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Accent Diet: Word Endings Lesson 10 Practice 4 – #80620

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Do not add an extra vowel to your consonant endings.

So far, you have practiced pronouncing ALL the sounds at the end of a word. It is important that you focus on this first because it is very easy for nonnative speakers to cut off the endings of words. However, you also need to be careful that you do not add an extra vowel sound to the end of your words. Practice saying these words, but be careful not to include an extra vowel after the final consonant.

/iŋ/ not /iŋu/
working looking	accounting analyzing	writing acting
/p/ not /pu/
app rep	partnership zip	step wrap
/tʃ/ not /tʃi/
March church	switch itch	pitch attach
/dʒ/ not /dʒi/
judge converge	budge age	garage advantage
When words end in "e," the "e" is usually silent. The words end with a consonant sound.
merge strife	life able	ache crave

However, sometimes the final “e” is pronounced.
1) When there is only one vowel: he, she, me
2) When the word ends in “ee”: employee, trainee
3) When the “e” has an accent mark: café, résumé (The pronunciation is /eɪ/ not /i/.)

PRACTICE

Pronunciation of Words Ending in “T” /ʔ/ (Glottal Stop)

Native English speakers often pronounce the letter “t” at the end of words differently than the standard “t.” A standard “t” is pronounced by holding your tongue against the top of your mouth, just behind your front teeth, and then dropping it quickly while blowing out a puff of air. Try it: t, to

In word endings, however, that puff of air is often held and no sound comes out. This is called a “glottal stop.” You can feel the glottal stop in a the word “uh-oh.” The feeling is like you are holding your breath with your throat. It may help to put your tongue into the “t” position but don’t let it drop down as you stop the word. Try it: at

got about but can’t client front start market

Accent Diet: Word Endings Lesson 10 Practice 5 – #80630

In this listening exercise, you will practice the different ways to pronounce ‘s’ at the end of words. There are 3 ways to pronounce ‘s’ at the end of words. To begin, listen to the audio. Repeat the words after the speaker, focusing on the word endings. Next, practice all of the words aloud. Read each group 3 times. For the final section, look at the paragraph and determine which way each ‘s’ at the end of words should be pronounced.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Do you pronounce the /s/ endings in the following words differently:
Talks - Videos - Pages? You should.

There are three ways to pronounce the letter “s” at the ends of words:

1. “S” is pronounced /s/ after unvoiced sounds.
looks makes talks straps apps budgets amounts

2. “S” is pronounced /z/ after voiced sounds.
films pixels tripods cameras files frames pictures

3. “S” is pronounced /Iz/ after /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/ sounds.
(This adds a syllable to the word.)
lenses flashes resizes watches poses pages advances

PRACTICE

Look at this paragraph and notice all the “s” endings. Which way is each “s” pronounced?

When vacationers snap photos for their scrapbooks, they don’t usually worry about lenses, flashes, or even the people’s poses. They just “point and click.” This style produces photos that are great for uploading to social networking sites, but without tripods, special lenses, and an eye for balance, these photos will definitely not become screen savers. Your family’s poses in Times Square probably look just like your friends’ photos. Professional photographers always look for scenes and poses that are unique. When professionals shoot a photo, they pay attention to the light, balance, and message that the image gives. With advances in cameras, everyday photographers can improve their images, but technology alone will not turn the hobbyists into professionals. To make that jump, amateurs need lessons, not better cameras.

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you practice pronouncing word endings:
Accent Diet: Word Endings Lesson 10 Practice 6
Accent Diet: Word Endings Lesson 10 Practice 4

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Accent Diet: Word Endings Lesson 10 Practice 6 – #80640

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Do you pronounce the "ed" endings in the following words differently:
Watched - Showed - Added? You should.

There are three ways to pronounce the letters “ed” at the ends of words:

1. “Ed” is pronounced /t/ after unvoiced sounds.
searched watched passed danced washed matched

2. “Ed” is pronounced /d/ after voiced sounds.
grabbed arrived breathed bored ruined showed

3. “Ed” is pronounced as /Id/ after /t/ or /d/. (This adds a syllable to the word.)
needed wanted suggested added depended visited

PRACTICE

Look at this paragraph and underline or highlight all of the “ed” endings you see. Which way is each “ed” pronounced?

Enid was an engineer noted for her research in computer network security systems. Although she often analyzed complicated attacks on computers, the security system for her house baffled her. When she first installed her own alarm system, she avoided turning it on because it beeped at regular intervals and bothered her. She believed that a system wasn’t needed for her house. She felt her neighborhood was safe. But after hearing that a thief had climbed through a neighbor’s back window and robbed him of $500, she finally asked a technician for help. An alarm system rep visited her house and realized that Enid had bought such a complicated system that it was nearly impossible to use every day. He changed some settings and customized her system so that it could be controlled from her computer. She cheered at that news because she felt more comfortable using her computer than the control box that had been installed in her home. After the tech fixed it, she thanked him and offered to give him a free security upgrade for his computer. He declined because he claimed he didn’t need computer security. She was astonished, but understood...she used to think the same thing about her home security!

Accent Diet Lesson 11: Noise – #80645

WATCH THE VIDEO

WHAT IS NOISE?

Have you ever tried to talk on the phone with someone in a noisy room? Or, have you ever tried to have a quiet conversation with someone in a loud restaurant? It’s difficult to focus on someone’s speech when there is a lot of noise around you. The same thing happens when you add extra or unnecessary words or sounds to your language. It creates noise. Look at this speech:

A. Uh, Good afternoon. Um, thanks for coming to this uh meeting. Um, I’d like to uh begin by uh letting you know that um it’s uh very important that uh we get this um project finished uh by the uh end of the quarter.

Compare it with this speech:

B. Good afternoon. Thanks for coming to this meeting. I’d like to begin by letting you know that it’s very important that we get this project finished by the end of the quarter.

Speech “B” is much clearer, and the speaker sounds more confident and trustworthy.

WHY IS NOISE BAD FOR CLEAR SPEECH?

Noise makes it difficult for people to hear your important words. Sometimes, people focus more on your noise than on your key words. These extra words also make you sound like you are nervous or unsure of your topic.

Accent Diet: Noise Lesson 11 Practice 1 – #80650

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Read the following speech exactly as it’s written. Record yourself and listen to your recording. Did you notice how the noise makes your message unclear? This is not the way you should speak!

Umm, “Innovation” is uh, a popular buzzword today. You know, companies claim that their products are, umm, innovative, uh, business leaders say that, you know, the key to success is, uh, innovation, and everyday workers know that innovation could, uh, help them get a promotion. I mean, if innovation is the key, is the key to our, um, success, then we should be, we should be focusing all of our attention on it, right? However, you know, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re not, umm, spending much time on our own innovation, are we? Being innovative, um, doesn’t necessarily take a lot of, umm, money. Instead, it takes a, uh, uh, a paradigm shift. In order to, umm, innovate, we need to look at our, umm, life and, umm, daily work tasks and say, this isn’t, uh, working well.

PRACTICE

Read the paragraph and pause when you see brackets [ ]. This indicates where the noise was in the previous reading. A short pause is better than adding noise!

[ ] “Innovation” is [ ] a popular buzzword today. [ ] companies claim that their products are [ ] innovative, [ ] business leaders say that [ ] the key to success is [ ] innovation, and everyday workers know that innovation could [ ] help them get a promotion. [ ] If innovation is the key [ ] to our [ ] success, then we should be [ ] focusing all of our attention on it, right? However, [ ] if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re not [ ] spending much time on our own innovation, are we? Being innovative [ ] doesn’t necessarily take a lot of [ ] money. Instead, it takes [ ] a paradigm shift. In order to [ ] innovate, we need to look at our [ ] life and [ ] daily work tasks and say, this isn’t [ ] working well. What can I do to [ ] improve it?

REVIEW

Read the paragraph again without pausing at the brackets, and focus on ONE skill from the Accent Diet. What skill will you review?

American English IPA – #80660

LISTEN

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PRACTICE

The phonetic alphabet is a useful tool when you are studying pronunciation. Each of the symbols in the IPA represent a unique sound in the English language. The symbols below represent the sounds you need to know in order to speak American English.

You do not need to worry about memorizing the pronunciation symbols immediately, but eventually you will find that understanding the IPA and the pronunciation symbols used by your dictionary will help you quickly understand how to pronounce new words correctly.

Consonants		Vowels
Symbol	Sound it Represents	Symbol	Sound it Represents
s	security	i	meeting
z	zoom	ɪ	Internet
ʃ	flash	ɛ	edge
ʒ	measure	æ	app
t	turn	ɑ	processor
ʔ	button	ɪ	caught
d	modern	u	virtual
ʧ	chip	ʊ	would
ʤ	just	ǝ	account
p	profit	ʌ	cut
b	benefit	eɪ	make
f	format	aɪ	client
v	virtual	aʊ	however
θ	think	ɔɪ	noise
ð	this	oʊ	know
k	cable
g	grant
m	motor
n	new
ŋ	ring
l	light
r	right
w	would
j	yell
h	how

Lungs, Vocal Cords, Tongue, Teeth, Lips, and Nose

As you speak, air passes from your lungs and out your mouth. The shape of your mouth, the position of your tongue, the position of your teeth and lips, and whether you vibrate your vocal cords all work together to create a unique sound.

Pronunciation Warm-ups – #80670

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Do these exercises any time you need to warm up your mouth or voice. Memorize the words and sounds so that you can do them any time.

Breathing & Stretching Exercises

Sit up straight with both feet flat on the floor. Put your hands on your lap.

Take a deep breath through your nose. Hold it for 3 seconds.

Release the air forcefully through your mouth, dropping your shoulders.

Open your mouth wide as if you are going to yawn.

Hold your mouth open for 3 seconds and close it.

Massage the corners of your jaw with your hands and allow the jaw to relax and open.

PRACTICE

Sound Exercises
Repeat these sounds as quickly as you can. Stress the bolded sounds.

ba-da-ga-da - ba-da-ga-da - ba-da-ga-da - ba-da-ga-da - ba-da-ga-da - ba-da-ga-da - ba
ga-da-ba-da - ga-da-ba-da - ga-da-ba-da -ga-da-ba-da - ga-da-ba-da - ga-da-ba-da - ga

pa-ta-ka-ta - pa-ta-ka-ta - pa-ta-ka-ta -pa-ta-ka-ta - pa-ta-ka-ta - pa-ta-ka-ta -pa-ta-ka-ta - pa
ka-ta-pa-ta - ka-ta-pa-ta - ka-ta-pa-ta - ka-ta-pa-ta - ka-ta-pa-ta - ka-ta-pa-ta -ka-ta-pa-ta - ka

va-la-wa-la - va-la-wa-la - va-la-wa-la -va-la-wa-la - va-la-wa-la - va-la-wa-la -va-la-wa-la - va
wa-la-va-la - wa-la-va-la - wa-la-va-la -wa-la-va-la - wa-la-va-la - wa-la-va-la -wa-la-va-la - wa

PRACTICE

Tongue Twisters
Repeat each sentence three times as fast as you can.

Walt wondered if Vern valued the wonderful violets in the window.
The leisure ledger was a pleasure to measure.
Lee never laughed a lot like Lou’s nephew.
Shelby the Schnauzer was chastised for chewing the shoe.
ROFL means "rolling on the floor laughing."

PRACTICE

Rhythm Exercises
Read the poem. Stress the bold words and pause at the slashes.

There once was a developer named Bob, /
who couldn’t find joy in his job. /
He wanted to quit /
but he couldn’t admit /
that he did / love to hear / himself sob.

PRACTICE

Intonation Exercises
Raise the pitch of your voice on each word that’s underlined.

I will make my voice change at this time.
I will make my voice change at this time.
I will make my voice change at this time.

PRACTICE

Stress Exercises to Change Your Focus
Stress each word that is in bold.

What have you been doing?
What have you been doing?
What have you been doing?
What have you been doing?
What have you been doing?

PRACTICE

Pausing Exercises
Pause at each slash.

Changing directions / at this point / would just set us back / six months.

PRACTICE

Stretching Exercises
Stretch the word endings at the end of each phrase.

I would have call--------ed, but I wasn’t su------re if it was a good idea-----------.

PRACTICE

Connecting Exercises
Connect the words together.

It’snotagoodidea / tospendthatmuchmoney / onanadvertisement.

Introduction to American English Pronunciation – #79000

This video will introduce you to American English pronunciation. We will review vowels and consonants and teach you how to correctly pronounce them. You will learn the difference between voiced and unvoiced sounds and how to spell the different sounds. We also introduce the “International Phonetic Alphabet” or IPA, which is used all over the world to describe sounds. Knowing the IPA symbols can help you learn how to correctly pronounce a difficult word. Finally, we will demonstrate exactly how to make the sounds. Watch this video as an overview to pronunciation.

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Here are some things you need to know about American English pronunciation and
accent:

1. Vowels & Consonants

You will hear a lot about vowels and consonants in this program. A vowel is a sound that is made with the mouth open. The letters that represent vowels are A, E, I, O, U.
All of the other letters of the alphabet represent a consonant: B, C, D, F…
A consonant is a sound made with a partial closure of the mouth.

2. Voiced & Unvoiced

A voiced sound is a sound that is made when your vocal cords vibrate.

(b, d, g)

An unvoiced sound is a sound that is made when you do not use your vocal cords.

(p, t, k)

You can test if a sound is voiced by touching your throat when you say the sound.

All vowels are made with a voiced sound, but consonants are both voiced and unvoiced.

3. Spelling Sounds

When teaching, we use special symbols to represent the different sounds. We cannot
use the regular alphabet because some sounds are spelled in more than one way, and it
would be confusing. For example, the sound “sh” is sometimes written with an “s” and
an “h” (shop), but sometimes it is written with an “s” and a “u” (sure).

4. IPA

The symbols we use are called the IPA. This is the “International Phonetic Alphabet.”
It is used all over the world to describe the sounds in many languages. It is also used in
dictionaries to explain how to pronounce the word.

5. Making Sounds

Sounds come from your lungs and move into your throat and out your mouth and nose.
Depending on the shape of your mouth and where you put your tongue, the sound will
change. Just a small change in movement will change the sound.

For example, if I make the “s” sound, my tongue is located just behind my front teeth, but
when I move my tongue to the middle of my mouth, near the top, the sound changes to
“sh.”

If you are a MyOvient Plus member, you can ask questions or leave comments about this page. You can also download this video. Click here to learn more about MyOvient Membership Options.

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you with the sounds you might be having difficulty with:
Pronunciation Warm-ups
Consonant Sounds IPA Practice
Vowel Sounds IPA Practice

Consonant Letters Practice – #79040

This audio recording and practice will help you learn how to correctly pronounce the names of the consonants. First, listen to the recording and follow the letters on the page as you do it. Next, listen to the recording for a second time and “shadow” the speaker. Shadowing means to repeat what you hear as quickly as you can. This is a great way to learn how to pronounce the letters but also to help you become a more fluent English speaker in general.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Consonants are all the letters in the alphabet that are not vowels. (B, C, D, F, G...)

You need to be able to pronounce the names of consonants when you spell a word.

(These sounds are how we read the NAMES of the letters. They do not always have this
sound when the whole word is spoken.)

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you with the sounds you might be having difficulty with:
Consonant Sounds Practice
Introduction to American English Pronunciation
Vowel Letters Practice

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Consonant Sounds IPA Practice – #79030

This audio recording and practice will teach you how to correctly pronounce the consonant sounds. Below the recording, each sound will begin with the IPA symbol and two words that have the sound in them. Listen to the recording and repeat the sounds and the words as the speaker says them. Make sure you correctly pronounce the sound. There are directions below each sound that explain how to make the sound. Practice this 1-2 times and then go through each of the words on your own. Tip: A good way to make sure you are pronouncing the sound correctly is to watch your mouth in a mirror as you say it. For example, if you are pronouncing the “f” sound, make sure you see your top teeth on your bottom lip.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

PRACTICE

Listen to and repeat the IPA symbol and example words.

s (soon, nice)
Put the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth. Force air over the top of your tongue.
(Unvoiced)

z (zoom, goes)
Make the /s/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

ʃ (ship, flash)
The tip of your tongue is back farther in your mouth than the “s” sound. Move your lips
into a round position. (Unvoiced)

zh (measure, beige)
Make the /ʃ/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

t (turn, might)
Put your tongue just behind your top teeth, touching the gums above your teeth. Push air
out of your mouth and quickly move your tongue away from the gums. (Unvoiced)

d (down, modern)
Make the /t/ sound, but you use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

tʃ (chip, inch)
Begin to make a /t/ sound, but then move your tongue back and away from the top of
your mouth as you say the /ʃ/ sound. (Unvoiced)

ʤ (just, merge)
Make the /tʃ/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

p (profit, upload)
Close your lips tightly. Then, push air forward and open your lips quickly. (Unvoiced)

b (benefit, lab)
Make the /p/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

f (format, laugh)
Touch your top teeth with your bottom lip and push air through your teeth. (Unvoiced)

v (vacuum, five)
Make the /f/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

θ (think, math)
Put the tip of your tongue between your top and bottom teeth. Then, push air forward
over your tongue and through your teeth. (Unvoiced)

ð (this, breathe)
Make the /θ/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

k (cable, track)
Touch the back of your tongue to the back of the roof of your mouth. Push air forward
while moving your tongue down. (Unvoiced)

g (grant, lag)
Make the /k/ sound, but use your vocal cords. (Voiced)

m (motor, sum)
Close your lips tightly. Push air through your nose. (Voiced)

n (new, fine)
Put the tip of your tongue just behind the top teeth, touching the gums above your teeth
(in the same place as the /t/ and /d/ sounds). Do NOT close your lips. Push air through
your nose. (Voiced)

ŋ (ring, language)
Touch the back of your tongue to the back of the roof of your mouth (in the same place
as the /k/ and /g/ sounds). Push air through your nose. (Voiced)

l (light, tell)
Put the tip of your tongue just behind the top teeth (in the same position as /t/, /d/, and
/n/). Hold your tongue there while you push air over the sides of your tongue. (Voiced)

r (wrong, far)
Pull your tongue straight back. It’s OK to curl the tip of your tongue up a little bit, but do
NOT touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Make your lips round.
(Voiced)

w (want, away)
Make your lips round and tight. Push air through your mouth while opening up your lips
into a larger “O” shape. (Voiced)

j (yawn, you)
Raise the body of your tongue up towards the roof of your mouth. Then, push air out
while dropping your tongue down. (Voiced)

h (high, ahead)
Don’t move your tongue at all. Push air out of your mouth. (Unvoiced)

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you with the sounds you might be having difficulty with:
Consonant Letters Practice
Difficult Consonant Sounds
Vowel Letters Practice

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Voiced and Unvoiced Sounds Practice – #79050

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

Unvoiced sound = vocal cords do not vibrate (If you touch your throat, you will not feel a vibration.)

Voiced sounds = vocal cords vibrate (If you touch your throat, you will feel a vibration.)

The sounds below are “partners.” The tongue and lips are in the same position. The first is unvoiced and the second one is voiced.

s / z

ʃ / ʒ

t / d

tʃ / ʤ

p / b

f / v

θ/ ð

k / g

Vowel Letters Practice – #79020

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

The letters that represent vowels are A, E, I, O, U.

Look at the vowels written below and practice saying their names.

These sounds are important when you need to read the spelling of a word.

(Caution! These are the ways that we read the NAMES of the letters. They do not
always have this sound when they are pronounced within words.)

Vowel Sounds IPA Practice – #79010

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

Listen to and repeat the IPA symbol and example words.

i (meeting, machine)
Your tongue is high and near the front of your mouth. Your lips are spread, like you’re
smiling.

ɪ (Internet, sit)
Your tongue is lower than the /i/ sound and more centered. Your lips are relaxed.

eɪ (make, inflation)
Your tongue is in the middle and lifts a little higher at the end of the sound. Your lips are
spread a little bit.

E (edge, executive)
Your tongue is in the middle of your mouth, a little lower than the /eI/ sound. Your lips
are spread slightly.

æ (application, bandwidth)
Your tongue is a little lower than when you make the /E/ sound, and your lips are open
more.

a (processor, prompt)
Your tongue is at the bottom of your mouth. Your lips are spread more than they are for
the /E/ sound.

ɔ (caught, law)
Your tongue is low and in the back of your mouth. Your lips are slightly closed and
rounded.

ou (know, audio)
Your tongue is low and in the back of your mouth and lifts a little higher at the end of the
sound. Your lips are very rounded and move into a small circle at the end of the sound.

u (virtual, true)
The back of the tongue is high. Your lips are rounded and tight.

ʊ (would, understood)
The back of the tongue is a little lower than the /u/ sound. Your lips are slightly open and
not rounded. This sound is more relaxed than the /u/ sound.

ə (account, system)
Your tongue is resting in the middle of your mouth. Your lips are very relaxed and slightly
open.

ʌ (cut, ton)
Same as the /ə/ sound. This symbol is used in one-syllable words.

aɪ (IP, client)
Your tongue moves from the low middle part of your mouth to the high front. Your lips
start in an open /a/ position and end in slightly open.

aʊ (however, ground)
Your tongue moves from the low middle part of your mouth to the high back. Your lips
start in an open /a/ position and end in a small rounded position.

ɔɪ (noise, annoy)
Your tongue moves from the low back part of your mouth to the high front. Your lips start
in an open rounded position and end in a closed, slightly spread position.

Connected Speech Overview – #79610

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Important Points to Remember:

Sometimes people think that English is spoken fast, but that’s NOT true. If you want to sound like a native speaker, then you SHOULDN’T try to speed up your speech. Instead, you SHOULD connect some of the sounds together.

Connected Speech Overview Practice – #79620

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

Read these sentences, listen to the audio, and practice connecting the sounds together.

Even a company like Google is feeling the effects of a slowing economy.

It looks like the chip war between AMD and Intel has started again.

Spammers can find your email address easily.

A new supercomputer from IBM will be capable of performing more than a quadrillion operations a second.

Consonant to Vowel Linking – #79630

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Important Points to Remember:

Consonant/Consonant + Vowel = 2nd consonant is linked with vowel

Please hold on. = hol don
Find a new phone. = Fin da

Vowel/Consonant + Vowel = Consonant sound is shared between vowels

They have extended phone use. = pho-n-use

(the “e” at the end of “phone” is silent, so it doesn’t affect the rule)

You can switch on the phone. = swi-tch-on

(“switch” has three consonants at the end, but it is pronounced as one sound.)

Consonant to Vowel Linking Practice A – #79640

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in a vowel + consonant and the second words starts with a vowel, the consonant is shared with both words.

Practice saying these phrases.

email account
co-founder of the company
competitive business advantage
technological advantage
unique approach
business environment
demands are mushrooming
Sarbanes-Oxley
advanced intelligence
industry-wide initiatives

Consonant to Vowel Linking Practice B – #79650

This page provides additional practice for connecting consonants to vowels. This practice page covers how to connect a word ending in two consonants to a word beginning in a vowel. First, listen to the audio. The speaker will read a few phrases. Notice how she connects a word ending in two consonants to a word beginning with a vowel. Repeat after her when she says a new phrase. Then, look at the phrases written below. The examples will show you where to connect. Read each one 3 times while connecting your speech.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

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PRACTICE

When the first word ends in two consonants and the second word starts with a vowel,
the final consonant is connected to the second word.

Practice saying these phrases.

reports and presentations
they tried to stand out
recovers and utilizes
thinks of new developments
mind over matter
research and development
cost increase
tools and supplies
trust is deserved
it’s a result of the merger

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you practice connecting consonants to vowels:
Consonant to Vowel Linking
Consonant to Vowel Linking Practice A
Consonant to Vowel Linking Quiz

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Consonant to Vowel Linking Quiz – #79660

QUIZ

First, record yourself reading these sentences.

Shares of the company rose 15 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average finished lower by 100 points.
Airplanes are lightening up in order to reduce fuel costs.
Home equity loans are drying up for some people.
Turning out the lights will help save energy costs.

LISTEN

Listen to the answers.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

Shares of the company rose 15 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average finished lower by 100 points.
Airplanes are lightening up in order to reduce fuel costs.
Home equity loans are drying up for some people.
Turning out the lights will help save energy costs.

Vowel to Vowel Linking – #79670

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Important Points to Remember:

/iy/, /ey/, /ay/ or /oi/ + Vowel = Two words are connected with a /y/

It finally allows email. = finall-y-allows
You can play a game on it. = pla-y-a

/uw/, /ow/ or /aw/ + Vowel = Two words are connected with a /w/

threw it away = thre-w-it away
I know it is bad to drive while talking on your phone.
= kno-w-it

Vowel to Vowel Linking Practice A – #79680

This page is designed to help you practice connecting vowels to vowels. First, listen to the audio. The speaker will read a few phrases. Notice how she connects a word ending in a vowel to a word beginning with a vowel. Repeat after her when she says a new phrase. Then, look at the phrases written below. The examples will show you where to connect. Read each one 3 times while connecting your speech.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in /i/ sound and the second word starts with a vowel, the two
words are connected with a /y/ sound.

1.	early adopter	iy
2.	an alloy of bronze and zinc	oi
3.	try out	ay
4.	deploy a strategy	oi
5.	proprietary information	iy
6.	lay over	ey
7.	risky alternative	iy
8.	finally agree	iy
9.	today in business	ey
10.	pay out	ay

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you practice connecting vowels to vowels:
Vowel to Vowel Linking
Vowel to Vowel Linking Practice B
Vowel to Vowel Linking Quiz

If you are a MyOvient PLUS or PRO member, you can ask questions or leave comments about this page. Click here to learn more about MyOvient Membership.

Vowel to Vowel Practice B – #79690

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in /u/ sound and the second word starts with a vowel, the two
words are connected with a /w/ sound.

1.	new architecture	uw
2.	vow of silence	aw
3.	tow away zone	ow
4.	knew of him	uw
5.	two options	uw
6.	end to end	ow
7.	now and then	aw
8.	true answer	uw
9.	who were	uw
10.	allow unlimited access	aw

Vowel to Vowel Linking Quiz – #79700

QUIZ

First, record yourself reading these sentences while connecting vowels with vowels.

The company had to change the way it did business.
The company opted to deploy a new infrastructure.
Because customers don’t have to pay an annual fee, membership is way up.
Although he knew it was illegal, he occasionally parked in a tow away zone.
The company had a pow wow to see if they could finally agree on a new advisor.

LISTEN

Listen to the answers.

The company had to change the way it did business.
The company opted to deploy a new infrastructure.
Because customers don’t have to pay an annual fee, membership is way up.
Although he knew it was illegal, he occasionally parked in a tow away zone.
The company had a pow wow to see if they could finally agree on a new advisor.

Consonant to Consonant Linking and Tongue Position Change – #79710

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Important Points to Remember about Rule 3:

When the consonant is the same, then we only pronounce it once.

base station = ba-s-tation

(The “e” in “base” is silent, so it doesn’t affect the rule.)

phone number = pho-n-umber

(The “e” in “phone” is silent, so it doesn’t affect the rule.)

Important Points to Remember about Rule 4:

/s/ + /y/ = /sh/
/z/ + /y/ = /zh/
/t/ + /y/ = /ch/
/d/ + /y/ = /j/

It’s easy to forget your cell phone number. = forge-chur
You might not be able to use your phone to call 911. = u-zhur

(The “e” in “use” is silent, so it doesn’t affect the rule.)

Consonant to Consonant Linking Practice A – #79720

This page is designed to help you practice connecting consonants to consonants. This practice page focuses on connecting words that end and begin with the same consonant. First, listen to the audio. The speaker will read a few phrases. Notice how she connects a word ending in one consonant to a word beginning with the same consonant. Repeat after her when she says a new phrase. Then, look at the phrases written below. The examples will show you where to connect. Read each one 3 times while connecting your speech.

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in a consonant and the second word starts with the same consonant, the sound is extended.

web browser
service sector
hard drive
enterprise solutions
custom made
year-round commitment
put together
big game
final limit
business solutions

More Practice
Try these related pages to help you practice connecting consonants to consonants:
Consonant to Consonant Linking and Tongue Position Change
Consonant to Consonant Practice B
Consonant to Consonant Linking Quiz

If you are a MyOvient PLUS or PRO member, you can ask questions or leave comments about this page. Click here to learn more about MyOvient Membership.

Consonant to Consonant Linking Practice B – #79730

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, and the next word starts with one of those same sounds or the /ch/ or /j/ sounds, then you do not release the air from the first sound.

best chance
back ground
Microsoft board
demand growth
don’t judge
analyst group
weak choices
can’t justify
give up bandwidth
observant personnel

Consonant to Consonant Linking Quiz – #79740

QUIZ

First, record yourself reading these sentences while consonants to consonants.

Investors were discouraged by data on new home sales.
Your old notebook can still be put to use.
Our first choice didn’t accept the position, so we’ll give it to our next choice.
We need help discovering our competitive advantage.
The help desk is always there when you need it to be.

LISTEN

Listen to the answers.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

Investors were discouraged by data on new home sales.
Your old notebook can still be put to use.
Our first choice didn’t accept the position, so we’ll give it to our next choice.
We need help discovering our competitive advantage.
The help desk is always there when you need it to be.

Tongue Position Change Practice A – #79750

LISTEN

Listen to the audio recording below.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

PRACTICE

When the first word ends in /s/, /z/, /t/ or /d/ and the next word starts with a /j/ sound, the tongue position changes when saying the second word.

/s/ + /j/ = /sh/
/z/ + /j/ = /zh/
/t/ + /j/ = /ch/
/d/ + /j/ = /ʤ/

(This happens only when the second word is an unstressed word.)

understand your clients
trust your instincts
could you
would you
not yet
last year
read your mail
find your strengths

Tongue Position Change Quiz – #79760

QUIZ

First, record yourself reading these sentences while connecting the consonants to the "y" sounds.

Did you really understand your data?
They raised 3 million in Series A funding last year.
Could you help me fix the bugs in the system?
The first users of the product had to deal with many bugs.
The consultant should point you toward a realistic solution.

LISTEN

Listen to the answers.

PLUS and PRO Members can download this file! Click here to join.

Did you really understand your data?
They raised 3 million in Series A funding last year.
Could you help me fix the bugs in the system?
The first users of the product had to deal with many bugs.
The consultant should point you toward a realistic solution.

Thought Groups, Rhythm, and Word Stress – #79470

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE

Important Points to Remember:

The rhythm of English is caused by the stress that we add to certain words. Those words sound stronger and longer.

• • •
YES: The bosses have been giving their reports.

• • • • • • •
NO: The bosses have been giving their reports.

We spend more time saying the stressed words. This means that we spend less
time on the unstressed words.

The time it takes to say a sentence doesn’t depend on how many words are in it.
It depends on how many stressed words are in the sentence.

It takes roughly the same amount of time to say each sentence, even though
they have different numbers of words.

	•		•
	IMPROVE		SKILLS.
You can	IMPROVE	your	SKILLS.
He didn’t	IMPROVE	his	SKILLS.
Will you	IMPROVE	your	SKILLS?
He should’ve	IMPROVED	his	SKILLS.

Or:

	•	•		•
	SET	GOALS	at	WORK.
She’s about to	SET	GOALS	at	WORK.
They’re	SETTING	GOALS	when they	WORK.
You’ve got to	SET	GOALS	at	WORK.

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