UNIT 1

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGLISH ARTICULATION AND

THE ROLE OF SPEECH ORGANS. PHONEMIC TRANSCRIPTION
Warming up
1. Exchange opinions about what ‘good foreign pronunciation’ means for
you.
What does pronunciation include?
How have you learnt English pronunciation so far?
What have you found easy/difficult?
How important do you think pronunciation is? Why?
Introducing active vocabulary
2. Listen and repeat.
alveolar cords jaw palate teeth uvula
back front larynx pharynx tip vocal
blade glottis lips ridge tongue
cavity hard nasal soft trachea
3. Looking at the picture define what the words mean.

4. Match the words with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1) nasal cavity a) зуби
2) alveolar ridge b) м’яке піднебіння
3) lips c) трахея
4) teeth d) голосові зв’язки
5) the tip of the tongue e) губи
6) the blade of the tongue f) носова порожнина
7) the front of the tongue g) тверде піднебіння
8) the back of the tongue h) альвеолярний край
9) larynx i) кінчик язика
10) vocal cords j) гортань
11) hard palate k) передня частина язика
12) soft palate l) язичок
13) uvula m) середня частина язика
14) pharynx n) голосова щілина
15) trachea o) щелепа
16) jaw p) корінь язика
17) glottis q) глотка
Analysis of the speech organs
Discovery activity
Distinguishing active and passive speech organs
5. Use a mirror, find the speech organs which can be seen in the mirror and
put down their names.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. Working in pairs divide the speech organs into two groups: active and
passive.
Active speech organs Passive speech organs

Those organs of speech which can move and take an active

part in the articulation of speech sounds are called active organs
 of speech.
Those organs of speech with which an active organ forms
an obstruction and which thus serve as points of articulation, are
called passive organs of speech.
7. Match the speech organs with the actions they can perform or those that
can be performed with them:
1) the vocal cords a) When it is lowered the air stream goes up into the
2) the tongue nasal cavity and when it is raised the air stream goes
3) the lips through the mouth cavity.
4) the soft palate b) This speech organ starts to vibrate when the air
5) the lower jaw stream passes it.
6) the alveolar c) This speech organ can take neutral, rounded, spread
ridge or protruded forward position depending on which
sound is pronounced.
d) When [t, d] are pronounced the tongue touches this
organ.
e) When it is lowered the mouth is open wide.
f) It moves forward, backward, right, left, up and down
touching all the speech organs in the mouth cavity.

The air stream released by the lungs goes through the

windpipe and comes to the larynx, which contains the vocal
cords. The vocal cords are two elastic folds which may be kept
apart or brought together. The opening between them is called
the glottis. If the tense vocal cords are brought together, the air
stream forcing an opening makes them vibrate and we hear some
voice.
On coming out of the larynx the air stream passes through
 the pharynx.
The pharyngeal cavity extends from the top of the larynx
to the soft palate, which directs the air stream either to the mouth
or nasal cavities. When the soft palate is in its lowered position
the air goes up into the nasal cavity and then out through the
nose. This is the usual position for the sounds [m, n, ŋ]. When
the soft palate is raised the air stream goes through the mouth
cavity. This is the most typical position of the soft palate for
most of the sounds of many languages.
The mouth and the nasal cavities function as principal
resonators making sounds loud.
In the mouth there are such speech organs as the hard
palate, alveolar ridge, the tongue, and the teeth.
The alveolar ridge is the part immediately behind the
upper front teeth. Many English consonants are formed with the
tongue touching or close to it.
The lower teeth are not very important for making speech
sounds, while the upper teeth take part in the production of many
of them.
The most important organ of speech is the tongue. The
tongue may lie flat or move in the horizontal or vertical
directions.
Such speech organ as lips can take up various positions as
well. They can be brought firmly together or kept apart neutral,
rounded or protruded forward.
Analysis of the peculiarities of the English pronunciation
8. Listen to the recordings of different languages and define the number
of recording where English is spoken.
9. Listen to the bilingual minimal pairs; mark the numbers where the
English words are pronounced:
 1 tent тент 6 sock сок
2 cat Kэт 7 bark бак
3 tick тик 8 let лет
4 bog бог 9 murder мёда
5 rock рок 10 look лук
10. Arrange the following characteristics of the pronunciation into three
columns: English, Ukrainian and Russian:
1) there is no palatalization of consonants;
2) absence of devoicing of final consonants in the words;
3) all the vowels are monophthongs;
4) all the sounds are pronounced rather energetically;
5) the vowels are divided into short and long;
6) there are palatalized and non-palatalized variants of the consonants;
7) the vowels are divided into monophthongs and diphthongs;
8) pronunciation of the sounds is not very energetic;
9) there is no division of vowels into short and long;
10) voiced consonants in the final position are usually devoiced.

There are no long vowels which can be opposed

phonemically to short vowels in Ukrainian and Russian.
There are monophthongs in the Ukrainian and Russian
vowel system but there are no diphthongs.
Ukrainian and Russian consonants can be affected by
palatalization. Palatalization is softening of consonants which
takes place when the middle part of the tongue is raised to the
hard palate and the air passage is narrowed or constricted, which
gives the consonant soft colouring. A symbol that indicates
palatalization is ´, e.g. [п´].There is no opposition between
 palatalized – non-palatalized consonants in English.
The English voiceless consonants [p, t, k, f, s, ʃ, tʃ] are
pronounced more energetically than the similar Ukrainian and
Russian consonants.
The English voiced consonants are not replaced by the
corresponding voiceless sounds in word-final positions and
before voiceless consonants. In Ukrainian the final voiced
consonants are not completely devoiced either.
Introducing phonemic transcription
Discovery activity
Distinguishing between letters and sounds
11. Exchange opinions about the difference between letters and sounds and
about the possible ways of representation of sounds in a written form.

Sounds are represented with the help of the transcription

system. There is a certain transcription symbol for each sound.
Discovery activity
Distinguishing between vowels and consonants
12. Look at the phonemic chart, listen to the pronunciation of each of them
and single out all the vowel sounds.

Phonemic Chart
 p b t d k g f v

s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ Ѳ ð

ŋ m n l r j w h

ı i: e æ ǝ ɜ: ɒ ɔ:

ʊ u: ۸ α: eı aı ɔı əʊ

aʊ ʊə eə ıə

13. Practice to pronounce the consonants and the vowels, try to define the
main difference between them.

Vowels are voiced sounds that are produced without any

obstruction in the mouth cavity and consequently have no noise
component.
In the articulation of consonants a kind of a noise
producing obstruction is formed in the mouth cavity.
14. Repeat each sound after the teacher.
15. Look at the chart and repeat the sound only if it is pronounced correctly
by the teacher.
16. Practice to pronounce and differentiate the sounds with your eyes
closed (or sitting back to back).
17. Read the words:
pi:s leg bʌt ru:l maıs dıǝ sǝʊ kaʊ feıs kɔ:l
kæt hıt kα:t wɜ:d vɔıs kjʊǝ ǝ´gen meǝ pʊt wɒt
18. Compose the words using the transcription symbols from the chart.
 UNIT 2
PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION OF VOWELS
Active vocabulary: pronunciation practice
1. Listen and repeat.
1 back vowel 6 front vowel 11 open vowel
2 back-advanced vowel 7 front-retracted vowel 12 rounded
3 central vowel 8 mid-open vowel 13 spread
4 close vowel 9 monophthong 14 unrounded
5 diphthong 10 neutral
2. Match the words in two columns.
1. back vowel a) голосний переднього відсунутого
назад ряду
2. back-advanced vowel b) закритий голосний
3. central vowel c) монофтонг
4. close vowel d) дифтонг
5. diphthong e) голосний заднього ряду
6. unrounded f) голосний середнього підняття
7. front vowel g) відкритий голосний
8. front-retracted h) лабіалізований
9. mid-open vowel i) голосний середнього ряду
10. monophthong j) нелабіалізований
11. neutral k) розтягнутий
12. open vowel l) голосний переднього ряду
13. rounded m) голосний заднього просунутого
вперед ряду
14. spread n) нейтральний
Analysis of the classification of vowels
 Chart of vowels

ı i: e æ ǝ ɜ: ɒ ɔ:

ʊ u: ۸ α: eı aı ɔı əʊ

aʊ ʊə eə ıə

3. Mark all the points which in your opinion are essential for the
articulation of vowels:
obstruction in the mouth cavity;
lip position;
tongue position;
position of the soft palate ;
degree of noise.
degree of stability.

English vowels can be classified according to the lip

position, the stability of articulation and the tongue position.
Discovery activity
Lip position
4. Look at the two possible lip positions for the pronunciation of vowels
and name them.
А В)
)

According to the lip position English  

vowels can be divided into rounded and
unrounded. When the lips are neutral or spread
the vowels are termed unrounded. When the lips
are drawn together so that opening between them
is more or less round the vowel is called rounded.
5. Listen to the vowels, observe their articulation and arrange them in two
columns according to the lip position.
Rounded Unrounded

Discovery activity
Distinguishing two kinds of vowels according
to the stability of articulation
6. The pairs of words given below have the same initial consonant, but
different vowels following. What happens in your mouth when you
pronounce these pairs of words? Observe carefully your tongue, jaw and
lips and notice how you make the difference between the two words.

tea [ti:] tear [tιǝ]

two [tu:] tour [tʊǝ]

nor [nɔ:] no [nǝʊ]

sir [sɜ:] so [sǝʊ]

bore [bɔ:] boy [bɔı]

According to the stability of articulation all English

vowels can be divided into two groups: monophthongs and
diphthongs.
Monophthongs are vowels the articulation of which is
 almost unchanging. The quality of such vowels is relatively pure.
In the pronunciation of diphthongs the organs of speech
glide from one vowel position to another within one syllable.
The starting point is strong and distinct. The glide which shows
the direction of the quality change is very weak. In fact
diphthongs consist of two clearly perceptible vowel elements.
7. Listen to all the English vowels and fill in the table below.
Monophthongs Diphthongs

Discovery activity
Tongue position
8. Say [i:] as in ‘tea’, and [u:] as in ‘two’. Alternate the sounds [i: - u: -i: -
u:]. Define the direction of the movement of the tongue.
9. Say [i:] as in ‘tea’, and now [æ] as in ‘cat’. Alternate the sounds [i: - æ –
i: - æ]. Define the direction of the movement of the tongue.

According to the tongue position there are several groups

of vowels.
In the pronunciation of vowels we notice two distinct
directions of the movement of the tongue: horizontal and
vertical.
When the tongue moves horizontally various parts of it
may be raised in the direction of the palate. So the vowels are
classified according to the tongue position.
When the tongue is in the front part of the mouth and the
front part of it is raised to the hard palate a front vowel is
pronounced. This is the position for the English vowels [i:, e, æ].
When the tongue is in the front part of the mouth but is
 slightly retracted, and the part of the tongue nearer to the centre
than to the front is raised, a front-retracted vowel is pronounced.
Such is the position for the English vowel [ı].
When the front of the tongue is raised towards the back
part of the hard palate the vowel is called central. This is the
position for the English vowels [۸, ɜ:, ǝ]
When the tongue is in the back part of the mouth and the
back of it is raised to the soft palate a back vowel is pronounced.
This is the position for the English vowels [α:, ɒ, ɔ:, u:].
When the tongue is in the back part of the mouth but is
slightly advanced and the central part of it is raised towards the
front part of the soft palate a back-advanced vowel is
pronounced. This is the position for the English vowel [ʊ].
Moving vertically in the mouth various parts of the tongue
may be raised to different height towards the roof of the mouth.
When the front or the back of the tongue is raised high
towards the palate the vowel is called close. This is the way the
English vowels [i:, ı, ʊ, u:] are pronounced.
When the front or the back of the tongue is as low as
possible in the mouth open vowels are pronounced. This is the
way to pronounce the English vowels [æ, α:, ɒ].
When the highest part of the tongue occupies the position
intermediate between the close and the open one mid vowels are
pronounced. This is the way to pronounce the English vowels [e,
۸, ɜ:, ǝ, ɔ:],
Besides it is necessary to distinguish broad and narrow
variants of close, mid and open vowels. For narrow variants the
raised part of the tongue is higher than for broad variants within
each group.
10. Arrange the monophthongs according to the tongue position.
 According to the
position
of the bulk
of the Back-
Front-
tongue Front Central advance Back
retracted
According to vowels vowels d vowels
vowels
the height of vowels
the raised
part of the
tongue
Close (high narrow [ ] [ ]
vowels) variant
broad [ ] [ ]
variant
Mid-open narrow [ ] [ ]
(mid variant
vowels) broad [ ] [ ]
variant [ ]
Open (low narrow
vowels) variant
broad [ ] [ ]
variant [ ]
Comparing the system of vowels in the foreign and native languages
11. On the basis of the information received complete the table below with
the English monophthongs and define their main differences from the
Ukrainian/ Russian ones.
Ukrainian and Russian vowels
(Vowels in bold type are Russian)
Horizontal Front Front- Central Back- Back
tongue retracte advance
 Vertical tongue position
Open Mid-open Close
position
Lip position

Broad Narrow Broad Narrow Broad Narrow

и Rounded
i

э
е
и

Unrounde
d

Rounded
Unrounde
Rounded

а
ы

Unrounde
Rounded
d

а Unrounde
о
о
у
у

Rounded

Unrounde
 UNIT 3
PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION OF CONSONANTS
Active vocabulary: pronunciation practice
1. Listen and repeat the words.
1 alveolar 7 dental 13 occlusive 19 labio-dental
2 affricate 8 labial 14 palatal 20 palato-alveolar
3 bilabial 9 velar 15 interdental 21 post-alveolar
4 cavity 10 rolled 16 fricative 22 supra-glottal
5 lingual 11 vowel 17 sonorant 23 constrictive
6 plosive 12 voiced 18 voiceless 24 consonant
Use the bilingual dictionary to translate the words.
2. Find the word: define one common sound for each group of words,
pronounce these sounds together and you’ll get a new word.
consonant affricate voiced lingual dental lingual
complete palatal velar plosive glottal plosive
occlusive palato-alveolar vowel fricative consonant fricative
Analysis of the classification of consonants
Chart of Consonants

p b t d k g f v

s z ʃ ʒ ʧ ʤ Ѳ ð

ŋ m n l r j w h

Discovery activity
Voiced / voiceless distinction
3. Listen to the consonants and arrange them in two columns depending on
whether you hear tone prevailing over noise in the production of the
consonant or noise prevailing over tone.
4. Listen again to the consonants in the pronunciation of which noise
prevails over tone and decide which sounds are pronounced with more
voice and which are pronounced with more noise.

According to the degree of noise English consonants are

divided into two big classes: noise consonants and sonorants. In
the production of noise consonants there is a noise component
characteristic. Noise consonant sounds vary in the work of the
vocal cords. According to the work of the vocal cords they may
be voiceless and voiced. When the vocal cords are brought
together and vibrate we hear voice like in the pronunciation of
the sounds [b, d, g, v, z, ʒ, ð, dʒ]. If the vocal cords are apart and
do not vibrate we hear only noise and the consonants are
voiceless, for example [p, t, k, f, s, ʃ, θ, tʃ, h].
Sonorants (or sonorous consonants) are made with tone
prevailing over noise because of a rather wide air passage. The
English sonorants are: [m, n, ŋ, w, l, r, j].
5. Refer to Commentary 1 to represent schematically the classification of
English consonants according to the degree of noise.
Discovery activity
Where the consonants are produced
6. Make your both lips active. Which consonants can you pronounce with
the help of both lips?
7. Touch your upper teeth with your lower lip, but don’t press the lip to the
teeth very firmly. Push the air stream through the passage. Which sounds
do you produce?
8. Touch the upper teeth with the tip of the tongue and push the air stream
through the passage. Which sounds are produced?
9. Now the tip of the tongue is close to the teeth ridge. Produce the sounds
keeping the speech organs in this position.
10. The tip of the tongue is against the back part of the alveolar ridge.
Produce the sound keeping the speech organs in this position.
11. The tip of the tongue touches the back part of the alveolar ridge; the
front part of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. Which sounds can
you pronounce?
12. The front part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate, the sides of the
tongue are raised and the air goes along the central part of it. Produce the
sound keeping this position of the speech organs.
13. The back of the tongue makes a firm contact with the soft palate.
Produce the sounds keeping the speech organs in this position.
14. Open the mouth slightly and push a short gasp of breath from the lungs
which will pass between the vocal cords. What sound is produced?

The place of articulation is determined by the active

organ of speech against the point of articulation.
According to the position of the active organ of speech
against the place of articulation the English consonants may be:
labial;
lingual;
glottal.
Labial consonants are made by the lips. They may be
bilabial and labio-dental. Bilabial consonants are produced when
both lips are active. They are [p, b, m, w]. Labio-dental
consonants are articulated with the lower lip against the edge of
the upper teeth: [f, v].
Lingual consonants are divided into forelingual,
 mediolingual and backlingual.
Forelingual consonants are articulated with the tip of the
tongue. They differ in the position of the tip of the tongue.
According to the place of obstruction forelingual English
consonants may be:
1. interdental;
2. alveolar;
3. post-alveolar;
4. palato-alveolar.
Interdental consonants are made with the tip of the tongue
projected between the teeth: the English [Ѳ, ð].
Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tip of the
tongue against the alveolar ridge: [t, d, n, l, s, z].
Post-alveolar consonants are made when the tip of the
tongue is against the back part of the alveolar ridge or just behind
it: the English [r] is an example of such consonant.
Palato-alveolar consonants are made with the tip of the
tongue against the alveolar ridge and the front part of the tongue
raised towards the hard palate: [ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ].
Mediolingual consonants are produced with the front part
of the tongue. They are always palatal. Palatal consonants are
made with the front part of the tongue raised high to the hard
palate: the English [j] is an example of this group of consonants.
Backlingual consonants are produced with the back part of
the tongue raised towards the soft palate: [k, g, ŋ].
The glottal consonant [h] is articulated in the glottis.
15. Refer to Commentary 2 to represent schematically the classification of
English consonants according to the place of articulation.
Discovery activity
The way in which the air flow is restricted to make
 the characteristic sound of a consonant
16. We can form an obstruction with the lips by pressing them together.
Press the lips together then push the air stream through the mouth
energetically in such a way that the pressure of the lips would suddenly
release. Which sounds do you produce?
17. Press the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge, then release the
obstruction quickly and define which sounds can be produced by the
speech organs in this position.
18. Form a complete obstruction with the soft palate and the back of the
tongue, experiment to pronounce different sounds by releasing the
obstruction in the mouth cavity.
19. Practice pronouncing the following pairs of consonants, and say what
feature makes the articulation of these pairs of consonants different.
[p] - [f] [m] -[v] [t] - [Ѳ] [n] - [ð]
[b] – [v] [t] – [s] [d] – [z] [k] –[h]
20. Press the tip of the tongue firmly to the back part of the teeth ridge,
then release it, not rapidly as in the case of [t] but with some friction. What
sounds do you produce?

The manner of articulation of consonants is determined

by the type of obstruction. The obstructions in the pronunciation
of the English consonants may be complete and incomplete.
When the obstruction is complete the organs of speech are in
contact and the air stream meets a closure in the mouth or nasal
cavities as in the production of the English [p, b, t, d, k, g]. In
case of an incomplete obstruction the active organ of speech
moves towards the point of articulation and the air stream goes
through the narrowing between them as in the production of the
 English [f, v, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, θ, ð, h, l, w, r, j].
According to the manner of articulation and type of
obstruction the English consonants may be of three groups:
occlusive;
constrictive;
occlusive-constrictive.
Occlusive consonants (plosives) are sounds in the
production of which the air stream meets a complete obstruction
in the mouth.
Constrictive consonants (fricatives) are those in the
production of which the air stream meets an incomplete
obstruction in the mouth cavity, so the air passage is constricted.
Occlusive-constrictive consonants or affricates are noise
consonant sounds produced with a complete obstruction which is
slowly released and the air escapes from the mouth with some
friction.

21. Refer to Commentary 3 to represent schematically the classification of

English consonants according to the place of articulation.
22. Find the appropriate boxes in the given table for the English consonants
and compare them with the Ukrainian and Russian sounds. The consonant
[p] is printed in as an example.

Ukrainian and Russian consonants

(Consonants in bold type are Russian)
According to the degree of Noise consonants Sonorants
noise
 According to the manner of

Occlusive-constrictive

Occlusive-constrictive
articulation

Constrictive

Constrictive
Occlusive

Occlusive

Rolled
According to the work of the vocal

voiceless

voiceless

voiceless
voiced

voiced

voiced
cords

Bilabial Б П М
Б, П, М,
П'
Б' М'
[p] В
Labial

Labio-dental В, Ф
В' Ф,
Ф'

Interdental

Dental Д Т З С ДЗ Ц НН Л
According to the place of articulation

ДЗ′ ′
Д Т З′ С′ Ц′ Л′
Н Р
Д′ Т′ З С Ц Л
Forelingual

З′ С′ Р'
Р
Alveolar Д′ Т' Ж Ш ДЖ Ч Н′ Л'
Р'
Post-alveolar
Lingual

Palato-alveolar Ж Ш Ч'
Ш′

Palatal Й
Backlingual Mediolingual

Velar Г К Х
Г К Х
Г' К' Х'

Г
Glotta
 UNIT 4
MODIFICATION OF SOUNDS IN CONNECTED SPEECH
Warming up
1. Answer the questions.
Do you often find yourself in situations when while listening you cannot
recognize familiar words?
Why do you think a listener can sometimes have difficulties of recognizing
familiar words?
Introducing active vocabulary
2. Listen and repeat the words:
aspiration observe starting point
final preceded stressed
linking puff of breath unstressed
3. Study the definitions of the words, then match the words with their
Ukrainian equivalents:
aspiration – forceful release of breath linking - connecting
final - that one which is at the end observe - notice
puff of breath – an act of breathing precede - to go or be before
stressed – prominent and loud starting point - beginning
unstressed - weak

1) aspiration a) спостерігати
2) final b) з’єднуючий
3) linking c) струмінь повітря під час видиху
4) observe d) ненаголошений
5) precede e) початок
6) puff of breath f) наголошений
7) starting point g) придих
8) stressed h) передувати
9) unstressed i) кінцевий
Analysis of reduction
Discovery activity
4. Listen to the pairs of words and say whether their first sounds are
pronounced clearly.
1) egg- ego
2) ate – attorney
3) ape – apart
4) ebb – about
5) ache - account

English vowels in unstressed position are usually reduced.

Reduction is the process of weakening or shortening vowels.
Reduced vowels are usually represented by the symbol [ǝ].

[ǝ] is pronounced in unstressed syllables only

Reduction can be observed within words, e.g. ago [ǝ´gǝʊ],
writer [´raıtǝ], and within sentences, e.g. Can Julie come in? [kǝn
´dʒu:lı ´kʌm ´ın]
5. Listen to the words and underline the syllables where [ǝ] is
pronounced.
1) again
2) better
3) sticker
4) maker
5) affect
Now make up your own sentences with these words.
 In English sentences structural words are normally unstressed.
They are auxiliary and modal verbs in certain positions, pronouns,
prepositions, articles and conjunctions, e.g.
Does it matter? [dǝz ıt ´mætǝ]
Can we talk? [kǝn wı ´tɔ:k]
You should not quarrel. [jʊ ʃǝd ´nɒt ´kwɒrl]
The sky is blue and high. [ðǝ ´skaı ız ´blu: ǝnd ´haı]

Auxiliary and modal verbs are STRESSED in short answers:

Does he know it? - Yes, he does. [dǝz hı ´nǝʊ ıt] [jes hı ´dʌz]
Can you help me? – Yes, I can. [kǝn jʊ ´help mı] [jes aı ´kæn]
Contracted negative forms are always STRESSED:
They can’t run. [ðeı ´kα:nt ´rʌn]
We shouldn’t hurry. [wı ´ʃʊdnt ´hʌrı]
6. Listen to the questions and underline the words where [ǝ] is
pronounced. Then read and answer the questions.
1) If you could travel through time where would you go?
2) Would you like to know what your animal is thinking about you?
3) Do you sing in the bath?
4) Do you laugh a lot?
5) Do you talk to yourself out loud when you are alone?
6) Would you like to live in the sky?
Analysis of aspiration
Discovery activity
7. Listen to the words and say what is similar in pronunciation of the
consonants [p, t, k].
pea tea key
 pat tat cat
port taught caught
part tart cart

The English consonants [p, t, k] are pronounced with aspiration

that is with a very strong puff of breath.
Aspiration of [p, t, k] is the strongest when these consonants
are pronounced before stressed vowels, e.g. take [teık], appear [ǝ
´pıǝ], account [ǝ´kaʊnt].
Aspiration is weak when [p, t, k] are pronounced before
unstressed vowels, consonants and at the end of the words, e.g.
towards [tǝ´wɔ:dz], play [pleı], lake [leık].
There is hardly any aspiration of [p, t, k] at all when these
consonants are preceded by the sound [s], e.g. steak [steık], speak
[spi:k], sky [skaı].
8. Listen and repeat the words.
palms take keep
pots took Kate
Paul’s talk cut
paper tidy can’t
people tightrope coats
Use these words to make up sentences without adding any other words to
this list.
Analysis of voicing and devoicing
Discovery activity
9. Listen to the words and pay attention to the pronunciation of the suffix
–s (-es).
 [s] [z] [ız]
starts books lives flowers finishes dresses
takes shirts reads toys teases messages
thinks ropes sees windows matches garages
Complete the rule:
If a verb or a noun ends with the sounds [s], [z], [ʃ], [ʒ], [ʧ], [ʤ] the
final –s (-es) is pronounced _________.
If a verb or a noun ends with any other voiceless consonants the final
- s is pronounced _________.
If a verb or a noun ends with any other voiced consonants, a sonorant
or a vowel sound, the final -s is pronounced____________.
10. Listen to the verbs and put them in the correct box.
Likes, owns, puts, plays, rides, washes, flies, makes, catches, pushes,
walks.
[s] [z] [ız]
likes owns
11. Decide how the final –s (-es) is pronounced in the nouns below and
then mark it [s], [z], or [ız].
suburbs [z] hours bedrooms gardens sports children’s
chances [ız] houses buses pets weeks miles
Listen and check your answers.
Discovery activity
12. Listen to the words and pay attention to the pronunciation of the
suffix –ed
[d] [t] [ıd]
phoned ruled cooked looked landed visited
played poured washed hopped loaded voted
studied named watched jumped invited waited
Complete the rule:
If a verb itself ends in ‘t’ or ‘d’ the final –ed is pronounced _____.
 If a verb ends in a voiceless consonant the final –ed is pronounced
______.
If a verb ends in a voiced consonant, a sonorant or a vowel the final
–ed is pronounced ______.
13. Listen to these past tense verbs and put them in the right column,
according to the pronunciation of –ed.
helped reache missed lived discovered calle invited jumpe
d d d
offered saved started neede looked tried asked waited
d

[d] [t] [ıd]

offered helped
14. Listen to these sentences and write [t], [d] or [ıd] in the box to show
the pronunciation of –ed
1 [d] Last weekend I stayed in bed up to 11 o’clock.
2 I cooked my favourite dish.
3 I phoned my granny.
4 I chatted with my friends via the internet.
5 I painted a lovely picture.
6 I watched a film.
7 I played a new computer game.
8 I talked to my neighbour.
9 I solved a puzzle.
1 Then I noticed that the weekend was over.
0
Speak about your last weekend using the verbs from the sentences above.
Analysis of linking
Discovery activity
15. Pronounce the following word combinations quickly:
you are tea is where is
 go off they aren’t here are
too impossible my apple car is
so unfriendly boy and girl door is
Sue is he and she or a
now and me and you are around
Which extra sounds are heard between the words?
Pronounce different word combinations and define whether you can hear
the same sounds between the words.
you have tea was where does
go there they weren’t here we
too much my pear car drives
so friendly boy must door closes
Sue does he comes or they
now leave me too are together
Complete the rule:
Linking [w] follows final monophthongs [ ], [ ] or diphthongs [ ], [ ]
where the next word begins with a _______ sound.
Linking [j] follows final monophthongs [ ], [ ] or diphthongs [ ], [ ],
[ ] where the next word begins with a _______ sound.
Linking [r] is pronounced between the words where first word ends in
letters __________ and the next word begins with a _______ sound.

The linking sounds are pronounced between the words.

Linking [w] appears because the final [u:] and [ʊ] form
the starting point for the bilabial [w].
Linking [j] appears because [i:] and [ı] form the starting
point for the consonant [j].
Pay attention to the fact that linking [r] appears due to
 spelling of the words.
16. Add as many words as you can to TOO, BE, TEACHER to pronounce
the linking sounds.
TOOw important, …. BEj attentive, … TEACHERr always, …
17. Read the text and find the cases of sound modification (reduction,
aspiration, voicing/devoicing, linking). Then listen to the text and
practice its reading.
Hobby is an activity which we adore doing.
Mrs. Smith adores talking on the phone. She can talk hour after hour
without stopping. Every month the Smiths receive a massive telephone bill
which always makes Mr. Smith worried.
Now they are sitting in the living-room. The telephone rings. “Who
is calling?” thinks Mr. Smith. Mrs. Smith answers the call and immediately
starts chatting.
After about thirty minutes she hangs up and returns to the living-
room. Her husband is happy as it usually takes his wife more than two
hours to chat on the phone. “Were you busy to hang up so early?” he asks.
“Oh, no”, answers the lady, “it was a wrong number”.
 UNIT 5
SYLLABLES AND WORD STRESS
Warming up
1. Answer the questions.
Can you believe that wrong syllable division change meaning of words?
Why or why not?
Can wrong word stress according to your opinion change meaning of
words?
Introducing active vocabulary
2. Listen and repeat the words:
primary stress
prominence syllable
secondary syllabic
3. Study the definitions of the words, then match the words with their
Ukrainian equivalents:
primary - first in importance
prominence – the state of being noticeable
secondary - one grade or step after the first
stress - special emphasis
syllable – a subdivision of a word
syllabic – able to form syllables

1) primary a) вираженість
2) prominence b) склад
3) secondary c) наголос
4) stress d) основний
5) syllable e) складотворчий
6) syllabic f) вторинний
Analysis of syllable
Discovery activity
4. Count the syllables in the given words.
1) evening [´i:vnıŋ] 6) work [wɜ:k]
2) between [bı´twi:n] 7) never [´nevǝ]
3) matter [´mætǝ] 8) just [dʒʌst]
4) delicately [´delıkǝtlı] 9) become [bı´kʌm]
5) expected [ıks´pektıd] 10) together [tǝ´geðǝ]

Syllable is a speech unit which consists of either just one

syllabic sound or one syllabic sound and a number of non-syllabic
ones grouped around it. The syllabic sound is the most prominent
sound in the syllable.
5. Listen to the words from Activity 4 and underline the most prominent
sounds in each of them.

In English all the vowels are always syllabic: they are the
most prominent and they form syllables.

Alongside with vowels the sonorants [l, n, m] are syllabic too

but only in certain positions. When [l, n, m] are pronounced after
noise consonants at the end of the words they form syllables. So [l,
n, m] are syllabic when they occur in the word final position after
noise consonants.
Analyze the following examples.
The word kitten [´kıtn] contains two syllables because there are
two syllabic sounds: the vowel [ı] and the sonorant [n] at the end of
 the word after the noise consonant [t].
The word cattle [´kætl] contains two syllables because there
are two syllabic sounds: the vowel [æ] and the sonorant [l] at the end
of the word after the noise consonant [t].
The word bottom [´bɒtm] contains two syllables because there
are two syllabic sounds: the vowel [ɒ] and the sonorant [m] at the
end of the word after the noise consonant [t].
6. Name syllabic sounds in the given words.
1) rhythm [´rıðm] 6) metal [´metl]
2) apart [ǝ´pα:t] 7) wolves [wu:lvz]
3) cotton [´kɒtn] 8) question [´kwestʃn]
4) ruler [´ru:lǝ] 9) machine [mǝ´ʃi:n]
5) ready [´redı] 10) season [´si:zn]
7. Cross the odd one out in each line.
1) son lean taken keen barn
2) cattle battle rattle metal melt
3) ball bottle bold called cold
4) blossom scamp solemn tramp small
5) flatten deepen darken written spend
8. Listen to the words and guess how many syllables they contain.
1) mine [maın] 5) dear [dıǝ]
2) joy [dʒɔı] 6) poor [pʊǝ]
3) paint [peınt] 7) mouse [maʊs]
4) hair [heǝ] 8) phone [fǝʊn]

Each English diphthong forms one syllable.

 A combination of a DIPHTHONG + [ǝ] forms two syllables:
towel [´taʊǝl] aʊ + ǝ
player [´pleıǝ] eı + ǝ
loyal [´lɔıǝl] ] ɔı + ǝ
lower [´lǝʊǝ] ǝʊ + ǝ
fire [´faıǝ] aı + ǝ
8. Group the words according to the amount of syllables they contain.
1) sometimes [´sʌmtaımz] 5) syllable [´sılǝbl] 9) amused [ǝ´mju:zd]
2) remember [rı´membǝ] 6) don’t [dǝʊnt] 10) dance [dα:ns]
3) realized [´rıǝlaızd] 7) earring [´ıǝrıŋ] 11) pure [pjʊǝ]
4) imprisoned [ım´prıznd] 8) familiar [fǝ´mıljǝ] 12) heat [hi:t]
Analysis of word stress
Discovery activity
9. Listen to the words and say what makes the first and the second
syllables different in each of them.
I II
puppy again
sister ago
teacher about
ready allow

If a word contains two or more syllables one syllable is always

pronounced with the greatest prominence. This prominence is called
primary word stress. Primary word stess is marked with the symbol ´
which is placed at the beginning of the syllable, e.g. [´ti:tʃǝ], [ǝ
´baʊt].
10. Look at the words and define the number of syllables they contain.
1) mirror [mırǝ] 6) happiness [hæpınǝs]
2) already [ɔ:lredı] 7) volcano [vɒlkeınǝʊ]
3) probably [prɒbǝblı] 8) hesitate [hezıteıt]
4) extremely [ıkstri:mlı] 9) loneliness [lǝʊnlınǝs]
5) reveal [rıvi:l] 10) highlighted [haılaıtıd]
Now listen to the words and mark their primary stressed syllables.
Discovery activity
12. Listen to the English, Ukrainian and Russian words and compare
word stress in three languages.
1) demonstration 1) демонстрація 1) демонстрация
2) articulation 2) артикуляція 2) артикуляция
3) modification 3) модифікація 3) модификация
4) assimilation 4) асиміляція 4) ассимиляция
5) reconstruction 5) реконструкція 5) реконструкция

Besides primary word stress English words can have secondary

word stress. The syllables with secondary word stress are
pronounced weaker than those with primary word stress but stronger
than unstressed syllables. The symbol ͵ is used to mark the
secondary stressed syllables which is placed before the target
syllable.
Seconday stress can appear when a word contains more than
three syllables, e.g. organization [͵ɔ:gǝnaı´zeıʃn], experimentation
[ıks͵perımen´teıʃn].
13. Listen to the words and mark primary and secondary stress.
examination - [ıgzæmιneιʃn] impossibility - [ımpɒsǝbılıtı]
conversation - [kɒnvǝseıʃn] modernistic - [mɒdǝnιstιk]
recommend - [rekǝmend] discrimination - [dıskrımıneıʃn]
correspond - [kɒrıspɒnd] referendum - [refǝrendǝm]
education - [edjʊkeιʃn] qualification - [kwɒlιfιkeιʃn]
Now practice reading the words.

It is important to know that English compounds (words formed

from two stems can have either one word stress or two word stresses
depending on the type of compound.
Compound numerals and compound adjectives as well as
phrasal verbs have two word stresses, e.g.
twenty-two [͵twentı´tu:]
absent-minded [͵æbsǝnt´maındıd]
put on [´pʊt ͵ɒn]
Other compounds have one stress which falls on the first
element of a compound, e.g.
teapot [´ti:pɒt]
blackbird [´blækbɜ:d]
police
dining-room [´daınıŋrʊm]
14. Form compounds, then mark stressed syllables in each of them.

class
pencil waitin
police board thirty
hall
fashioned red

green up
give man
three
box blue
room black
old head
15. Place the cards in such a way that the words characterized by the same
syllable-stress pattern are next to each other.

2 6 10

1 3 5 7 9 11

4 8 12

31 just 13

30 32 expected 16 14
matter

29 between 15

28 24 17

27 25 23 21 20 18

26 22 19
 UNIT 6
RHYTHM AND INTONATION
Warming up
1. Answer the questions.
Can you imagine speech without rhythm and intonation?
What would speech without rhythm and intonation sound like?
Analysis of rhythm
Discovery activity
2. Listen to two texts and define what makes them different.
I II
This is the house that Jack built. Jack lives in a house. He built it
This is the malt himself. Jack doesn’t live alone
That lay in the house that Jack built. there. A cat, a rat and a dog live with
This is the rat, him too. The inhabitants of Jack’s
That ate the malt house are not always friendly with
That lay in the house that Jack built. each other.
This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

Rhythm is an alteration of stressed and unstressed syllables.

We can feel rhythm best of all when we deal with rhymed texts
although any piece of speech is characterized by certain rhythm, e.g.
Where do you live? - I live in the city.

What do you like? – I like sunny weather.

Why are you glad? – I am an optimist.

is used to mark a stressed syllable

is used to mark an unstressed syllable.
Rhythm is also a characteristic feature of music.
3. Listen to three recordings and say which one corresponds to the given

rhythmic pattern: . Now read the rhyme according to the same

rhythmic pattern.
Study it better.
Work on it harder.
What is the matter?
Try to be smarter.
Analysis of intonation
Discovery activity
4. Listen to the sentences and say what makes them different.
1) Happy bithday!
2) Are you free?
3) Who? Me!?
4) Read the text.

Speech is characterized by rhythm and intonation.

 Intonation is a variation of high and low pitch.
Rhythm and intonation are closely connected because we can
notice variation of pitch mostly within stressed syllables. The
strongest syllable in the sentence is characterized by definite
intonation which can be falling or rising.
5. Listen to the sentences, underline the strongest syllable in each of
them and define whether its intonation is falling or rising.
1) The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
2) Can freedom of speech compensate freedom of thought?
3) It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.
4) The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
5) Should a poet be passionately in love with language?

Falling and rising intonation can be

high and low.

Low falling intonation is often used in affirmative sentences,

commands and wh-questions to express neutral or cold attitude as
well as determination, disaproval and persuation of the speaker.
The symbol used to mark low falling intonation is
6. Listen to the text, underline the strongest syllable in each sentence and
define the attitude expressed by low falling intonation.
Life is hard. This is a great truth. Everyone is involved in the process
of everlasting struggle for survival. If you hope to have a warm place with
everything you need once and for ever you lie to yourself. Not addmitting
problems does you more harm than facing them. So be brave! Learn the
truth! And win the struggle for survival.
7. Make up a short text to illustrate low falling intonation. Begin your text
with the words “Studies are…” and finish it with the word “knowledge”.

Low rising intonation can be used in affirmative sentences to

express politeness and in yes/no questions to ask for information.
The symbol used to mark low rising intonation is
8. Listen to the text, underline the strongest syllable in each sentence and
define the attitude expressed by low rising intonation.
- Are you working?
- Do you want to talk about something?
- If you are busy…
- Will you come in, please?
Now practice reading the dialogue.

9. Ask yes/no questions which can match rhythmic pattern and

let your partner answer them.

High falling intonation can be used in affirmative sentences,

exclamations, wh-questions and imperative sentences to express
different emotions. High falling intonation often makes speakers
sound impressed, interested and enthusiastic, it helps demonstrate
friendliness and involvement.
The symbol used to mark high falling intonation is
10. Listen to the text, underline the strongest syllable in each sentence
and define the attitude expressed by high falling intonation.
- Wow!
- Stop it! I’m scared!
 - Why are you scared? It’s cool!
- Ah! It’s too fast!
- Wow! That’s really fast!
Now practice reading the dialogue.
11. Express the following attitudes saying only the given sound.

u: - u:- u: - u:- u: - u: - u: - u:

ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ: - ɔ:

α: - α: - α: - α: - α: - α: - α: - α:

e –e –e –e –e –e –e –e –e –e –e

i: - i: - i: - i: - i: - i: - i: - i: - i: - i:

High rising intonation is used to express surprise and to echo while

thinking what to say.
The symbol used to mark high rising intonation is
12. Listen to the text, underline the strongest syllable in each sentence
and define the attitude expressed by high rising intonation.
- Bill found some treasure.
- Did he?
- A lot of rubies and emeralds.
- Really?
- Yes, he found them in his own garden.
- In his own garden, you say?
Now practice reading the dialogue.
13. Say what unusual things have ever happened to you and let your partner
express surprise with one of the following phrases.
Did you? Were you? Have you? Had you?
14. Say what you are going to do tonight and let your partner repeat your
last word echoing.

Rising and falling intonation can be used in one and the same
sentence to say homogeneous parts ( law and order ) and to enumerate
items ( pink, blue and green ).
15. Listen and mark rising and falling intonation in each sentence, then
practice reading the rhyme.
I like apples and peaches.
I like sunshine and beaches.
I like moonlight and stars.
I like parties and bars.
Now add one more item after each third word in each line and
pronounce the sentences with appropriate intonation.

Address can be pronounced with rising or falling intonation

depending on the position.
At the beginning of the sentence address is pronounced with falling
intonation.
At the end of the sentence address is pronounced with rising
intonation.
16. Listen and repeat the sentences.
1) Jean! Are you free?
Are you free, Jean?
2) Tom! It’s my book.
It’s my book, Tom.
3) Sue! Let’s discuss it.
 Let’s discuss it, Sue.
4) Nick! What’s the matter?
What’s the matter, Nick?
5) Kate! That’s nice.
That’s nice, Kate.
17. Make your partner a compliment about his/her clothes, colour of the
hair, colour of the eyes, intelligence, pronunciation skills, etc. Remember to
say the person’s name either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
18. Listen twice to the beginning of the song “We’re the Champions”.
First mark the stressed syllables in each line. Second define whether
melody goes up or down in each line.
I've paid my dues And we mean to go on and on and on and on.

Time after time

I've done my sentence We are the champions - my friends

But committed no crime And we'll keep on fighting

And bad mistakes Till the end

I've made a few We are the champions

I've had my share of sand We are the champions

Kicked in my face No time for losers

But I've come through 'Cause we are the champions of the World.

Now make up your own sentences with the word “champions”.