KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG
LESSON 1 - PRONUNCIATION
Phuong:
Hello everyone,
There are three problems with pronunciation that students in Vietnam often have: problems
pronouncing certain vowels, problems pronouncing groups of consonants, and problems with the
rhythm of English. In addition, there are smaller problems such as pronouncing TH sounds which will
be discussed at the end of this video.
Not all students have the same problems, but maybe one of these causes trouble for you.
Let’s look at each problem, and if you think you have some trouble, practice saying the words many
times. When you can pronounce well, and be understood easily, your confidence level will rise
dramatically!
Let me introduce to you teacher David from Australia, who will give you some real practice on
pronunciation.
Good morning David!
David: Good morning, Phuong
Phuong: David, can you talk a little bit about yourself and your beautiful homeland, Australia?
David: ………………………
Phuong: Thank you very much. I hope to be able to visit Australia someday :D
David: …..
Phuong: Alright, let’s get back to our lesson. Right now, you will have a short revision on vowel and
consonant sounds.
David:
Practice Materials for Vowel Contrast
Contrasting monophthongs (simple vowels)
Monophthongs
[i:], [i], [e], [æ], [a:], [o:], [o], [u:], [yu:], [u], [ər], [^]
bean – bin – Ben – ban – bar – born – bond – boom – beauty – book – burn – bun;
peat – pit – pet – pat – part – port – pot – pool – pew – put – purr – pus;
[i:], [i], [e], [æ], [a:], [o:], [o], [u:], [yu:], [u], [ər], [^]
KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG
see – hit – red – cat – car – more – not – rule – use – book – sir – but;
Diphthongs
[ei], [ai], [au], [oi], [ou]
bay – buy – bough – boy – bone;
bait – bite – bout – boil – boat;
tame – time – town – toy – tone;
ale – I'll – owl – oil – old;
great – grind – ground – groin – grow;
paint – pint – pound – point – poll;
maize – mice – mouse – moist – most.
ray – ride – how – boy – no;
[p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [sh], [zh], [h], [ch], [j], [m], [n], [ŋ], [l], [r], [w], [y];
pen, be, ten, do, Kate, go, feel, very, thin, this, so, zoo, show, beige, he, cheese, just, me, no, sing, live,
red, we, yes;
NOW WE LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT DIFFICULT SOUNDS:
Contrasting consonants in pairs
[p] – [b]
[p] – [b]: pick a book; pack your bags; pay back; pour beer; poor boy;
[b] – [p]: bad part; bear pain; buy a pie; birthday party; tribal people;
[t] – [d]
[t] – [d]: tell Dan; turn it down; tiny diamonds; temporary address; later today; too bad; it's time for
bed; best friend; hot blood; polite words;
[d] – [t]: difficult task; driving test; downtown train; dinner time; idle talk; road safety; said what; did
a lot; hand and foot; kind heart;
[k] – [g]
[k] – [g]: cool game; looks good; keep going; local regulation; lock your dog; check your bags; thick
fog;
[g] – [k]: good car; gun control; golf club; grow quickly; legal action; logbook; fog bank;
[f] – [v]
[f] – [v]: fine voice; first variant; five visitors; flight vehicle; fade from view; fair visibility; few
reviews; fully developed; feel very sa
KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG
[v] – [f]: very funny; every Friday; prevent fighting; invest funds; movie fans; veil of fog; river flow;
heavy traffic; vain efforts; love affair; alive and safe;
[v] – [w]
[v] – [w]: very well; very worried; vintage wine; evil will; every word; he is overweight;
overwhelming wealth; overwhelming evidence;
[w] – [v]: watch a video; wonderful view; what value; white vest; wide river; water valve; worst
review; wise investment; worth investing;
[sh] – [zh]
mission – vision; expression – explosion; special – casual;
machine [mə'shi:n] – regime [rei'zhi:m], [rə'zhi:m];
rush [rəsh] – mirage [mi'ra:zh]; cache [kæsh] – collage [kə'la:zh];
marsh [ma:rsh] – massage [mə'sa:zh], ['mæsa:zh];
rash [ræsh] – garage [gə'ra:zh],
[sh] – [zh]: official decision; special measures; ancient treasures;
[zh] – [sh]: casual inspection; usual conditions; visual perception; measure pressure;
[ch] – [j]
[ch] – [j]: cherry jam; cheap jewelry; change jobs; choose the jury; watch strangers; search engine;
[d3] – [ch]: just a child; German teacher; gentle touch; jump over a ditch; large branch; huge lunch;
[s] – [z]
[s] – [z]: central zoo; signs of the zodiac; so zealous; nice presents; listen to music; price rise;
[z] – [s]: zebra crossing; busy season; easy solutions; design a dress; raise prices; lose a case;
[l] – [r]
[l] – [r]: little riddle; low rate; loud crowd; lake road; listen to reason; well-written letters;
[r] – [l]: read a lot; write a letter; right light; really late; really rare; read well; bring flowers;
[w] – [r]
[w] – [r]: one room; white roses; wet road; we are worried; what's wrong;
[r] – [w]: terrible weather; rear wheel; really well; red and white; read the words; it's really warm;
[w] – [l]
[w] – [l]: work late; white lies; white list; why are you lying; wait a little longer
[l] – [w]: lose weight; learn the words; lethal weapon; little whittle; lie awake; feel well; it's a small
world;
KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG
Contrasting pairs for [θ] as in THIN and [ð] as in THIS
[θ] – [ð]
thank [θæŋk] – than [ðæn]; thin – this; thought [θo:t] – though [ðou]; thumb [θəm] – thus [ðəs];
breath (n.) [breθ] – breathe (v.) [bri:ð]; bath (n.) [bæθ] – bathe (v.) [beið];
teeth (n.) [ti:θ] – teethe (v.) [ti:ð];
cloth (n.) [kloθ] – cloths (n.) [kloθs], cloths [kloðz];
clothe (v.) [klouð] – clothes (n.) [klouðz], [klouz] – clothing (n.) ['klouðiŋ];
both [bouθ] – bother ['boðər]; worth [wərθ] – worthy ['wərði];
north [no:rθ] – northern ['no:rðərn]; south [sauθ] – southern ['səðərn];
nothing ['nəθiŋ] – other ['əðər]; anything ['eniθiŋ] – another [ə'nəðər];
[θ] – [ð]: both mothers; three brothers; thank your father; north of this city; throw out this junk;
[ð] – [θ]: this thing; that theory; this path; other authors; gather strength; neither health nor wealth;
[s] – [θ]
[s] – [θ]: simple things; so thin; sore throat; seven and three; sixty and thirty; say something; saw
nothing; solar month; South Pacific; save your breath; classical myth;
[θ] – [s]: thick skin; think small; thoughtful son; thorough search; think up something; thaw ice; thorn
in my side; teeth of a saw; worthless excuses; toothpaste; northwest;
[s] – [ð]
[s] – [ð]: some other time; nice weather; silvery feathers; stick together; said soothingly; smooth
surface;
[ð] – [s]: this story; this lesson; this close; they said yes; that's nice; their new Mercedes; leather seat;
seethe with madness;
[z] – [ð]
[z] – [ð]: whose clothes are these; zip up that bag; wise mother; crazy weather; choose another quiz;
[ð] – [z]: that's a zoo; this puzzle; these museums; these clothes are theirs; either zero or one; breathe
easily; worthy of praise;
[z] – [θ]
[z] – [θ]: busy on Thursdays; crazy theory; easy method; zip through space; lose faith;
[θ] – [z]:; three zeros; thermal zone; thriving business; authorized user;
[f] – [θ]
[f] – [θ]: feel thankful; first think then say; fear of thunder; filthy threats; floor-through; full authority;
fair health;
KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG
[θ] – [f]: throw a fit; think fast; thumb and forefinger; truth and freedom; breath of fresh air; cloth
filter; oath of office;
[f] – [ð]
[f] – [ð]: Fred's father; further information; fluffy feathers; feel the rhythm; fill out this form; finish
this work; find those photos;
[ð] – [f]: these fees; this film; my brother and his wife; their family; either friend or foe; breathe
freely; soothing effect;
[v] – [ð]
[v] – [ð]: visited those cities; vote for them; vouch for them; very soothing; leave it there; over there;
avoid either of them;
[ð] – [v]: mother's voice; other visitors; this minivan; open this vent; they're in the vault; breathe
heavily; they avoid one another;
[v] – [θ]
[v] – [θ]: very thin; very thick; very thorough; vain thoughts; valuable things; various authors; seven
thousand; vast depth; heaven on earth;
[θ] – [v]: thank you very much; three events; thick volume; thorough investigation; authentic version;
thin veil of mist; ethical values; length of a visit;
[t] – [θ]
[t] – [θ]: tiny theater; petty theft; terrible thunderstorm; take a breath; teach math; stop thief;
telephone booth;
[θ] – [t]: theater tickets; thrifty customer; think twice; think tank; authentic texts; birth rate; both
boats; ruthless tyrant;
[t] – [ð]
[t] – [ð]: try this; take these keys; tell that man to leave;
[ð] – [t]: they took it; this time; that moment; these tickets; those letters; though tired; there's no time;
[d] – [ð]
[d] – [ð]: how dare they; read these ads; do this exercise; devoted father; dear brother; don't bother;
[ð] – [d]: then do the dishes; these days; that's a deal; those goods; breathing deeply;
[d] – [θ]
[d] – [θ]: good health; had a bath; found a path; disease and death; dear
[θ] – [d]: three days; through doors and windows; think hard; one-third length.