SH – the Whisper Sound

How & When to Pronounce /ʃ/

/ʃ/ is a voiceless fricative sound made slightly further back in the mouth than /s/, the sides of the tongue are touching the teeth, and the lips can be a tiny bit rounded. It is most commonly the SH in FISH and SHOE, the CH in CHEF and MACHINE, and the S in SURE and PASSION. It’s also found in word endings like the TI in EMOTION, the CI in SOCIAL and the CE in OCEAN, altogether now – /ʃ/

Shush!

Shhhh is the universally recognised English exclamation requesting quiet and is also found in verb form – SHUSH. Originally it came from the verb HUSH, which is also a noun, so a bit of HUSH then please. Of course, there are other options here, SHUT UP, SHUT IT, SHUT YOUR TRAP, or evenSHUT YOUR CAKE HOLE are impolite, and contain the /ʃ/ sound. You can request quiet whilst sounding boorish without pronouncing /ʃ/ with the idiom PUT A SOCK IN IT!

Latin Derivation

Some imported French words are spelt CH and pronounced /ʃ/ like CHEF, CHAMOIS, MACHINE,CHIC and MOUSTACHE, but others are with affricate /tʃ/, like CHANGE and ARCH. So in the popular name girl’s name CHARLOTTE we find /ʃ/ but in its male equivalent CHARLES, it’s /tʃ/ . We’ve also taken MACHETE from Spanish and PISTACHIO from Italian. DELICIOUS!

Sexual Issues (& Schedules)

If you are posh, you may have “sexual issues” without /ʃ/, whereas common folk have sexual issues with /ʃ/. A similar pattern appears in TISSUE, NEGOTIATE and several words ending -CIATE, something we all APPRECIATE. In British English, we tend to say /ʃ/ in SCHEDULE, whereas in American it’s with /sk/, so SCHEDULE.

Read more...

Sounds & Spelling Mindmaps

In the book Funny Stories by Alba Paz 22 full-color mental maps are included, created by her to better understand how phonetics works, more info below, here are some of them:

MIND MAP 2

MIND MAP 6

All 22 mind maps are now available in an excellent full color paper edition, click on the cover page above for more info. And in ebook format for Kindle here: Mindmaps Kindle Edition.

Explanation:

The Mind Map is an expression of Radiant Thinking and is therefore a natural function of the human mind. It is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlocking the potential of the brain. Mind Maps can be applied to every aspect of life where improved learning and clearer thinking will enhance human performance. The Mind Map has four essential characteristics:

1) The subject of attention is crystallized in a central image.

2) The main themes of the subject radiate from the central image as branches.

3) Branches consist of a key image or key word printed on an associated line. Topics of lesser importance are also represented as branches attached to higher level branches.

4) The branches form a connected nodal structure.

Mind maps may be enhanced with colour and pictures, to add interest, beauty and individuality . These in turn  add creativity, enhance memory and improve  the recall of information. Storing data efficiently multiplies your capacity. It is like the difference between a cluttered warehouse and a library with an ordering system”

(adapted from The Mind Map Book by Tony Bazan with Barry Buzan, BBC Books)

Available now in a very nice colorful paperback edition here. Kindle edition here: Alba Paz's Mindmaps Kindle Edition.