How to Say The Words in English

The pronunciation of English words is a key aspect in mastering the language, which often creates difficulties for many students. Accurate articulation and intonation not only facilitate understanding by the interlocutor, but also enhances the confidence of the speaker

Basic pronunciation rules

It is important to clarify that before you proceed with the absorption of the pronunciation of the alphabets, it is good to learn how each letter of the alphabet sounds. When you learn words, write their transcription, that is how they are pronounced. All this will help you over time to master and recognize the different pronunciation. Here are some examples of frequent lumps:

1. at the end of the word or before some consonants read [u:]
   1. Too [ tu: ] also
   2. Spoon [ spoo:n ] . spoon
   3. book [ buk ]
2. read as [i: ]
   1. Please [ pli:z ] Please
   2. bee [ bi: ]
3. ss” read as [s ] or [s]
   1. Tess [ tes ]
   2. passion [/ˈpæʃ.ən/] - Passion
4. read as the sound [ts] -o and very often the combination ch is read [k] in Greek words: character, choice, chemistry 
   1. Chess [ts s ] . . chess
   2. Kitchen [kit sniffing]
5. “th” read as [ ð ] This is the typical English D, which is pronounced with a tongue behind the upper teeth. or [ θ], which is pronounced with a tongue between teeth and is heard more as T. The words that are used are many and many used. 
   1. The [ ði:, ði, ð
   2. This [ ðis ]
   3. that [ ðæt] . . the one, the one
   4. thin [ θin]
   5. bathroom [ ba:θrum ]
6. “ck” It's only written at the end of the word. 
   1. black [ blæk ]
   2. Nick [ nik ]
7. “sh” read as [ " " ]
   1. She [ scoffs]
8. The tinge here is that in this configuration R almost disappears or does not be pronounced to the end. 
   1. Short [ "t" ]
   2. car [ ka: ]
9. read as "when they are at the end of the word and without emphasis. 
   1.  letter [ lets] .
   2.  doctor [ d
10. “ow” read as [ au ] 
    1. Brown [ braun ]
11. read as [ "i" ]
    1.  boy [b singing] ♪ boy ♪
    2. point [ psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
12. “ay” and “ai” read as [ei].
    1. day [ dei ] .
    2. rain [ rein ]

What's minimal pairing?

Because of the already mentioned wordings, there are words in English that are different but spoken almost the same way. That's what they call them. minimal pairs. In Bulgarian you can draw parallel with the paronims, because often differ only in the presence or absence of a letter. But be careful, there's a difference! We pronounce words as they are written, so even a letter can give a different sound. In English, these words are often quite different in origin and meaning, but regardless of the letters they write, they are pronounced almost equally. For example: 

• beet-bit
• bat-bet
• Get-Gate
• Cap-Cup
• Mess-Miss

So be vigilant when communicating and try to detect every sound. If it's hard, just take a look at the context to figure out which one it is. 

How to place the right emphasis in the sentence?

In English, there is what is called an emphatic accent. It is the way in sentences to highlight a word that brings some special meaning. We stress, in other words, what we consider important - the modal verbs or the questioning words, for example: Tom is a very good teacher.  HE gave her the book Emphatic Stress is more or less consistent with logical emphasis in the Bulgarian. To master its proper use easier, just listen and copy a lot of English speech.  The correct pronunciation of English words can vary significantly depending on the accent and dialect, which further complicates the task. For example, British and American English often differ in pronunciation of the same word. To master these shades, students need to learn about phonetic symbols and practice regularly by listening and repeating. This not only improves pronunciation, but also develops the ability to understand different accents and styles of speaking. If you want to learn more details about English pronunciation - sign up for a course at the Language School . More about our courses can be seen here https://omegals.bg/kursove/za-vyzrastni/anglijski-ezik/ Or call us on +359 878 566 537 or 02/423 21 21.