Pronunciation 1 - Speech Sounds Overview

Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.

A system for transcribing speech sounds, used across languages.

The way a word is spoken, often represented using phonetic symbols.

Words that are spelled differently but have the same pronunciation.

A phoneme is a basic unit of sound in a language. Each phoneme has a distinct sound that distinguishes it from other phonemes, even if they are spelled similarly.

A word that has the same spelling as another word, but a different pronunciation.

The study of how sounds are made and used in speech.

The study of the sound system of a language.

The height of the tongue in the mouth when producing a vowel sound.

The part of the tongue that is used to make a vowel sound, either front, back, or center.

The distance between the tongue and the roof of the mouth when producing a vowel sound.

A vowel sound made by keeping your tongue in the same position throughout the entire sound, without gliding to another vowel position.

A vowel sound that involves a glide from one vowel to another within a single syllable.

The shape of the lips when pronouncing a vowel sound, whether spread, rounded, or neutral.

The duration of a vowel sound, determined by how long it is held.

A unit of speech sound that consists of a single vowel and any surrounding consonants. A vowel can often create a syllable on its own.

Pairs of words that have different meanings but sound exactly alike.

A set of words whose pronunciations are the same except for one sound. Often used in practices contrasting two different sounds.

A sound that is represented by the letters 'oi' or 'oy'.

A sound that is represented by the letters 'ure', 'oo', or 'ou'.

The sound /ɜ:/ is a mid-central vowel, like the 'er' in 'bird' or the 'ur' in 'hurt'. It's a bit more open than /ə/, but not as open as /ɑ:/

The sound /ɔ:/ is a back, open vowel, like the 'aw' in 'saw' or the 'o' in 'caught'. It's a bit more open than /ɒ/, but not as open as /ɑ:/

The sound /ɑ:/ is a low, back vowel, like the 'a' in 'father' or the 'ar' in 'car'. It's a bit more open than /ɒ/, but not as open as /ɔ:/

A vowel sound is a speech sound that is produced without any obstruction of the air flow in the mouth. Vowel sounds are the building blocks of syllables.

A consonant sound is a speech sound that is produced with some obstruction of the air flow in the mouth. Consonant sounds are typically made with the tongue, teeth, or lips.

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system for transcribing speech sounds, used across languages. Each symbol in the IPA represents a unique sound.

Phonemic transcription is the process of writing down sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It helps us to represent the sounds of a language precisely.

To transcribe a word, you need to listen carefully to its sounds and then write down the corresponding symbols from the IPA.

The sound /θ/ is represented by the letters 'th' in English. It is a voiceless dental fricative sound, meaning the air is forced out through the teeth to create a hissing sound.

The sound /ð/ is also represented by the letters 'th' in English, but it is voiced, meaning the vocal cords vibrate. It is a voiced dental fricative, similar to /θ/, but with vocal cord vibration.

A way to indicate the pronunciation of sounds using symbols. Each symbol represents a unique sound, helping to understand how words are spoken.