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.

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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.

AHH – the Dentist Sound

Mouth Position

/ɑː/ is a vowel sound made with the jaw open, the lips relaxed, and the tongue slightly back. It is such an open sound that your dentist will ask you to make it in order to see inside your mouth. Altogether then, open wide /ɑː/

Spellings of /ɑː/

In most spellings of /ɑː/ we’ll find the letter ‘a’ and a silent consonant ‘l’ or ‘r’; most commonly the <ar> in CAR and TART and the <al> in CALM and PALM. It’s also the <ear> in HEART, the <er> in DERBY, the <au> in AUNT, the <a> in LAGER and the <oir> in BOUDOIR.

Learning /ɑː/

Learners of English pronunciation should ensure that they make three different sounds in the words HEART /ˈhɑːt/, HUT /ˈhʌt/ and HAT /ˈhæt/ as many languages only have one sound in that area of the mouth. Learners should not pronounce the ‘r’ in words like CART /ˈkɑːt/ and BARK /ˈbɑːk/, unless you are aiming for American English so /ˈkɑːrt/ and /ˈbɑːrk/. The negative word AREN’T /ˈɑːnt/ is pronounced exactly the same as AUNT, your parent’s sister. Also, be very careful with the word CAN’T /ˈkɑːnt/ – as without /ɑː/ it can become the rudest word in English, can’t it?

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Regina Spektor - Laughing with SOLUTION

"Laughing With"	"ˈlɑːfɪŋ wɪð"
No one laughs at God in a hospital	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə ˈhɒspɪtl
No one laughs at God in a war	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə wɔː
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor	wɛn ðeə ˈstɑːvɪŋ ɔː ˈfriːzɪŋ ɔː səʊ ˈvɛri pʊə
No one laughs at God	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd
When the doctor calls after some routine tests	wɛn ðə ˈdɒktə kɔːlz ˈɑːftə səm ruːˈtiːn tɛsts
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
When it’s gotten real late	wɛn ɪts ˈgɒtn rɪəl leɪt
And their kid’s not back from the party yet	ənd ðeə kɪdz nɒt bæk frəm ðə ˈpɑːti jɛt
No one laughs at God	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake	wɛn ðeər ˈeəpleɪn stɑːt tʊ ˌʌnkənˈtrəʊləbli ʃeɪk
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else	wɛn ðeɪ siː ðə wʌn ðeɪ lʌv, hænd ɪn hænd wɪð ˈsʌmwʌn ɛls
And they hope that they’re mistaken	ənd ðeɪ həʊp ðət ðeə mɪsˈteɪkən
No one laughs at God	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd
When the cops knock on their door	wɛn ðə kɒps nɒk ɒn ðeə dɔː
And they say we got some bad news, sir	ənd ðeɪ seɪ wi gɒt səm bæd njuːz, sɜː
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
When there’s a famine or fire or flood	wɛn ðəz ə ˈfæmɪn ɔː ˈfaɪər ɔː flʌd
But God can be funny	bət gɒd kən bi ˈfʌni
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or	ət ə ˈkɒkteɪl ˈpɑːti wɛn ˈlɪsnɪŋ tʊ ə gʊd gɒd-θiːmd ʤəʊk, ɔː
Or when the crazies say He hates us	ɔː wɛn ðə ˈkreɪziz seɪ hi heɪts ʌs
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke	ənd ðeɪ gɛt səʊ rɛd ɪn ðə hɛd jʊ θɪŋk ðeə baʊt tə ʧəʊk
God can be funny,	gɒd kən bi ˈfʌni,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way	wɛn təʊld hiːl gɪv jʊ ˈmʌni ɪf jʊ ʤəst preɪ ðə raɪt weɪ
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini	ənd wɛn prɪˈzɛntɪd laɪk ə ˈʤiːni huː dəz ˈmæʤɪk laɪkHoudini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus	ɔː grɑːnts ˈwɪʃɪz laɪk Jiminy ˈkrɪkɪt ənd ˈsæntə klɔːz
God can be so hilarious	gɒd kən bi səʊ hɪˈleərɪəs
Ha ha	hɑː hɑː
Ha ha	hɑː hɑː
No one laughs at God in a hospital	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə ˈhɒspɪtl
No one laughs at God in a war	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə wɔː
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
When they’ve lost all they’ve got	wɛn ðeɪv lɒst ɔːl ðeɪv gɒt
And they don’t know what for	ənd ðeɪ dəʊnt nəʊ wɒt fɔː
No one laughs at God on the day they realize	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɒn ðə deɪ ðeɪ ˈrɪəlaɪz
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes	ðæt ðə lɑːst saɪt ðeɪl ˈɛvə siː z ə peər əv ˈheɪtfʊl aɪz
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd wɛn ðeə ˈseɪɪŋ ðeə gʊdˈbaɪz
But God can be funny	bət gɒd kən bi ˈfʌni
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or	ət ə ˈkɒkteɪl ˈpɑːti wɛn ˈlɪsnɪŋ tʊ ə gʊd gɒd-θiːmd ʤəʊk, ɔː
Or when the crazies say He hates us	ɔː wɛn ðə ˈkreɪziz seɪ hi heɪts ʌs
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke	ənd ðeɪ gɛt səʊ rɛd ɪn ðə hɛd jʊ θɪŋk ðeə baʊt tə ʧəʊk
God can be funny,	gɒd kən bi ˈfʌni,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way	wɛn təʊld hiːl gɪv jʊ ˈmʌni ɪf jʊ ʤəst preɪ ðə raɪt weɪ
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini	ənd wɛn prɪˈzɛntɪd laɪk ə ˈʤiːni huː dəz ˈmæʤɪk laɪkHoudini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus	ɔː grɑːnts ˈwɪʃɪz laɪk Jiminy ˈkrɪkɪt ənd ˈsæntə klɔːz
God can be so hilarious	gɒd kən bi səʊ hɪˈleərɪəs
No one laughs at God in a hospital	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə ˈhɒspɪtl
No one laughs at God in a war	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə wɔː
No one laughs at God in a hospital	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə ˈhɒspɪtl
No one laughs at God in a war	nəʊ wʌn lɑːfs ət gɒd ɪn ə wɔː
No one laughing at God in hospital	nəʊ wʌn ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd ɪn ˈhɒspɪtl
No one’s laughing at God in a war	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd ɪn ə wɔː
No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very poor	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd wɛn ðeə ˈstɑːvɪŋ ɔː ˈfriːzɪŋ ɔː səʊˈvɛri pʊə
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
No one’s laughing at God	nəʊ wʌnz ˈlɑːfɪŋ ət gɒd
We’re all laughing with God	wɪər ɔːl ˈlɑːfɪŋ wɪð gɒd