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  • Unit Four: Word stress and vowel clarity


    This online course is adapted from:Clear Speech: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North American English (Second Edition) (Student's Book)


    C: The contrast between schwa and clear vowels
    Listen. Notice the difference between schwa and the sound of a stressed vowel.

    • travel        (travel)                                         Kansas         (Kansəs) 
    • pilot          (pilət)                                           Alaska          (əlaskə)
    • ticket         (tickət)                                        Nebraska     (Nəbraskə)
    • pencil         (pencəl)                                      Canada        (Canədə)            
    • advice        (ədvice)                                       American     (əmerəcə)    


    D:Saying the contrast between schwa and clear vowels
    Listen. Underline the vowel in the stressed syllable of each word.

    reason                                   arrange
    listen                                      record
    excuse                                   American
    allow                                      Irish
    exchange                                pronounce 
    African                                   announce
    attend                                     Spanish

    F: Identifying and saying schwa
    Listen . Draw a slash through the vowels that are reduced to schwa.


    reduced vowel                     reduced vowels
    problem                                                   dramatic
    jacket                                                       economics
    photograph                                               adopted
    overcast                                                    application
    extra                                                         collection 

    H: Identifying stress in multi-syllable words
    1 attitude                        5 secondary                     9 constitution
    2 institute                        6 reconsider                    10 destination
    3 gratitude                      7 California                      11 university
    4 military                        8 permission                     12  understand

      Music of English
    Listen to the following sentences.

    What are you studying?

    Economics.
    Listen again. Then practice saying the sentences until you can say them smoothly and easily.





    Bonus: 

    J: The vowel sounds in "can" and "can't"
    Because it is important to make a contrast berween "can" and "can't", in senteces , "can't is usually said with the clear vowel sound  /æ/ , but the vowel sound in "can" is usually reduced to /ə/ .


    Listen to the following sentences. Notice the difference between the vowels in "can" and "can't"


    We cæn't do it.

    We cən do it

    They said they cæn't be there
    They said the cən be there.

    You cæn't  have mine.
    You cən have mine.  

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American Accent Video Training

· Session 1 R and W
· Session 2 Voicing, S and Z
· Session 3 TH, Voiced T
· Session 4 F and V, Sh and Voiced SH
· Session 5 L
· Session 6 Word Endings
· Session 7 DG and Ch, H
· Session 8 Vowel Overview, I and EE
· Session 9 OW and AE
· Session 10 OO, UH, EH
· Session 11 AU, AH, A
· Session 12 Tongue Twisters
· Session 13 Phrase Reductions, Intonation
· Session 14 Reading Passages
· Session 15 Reading Passages - 15a -15b

Pronunciation Lessons : Coming Soon!

1 Pronouncing /a/, /ae/, and uh Part 1
 2 Pronouncing /a/, /ae/, and uh Part 2
 3 Pronouncing /iy/, /i/, /uw/, /u/, and /e/ Part 1
4 Pronouncing /iy/, /i/, /uw/, /u/, and /e/ Part 2
5 Long Vowels, Short Vowels and Spelling
6 Pronouncing Glides + Vowel Review
7 The Schwa
8 The American R
9 The American L
10 The B, P, V, and F
11 The D, T and -ed
12 The S, Z and TH
13 The SH, ZH, CH and J
14 The K, G, M, N, NG
15 The H, W, and Y
16 Pronunciation Review

Accent Lessons Coming Soon!

1 Introduction to Word Intonation
2 Intonation in Words Part 1
3 Intonation in Words Part 2
4 Intonation in Words Part 3
5 Intonation in Words Part 4
6 Unusual Word Stress Patterns
7 Linking Words Together
8 Compound Nouns and Descriptive Phrases
9 Phrasal Verbs, Spelling, and Numbers
10 Content Words and Structure Words
11 Pronouncing Structure Words Part 1
12 Pronouncing Structure Words Part 2
13 Rhythm and Timing
14 Speeding up Modals
15 More on Modals
16 Asking Questions
17 Tag Questions
18 Emphatic and Contrastive Stress
19 Sequencing and Conversational Tone
20 Compound and Complex Sentences

THE AMERICAN ACCENT AUDIO COURSE Coming Soon!

If you already feel confident about your pronunciation but would like to know more about ACCENT (intonation, rhythm, timing, and mood) then our 16 hour AUDIO course is for you.

Unit One Introduction to the American Accent
1 What is Accent?
2 An Overview of the American Accent

Unit Two Breaking English into Pieces
3 Meet the Schwa
4 The American T

Unit Three Word Intonation Patterns
5 Intonation Patterns of 1 & 2 Syllable Words
6 Intonation Patterns of 3 & 4 Syllable Words
Unit Four Unusual Word Intonation
7 Words that Shift Stress
8 Missing Syllables

Unit Five Descriptive Phrases and Compound Nouns
9 Compound Nouns vs. Descriptive Phrases
10 Phrasal Verbs and More

Unit Six Linking Words Together
11 Linking Words

Unit Seven Content and Structure Words
12 Content Words
13 Structure Words

Unit Eight Rhythm and Timing
14 Rhythm and Timing
15 Reducing Modals
16 Phrasing

Unit Nine Sentence Stress
17 Normal Sentence Stress
18 Emphatic and Contrastive Stress

Unit Ten Asking Questions
19 Asking Questions
20 Tag Questions

Unit Eleven Compound and Complex Sentences
21 Sequencing
22 Complex Sentences

Unit Twelve Clear Speech
23 Emotion and Mood
24 Putting it All Together