When is A NOT A? A Common English Pronunciation Mistake https://youtu.be/HVbXcA4w6sc The Script A /eɪ/ is the first letter of the alphabet.A /eɪ/ is also used as the indefinite article.A /eɪ/ is used as the indefinite article because it comes from the Old English án which meant one.We still use the indefinite article an before a noun starting with a /ə/ vowel sound.By 1150, the Old English án had already been reduced to a /ə/ before a /ə/ consonant sound.The thing with a /eɪ/ is that it has both a /ə/ strong form and a /ə/ weak form.The strong, and least commonly heard form is the emphatic form a /eɪ/.The weak, and most commonly heard form is a /ə/.The /ə/ is the Schwa sound, and is the most common sound in spoken English.Here is a /ə/ … [Read more...]
When is Our NOT Our?
When is Our NOT Our? A Common English Pronunciation Mistake.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxN-zm48bWM The Script Our Father which art in heaven,Blah, blah, blah.I remember mindlessly reciting the Lord’s Prayer at school because we had to.All it taught me was the name of God, which is, apparently, Harald.Our Father which art in heaven,Harold be thy name…I also remember noting that it was not Our /ˈaʊə/ Father which came out of our godless little mouths, but Our /ɑː/ Father.You see, the possessive determiner our /ˈaʊə/ is pronounced in two different ways.The stressed form or our /ˈaʊə/ is a homophone with hour /ˈaʊə/.The unstressed form, which is normal in fast connected speech is our /ɑː/.Don’t believe me?Just listen to some songs like … [Read more...]
When is Can NOT Can?
When is Can NOT Can? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQSseGsqGUg The Script I can /kən/ tell you that the word can /kæn/ is not always pronounced as can /kæn/.You see, the word can /kæn/, which can /kən/ be a noun, a verb, or a modal verb, can /kən/ be pronounced in two distinct ways.There is the strong pronunciation of can /kæn/ and the weak pronunciation of can /kən/.“Can /kən/ this man be serious?” I hear you ask.Well, if you can /kən/ spare me a minute or two of your time, I can /kən/ explain.Firstly, the noun form of can /kæn/ is always strong.A can /kæn/ is a can /kæn/, and that’s about all I can /kən/ say about the noun can /kæn/.Stick something in a can /kæn/ and you can /kæn/ it, and that can /kæn/ is the verb form.Can /kən/ you remember me … [Read more...]
When is For NOT For? – Another Common Teaching Mistake
When is For NOT For? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ToVq5cPupM The Script When is for not for?I don’t mean the number four /fɔː/ or the word fore /fɔː/ which means front, as in forehead.I mean the preposition for /fɔː/.Unbelievably, I have heard teachers, here on YouTube of all places, telling students that the pronunciation of for /fɔː/ is always for /fɔː/.Yes, sometimes for /fɔː/ is pronounced as for /fɔː/, but only sometimes, not always!Most of the time for /fɔː/ is pronounced in one of three weak forms which are for /fə/, for /fr/ and /f/, not for /fɔː/.The reason that for /fɔː/ is pronounced weakly is that it is more often than not a function word.Function words in English are normally unstressed. Unstressed means that the vowel is not strongly … [Read more...]
When Is And Not And? – A Mistake Some English Teachers Make
When Is And Not And? https://youtu.be/Y0pMyJh_ksU The Script One of the most used words in English is and.And is a conjunction, that is, a joining word.Conjunctions are a closed class of words.We cannot add new conjunctions to the language, as we can with nouns and verbs.Closed class words are function words.Function words are normally in the weak positions in English sentences.The word and has only one syllable.If this syllable is in the weak position of a sentence, it will not be pronounced as the strong form and.“And?” I hear you ask.Well, take the fixed expression salt and pepper.We don’t say salt and pepper; we say salt and pepper.The same with other binomial pairs.Black and white. Far and wide. Knife and fork. Neat and … [Read more...]