THE SOUNDS

OF

ENGLISH

SOUND
something that is produced by an
agency or cause; result;
consequence:
power to produce results; efficacy;
force; validity; influence:

STRESSED
AND UNSTRESSED
STRESSED -give particular
emphasis or importance to (a
point, statement, or idea) made
in speech or writing.
UNSTRESSED -Without stress
or emphasis, as a syllable in a
word.

IPA
The International Phonetic Alphabet
(IPA) is an alphabetic system of
phonetic notation based primarily on
the Latin alphabet.

The sounds of General

American
English
are
classified
into
three
namely:
1. Vowels
2. Diphthongs
3. Consonants

The Vowel Sounds

of English

 A vowel voiced sound produced without

any obstruction or constriction as the
sound flows through oral cavity.
The vowels vary from each other as to their
production, in the size and shape of the
oral cavity.

CHARACTERISTICS

 The tongue is an
important speech
organ when
producing vowel
sound.

The position of the lips is another factor

in the production of vowel sounds.

 The degree of tension

refers to the degree of
tenseness of the
muscles of the speech
organs in production.

 Vowel sounds may

also vary as to the
distance between
the upper and
lower from teeth.

 The length of the sound or duration is

another characteristic of the vowel sound.

TYPES

FRONT VOWELS
Front vowels- are vowel sounds
formed in front of the mouth or the
tip of the tongue.

/i/
Length of Sound
- long
Front of Tongue
- high
Jaw
- tense
Lips
- spread wide
Between Teeth
- Narrow gap
or space

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

e as in she, me, be
ea as in meat, neat, seat
ee as in sweet, leeks, beets
ie as in believe, retrieve
ei as in receipt, spontaneity
eo as in people
oe as in amoeba

trees in the field

feed the sheep
a weird dream
a piece of meat
1. The preacher claimed that praying
the novena inside the cathedral is
obsolete.
2. Please repeat your speech for the
eager team.
3. The amoeba attack on the
comedian was lethal.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

s/i/zure - ______
ch/i/f - ______
ch/i/se - ______
f/i/st - ______
l/i/sure - ______
bel/i/ve - ______

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

seizure
chief
cheese
feast
leisure
Believe

/I/
Length of Sound
Front of Tongue
Lips
- less
Between Teeth
or space

short
high
spread
- Narrow gap

1. i as in pick, trick, pit

2. y as in the medial position as in
gym, larynx, tyranny
3. ay in the final position
Thursday
4. ai as in captain, certain, bargain
5. at as in chocolate, private,
climate
6. age as in postage, cottage
7. ace as in necklace, preface

sit in the kitchen

spill the ink
a silly little kitten
kill the pig
1. This morning, Jim left for
Milan,Italy for a business trip.
2. Is having a good diction a gift or a
skill?
3. The villain was asked to sit still for
a few minutes.

CONTRASTIVE PAIRS

1. dr/I/ft - ______
2. t/I/ck - ______
3. m/I/th - ______
4. r/I/thm - ______

1.
2.
3.
4.

drift
tick
myth
rhythm

PEEL

PILL

TEAM

TIM

READ

RID

CHEAP

CHIP

FEAST

FIST

PEACH

PITCH

TEEN

TIN

SEEK

SICK

CHEAP

CHIP

CITY

SEIZE

PRISON

DEMON

AREN

CIVIC

 Banana chips are cheap.

The ship sank fifteen feet
deep.
Pete was seen riding on a
jeep.
Just kneel down and begin
reading your misdeeds.

/E/
Length of Sound
- short
Tongue
- low-middle
Lips
- slightly-parted
Between Teeth
- half
-wide

1.
2.
3.
4.

e as in wed, ted, ten

ea as in tear, read, bread
ai as in said
a as in any, many, says

met the deadline

test with death
seven to eleven
1. Ted painted the fence red and
yellow.
2. My nephew sent me a red belt and
a bread toaster.
3. Maribel fell from the edge of the
bench.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

br/E/d - ______
s/E/ys - ______
m/E/ny - ______
sc/E/nt - ______
st/E/dy - ______

1. bread
2. says
3. many
4. scent
5. steady

Write S for the same vowel sound. Write D

for the different vowel sound.

1.Sled-bed
2.Reed-rid
3.Bread-said
4.Read-rid
5.Keep-kept
6.Sleep-slept
7.Fed-shed


Length of Sound
- slightly long
Lips
- widely opened
Teeth
- slightly parted
Mouth
- slightly tense
Between teeth
- wide

1. a as in nap, cat,
class

1. Fragile
2. Hammock
3. Panic
4. Bath
5. Traffic

abandon the bank

bad manners
lack of plants
a family match
1. The angry man strangled the
robber.
2. Dad was very glad to accept the
plaque.
3. The captain now stands near the
traffic lights.

Encircle all the words with the / /

sound.
1. He clasps the crag with crooked hands:
Clue to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with azure world he stands.
2. Under a spreading chestnut- tree
The village smithy hands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands.
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

CONTRASTIVE PAIRS

FLASH

FLESH

BAND

BEND

MASS

MESS

BATTER
FAD

BETTE
R
FED

SAND

SEND

BAG

BEG

DAD

DEAD

MAT

MET

 begged to bring her bag

lend me your land title
send several sandbags
said a sad farewell
mess up the mass pamphlets

CENTRAL VOWELS
Central vowels- are vowel
sounds formed in the middle
of the mouth.

//
Length of Sound
- long
Mouth
- tense
Lips
- spread
Between Teeth
- half
-open

1. ir as in bird, sir
2. er as in herb, germ, desert
3. ear as in early, search
4. or as in worst, worth, work
5. ur as in fur, curb, urban
6. our as in tournament, journey

 the nerve to work

a pearl for my girl
ferns and herbs
the early bird
1. The early bird catches the worm.
2. The worst circus accident
happened last Thursday.
3. The surgeon immediately returned
to the hospital for an emergency
operation.

LETS PRACTICE!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Please do not abandon your (firm, farm).

(Germs, Ferns) grow in moist places.
His (hurt, heart) was beyond consolation.
You are (flirt, dirt) before my eyes.
Have you seen my (purse, nurse)?.

//
Length of Sound
- short
Lips
- slightly open
Teeth
- slightly parted

1. u as in until
2. a as in above, alone, attend
3. e as in the, believe, maker
4. o as in symbol, polite, purpose

 afraid to be alone
about to announce
came all along
a polite society
1. Dont leave the cactus on the sofa.
2. My husband loves to eat
3. The surgeon immediately returned
to the bacon with soda.

Encircle the schwa sound.

1. Always wear the proper attire for class.
2. The husband works in the circus.
3. Do you think you will be absent for the
occasion?
4. The soldiers surrounded the factory.
5. I have no idea as to his whereabouts.

PURG
HURT
E
CIRCL
REFER
E
MURDE COURAGE

//
Length of Sound
- short
Lips
- not rounded
Teeth
- half-apart

1. u as in us, sun, under

2. o as in son, love, oven

Encircle the correct word.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

wish you (luck, lack)

a feather in his (cap, cup)
a (track, truck) field
a (drug, drag) race
a hamburger (bun, boon)

 an abundance of honey
rough and tough
a hundred muscles
public trust
1. The judge left his luggage on the
bus.
2. Much honey spilled in the oven
when I was preparing lunch.
3. My brother was punished because
he gots mothers money and
spent a hundred pesos on toys.

CONTRASTIVE PAIRS

RUN

RAN

CUT

CAT

LUCK

LACK

CRUS
H
FUN

CRAS
H
FAN

DUMB

DAM

BACK VOWELS
Back vowels- are vowel sounds
formed with the back of the tongue
arched toward the back roof of the
tongue.

/u /
Length of Sound
- long
Tongue
- high
Lips
- slightly open
Mouth
-tense

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

oo as in tooth, brood, rooster

ou as in group, souvenir
u as in truth, rude, brute
o as in movie, tomb, womb
ue as in true, blue, sue
oe as in shoe
ew as in crew, brew, threw
ui as in bruise, juice, fruit

 improve your routine

pool in school
a blue room
the brutal truth
1. Luz wore a loose blouse in the
swimming pool.
2. I found a small spoon in my fruit
juice.
3. The movie fan lost her tooth when
she fell from the stool.

/u /
Length of Sound
- short
Teeth
-slightly parted
Lips
-slightly open
Tongue
-low-high

1. oo as in stood, hook, brook

2. ou as in would, could
3. u as in bush, full

 a good cook
ambush in July
not good to look
took a good book
1. The crook took a last look at the
gushing brook.
2. The cook and the butcher only
shook their heads when they were
questioned.
3. He who is good son will be a good
husband and a good father.

Pick out the short and long oo

sound.
1. The stern old judge in relentless mood.
Glanced at the two who before him stood.
He was young and defiant and bold, She
was bowed and haggard and old. Mother
and Son, and to gaze at the pair, Their
different attitudes, look and air, One
would believe are the truths well-known,
The mother convicted and not the son.

Pick out the short and long oo

sound.
2. There was the mother, the boy stood
nigh, With a shameless look, and his
head held high, Age had come over her
sorrow and care, These mattered but
little, so he was there. A prop to her years
and light to her eyes, And prized as only
a mother can prize, But what for him
could a mother say, Waiting his doom on
sentenced day.

/u /
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

/u /
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

ACTIVITY

1. The fool is full of pranks.

2. His suit was very dirty with
soot.
3. Daddy tried to pull me to the
deep pool.
4. Luke comes from school a
good school. In fact, hes
always full of wonderful
ideas.

1. Goose
2. Choose
3. Tour
4. Cook
5. Brook
6. Balloon
7. Rooster
8. Rookie
9. Wolf
10.Pudding
11.scuba

/a /
Length of Sound
- short
Teeth
-wide apart
Mouth
-relax
Tongue
-low

o as in pot, top, mop

 a knot in his sock

Gone in the forest
Offer to God
Spot the dot on the plot
The ox hid under the dog.
Geology and biology are never
obsolete.
Bob won a lot of money in the
jackpot.

Body-buddy
1. Fred has been my _____ since high
school.
Luck-lock
2. I will try to find my _____ somewhere.
Bomb-bum
3. The team found a _____ behind the
bushes.
Cop-cup
4. The _____ refused to receive money
from the reckless driver.
Docked-ducked
5. The robber ____ under the bed.

/a /
Length of Sound
- short
Teeth
-slightly parted
Lips
-slightly open
Tongue
-low-high
a as in mark

/a /
A charming card
A large scarf
At back of the yard
A mark on her arm

/c /
Length of Sound
- short
Teeth
-slightly parted
Lips
-slightly open
Tongue
-low-high

/c /
a as in almanac
o as in off, long
au as in sauce, caught
ou as in bought
aw as in lawn

/c /
An awkward pause
Yawn at dawn
Laundry near the faucet
Tell her to open the vault with
caution.
Do you normally put sauce over
your sausage?