B2.

PHONEMIC CHART
DIPHTHONGS
i: ɪ ʊ u: ɪə eɪ
cheap chip put you here wait
/tʃi:p/ /tʃɪp/ /pʊt/ /ju:/ /hɪə(r)/ /weɪt/
VOWELS

e ə ɜ: ɔ: ʊə ɔɪ əʊ
bed teacher bird door tour boy show
/bed/ /ti:tʃə(r)/ /bɜ:(r)d/ /dɔ:(r)/ /tʊə(r)/ /bɔɪ/ /ʃəʊ/

æ ʌ ɑ: ɒ eə aɪ aʊ
Anne up far on hair my cow
/æn/ /ʌp/ /fɑ:(r)/ /ɒn/ /heə(r)/ /maɪ/ /kaʊ/

p t f θ tʃ s ʃ k
pea tea fly think cheese say shoe car
/pi:/ /ti:/ /flaɪ/ /θɪŋk/ /tʃi:z/ /seɪ/ /ʃu:/ /kɑ:(r)/
CONSONANTS

b d v ð dʒ z ʒ g
boat dog video this June zoo vision go
/bəʊt/ /dɒg/ /'vɪdiəʊ/ /ðɪs/ /dʒu:n/ /zu:/ /'vɪʒ(ə)n/ /gəʊ/

m n ŋ h l r w j
man now sing hat love red wet yellow
SOUNDS FREQUENTLY
/mæn/ /naʊ/ CONFUSED
/sɪŋ/ /hæt/ /lʌv/ /red/ /wet/ /'jeləʊ/

voiced sounds: vocal cords vibrate

unvoiced sounds: vocal cords do not vibrate
Sounds frequently confused
/g/ get /w/ wet

• It’s
 pronounced with your soft palate touching • It’s
 pronounced by forming a circle with your lips
the back of your tongue. (your soft palate doesn’t touch your throat).
• The air is stopped and then released suddenly. • The air flows uninterrupted.
• It’s similar to the /k/ sound. • It’s similar to the /u:/ sound.
• The sound can’t be maintained. • The sound can be maintained.
/b/ boat /v/ vote

•  pronounced by pressing your lips together.

It’s • It’s
 pronounced by creating friction between your
lower lip and the bottom of your front teeth.
• The air is stopped and then released suddenly.
• The air flows uninterrupted.
• It’s similar to the /p/ sound.
• It’s similar to the /f/ sound.
• The sound can’t be maintained.
• The sound can be maintained.
 Pronunciation Guide

FREQUENT SPELLINGS FOR THE STRONG FORMS & WEAK FORMS:

SOUNDS /eɪ/ /əʊ/ AND /ɔː/ PRONUNCIATION OF PAST MODALS
• Many
 functional words (like articles, pronouns,
/eɪ/ face, faith, always, eight, obey auxiliary verbs and some prepositions) have a
strong form (e.g. the /ði:/, at /æt/, them /ðem/,
/əʊ/ note, go, coat, low have /hæv/) and a weak form (e.g. the /ðə/, at
/ət/, them /ðəm/, have /həv/ or /əv/).
/ɔː/ more, or, almost, draw, caught, bought
• Weak
 forms are used in normal speech. Strong
forms are only used when it is important to stress
them (e.g. to mark a difference: I said, ‘Meet me at
WORD STRESS /æt/ the party, not after the party!’).

• The
 stressed syllable in a word sounds louder, • In
 the case of past modals, the auxiliary verb have
longer, clearer, and has a higher pitch than the rest: only has grammatical meaning, so it is normally
gen-der, equal-i-ty. reduced or contracted to /əv/.
• Word
 stress is marked in dictionaries by placing this
symbol /ˈ/ in front of the stressed syllable: /ˈdʒendə/, can’t have mustn’t have could have
/ɪˈkwɒlɪtɪ/. /ˈkɑːntəv/ /ˈmʌsəntəv/ /ˈkʊdəv/
• Although
 rules about word stress are very complex, must have might have couldn’t have
there are some patterns which can be useful. For
example, words with the same prefixes or suffixes /ˈmʌstəv/ /ˈmaɪtəv/ /ˈkʊdəntəv/
will generally follow the same stress pattern.

1 Suffixes that don’t change the stress of the root

word STRESSING FOR EMPHASIS
-able, -ly, -ful • In
 normal speech, the words that carry more
meaning (nouns, main verbs, negative forms,
comfort comfortable adjectives and adverbs) are stressed. Personal
respect respectable pronouns, prepositions and positive auxiliary verbs
question questionable are normally not stressed.
I wouldn’t like to live in a house like that!
repeated repeatedly

However, words can be given special emphasis by
regular regularly
stressing them (i.e. making a change in pitch and
dangerous dangerously intonation).
beauty beautiful Well, maybe you would, but I wouldn’t like to live
in a house like that!
success successful
wonder wonderful • When
 modifiers like far, much, nearly, hardly,
slightly are used for emphasis, they are usually
stressed.
2 Suffixes that alter the stress of the root word That’s far too much money for a small apartment!
-al, -ion, -ic It’s slightly more expensive, but not much.
universe universal
matriarch matriarchal
patriarch patriarchal

object objection
institute institution
renovate renovation

geography geographic
democracy democratic
economy economic
B2.4

INTONATION Rising

It is very difficult to define intonation theoretically. To express incompleteness, politeness, surprise

The best approach to learn intonation is to listen to or doubt.
as much natural authentic speech as possible.
Here are some general guidelines for the intonation • Yes/No questions
of the functions described in this module.

Are you English?
Intonation of functions
• Wh- echo questions
• Expressing reassurance

You’re going to do what?
Don’t worry! You’ll be fine!
Compare with:
• Using extreme adjectives

What are you going to do?
Cold! I’m absolutely freezing!
 uestions tags when we are actually asking for
• Q
information
Tired! They’re totally exhausted!


You’re ready for the challenge, aren’t you?
• Expressing annoyance
Falling
My boyfriend is always buying me presents!
To express completion, finality and confidence.

• Expressing surprise and approval • Wh- questions

• Statements
My boyfriend is always buying me presents!

Where are you from?
• Encouraging

I’m from Spain.
Keep going! Don’t give up!
• Other echo questions

• Congratulating 
A: I love my job!

That was fantastic! Well done!


B: Do you?

• Expressing sympathy  uestion tags when we assume the other

• Q
person is going to agree
Sorry! Better luck next time!

She’s a great leader, isn’t she?

• Sentences
 can start at a high pitch (to show surprise
or anger, for example) or at a low pitch (for instance,
to show sadness, disappointment or fear). For
example, Wh- echo questions usually start at a high
pitch. In contrast, when we offer condolences, we
start at a low pitch and the intonation goes down.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.

 Pronunciation Guide
Contracted forms: ‘ll /l/ ‘d /d/, /əd/
PRONUNCIATION OF
QUESTION TAGS • Affirmative sentences
I’ll /aɪl/ be there at five.
Question tags
She’d /ʃi:d/ work much faster with your help.
• The question tag is a real question. It’d /ɪtəd/ be easier if you let me pay.
• Wh- questions
You found your glasses, didn’t you?
When (wi)ll /wenəl/ you arrive?
They don’t drink wine, do they?

The negative forms are always stressed.

• The
 question tag is aimed at confirming
information. He won’t /wəʊnt/ go to the party.
James wouldn’t /wʊdnt/ study.
Well, that wasn’t surprising, was it?

You liked the film last night, didn’t you?

WILL AND WOULD

Will and would are always stressed in the situations
shown in the chart below.

Full forms: will /wɪl/ would /wʊd/

• In yes / no questions and short answers
A: Will /wɪl/ you be here tomorrow?
B: Yes, I will /wɪl/.
A: Would /wʊd/ you /ˈwʊdʒʊ/ buy this house if you
had the money?
B: Yes, we would /wʊd/.
• For emphasis
I will /wɪl/ be here tomorrow but not on Monday.
It would /wʊd/ be a good idea to do that.