ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
WEEK I
ENGLISH SOUNDS [ i: ] AND [ I ]
A. Recognizing phonetic symbol [ i: ]
From now on, whenever we see an alphabetic symbol flanked with brackets, for ex. [ i: ] or slanting lines / i: /, we have to recognize that it is the symbol of a sound. This is to be compared with a letter i pronounced as as [aI] in the alphabet. In short, [ i:] is a phonetic symbol, whereas i is is an alphabet.
B. Listen carefully how to pronounce the sound [ i: ]
[ i: ] [ i: ] [ i: ] [ i: ] [ i: ]
Now, repeat the sound again and again until you get quite familiar with it. This is called a long vowel in English. We can find this sound in the English words such as in:
seeneat
beatKeat
reeldeed
eatfeel
readlead
Now repeat after the pronunciation model given to you.
Remember, this must be contrasted with our Indonesian or Javanese sound [ i ] which is relatively shorter than the English [ i: ], such as found in the words:
Sitipiti
wangipipi
sandigigi
pelangiipar
kitalelaki
Now, pronounce the above Indonesian words. Then pronounce the following pair:
citySiti
pitypiti
nastyNasti
babybabi
Do you feel the difference? Can you explain the difference?
C. Listen and repeat
deemevilOedipus
beamindeedobscene
jeanrepeatincrease
peacespeakerSophocles
cleancanteenconcrete
weanbetweeningenuous
leanmeaningice-cream
cheeseredeemevening
cheekthesesgangrene
feelbleedingextreme
kneelmachinecomplete
D. Reduced long vowels
Note: Long vowels, for ex. [ i: ] have their length considerably reduced when they occur in a syllable closed by [p, t, k, t , f, , s, ʃ, tʃ], e.g. reap,beat, seek, seat, , beseech. This shortening of the vowel is highly significant in distinguishing a word such as seat from seed.
E. Listen and repeat
Reduced longLong vowels
Vowels
seatseed
neatneed
beatbead
feetfeed
beseechsiege
leakleague
bleatbleed
heatheed
leafleave
peaceplease
To guarantee good and correct pronunciation, we have to adhere to this reducing and lengthening of the long vowel [ i: ]. This rule is applicable for all long vowels other than [ i: ] such as [a:, u:, ə:and ɔ:]
F. Recognizing the symbol [ I ]
This is another English front vowel which is shorter than the English [ i: ] and the Indonesian [ i ], but exactly the same as the Indonesian [ I ].
G. Listen carefully how to pronounce the sound [ I ]
[ I ] [ I ] [ I ] [ I ] [ I ] [ I ] [ I ]
Repeat this sound as many times as possible. This is a short vowel which can be found in quite a great number of English words, such as:
bitknit
fillgill
pillmill
tillkill
quitrid
Remember, we do not have to struggle to pronounce this English sound, for, fortunately, [ I ] can be found in numerous Indonesian or Javanese words such as in:
apikganjil
kripikbatik
sikilakil
pitikmangkir
bedilsate
Now compare the following:
SikilShe kills.
Do you see any difference?
H. Listen and repeat
pillstingysynonym
drilluntilhypocrisy
bringslipperydignity
kingstickyintegrity
ringspringyenriching
singdingyentreaty
blinkchillymilitary
killticketeconomic
hillsillybusinesses
millbitterlyorigin
I. Pronounce the following pairs and contrast the[i:]tothe[ I ]
beachbitch
sealsill
Nealnil
feelfill
heelhill
eelill
stealstill
mealmill
heathit
readrid
deepdip
leaklick
J. Sentences for practice
1. Did we win quickly and easily in the battle field?
2. Please, bring me a piece of sheet, not a piece of shit.
3. The eel which is very slick and slippery tickle women with glee.
4. She greets me by singing and dancing in the middle of the tilled field.
5. Bins along the streets are places in which we need to get rid of stinky rubbish.
WEEK II
ENGLISH SOUNDS [ɛ] AND [æ]
A. Recognizing the English phonetic[ ɛ ]
That is another frontvowelof the English language. You have to pronounce it the way the lecturer models it for you.
B. Listen carefully how to pronounce the sound [ ɛ ]
[ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ] [ ɛ ]
Now, repeat the sound again and again until you get quite familiar with it. This is called a front short vowel in English.This English sound is present in English words such as the following:
setdeath
letread
metdeath
netbreath
gethealth
C. Similarity to the Javanese and Indonesian vowels
There should be no difficulty whatsoever in pronouncing this particular English sound for we can find this vowel in both Javanese and Indonesian words such as in:
JavaneseIndonesian
tewelbawel
elekjelek
legrekkorek
cowekcobek
gapleklembek
rempeyekpencoleng
rembeskaleng
patekcaleg
dedeltogel
menterluber
Do you see the similarity between the English [ ɛ ] and the Indonesian/Javanese[ɛ]? Now pronounce those words above so that you can have the precise feeling of how to pronounce the English sound [ ɛ ]
D. Now listen and repeat.
bellgenuinedecorate
hellregretspeculate
Beninjectauthentic
dealtneglecteventual
feltjealousidentity
bestenvyrepresent
jetmotelprofessional
telldeadeninvestigation
vetthreatenintelligent
yethealthymetropolitan
precious
E. Recognizing the English vowel [æ]
This particular sound does not exist either in Javanese or Indonesian. Therefore, you have to pronounce it the way it is modeled to you.
[ æ ][æ] [æ] [æ] [æ] [æ] [æ] [æ]
Keep pronouncing this sound until your jaws become tense and painful, indicating that you have pronounced it correctly. This sound is found in English words such as in:
hatmat
satpat
catchat
batgnat
ratfat
D. Now listen and repeat.
Of course, this particular sound exists in other numerous English words, such in the following words:
hatbeganvocabulary
dadchattingfantastic
flathappyvampire
gladpattingevaluate
sackreactreality
clapenactfinancial
ladhappenflashback
flagangercandidate
sagshadoweradicate
lagstaggeroutstanding
gagcollapsedemocrat
nagkidnaptobacco
Pronounce them properly so that the sound [æ] is clearly distinguished.
E. Compare the sounds [i:], [I],[ɛ] and [æ]
[i:][I][ ɛ ][æ]
seasitsetsat
leaklickLegolack
sleepslipsleptslap
leadlidledlad
deepdipdepthdappled
beatbitbetbat
eatitetat
feelfillfellfallacy
healhillhellhalal
cheapchipcheckchap
neatnitnetgnat
F. Sentences for Practice
1. Hell or Heaven is a place where men head for their eventual end.
2. Rat, rat, rat, under a mat, has made a fat man mad.
3. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
4. Ten men felt very upset bending next to a bed set.
5. A mad cat ran after a fat and tattered rat battling inside a damaged
sack.
WEEK III
ENGLISH SOUNDS [ə] AND [ə:]
A. Recognizing the English sound[ə]
This is a central vowel of English. Listen after the model.
[ə] [ə] [ə] [ə] [ə] [ə] [ə] [ə] [ə]
Repeat this sound as many times as necessary until you get very familiar with it. You can find this particular sound occurring English words such as in the following:
datapalaceteacher
fatalfamiliarransom
forumcomputerhandsome
cactuspompousIndonesia
This sound should not create any difficulties at all for us in pronouncing it for it exist in both Javanese and Indonesian; for example,
JavaneseIndonesian
lalerkerap
benerbenar
kejerenyah
klengerbenar
kier-kiersedu-sedan
Pronounce the words above the see and to feel the similarity or sameness of the English [ə] to/as the Javanese and Indonesian [ə].
B. Now listen to the models and repeat.
Be sure to pronounce [ə] on the bolded letters.
numberdiligenthelicopter
cleverhamburgerintelligent
centreOedipusbarbarous
pollengigoloexplanation
aquasimilaragriculture
Christmaschrysalisexperiment
chorusseparatechronology
fatiguehumeruseucalyptus
customfortunateplagiarize
businessawakensophisticated
awkwardglaucomapedestrian
aheadimpetusopportunity
C. Recognizing the sound the English central vowel[ə:]
This is one the central vowel of the English language. Listen after the model.
[ə:] [ə:] [ə:] [ə:] [ə:] [ə:] [ə:] [ə:]
From the model, we can feel that this sound is relatively longer than Indonesia in itspronunciation. Neither Javanese nor Indonesian has this particular sound. What we have in Javanese and Indonesia are only short [ə] andnot long[ə:] like the one in English. Therefore, do it accordingly in pronouncing it.
D. Now listen and repeat.
Don’t forget to pay attention to the bolded letters!
surfreservepertinent
inferfurtherfertilizing
dirtyberserkfraternity
incurcircularinfirmary
insertfurloughpersonnel
virtueurbaniteuniversity
expertterminalterminator
returninterpretpreferment
certainemergingconservative
furnishresearcherdetermination
servicedetergentreverberating
burningpurchasingimperturbable
E. Sentences for practice
1. He never flirts at the girl serving in the first counter.
2. Her further services were no longer worth considering.
3. Herbal treatment serves as an alternative cure cancer.
4. Birds oh birds, can you console her with your frequent chirps?
5. Banana and pajama succeed as entertainers of distant viewers.
6. Cucumber and basil are vegetables which must be preserved in a
refrigerator.
WEEK IV---V
ENGLISH SOUNDS [ʌ] AND [a:]
A. Recognizing the sound [ʌ]
This is a short lower and central vowel of the English language.
[ʌ][ʌ] [ʌ] [ʌ] [ʌ] [ʌ] [ʌ][ʌ][ʌ]
Pronounce it again and again although you seem to be already quite familiar with that sound.This is clear because we can find numerous words in both Javanese and Indonesian containing the above sound, such as in the following:
JavaneseIndonesian
keplakpantas
tapekapan
kecapdekap
galaklindas
pagersadap
Now, you have more confidence in pronouncing this particular vowel in English which you can see below:
butbutton
hutsupper
shutsunny
gutmuddle
slumuppercut
B. Listen and repeat after the models given to you.
Of course, we can find the vowel [ʌ] in many other word contexts.
bloodadjustbuccaneer
floodconfrontbuffalo
mudjusticehurricane
dubhurryindustrial
lushluggagefulminate
gulfjumbofundamental
lovemonkeyinculcate
nunfunnyillustrious
runsuddenconvulsion
buncurrentindulgent
thusbluffingvulgarian
gruntbecomeunderstand
C. Recognizing the sound [a:]
This is the long lower vowel of English which does not exist in either Javanese or in Indonesia. Therefore, care must be taken in lengthening this sound in English.
Now, pronounce this sound slowly but correctly.
[a:] [a:] [a:] [a:] [a:] [a:] [a:] [a:]
You can find this sound in the following:
carajar
barfather
laughderby
targarment
sharpenlarge
D. Now listen and repeat after the model given to you.
ratherharemBarcelona
plantgardenmarvelous
fastalarmdepartment
stardarningharmonica
mastenchantdisembark
halflatherparvenu
clerkspartanartificial
dancepardonlarceny
larkadvancedsharpener
darkslanderincarnation
E. Recognizing the short vowel [ɔ]
This is an English back short lower vowel. It exists in both Javanese and Indonesia. Therefore, you have the capacity of pronouncing it without any difficulty at all. Now pronounce this sound slowly and correctly.
[ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ] [ɔ][ɔ]
Pronounce this sound again and again although you can do it with ease. Of course, the reason you can do it easily is because this sound can be found in numerous words in Javanese and Indonesian, for example:
JavaneseIndonesian
botoksedot
owol-owolgopoh-gopoh
ngompoldongkol
cendolseronoh
mogokbocor
lomboktertolong
endogbahenol
We can find this sound in English words:
hotbottom
potcommon
shottrodden
nothorror
gotdollar
F. Listen and repeat after the models given to you.
chopdoldrumsquality
popforgotbotany
dolldonorastonished
lobhotelalcohol
shonedialogueprotocol
cropdonkeywandering
frompromiseHonolulu
Johnvolleyrhinoceros
cotsoccerphonology
mothsloppyphilosophical
knockcoralsolitary
crocbossyastronomy
G. Recognizing the English sound [ɔ:]
This is a long lower back vowel of English. It does not normally exist in either Javanese or Indonesian. However, to produce it, it is not too difficult for us. We just recognizably lengthen the existing sound [ɔ] we have in Javanese, Indonesian and English.
[ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:][ɔ:]
Now try to pronounce the above sound asmany times as you can until you get the proper length of pronunciation.
We can find this sound in English words such as the following:
caughtfought
authormorning
abortassort
northernGeorge
doorsore
H. Now listen and repeat after the models given.
balldinosaurinformal
moresenforcedormitory
boringabortiveautonomy
roarportablemoratorium
shoremourninghorticulture
floormortuarytroubadour
norbeforemausoleum
autumnfolkloreorganization
alrightadoring pornography
talkforerunnerporcupine
gorgeousforwardingconsortium
swordassaulteddeplorable
I. Compare the sounds [ʌ], [a:] [ɔ], and [ɔ:].
[ʌ][a:][ɔ][ɔ:]
huthearthothoard
bunbarnBondborn
gutguardgodgorge
dundarndonadorn
gungarlicgonegaudy
cupcarpcopcorpse
butBartbottleboredom
J. Sentences for Practice
1.Paul saw more horrible dolls beyond the door.
2. Rotten and poisonous corns cause horror in the dorm.
3. She got a chance to guard the corn barn in the northern part of the farm.
4. John Barn falls from the gondola and therefore got hurt in his gall.
5. Cut up your bloody tongue until you come up with the fun.
WEEK VI
ENGLISH SOUNDS [Ʊ] AND [u:]
A. Recognizing the English sound [Ʊ]
This is the upper back short vowel of English. The articulatory quality of this sound is similar to the Javanese or Indonesian [Ʊ]. Pronounce the sound repeatedly so that you get used to it.
[Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ][Ʊ]
We can find this sound in English words such in the following:
goodsootfoot
lookhookhood
woodwoofnook
The [Ʊ]in English soundcan also be found in the Javanese and Indonesian language. Which can be seen below:
JavaneseIndonesian
kuntulampuh
kumuhpengampun
Inulrindu
bekatulrumah
janurkusut
rukunamburadul
udunpatuh
brenjulrapuh
tuyulgundah
B. Now listen and repeat after the model.
regulatemushroom
insulationperambulator
masculinitytriangulation
tuna-fishspeculate
educatorgraduate
formulaincubus
inoculate modulator
durationneighbourhood
gesticulateindividuality
influenzamonument
C. Recognizing the English sound [u:].
This is the last English vowel, a long one. It does not exist in either Javanese or Indonesian, but we can pronounce it if we consciously lengthen it a little while. Now do it.
[u:][u:][u:][u:][u:][u:][u:][u:]
Repeat pronouncing this long sound again and again until you get familiar with the length of this sound, which is the characteristic of the long sound of English. We can find this sound in English words such as the following:
lootcool
rudecute
poolroot
toolmute
fruitrule
D. Listen and repeat after the model given to you.
looprecruitbeautiful
soupfutureuniversity
flutecubismcucumber
crucialpuritymutilation
musicalamusinglugubrious
nudemutualrepudiate troop reproof executed
proofreduceexecutor
usefulschedulemultitude
shootingsuitablescrupulous
Tuesdaybarracudaingratitude
Pumamutinyubiquitous
pursueutilizeopportunity
E. Sentences for practice.
1. It’s not good to pursue the book by hook or by crook.
2. The pool is full of good-looking dudes.
3. Bush and pools make humans cool.
4. A loop is a tool to hook a moving bandicoot.
5. Soot on the boot couldn’t fool the viewers.
WEEK VII
ENGLISH SOUNDS [eI] AND [aI]
A. Recognizing the sound [eI]
This is a diphthong which does not exist in either Javanese or in Indonesian. Therefore, care must be taken in pronouncing it. Now practice pronouncing this sound:
[eI][eI][eI][eI][eI][eI][eI][eI]
Remember, this sound is not the same as the pure vowel [I]. It is the gliding of one vowel into another, in this case, from the vowel [æ] into [I] and of course it is slightly longer. Try to pronounce the following and make sure that the sound is different from [I]:
shapelate
fatesake
tapegreat
matesay
gatemay
Now, are you already familiar with this sound? Hopefully, you are.
B. Listen and repeat after the models given to you.
hayelucidate demonstrate
decayricochetrecapitulated
gateinundateappropriate
nailregulatingintoxicated
drainawakenfelicitations
paintereradicateconsolidate
whaleamazingincinerating
beretpotatoesendanger
AWOLtornadoinauguration
femaleserenadeassassinating
greatsuffocateindoctrination
gaolemulateexaggerate
C. Recognizing the sound [aI]
To familiarize yourselves with this sound, please pronounce it again and again.
[aI][aI][aI][aI][aI][aI][aI][aI]
This is a diphthong that does not normally exist in either Javanese or Indonesian, but it is present a great deal in English, such as found in the words:
nightfighter
diefinal
cryisland
flyidea
heightmyopic
D. Now listen and repeat after the models given to you.
agilecrocodileversatile
futiledynamicvandalizing
idolbriberybiological
tiredqualifycontrariwise
chinaperspirehospitalize
hymenexcitingworthwhile
quiteeyesightrhinoceros
denyspellbindinghydrogen
ivoryinclinestylistic
wipersuicideitinerary
liabledilutediagnosis
docilerecitingsynchronize
E. Recognizing the sound [ɔI]
We can only find this soundin one or two words in Indonesian, such as sepoi-sepoiand asoi, but hopefully we will have no difficulty in pronouncing it. Now, look at this words:
toyhoist
voiceenjoy
joinannoy
pointconvoy
boyloiter
F. Listen and repeat after the models given to you.
foil
noisy
choice
coinage
appoint
spoilage
moisture
avoidance
boisterous
employment
G. Identify the vowels and diphthongspresent in the words below
and thenpronounce them.
taleboilsailgale
dinekindmailbean
steakturnbornhopper
sojourncoughingbefallhiccough
plenarypunishatollfragile
surveyphlegmcraterforgot
draughtdrachmasproutcognac
cockneycanardburglarbamboo
annulmentguavadownturnwoodworm
askancecountrymistrustcaramel
WEEK VIII
MID-SEMESTER TEST
WEEK IX
ENGLISH SOUNDS [ɛə] AND [aƱ]
A. Recognizing the diphthong[ɛə]
This is the most difficult diphthong in the English language. To some unwary persons, it will be pronounced like [ɛ], while, in fact, it is the glide from the vowel [ɛ] into [ə]. This sound does not have its counterpart in either Javanese or Indonesian. Therefore, special care must be taken in pronouncing it. Now. Let’s familiarize ourselves with this sound by pronouncing it slowly, repeatedly and of course accurately.
[ɛə][ɛə][ɛə][ɛə][ɛə][ɛə][ɛə]
Though it is not very easy to find this diphthong,we can find it in the following words:
haircaredare
fairlairshare
flairrarechair
flaresnarewear
B. Now listen and repeat after the models given to you below.
comparerepairdeclare
squareprayer mayor
tearglareblare
affairdairyearthenware
mareprepareaeroplane
hairpairfare
weardespairauthoritarian
C. Recognizing the diphthong[aƱ]
This sound to a limited number exist in Javanese or Indonesia such as found in the words bau, tau, kau, daur, etc. However, in English we can find it in a greater number: for example:
nowdown
powerhowl
proudfoul
founddrought
cowhow
Now practice pronouncing the above sound repeatedly until you get comfortably familiar with the length of that sound:
[aƱ][aƱ][aƱ][aƱ][aƱ][aƱ][aƱ]
D. Let’s practice the sound [aƱ] by pronouncing the utterances
below.
trouncetrousers denounce
growlhowevercowardice
foulcrowdedpronounce
ounceempowermountain
ploughoutboundannounce
mousereboundendowment
crouchrecountroundabout
scoutthousandencounter
southgroundtantamount
showeraccountparamount
bowdevourespouse
E. Recognizing the sound[oƱ]
As far as Indonesian or English is concerned, there is not such a sound in either English or Indonesian. Therefore, you have got to be sure that this sound is pronounced relatively longer than the Indonesian or Javanese [o] like the one in the word ‘soto’ and ‘pelo’. Now practice pronouncing this sound again and again until you get the proper length of this diphthong:
[oƱ][oƱ][oƱ][oƱ][oƱ][oƱ][oƱ][oƱ]
In English this diphthong can be found in the words:
sono
goslow
mowfoe
crowdoe
doughzero
F. Let’s have more practice to pronounce the sound[oƱ]
sorrowplaceboArizona
ovaryphonemenegotiation
Eskimojumboflamingo
ghostcoronaenclosure
blowfollowpetroleum
zerocockroachmalodorous
bellowtomatoosteoporosis
overpneumoniapillow
focuswardrobefiasco
yokelimmobilediagnose
indigofortissimohemoglobin
shoaldynamorosemary
WEEK X
THE ENGLISH SOUNDS[Iə] AND[Ʊə]
A. Recognizing the sound [Iə]
We are hardly able to find this particular sound in either Javanese or Indonesian, but English provides numerous words containing this diphthong, such as found in the words below:
hearmere
beernear
cheersphere
happierarea
jeertier
Let’s familiarize ourselves with the diphthong [Iə] by pronouncing the above words.
B. More practice in pronouncing diphthong[Iə]
trendier experienceserious
inferiorsuperiorcareer
couriercopiouslaborious
atmospherehemispheresalient
emporiumcriteriaharmonious
museumopinionopium
euphoriarevereappropriate (adj.)
encyclopediaegregiousegalitarian
memorialcriterioncafeteria
realizeriotous material
C. Recognizing the sound [Ʊə]
This is another English diphthong which we cannot find in our native and national languages. In order to familiarize ourselves with this sound let’s practice pronouncing the following words:
tourtortuous
moorgourd
poorendure
tourismtournament
tourniquetgourmet
bureaucratpure
immurearduous
voluptuousimmature
D. Identify the vowels and diphthongspresent in the words below
and thenpronounce them.
triggerdrainagerouted
frugalityarsenalTrojan
tortoiseleisuredisgusting
creaturereservoirvoyages
revengedtantalizesovereign
conflictaddictedallergic
sofafavoritemeadows
pompousseriousauthentic
criminalatmospherepromise
susceptibleempiresoldier
fortunematureslogan
turmoildeadeningfoliage
WEEK XI
SOME PROBLEMATIC CONSONANTS
A. The case of[b, d, g]in final position
There are more or less 24 consonants in English. However, we would only deal with those which may create a learning problem for us. Among those consonants are [b, d, g]. These English sounds will, in fact, not cause any pronunciation problem for the Indonesian if they occur in position other than the final one, for example:
briberyembroider
doubleendeavour
gameregain
billboardaboard
deerredeem
grapeforget
In final position, however, these sounds will be difficult to pronounce if we are not careful enough, by letting ourselves be influenced by our mother tongue. We will possibly replace these sounds with [p, t , k].Therefore, care must be taken in pronouncing these sounds in English words. Here are some examples for you to practice: