Consonant sounds
| Site: | eCampus |
| Cours: | 2024-2025 PeiP1-2C Anglais (S1) |
| Livre: | Consonant sounds |
| Imprimé par: | Visiteur anonyme |
| Date: | jeudi 30 janvier 2025, 23:26 |
1. Consonant sounds and letters
Consonant sounds are not very difficult compared to vowel sounds as a consonant letter usually represents one consonant sound. Pay attention though as some consonant letters can represent two different consonant sounds.
Here are the symbols that do not look like a usual consonant letter and the combination of letters associated as well as examples of words:
Consonant sound | Letter/combination of letters | Examples |
/ʧ/ | CH- / -TCH / -TURE | Lecture, pitch, Bachelor, natural |
/ʤ/ | -G(+vowel) / -J- | College, subjects, Geography, technology, junior |
/ʃ/ | SH- / -TI- / -CI- | Freshman, tuition, associate (can also be pronounced /s/) |
/ʒ/ | -SI- | Revision, |
/ð/ | -TH- | The, these, theirs, mother |
/θ/ | -TH- | Mathematics, Maths, earth, |
/ŋ/ | -NG | Engineering, studying |
/j/ | Y or U | University, youth |
Watch out: the same combination of letters (even consonants) can lead to a different pronunciation.
e.g. Chemistry <ch> is pronounced /k/, <ture> when it is in a stressed syllable is pronounced /tjʊə/
2. The pronunciation of 's'
Whether you add -s to make the third person singular present or you put a noun in the plural form or you add -'s to make the possessive, the -s you add should be heard when you say it orally.
The pronunciation depends on the last sound of the verb or noun as the letter -s can be pronounced either /s/ or /z/ or /iz/
Rule 1 | If a word ends with the sounds /s/, /z/, /ʒ/, /ʃ/ /tʃ/ or /dʒ/ the final -s is pronounced /iz/. |
Rule 2 | If a word ends with any other voiceless consonant sound (/p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, or /θ/), the final –s is pronounced /s/. |
Rule 3 | If a word ends with any other voiced consonant sound (/b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /d/, /l/, /r/, /m/, /n/, or /ŋ/), or a vowel sound, the final –s is pronounced /z/. |
Source: http://epronunciation.com/pronunciation-rules/pronunciation-words-ending-s-ed.html
Recap
3. The pronunciation of '-ed'
'-ed' appears at the end of regular verbs in the past tense (e.g. wanted, helped, studied) sometimes in adjectives ending in '-ed' (e.g. tired, embarrassed, relaxed) as well as in some past participle .
However the pronunciation of '-ed' sometimes causes problems because it can be pronounced in three different ways: as / id /, as / t / or as / d /
When an infinitive verb finishes with the sound /t/ or /d/ then, we have to add the syllable of the past participle /id/
Wanted /id/, regarded /id/, calculated /id/, added /id/
When the last sound of the word vibrates in vocal cord, we have to pronounce the «ed» like a sound /d/
Ruled /d/, died /d/, fined /d/, arranged /d/
When the last sound of the word doesn’t vibrate in vocal cord, then it is pronounced /t/
Hoped /t/, hacked /t/,
focused /t/, wished /t/
Recap
