Pronunciationhome

This Web site has been developed to assist English language learners improve pronunciation of standard North American English (NEA). The site provides links to 24 consonant phonetic sounds used in NEA so you can practice each sound individually.

Who will benefit from this site? All levels of English language learners can benefit from this site. However, the content may be more suitable to teenagers and adults than to young children. Additionally, beginning students may find vocabulary difficult. High-beginners through high-intermediate will want to work through each phonetic sound. Advanced learners may choose to focus only on sounds that you know are difficult for you.

What will I find on each page? Each link will provide an explanation of how to produce individual phonetic sounds. You'll be able to listen to the sound being made in four word positions: initial, middle, final, and clustered. Best of all, you can practice your ability to hear the phonetic sounds by using the interactive activities provided. Most sound activities include: Minimal Pairs Quizzes, Drag & Drop Exercises, Cloze Listening Tests, and a Tongue Twister.

After working through the phonetic alphabet and activities, you will impress teachers, classmates, and friends with your ability to understand spoken English and reproduce the sounds you hear!

What hardware/software do I need to use this site? Flash 6.0 or newer (download now); Quicktime Player (download now)

Phonetic Sounds of North American English (NEA)

Sound	Example	Sound	Example	Sound	Example
/b/	boy	/p/	pot	/ie/	see
/t/	check	/r/	run	/I/	sit
/d/	dog	/s/	sit	/ey/	say
/f/	fun	//	ship	//	get
/g/	gum	/t/	tree	/æ/	hat
/h/	hat	/ð/	the	//	pot
/d/	jam	//	thing	//	up
/k/	kite	/v/	vase	//	saw
/l/	lock	/w/	win	/ow/	no
/m/	me	/y/	yes	//	put
/n/	nut	/z/	zoo	/uw/	cool
//	sing	//	beige	/ay/	fine
				/aw/	house
				/y/	boy

How can teachers use this site? Although you may be able to understand your student's speech, chances are there is room for improvement. In fact, you may be surprised at issues that arise when the individual sounds of NEA are pinpointed.

This website is best used as a follow-up activity to your in-class pronunciation exercises. It is designed so learners can work through activities individually and at their own rate of speed. However, you may choose to monitor the results of their activities so problem areas can be addressed. Most activities coordinate the practice of two sounds that are similarly produced (Examples: /p/ vs. /b/ or /m/ vs. /n/) so learners can focus on differences in the sounds as well as the similarities.

As a post-activity, you could ask students to read the stories from the Cloze Listening Tests. They will have the benefit of reading along with the recording for practice before presenting a solo reading.

Finally, I highly recommend consulting the resources I used to produce this site. You'll find additional activity ideas and a more extensive coverage of the teaching and learning process of pronunciation.

Resources Consulted:

Bailey, Kathleen M. and Savage, Lance, eds. New Ways in Teaching Speaking. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English of Speakers of Other Languages, 1994.

Baker, Ann and Sharon Goldstein. Pronunciation Pairs: An Introductory Course for Students of English. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Celce-Murcia, Marianne, Donna M. Brinton and Janet M. Goodwin. Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. England: Longman Group Ltd., 1995.

Staley, Craig. 4 June 2003. The Tongue Twister Database. 23 Nov. 2003 <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8136/tonguetwisters.html>

All photos are from Microsoft Office XP Media Content CD-Rom, 2002.

Other educational Web-based sites for English language learners: