Unit 1 – Pronunciation activities1

September 26

1. Vowel sounds

There are 12 vowel sounds in English. The 5 phonemic symbols with “:” indicate a long vowel
sound; the 7 others are short.

In English, vowel sounds can be classified as either short or long. A short vowel sound is brief,
such as the /ɪ/ in "sit" or the /æ/ in "cat." In contrast, a long vowel sound is held longer, such as
the /i:/ in "seat" or the /u:/ in "food."

It is essential not to confuse them because they can change the meaning of a word entirely. For
example, confusing the short /ɪ/ in "ship" with the long /i:/ in "sheep" changes both the word and
its meaning. In French, vowels tend to be more evenly pronounced, so mastering these
distinctions is key to improving clarity and avoiding misunderstandings in English.

1
Some of the activities you will find in the pronunciation modules we will take you through during the year
come or have been adapted from English for Academic Study - Pronunciation Study Book, by J. Smith and
A. Margolis (Garnet Publishing Ltd, 1992).
Exercise: Listen and circle the phonemic transcription that matches the pronunciation of the
word you hear. Write all 30 words in the spaces next to the transcriptions. These examples help
emphasize how a subtle shift in vowel length or quality can lead to very different meanings in
English.

1) /bɪt/ _______________ /biːt/ _______________

2) /fʊl/ _______________ /fuːl/ _______________

3) /kæt/_______________ /kɑːt/ _______________

4) /kʌt/ _______________ /kɑːt/ _______________

5) /kɒt/ _______________ /kɔːt/ _______________

6) /pʊl/ _______________ /puːl/ _______________

7) /hæt/ _______________ /hɑːt/ _______________

8) /bet/ _______________ /bɜːd/ _______________

9) /fɪl/ _______________ /fiːl/ _______________

10) /pɒt/ _______________ /pɔːt/ _______________

11) /sʌŋ/ _______________ /sɑːŋ/ _______________

12) /pæk/ _______________ /pɑːk/ _______________

13) /tʃɪp/ _______________ /tʃiːp/ _______________

14) /ʃɒt/ _______________ /ʃɔːt/ _______________

15) /hʌt/ _______________ /hɜːt/ _______________

2. Word stress

In words of more than one syllable, one syllable is emphasized more than others; it has a
stronger sound than other syllables and is known as a stressed syllable.

In English, placing the main stress on the correct syllable is essential for clear communication.
When this is done incorrectly, the meaning of the word can change, leading to confusion. For
example, if you say "present" with the stress on the first syllable /ˈprez.ənt/, it means a gift or
something that exists. However, if you place the stress on the second syllable /prɪˈzent/, it
becomes a verb meaning to give or introduce something. Misplacing the stress can make a word
sound unfamiliar or like a completely different word, which may cause the listener to
misunderstand you. This is why paying attention to stress patterns in English is crucial for
effective pronunciation and communication.

The stressed syllable of a word is indicated by an apostrophe (’) inserted before the stressed
syllable.

Exercise: Listen to the 10 words and mark the stressed syllable with (’).

1) Policy 6) Assume

2) Similar 7) Major

3) Environment 8) Overseas

4) Identify 9) Operation

5) Individual 10) Reinforce

Exercise: Your lecturer will read words aloud. Listen carefully to the stress pattern and decide
which meaning you heard. Choose the correct meaning based on whether the stress was on the
first syllable or the second syllable.

Example: Your lecturer says: "present"

- If the stress is on the first syllable /ˈprez.ənt/: gift or something that exists.

- If the stress is on the second syllable /prɪˈzent/: to give or introduce something.

1) Record

 First syllable: a documented fact or data

 Second syllable: to document or capture

2) Produce

 First syllable: fruits and vegetables

 Second syllable: to create or make

3) Object

 First syllable: a thing or item

 Second syllable: to oppose or protest

4) Contract

 First syllable: a legal agreement

  Second syllable: to shrink or to agree

5) Content

 First syllable: the material inside something

 Second syllable: feeling satisfied

6) Refuse

 First syllable: trash or waste

 Second syllable: to decline or reject

7) Address

 First syllable: a location or place

 Second syllable: to speak to or deal with

8) Rebel

 First syllable: a person who resists authority

 Second syllable: to resist authority or rise up

9) Desert / Dessert

 Desert – First syllable: a dry, barren land

 Dessert – Second syllable: something sweet you eat at the end of a meal

10) Petrol / Patrol

 Petrol – First syllable: a fuel

 Patrol – Second syllable: a group of people who monitor or watch over an area
 October 3

3. Weak forms in unstressed syllables

In syllables that are unstressed, the sounds /ə/ or /ɪ/ are often used instead of the full vowel.
Those reduced vowel sounds are known as weak forms.

Exercise: Listen to the 15 words, mark the stressed syllable with (’) and write /ə/ above any
syllable that includes this sound.

1) Computer 9) Attempt

2) Affect 10) Distance

3) Several 11) Accept

4) Standard 12) Opposite

5) Failure 13) Favour

6) Purpose 14) Compare

7) Propose 15) Approach

8) Author

Exercise: Listen to the 8 words, mark the stressed syllable with (’) and write /ɪ/ above any
syllable that includes this sound.

1) Reduce 5) Beyond

2) Invited 6) Extensive

3) Decision 7) Research

4) Demand 8) Interpret
 October 10

4. Strong and weak forms of function words

The pronunciation of some function words (pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, articles,

determiners and auxiliary verbs) is not always the same.

Generally, a function word is unstressed, and it very often uses the sound /ə/ instead of the full
vowel (weak form). By using these weak forms, your speech will sound more fluid and native-
like. French speakers, who are used to giving equal stress to most syllables, may tend to over-
pronounce these words, which can sound unnatural in English. Mastering weak forms not only
helps you blend sounds more smoothly, but also makes your speech more rhythmic and easier
to understand.

Function words are stressed (1) when they are at the end of a sentence, (2) when they add
emphasis (No, that’s not true! We are doing something about it!) or (3) indicate contrast (Most
scientists are convinced that …, but some are not.)

The following table contains some examples of these function words and their different
pronunciations.

Stressed / Strong Unstressed/weak

but /bʌt/ /bət/

than /ðæn/ /ðən/

them /ðɛm/ /ðəm/

you /juː/ jə

at /æt/ /ət/

for /fɔː/ /fə/

the /ðiː/ /ðə/

some /sʌm/ /səm/

has /hæz/ /həz/

does /dʌz/ /dəz/

can /kæn/ /kən/

Exercise: Listen to the following sentences and write in the missing words, which are all weak
forms of function words.

1) One criticism levelled __________ the board was their lack __________ financial control.
 2) This issue was discussed __________ some length during the conference.

3) These points should __________ been made more effectively.

4) How do we account __________ the change in behaviour?

5) This might do more harm __________ good.

6) This kind of restructuring is usually regarded by employees __________ a change

__________ the worse.

7) The problem __________ easily be solved __________ minimal cost.

8) Trade sanctions will be imposed with effect __________ December 1st.

Exercise: Listen to the following introduction from a lecture on globalization and write in the
missing words, which are all weak forms of function words.

Well, as Ros said, I’m going to talk about globalization today, which is one __________ the

catchphrases, or buzzwords, if you like, __________the late 20th __________ early 21st centuries.

It’s constantly in __________ news. It’s used by politicians, by people in __________ media, by

businesspeople, and when they’re referring __________ globalization they talk about things like

__________ way we __________ communicate almost instantaneously nowadays with people on

the other side __________ __________ world by email or by television. They’re also talking about,

__________ example, the way that __________ fall in share prices in one part __________

__________ world, __________example, in the Far East, __________ have an immediate impact on

the other side __________ __________ world, like in London or Frankfurt.