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The Schwa - weak sound

The weak sound is the most common sound in English and is always used in spoken connected speech. And /an/: fish and chips (fish n chips) /a chair and a table Can /kn/: She can (weak) speak Spanish better than I can (full) Of /av/: A pint of beer / Thats the last of the wine! Have/av/: Have you finished? (weak) Yes, I have. (full) Should /sud/: Well, you should have told me. /sud av/

Exercises
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Its for you It takes a lot of time How about a cup of tea? What are you doing tonight? What time will you arrive at Victoria? I was going to tell you The leisure centre is closed for a private function The airport is not far from the capital city The book is about pronunciation We need more financial support You need to pay attention all the time It is a very thorough report

Other weak forms

To: /to/ta/ - Im going to go to the cinema later. Was: /wos//ws/ - Was he there last night? Were: /wer /wa/ - they were in the library all day Do: /doo/da/ - Do you know the name of the book? Does: /doz/daz/ - What does he do? Has: /has /hs/- Has he been to see you? (been /been/bin) Or: /or/a/ - What do you want? Chips or salad? http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/pronunciation/pdf/exercises/schwa_exercises.pdf


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48

lel acamera
- Remember to telephone your sister the day after tomorrow for her birthday. - And dont forget to send a letter to your brother. - Shall I send you a letter? - Of course. But dont forget to telephone as soon as you arrive.

I Target sound/a/
B20a First practise the sound /sl/ a (seepage 43). Listen and repeat. szou Make the same sound but very very b short to make the target sound /e/. Listen and repeat. c Bzoc Listen and repeat both sounds together: /srl is long. /e/ is very short.

(.)

--'------.. t;1 r@

2 lel in unstressed wordsand svllables

Bzraa Listen and repeat. The spelling has been changed in the words on the right to show you when to use the sound /e/.

*@
a glass of water

I e photegraph efBarbere

2 e glass af wate

epil rllt"ggggrc
a photograph ofher mother and father a book about South America

3 e pair ef binoculas 4 e photegraph efhe mother end fathe 5 a book ebout South americe

Cover the words on the left and practise questions and answers. EXAMPLE A: \Mhat's in picture two? B: e glass ef wate

Source: Baker, Anne ( 2006 ) Ship or Sheep: An intermediate Pronunciation Course. Cambridge.

t,

Now practise these. EXAMPLE A: \ /hat's the time?

It's e

ta seven.

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3 ;eadingaloud
Q

ooeoooo@

Barbere spent Satedayaftenoon Iooking et e beautifal book ebout South emerice. 'I want te go te South emerice,' she said te heself. The next morning, when Barbere woke up it wes six e'clock, end he brothes end sisteswe still esleep.Barbere looked et them, end then closed her eyes egain. Then she quietly got out af bed end started te pack he suitcase. She took same comfeteble clothes out ef tha cupbed. She packed e pair ef binocules end he siste'scamera. She packed e photegraph ef haself end one ef he mothar and fathe. 'I musn't feget te have same breaKest,' she said ta haself. Bet then she looked et the clock. It wes e quarte to seven. 'I'll jest drink e glass ef wate,' she said. 'e glassef wate,' she said. 'Wate,' she said, end opened her eyes. She wes still in he bed, and he brothes end sisteswe laughing et he. 'Tell es what you we dreaming ebout,' they said te he. Bat Barbere didn't answe. She wes thinking ebout he wondeful iourney te South americe.

B: It's e quarte te twelve.

a Read this story aloud or visit the website to practise. The spelling has been changed to showyou when to make the sound /e/. Record your voice to listen to your production of the target sound.

Source: Baker, Anne ( 2006 ) Ship or Sheep: An intermediate Pronunciation Course. Cambridge.

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