. Very soon I couldn’t see the
clean street. Then a fat man was standing
in front of a café. He went into it and the
door was shut. I thought to myself: “I must
have seen that man somewhere.” My
curiosity was aroused, so I followed him
into the café. I sat by a window, where I
could see the man. To my surprise, he was
that Mr Fat I met in the city of Vienna.
Read aloud with rhythm and sing