Monday, 30 January 2017

10 most read articles from Pronunciation Studio (5) A London Accent



What’s in a London accent?


London is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. But what does a London accent sound like? Whether you call it ‘Cockney’, ‘Estuary’, ‘Mockney’ (if you’re faking it), or simply ‘London’, here are 10 key features:

Consonant Sounds

1. Silent ‘h’

A London accent does not use the sound /h/ at all!


Tuesday, 24 January 2017

10 most read articles from Pronunciation Studio (4)

7. English Food (Pronunciation Guide)

A Pronunciation Guide to English Food

England. Food. What?

Believe it or not, there is a food revolution going on in the UK at the moment, and whilst you can find cuisine from all over the world here, many modern kitchens are revisiting traditional English recipes. Here’s our pronunciation guide to all things culinary and where to find them in London:


1. Fish & Chips /ˈfɪʃ n ˈtʃɪps/


Probably the most famous of all British dishes, though the fried fish part was originally brought here by Spanish Jews. You’ll find this dish on most streets in what is locally known as a ‘chippy’ /tʃɪpi/. It’s battered /ˈbætəd/ fish, normally cod /ˈkɒd/, haddock / ˈhædək/ or plaice /ˈpleɪs/ served with chips and a liberal dose of salt and vinegar /ˈsɔːɫt ən ˈvɪnəgə/ . Foodies /ˈfuːdiz/ will have theirs with mushy peas /ˈmʌʃi ˈpiːz/ and a tartare sauce /ˈtɑːtɑ: ˈsɔːs/ of capers /ˈkeɪpəz/, gherkins and mayonnaise.
Recipe: Traditional Fish n Chips by Jo’ Pratt
Where to get it in London: Kerbisher & Malt – or try your local pub.
Pronunciation Notes: Don’t say ‘and’, just say /n/.

Read more...

Friday, 20 January 2017

10 most read articles from Pronunciation Studio (3)


The Thinking Sound – /ɜː/


Which sound do English speakers make when they think? Er, well, it’s /ɜː/ – the central vowel. Difficult for learners because many languages do not have a similar sound. In today’s article, we’ll explore how to pronounce it, how it’s spelt, and how with certain intonation it can mean ‘disgusting!’.


How to Pronounce /ɜː/

/ɜː/ is a neutral vowel, firmly in the centre of the mouth, your tongue should be flat – not forward like /iː/ not back like /ɔː/, flat as a freshly ironed shirt /ɜː/. Your jaw should be half open, and your lips should be relaxed, not rounded or you’ll sound French [œ], so relax the lips, altogether now /ɜː/. 

Thursday, 19 January 2017

10 most read articles from Pronunciation Studio (2)


“sorry” – 4 uses


1. “forgive me”

You’ve done something wrong, this is the most literal meaning of sorry. Said with a falling (i) or fall-rising pattern (ii). You can stress both syllables and use a rise-fall to sound sarcastic (iii).

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

10 most read articles from Pronunciation Studio

"I'm a Pronunciation Studio subscriber. They emailed me this. It is very interesting."

Here are the 10 most read articles from our pronunciation blog this year, featuring sounds, accents, words, food and... a referendum:
10. H

H 

Lots of British English speakers never pronounce /h/, others pronounce it sometimes, but nobody pronounces it all the time, in other words, it’s a grey area.

So what is H? When is it silent? Is the letter ‘Haitch’ or ‘Aitch‘? Oh, and do we really need it, onestly?

Thursday, 12 January 2017

And the most popular post of 2016 is...

Sunday, 29 May 2016



Check on map #12

SELF EVALUATION

How many did you get right out of twenty?


WRITE THE SPELLING [ei]-CORRECTION

1)    tray, came, day, foreign, snail, wait, break, fame, date, gait
2) same, steak, rain, may, great, jail, neighbor, nail, danger, way

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Top Posts of the year: 2nd - Diphthong [ ei ]

Sunday, 24 April 2016


Can be represented by the following graphemes:

a         plate
ea       break
ei        eight
ey       they   
ai        train
ay       tray
ao       gaol
au       gauge
e         beret   

Friday, 6 January 2017

Monday, 2 January 2017

Top 10 Posts of the year: 5th - Any questions about connected speech?


Sunday, 17 July 2016

weak form of and
followed by consonant:

fish and chips (fish´n chips)
a chair and a table (a chair and a table)


+ Info here: