The approach here will be point out the many and varied differences between the vowels of contemporary SSB and those embodied in the symbols which A. It is an accent of the south east of England which operates as a prestige norm there and (to varying degrees) in other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Standard Southern British… is the modern equivalent of what has been called ‘Received Pronunciation’ (‘RP’). According to the Handbook of the International Phonetic Association, It includes 50 short, easy-to-learn lessons so you correct your common grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation mistakes.This article attempts to describe the vowels of Standard Southern British (SSB) in a way that is phonetically explicit and accurately represents their phonological categorization. That’s why I’ve created a new ebook, “What was that?”: How to correct 50 common mistakes and avoid confusion in American English. There are many more mistakes that I want to help you with. Practice spelling these words out loud: Valerie – Pierre – machine – Cecilia.Īnd tell me: Which words would you use for vowels in your own Spelling Alphabet, to make the letters easy to remember? A as in…., E as in….? – You can use a Spelling Alphabet to be 100% clear. Try to remember the words you associate with each letter. – When you’re spelling in English, don’t trust your gut. – The vowel names in English are A, E, I, O, U It’s a great reflex to have when you have to spell a word on the phone with a bad reception, too! “That’s ‘o’/o/ as in Oscar” or “as in Orange.”.“That’s ‘i’ /aï/ as in India.” or “I as in International”.“That’s ‘e’ /ee/ as in echo.” or “E as in Elephant”.“That’s ‘a’ /ay/ as in alpha.” or “a as in America”.You might have heard of the International Spelling Alphabet, “Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta…” but you can use your own favorite English words as well! How to Pronounce the English Vowels My second piece of advice is more general:Īny time you’re spelling, and the other person might have trouble understanding or you want to be extra clear, use a Spelling Alphabet! This will help you remember if the letter is pronounced /ay/, /ee/, or /aï/.įor the letter “A” (/ay/), remember the song “YMCA” !įor the letter “E” (/ee/), you have all electronics: e-mail, e-book, eBay…įor the letter “I”, /aï/, Steve Jobs can help you with the iPad, iPhone… or for a more poetic inspiration, just remember the I in “I love you” ! Try to think of a word that is easy to remember, and associate it with the letters. So how can you override your gut-feelings? Useful tips for spelling vowels in English Even on their own! After all, “a cat” doesn’t use the sound “ay” at all. To be fair, the English letters can have many different sounds once they’re in an actual word. Especially if the letter names in English are the opposite of the letter names in your native tongue! And that’s when your instincts rely on your own language, and you get confused. You’ve learned it in the alphabet, probably with the great “♪ABCD♪” song!īut in a real conversation, when you’re spelling a word, you go with your guts. The thing is, you know the correct spelling, when you think about it. My students don’t really make mistakes on the U, O and Y…īut I often hear English-learners mix up the sounds of A, I and E.Ĭlick the image for details Where does the mistake come from? In the English language, vowels have a specific sound when you’re spelling them out:Ī (= /ay/), E (= /ee/), I (=/aï/), O (= /o/), U (= /you/), and Y (=”why”) You’ll also find today’s lesson in “What was that?”: How to correct 50 common mistakes and avoid confusion in American English”, my new, practical guide to avoid most common English mistakes you will never make anymore! Spelling vowels in English Or worse, you give the wrong email address or spelling for your name. The sounds of the vowels get mixed up–and it breaks your flow. The trouble with spelling vowels in English Even though you’ve learned the alphabet in English, sometimes you’ll make mistakes like these. Not so easy with all those vowels, huh? But don’t worry, that can happen to everybody. If someone asked you on the spot, how would you spell the name “Aliea” in English? Try spelling it out loud, just to test yourself… Hi there! I’m your English coach Christina, welcome to Speak English with Christina, where you’ll learn American culture and business know-how to become confident in English.
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