Many English learners overlook phonetic abilities. Meanwhile, precise and clear pronunciation is just as vital as listening and conversational abilities.
It is a scientific reality that a youngster born in any nation on the earth can learn to speak any language on the planet. Pronunciation and a thorough grasp of English discourse are two qualities that complement each other. It implies that if you know how to pronounce words and sentences correctly and with the right intonation, your level of speech understanding will improve.
Thus, pronunciation practice is an essential aspect of learning any foreign language, including English. To be honest, it’s not always practicable, and it’s certainly not required if you’re not going to work for foreign intelligence or educate yourself in the language professionally. The major goal of such training is to learn how to hear yourself and others. Poor pronunciation provides an extra barrier to comprehension between you and the person with whom you are conversing.
A Few Pronunciation Hints
Tip #1
Learn to listen to others. Nowadays, there are several ways to hear authentic English speech: music, films, TV shows, videos on YouTube and other sites, audio books, voice chats, and so on. Make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime chance!
Tip #2
Practice makes perfect. Even if you have a good level of English, you might lose your phonetic abilities if you don’t practice enough. To avoid it, simply perform the following basic exercises:
• read aloud or in hushed tones, and repeat difficult-to-pronounce terms.
• read poems or sing songs while paying attention to rhythm and tone,
• speak English to your pals whose English is as excellent as or better than yours – simply for fun and practice.
The Most Essential Mistakes To Avoid For Perfect Pronunciation
Mistake No. 1: Pronouncing Heteronyms The Same Way
Heteronyms are words that sound the same yet signify different things.
To prevent making this error, students should become acquainted with some of the most commonly used heteronyms. There is a useful list of frequent heteronyms and how to pronounce them.
Mistake #2: Pronouncing Each Vowel Only Once
English vowels may be difficult, with only one letter producing a variety of sounds.
For example, the small vowel “o” has three unique sounds, and that’s before you include vowel combination sounds!
Listen to the following words using the links provided below:
- dove
- lose
- wolf
Take note of how each “o” is pronounced differently.
Students must master every potential sound created by English vowels.
Mistake No. 3: Pronouncing “Th” Only One Way
Here’s another blunder identical to the one above. The English syllable “th” has two unique pronunciations, which many English learners overlook.
“Th” can be voiced (with vocal chord vibration) or silent (without vocal chord vibration). Here’s how it truly sounds:
- Voiced “the” in the word “then”
- The word “path” has a voiceless “th.”
The simplest method to determine the difference is to put your fingers on your throat and feel for vibrations.
Pronunciation School will help you to avoid all the mistakes you made during pronunciation.
