Rules for reading the letter ii in English. English Reading Rules - Best Guides & Free Resources

Knowledge of English language has already become the norm and a common thing in society, however, many questions arise before those who are just starting to study it, including the correct pronunciation of not only words, but even letters. By the way, there are 26 of them in the English language. There are much more sounds - to immediately understand how each of the letters is read is sometimes beyond even native speakers. It is the peculiarities of the pronunciation of letters that make English difficult to learn and understand. But with effort, you can always achieve good results.

Independent study of the English language and the rules of reading in it requires a lot of self-discipline. Only by making maximum efforts, you can achieve results - you need to train in reading daily, devoting at least half an hour to this. It's better than going back to school once or twice a week.

Rules for reading letters in English

There are a number of rules in the English language, without knowledge of which the development of literate reading is impossible. Recall that there are as many as 44 sounds in English - this means that one letter can be read different ways depending on where it stands and what it is surrounded by.

Reading consonants

Pronunciation a large number English consonants is not difficult, because they are read the same way as Russian ones. These letters arem, n, l, b, f and zand others. Consonantst and dcan also be attributed to this group, but with a slight clarification - they should be pronounced with some aspiration:dentist, door, tape, talk.

With the rest of the letters, you need to learn simple rules, without which it will be difficult to navigate the correct pronunciation:

Letter c has two types of pronunciation. If it comes before vowels likei, e and y, then it is read as the letter [s]: city, quote, spice, ice.

Otherwise, before vowelsa, about, uand other consonants, it will be read as [k]: comfort, confusion, dictionary, clean.

with a letter gthe situation is the same - in combination with lettersi, e and yit reads like [dʒ]: gymnastics, Georgia, general, age. But there are exception words here, the pronunciation of which must be remembered: inget, give, forget, begin, girlthe consonant reads like [g]. Before vowelsa, about , uand other consonants, the letter is pronounced like [g]: good, gold, galaxy, glad

Letter qin combination with vowels occurs only in the formqu and reads like [ kw]: quality, queen, quake equipment.

Letter pronunciationjeasy to remember: in all cases it is read as [dʒ]: June, jacket, jungle, jet.

Letter s reads like [ s] in those cases when it is at the beginning of a word, in the middle before voiceless consonants and at the end after voiceless consonants:song, hipster, desk, mess. The letter has a second reading option - [z]. It is used in cases where the letter is after or between vowels, as well as after voiced consonants:race, use, beds, is.

At xalso has its own peculiarities of pronunciation. In some cases, this letter will be read as [ks] - when it is at the end of a word, before a consonant or unstressed vowel:Fox, text, next, six. The letter can also be read as [gz], if it comes before a stressed vowel:exotic, exams, example.

Consonant combinations in English

Sometimes adjacent consonant letters give rise to a new sound, not similar to those given by these letters separately. Here are some examples:

ch - [ tʃ]: church, match, champion;

ck- [ k]: back, clock, black;

gh- [-] (no sound):night, right, light;

kn- [ n]: knife, knock, knot;

ng- [ ŋ ]: sing, thing, ring;

nk- [ Lk]: prank, funk, drunk;

ph- [ f]: pharaoh, photographer, physics;

sh- [ ʃ ]: shine, shapes, show;

tch- [ tʃ]: match, watch, stretch;

th- [ θ ] (at the beginning and end of significant words):teeth, thin, think;

th- [ ð ] (between vowels and at the beginning of function words):with, they, father;

wh- [ w] (with vowels excepto): why, when, white;

wh- [ h] (with a vowel o): whose, who, whom;

wr- [ r]: wreck, wrong, wrath.

Reading vowels

Depending on how the word ends, the vowels will have different types reading. There are only four of them - they are all for English vowels in stressed syllables.

open syllable . Such a syllable is called one that ends in a vowel, including in cases where it is not pronounced:

A [ ei] - fame;

O [ ou] - smoke;

E[ i:] - me;

I[ ai] - five;

Y[ ai] - try;

U[ ju:] - tube.

All the words given in the examples end in a silent vowel, and the pronunciation of vowels at the root is the same as in the alphabet.

Closed syllable . It ends in a consonant:

A [ uh] - Mad;

O [ o] - sports;

E[ e] - September;

I[ i] - flip;

Y[ i] - rhythm;

U[ a] - fun.

Vowel + “r” . This consonant affects the sound of the vowel that stands at the root - it gives its sound a length:

A [ a:] - far;

O [ o:] - sort;

E[ e:] - term;

I[ e:] - fir;

Y[ e:] - Byrd;

U[ e:] - turn.

Vowel + “r” + vowel . The consonant, as in the above case, is not read. It only gives firmness to the vowel that follows it:

A [ ea] - care;

O [ o:] - more;

E[ ie] - where;

I[ aie] - fire;

Y[ aie] - tire;

U[ jue] - cure.

Reading diphthongs

Diphthongs are sounds that consist of two vowels. To pronounce a diphthong, the tongue must first move into position for the first of two vowels and then move into position for the second vowel. The first sound is always stronger and more distinct than the second. All these movements must be performed within one syllable. Reading these sounds is quite difficult and is not immediately given to those people who have just begun to learn English:

[ ee] - and - free;

[ ea] - and - tear;

[ oo] - y - soon;

[ all] - ol - wall;

[ ay] - hey - day;

[ oi] - oh - joint.

What to look for when reading

Accent

Russian accent is identified by foreigners immediately: we are distinguished by a not too emotional tone of communication, dry pronunciation of sounds. English, on the other hand, needs a more “lively” approach - here the impulsive pronunciation of words, lowering and raising the tone are very important, because with the help of them English-speaking people show their attitude to the conversation, paint it in the right colors.

Intonation

Each language has its own melody of speech, which gives it original features. There are two basic intonations in English: falling and rising. These tones in the language are indicated by a down arrow for descending and up for ascending.

Example:

I read a ↓ book.
Do you read a book?

The first tone is used in questions that begin with interrogative words, imperative, exclamatory and affirmative sentences.

Example:

This house is ↓ white- This house is white ;

↓ Open the door - Open the door;

Where did he ↓ ride? - Where did he ride?

Ascending is used for general questions, transfers, in requests.

Example:

Do you know Sam?- Do you know Sam?
May I ask you a question? -May I ask you a question?;
I have a hat, a shoes, a jacket and a ↓ socks - I have a hat, boots, jacket and socks.

stress

They play a big role in the English language. The stress here is not fixed, which means they are pronounced the way you want - in accordance with the phrase that you pronounce. Different parts of speech can be stressed in sentences: nouns, adjectives, verbs, numerals, adverbs and some pronouns.

How to improve reading skills in English?

As mentioned earlier, in the matter of learning the basics of the English language, constant practice remains the main thing. There are a number of exercises, tips and tricks that can improve your reading skills. new level. You need to contact them as often as possible, even daily.

Speak children's tongue twisters

Suitable for people who want to learn to read from scratch and those who have great difficulty in the correct pronunciation of sounds. They are composed in such a way as to work out each sound separately. Choose those letters that are most difficult for you to pronounce, and repeat as often as possible tongue twisters specially created for them - at first slowly and legibly, you can gradually begin to accelerate.

Interdentalth :

Whether the weather is warm, whether the weather is hot, we have to put up with the weather, whether we like it or not.

Red leather, yellow leather.

Thirty thousand thirsty thieves thundered through the thicket.

Whistlings :

She sells seashells by the seashore.

Would the single singer sing the sad song about them?

I can think of six thin things, but I can think of six thick things too.

Soundsh , which is often confused withth :

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

She sells sea shells on the seashore.

She slits the sheet she sits on.

Soundf :

The first fly flies forty-four feet,
The fourth fly flies forty-five feet,
The fifth fly flies fifty-four feet.
What fly flies fifty-five feet?

Fat frogs flying past fast.

Soundj :

US students are younger than UK junkers,

UK junkers are cuter than US students.

If US students weren't younger than UK junkers,

Could UK junkers be cuter than US students?

Yankee yachtsmen's yachts yaw for one yard,

Yakut yachtsmen's yachts yaw for two yards.

If Yankee yachtsmen's yachts didn't yaw for one yard,

Could Yakut yachtsmen’s yachts yaw for two yards?

Listen to competent English speech

Auditory memory will be very useful to you: listen to native speakers as often as possible: this can be films in English, radio, podcasts, audio books, educational materials and much more.

To begin with, choose to listen to small, light texts that you have in printed form. At the same time as the announcer says, repeat after him - gradually you will remember how he pronounces sounds that are difficult for you and you will begin to speak much more competently and beautifully.

Work on your pronunciation

Do not forget to communicate with people who have the correct English speech - with foreigners, teachers, people for whom English is like a second native. How well your interlocutors and listeners will understand you depends on pronunciation.

Listen to the people you are talking to very carefully, trying to imitate their intonation and pronunciation. Understand how to pronounce those sounds of the English language that are not in Russian: work on the position of the lips and tongue and try to remember the method of pronunciation of letters.

For example, most of the difficulties are caused by such a common sound in English asth.There are many mistakes in the attempts of Russian people to read it correctly: it often sounds like something between the letters s and z - this sound is not correct. In a number of words such asthis, that and therethis combination of letters should be pronounced as a sound between z and d, and in wordsthree, think and thief- as something between s and f.

Use transcriptions

Transcription is such a system of signs, where each of them conveys its own specific sound. With the help of them, it becomes much clearer how to pronounce complex words, what sounds they consist of. Usually only schoolchildren use transcriptions, and in vain - this method of memorizing and assimilating the correct pronunciation of sounds is suitable for any person. A table with transcription signs is presented below:

If you can't read English, don't despair. In the same USA, almost 14% of the population, that is, 32 million people, cannot read! Moreover, 21% of the population reads at the level of a fifth grader. It's never too late to learn to read English! Read this article and you will understand what you need to pay attention to.

Steps

Honing the basics

Start with the alphabet. The alphabet is the beginning of all beginnings, and you will find 26 of its letters in all words. You can learn the alphabet in many ways, choose the one that you like.

• sing along. It will sound silly, but for many it is the songs that help. The melody allows you to remember the letters with minimal effort, shows the entire alphabet and the relationship between letters.
  • You can listen to the song online or by downloading it to the player.
• Feel. If you're more practical, then make letters out of sandpaper, then look at them, then close your eyes and run your fingers over the letter. After that, name the letter and the sound it denotes. Then take your finger off the paper and draw a letter with it in the air.
• Move. Take magnets in the form of letters of the alphabet and move, move them, forming words out of them over time.
• walk. If in a room, then take a floor covering with the letters of the English alphabet. Say the letter - step on the corresponding square. Ask someone to call you letters, and step on the corresponding squares yourself. Let your whole body participate in the process of learning the alphabet!

1. Distinguish between vowels and consonants. English vowels are denoted by the letters a, e, o, u and i, the remaining letters represent consonants.

   • Vowels seem to open your mouth when pronouncing, consonants, on the contrary, close. Vowels are pronounced without unnecessary sounds, but consonants are pronounced together with other sounds.

2. Use the phonetic method of teaching reading. With this method, you will be able to better understand the relationship between letters and sounds. For example, when you learn when the letter “C” sounds like “sa” and when it sounds like “ka”, or when you notice that the syllable “-tion” reads like “shun”, you are using the phonetic method.

   • Choose a way that is convenient for you from the two classic ones. The first - the so-called. “saw-say” when you learn to read the whole word, or the so-called. “syllabic approach”, in which you first learn to pronounce individual syllables and their combinations, and only then - words.
   • The phonetic method is phonetic because it requires listening to the sound of syllables and words. To do this, you will need an online program, a DVD, or someone willing to help you learn the pronunciation of various combinations of sounds.

3. Learn punctuation marks. It is very important to know what all the small squiggles and dots mean, because they carry a lot of important information for a correct understanding of the sentence.

   "Attack" words. This kind of tactic will help you learn the meaning and pronunciation of an unknown word by taking it apart and analyzing it sequentially.

   • Look for visual cues. Check the page for photos, illustrations, or something like that. Look at what is depicted there and how it can intersect with the meaning of the sentence.
   • Voice the word. Slowly, clearly pronounce the word. Then repeat the sounds themselves that make up the word, separately and clearly, starting from the very first.
   • Split the word. Look at the word and see if it contains sounds, prefixes, suffixes, endings, and stems that you already know. Read each such piece, then try to make a whole word out of them and read it.
     • For example, you already know that the prefix “pre” means “before, in advance, in front of”, and the stem “view” means to look. What will the word “preview” mean? If you break it down into parts you know, then you can even guess the meaning - this is a “preview”.
   • Looking for connections. Think about whether the words you don't know are similar to the ones you already know. Think, maybe this is a form of an unknown word, or what part?
     • Alternatively, try using a familiar word in the sentence and see if the meaning is lost. It may turn out that the meanings of the two words are close enough to each other to understand the connection between them.

4. Re-read. Did you read the offer? Let's do it again. Replace unknown words with those you know, and analyze if the sentence makes sense.

   Use your background knowledge. Consider what you already know about the topic of a book, paragraph, or sentence, and use that knowledge to figure out what that word is.

   Make guesses. Look at images, table of contents, chapter headings, maps, diagrams, and other parts of the book. Then, based on what you see, write down what you think about the book as a whole, what could be written in it, etc. Then start reading and see if your guesses are correct.

   Ask questions. After reading the title of the book, the headings, looking at the pictures, etc., write down the questions you have about all of this. Try to answer these questions for yourself as you read the book, and write down your answers. If some questions remain unanswered - well, you will have to look for those who can answer them!

   Visualize. Imagine that you are not reading a book, but watching a movie. Carefully, in all details, imagine the main characters, the setting and try to imagine how the story will unfold in space-time. It will not be superfluous to sketch all this.

   Build connections. Think about it, can you draw parallels with what you read from your own experience? Maybe one of the characters in the book resembles someone you know? Or have you encountered similar situations? Or maybe the book reminds you of a movie? Write down all such connections and intersections that come to your mind - they will help you understand the book more easily.

Transcription and reading rules in English are two closely related concepts. Reading rules explain how letters and letter combinations are pronounced in different cases, and with the help of transcription, we record and read speech sounds.

Reading rules can confuse a beginner. There are many, they are confusing, and there are more exceptions than the rules themselves. In fact, these rules are so terrible only if you deeply understand them and try to learn by heart along with exceptions. In fact, everything is much simpler: reading rules do not need to be memorized.

Studying English, you will always be something, and soon you will learn to correlate letter designations and sounds without hesitation, automatically. Don't worry about exceptions either. Usually, the pronunciation, spelling, and meaning of a word are remembered as one whole - you just know that such and such a word is pronounced that way.

Feature of English phonetics: we write "Manchester" - we read "Liverpool"

The phonetics of the English language has a noticeable feature: words are often read differently than they are written, that is, it is not always possible to guess how it is pronounced from the spelling of a word. As linguists joke: “We write Manchester, but we read Liverpool.”

In the history of many languages, the following pattern can be traced: the phonetic structure becomes more complicated, while the letters and spelling remain the same or change with great delay. English is no exception. At the dawn of its development, words were read and pronounced more or less similarly, but over time this discrepancy became more and more, the situation was aggravated by the variety of dialects, and now we are already in words though, thought and through read a combination of letters - ough completely different, although the words themselves differ by one letter.

No one is in a hurry to reform English spelling, there are many reasons for this. For example, the English language no longer has a single “control center”. Reforms initiated in London may be coolly received in Sydney and rejected in Washington. And in general, spelling reform is always a painful process, meeting resistance among a significant part of native speakers. Much easier to leave as is.

What is transcription and why is it needed?

Transcription in English is the recording of speech sounds using special characters. It should not be feared or avoided, because it is a very good assistant in learning the language, which will be great to save time and help avoid mistakes. One glance at the transcription of an English word is enough for you to understand how it is read correctly.

When you memorize or write out a new word that comes across in the text, you must definitely look at its transcription and / or listen to the pronunciation (for example, in), otherwise you may remember it incorrectly, and then you will not be understood.

Is it possible to write English words in Russian letters?

Sometimes on websites or even in books you can see “ English transcription in Russian” or “pronunciation English words Russian letters” - that is, writing English words in Russian letters. Like, why learn tricky badges if can convey sounds in Russian letters? Then what it is forbidden. The phonetics of the Russian language differs from English phonetics so much that the sound can only be conveyed very, very approximately. We simply do not have some sounds of English speech, as well as vice versa.

Transcription and pronunciation of all sounds of the English language separately (video)

With the help of this interesting video table, you can listen to the sound of all sounds separately and see how they are recorded using transcription. Click on play and wait for the video to fully load, then click on the desired sound.

Please note that in transcription, in addition to the symbols themselves, denoting sounds, the following are used:

• Square brackets– traditionally transcription is always written in [square brackets]. For example: [z].
• Vowel length icon- in English, vowels can be long and short, longitude is indicated by a colon after the vowel. For example: .
• accent icon- if a word is transcribed, in which there is more than one syllable, stress must be indicated with an apostrophe (a comma at the top). It is placed before the stressed syllable. For example: – decision.

In total, 44 sounds are distinguished in English, which, like in Russian, are divided into consonants and vowels. Among them there are both sounds similar to Russian, for example: [b] - [b], [n] - [n], and sounds that have no analogues in Russian: [ ð ], [θ ].

In English phonetics, there are no such concepts as softness / hardness of consonants, but there is a longitude of vowels (not characteristic of the Russian language) - vowels can be short [a] and long. It should also be noted that vowel sounds in English can be:

• single (monophthongs): [ i: ], [ e ],
• consisting of two sounds (diphthogni): [ ai ], [ ɔi ],
• consisting of three sounds (triphthongs): [ aiə ].

Diphthongs and triphthongs are read and perceived as whole sounds.

Table of English sounds with examples and cards

Having studied how English sounds are pronounced separately, be sure to listen to how they are read whole words. It is often easier for students to understand and hear the pronunciation of English sounds when they sound as part of a word, and not separately.

In the tables below, all sounds are given with example words. With the help of electronic cards, you can listen to the pronunciation.

How to learn to pronounce English sounds?

There are two approaches:

1. Theoretical- Textbooks usually have detailed description how to press the tongue against the palate to form a certain sound. With an illustration showing a cross section of a human head. The method is scientifically correct, but it is difficult to use it on your own: not everyone will understand what it means to “slide the upper teeth on the lower lip” and be able to perform this action.
2. Practical- listen, watch and repeat. I think it's much easier that way. You simply repeat after the speaker, trying to imitate the sound as closely as possible. Pay attention to articulation, try to repeat all the movements of the lips and tongue. Ideally, of course, someone should control, but you can just record yourself on a webcam and watch from the side.

If you want to repeat after the speaker, imitating his speech, I recommend using the materials on Puzzle English, namely the Video Puzzle exercises, which are aimed at developing listening comprehension. In video puzzles, you can slow down speech and, as in Lingvaleo, watch the translation of words by clicking on them directly in the subtitles.

In video puzzles, you first need to watch the video, and then collect sentences from words.

Detailed overview of this service:

In addition, for practical exercises, various kind people There are many videos available on YouTube. For example, in these two videos, the sounds of English speech in American and British versions are analyzed in detail:

British pronunciation

American pronunciation

You should not, having started studying English, strive to achieve a “perfect” pronunciation. Firstly, there are a lot of varieties of pronunciation (the above are, as it were, “generalized” British and American variants), and secondly, even native speakers who speak professionally (for example, actors) often take lessons from special trainers in order to master the features of or another version of pronunciation - practicing speech is not an easy task.

Just try to speak in such a way that 1) it is clear, 2) it does not hurt your hearing too much.

Reading rules in English: table and cards

Reading rules in English are, rather, not even rules, but generalized recommendations that are not particularly accurate. Not only can, say, the letter “o” in different combinations and types of syllable be read in nine different ways, but there are also exceptions. For example, in the words food, too, it is read as, and in the words good, look - as [u]. There is no pattern here, you just need to remember it.

If you look in different books, it turns out that the rules of reading, and indeed phonetics, by different authors can be told in different ways with varying degrees of immersion in details. I think that it makes no sense to delve into the wilds of phonetic science (you can dive there indefinitely), but the easiest way is to take as a basis the most simplified version of the reading rules, that is English reading rules for children.

For this article, I took as a basis the rules given in the textbook “English. 1 - 4 classes in diagrams and tables "N. Vakulenko. Believe me, this is more than enough for both children and adults!

What is open and closed syllable?

In English, an open syllable and a closed one are distinguished, it also matters whether it ends with the letter “r” and whether it is stressed.

A syllable is called open if:

• a syllable ends in a vowel and is the last in a word,
• a vowel is followed by another vowel
• a vowel is followed by a consonant followed by one or more vowels.

The syllable is closed if:

• it is the last in the word, while ending in a consonant,
• after a vowel there are two or more consonants.

In these cards and the table below you can see how different letters are pronounced in different combinations and types of syllable.

The most important reading rules

The table above looks very busy, intimidating even. Among them are some of the most important rules, which have almost no exceptions.

Basic rules for reading consonants

• The combination ph reads like [f]: photo, Morpheus.
• The combination th reads like [ð] or [θ]: think there. These sounds are not in Russian, their pronunciation requires some training. Do not confuse them with the sounds [s], [z].
• The combination ng at the end of the word reads like [ŋ] - this is a nasal (that is, pronounced as if in the nose) version of the sound [n]. A common mistake is to read it as . There is no “g” in this sound. Examples: strong, King Kong, wrong.
• The sh combination reads like [ʃ]: ship, show, shop.
• The letter “c” before i, e, y reads like [s]: celebrity, cent, pencil.
• The letter “g” before i, e, y reads: age, magic, gym.
• The combination ch reads like: match, catch.

Basic rules for reading vowels

• In an open stressed syllable, vowels are usually read as in: no, go, name, face, pupil, he, five. It can be monophthongs and diphthongs.
• In a closed syllable, vowels are read as short monophthongs: nut, got, ten.

How to remember the rules of reading?

Most people who are fluent in English as a foreign language will not be able to immediately name even a few basic reading rules. Rules readings do not need to be memorized, they need to be able to use. But how can you use what you do not know? How else can you! Through frequent practice, knowledge turns into skills and actions begin to be performed automatically, unconsciously.

In order for the reading rules to quickly reach the automatic stage, I recommend:

• To study the rules themselves - read, comprehend, speak out loud the examples.
• Practice reading aloud - will help develop pronunciation skills, at the same time, the rules of reading will be fixed. Take text with audio, video with subtitles, so that you have something to compare.
• Do small written tasks - writing practice is good for developing vocabulary, consolidating knowledge of grammar and, of course, for improving spelling.

”, transcription is used by everyone, sometimes even unconsciously. First, let's refresh our memory, what does the phrase "English transcription" mean?

English transcription is a sequence of phonetic symbols that helps us understand how to read a particular sound, word. Often students are faced with transcription at the beginning of language learningwhen it is still difficult enough to read even quite simple words and then just ignore it. However, it won't be like this forever.

As soon as the student begins to skillfully use complex grammatical constructions, and earns a good vocabulary for free communication, then immediately there is a desire to speak beautifully, like a native speaker, that is, to improve your pronunciation of English words. This is where we remember the good old transcription.

In order not to have to remember the well-forgotten old, we suggest returning to repetition from time to time. Of course, ideally, transcription should be done together with the teacher, because writing does not convey all the subtleties of pronunciation, but if you are reading this article now, the foundation for beautiful pronunciation and correct reading has already been laid, and you will definitely achieve your desired goal.

Transcription of vowels

There are two types of vowels - single sounds and diphthongs.

[ ʌ ] - [a] - short;
[a:]- [a] - deep;
[i]- [ and ] - short;
[i:]- [and] - long;
[o]- [o] - short;
[o:]- [o] - deep;
[u]- [y] - short;
[u:]- [y] - long;
[e]- as in the word "plaid";
[ ɜ: ] - as in the word "honey".

English diphthongs

A diphthong is a sound that consists of two sounds. Most often, a diphthong can be divided into two sounds, however, this cannot be conveyed in writing. Often, diphthongs are indicated not by a combination of several characters, but by their own sign.

[əu]- [ OU ];
[au]- [ay];
[ei]- [ hey ];
[oi]- [ oh ];
[ai]- [ay].

Vowel pronunciation rules in English

• Sound " a"has four varieties:
  [ ʌ ] - a short sound, as in the words "duck", "cut";
  [ æ ] - soft sound. It has no analogue in Russian. It is read as in the word in the word "cat";
  [a:]- a long sound that is read, as in the word "car";
  [ ɔ ] - a short sound that sounds like both "o" and "a" at the same time. In British pronunciation, it's more of an 'o', as in 'hot' or 'not'.

• Sound " e" can be read in three ways:
  [e]- for example, as in the word "let";
  [ ə: ] - this sound is a bit like the Russian letter "ё", only it is read a little softer. For example, "bird", "fur";
  [ ə ] - one of the most common sounds in English transcription. In sound, this sound is similar to the Russian sound "e". It occurs only in unstressed syllables and is almost inaudible or indistinguishable, for example, ["letə], "letter" - a letter.

• Sound " i» can be long and short:
  [I]- a short sound, for example, as in the word "film";
  [i:]- a long sound, for example, as in "sheep".

• Sound " about” also has 2 options - long and short:
  [ ɔ ] - a short sound, as in the word "bond";
  [ ɔ: ] - a long sound, as in the word "more".

• Sound " u" can also be pronounced in two ways. It can be long or short:
  [u]- a short sound, as in the word "put";
  [u:]- a long sound, as in the word "blue".

Transcription of consonants

In the transcription of consonants, everything is quite simple. Basically they sound like Russian. It is enough to take a thoughtful look at the above letter combinations a couple of times, and they will remain in your memory.

Consonants
[b]- [b];
[d]- [d];
[f]- [f];
[ 3 ] - [ and ];
[dʒ]- [j];
[g]- [ G ];
[h]- [ X ];
[k]- [ to ];
[l]- [l];
[m]- [m];
[n]- [n];
[p]- [ P ];
[s]- [ With ];
[t]- [ t ];
[v]- [ in ];
[z]- [h];
[t∫]- [h];
[ ∫ ] - [w];
[r]- soft [p], as in the word Russian;
[ about ]- a sign of softness, as in the Russian letter "ё" (Christmas tree).

English consonants that are not in Russian and their pronunciation:
[ θ ] - soft letter "c", the tongue is between the front teeth of the upper and lower jaw;
[ æ ] - like "e", only more sharply;
[ ð ] - like "θ", only with the addition of a voice, like a soft letter "z";
[ ŋ ] - nasal, in the French manner, sound [ n ];
[ ə ] - neutral sound;
[w]-like "in" and "y" together, soft pronunciation.

Features of English transcription

In order to make it easier to navigate in reading words, it is important to know the main features of transcription:

• Feature 1. Transcription is always in square brackets
• Feature 2. In order not to get confused where to stress in a word, it is worth considering that it is always placed before the stressed syllable. ["neim] is a transcription of the word name.
• Feature 3. It is important to understand that transcription is not the English letters and sounds that make up the word. Transcription is the sound of words.
• Feature 4. In English, transcription consists of vowels, diphthongs and consonants.
• Feature 5. To show that a sound is long, a colon is used in transcription.

Of course, knowing only character sets, it is quite difficult to read everything correctly, because there are many exceptions. In order to read correctly, it is necessary to understand that there are closed syllables and open ones. open syllable ends with a vowel (game, sunshine), closed- into a consonant (ball, dog). Some sounds of the English language can be pronounced differently, depending on the type of syllable.

Conclusion

It is worth remembering that in any business the main thing is practice (by the way, you can start practicing English remotely right now). Transcription of sounds in English will be easy for you if you work hard at it. Reading the rules once is not enough. It is important to return to them, work through and repeat regularly until they are worked out to automatism. In the end, transcription will allow you to put the correct pronunciation of sounds in English.

Memorizing English with transcription and correct pronunciation English letters and words will be excellently facilitated by dictionaries. You can use both English online dictionaries and the good old printed editions. The main thing is not to give up!

Inspiration to you and success in your studies. May the knowledge be with you!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

In English class, students moan, "Why are the rules for reading in English so confusing?"

One reason is that English . Sometimes they kept their spelling, sometimes they changed it for themselves. In good old England, words were often spelled the way they were read, so that the same word could be spelled differently. Take at least the manuscripts of Shakespeare - all this chaos is there in full view.

Eventually, the spelling of words was standardized and entered into dictionaries, but... When you study English, you will notice that a word often reads completely differently from how it is spelled. And there are usually historical reasons for that.

There are also good news. Although many English words are written, it would seem, "as God puts it on the soul", there are a number of rules here. But be careful, because for every rule there is an exception.

There are more than 1100 ways to write in English 44 individual sounds more than in any other language. But let study be a game for you, not a duty.

Learn with our tips!

1. Write down words that you have problems with in a notebook. Underline the part of the word that is the most difficult for you.
2. Use a dictionary, not a spell checker! Unfortunately, you can not always trust her.
3. Learn words with all kinds of prefixes and suffixes, for example: biography - auto biography, child - child hood etc.
4. Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. We have already said that every rule has its exception. We will talk about this below.

“i” is written before “e” (except after “c”)

One of the first rules of reading that is taught in English classes. The rule works for words that have a long “ee”, as in shield(shield).

Examples: piece (part), niece (niece), priest (priest), thief (thief).

But after “c”: conceive (comprehend, conceive), receive (receive), receipt (receipt; not to be confused with recipe - recipe).

For words in which the sound “a” or “i” is pronounced, the opposite is true:

“a”: eight (eight), neighbor (neighbor), reign (board), weight (weight)

“i”: either (any; either), height (height), feisty (absurd), sleight (dexterity)

Exceptions: seize (grab), weird (strange), conscience (conscience, consciousness), efficient (effective), etc.

silent letters

The English language is full of unpronounceable letters. The question arises: why do the English insert letters into words, and then they simply do not pronounce them? ..

The Silent Witness, or What is the Unpronounceable Letter

unpronounceable letter ( silent letter) is a letter that should be in a word, even if we do not read it. More than half of the letters of the alphabet can act as unpronounceable. They can be at the beginning of a word, at the end or in the middle - from the sound of the word you will not understand that they are there.

Examples of unpronounceable letters:
a - thread(a thread), bread(bread), thread(step)
b- lamb(lamb), bomb(bomb), womb(womb)
c- scissors(scissors), science(the science), scented(aroma)
d- edge(edge), bridge(bridge), badge(icon)
e - see below
h- honor(honour), honest(honest), school(school)
k - knot(node), knight(knight), knowledge(knowledge)
l - talk(talk), psalms(psalm), balm(balm)
n- hymn(hymn), autumn(autumn), column(column, column)
p- pneumatic(pneumatic), psalms(psalm), psychology(psychology)
s- isle, island(island), aisle(passage, e.g. in the cabin)
t- listen(listen), rustle(rustling) whistle(whistle)
u- biscuit(cookie; not a biscuit!), guess(a guess), guitar(guitar)
w - write(write), wrong(wrong), wrist(wrist)

Unpronounceable "e"

The unpronounceable "e" is the most common unpronounceable letter. There are several strict rules for writing words that end in an unpronounceable “e”.

When you add a suffix to such a word and the suffix begins with a consonant, the word stem (stem) does not need to be changed.

force (strength) + ful = forceful (strong)

manage (manage) + ment = management (management)

sincere (sincere) + ly = sincerely (sincerely)

If the suffix begins with a vowel or with “y”, then the “e” before the suffix must be omitted.

fame (fame) + ous = famous (famous)

nerve (nerve) + ous = nervous (nervous)

believable + y = believably

criticise (criticize) + ism = criticism (criticism)

Exceptions: mileage (distance in miles), agreeable (accommodating).

Prefixes and suffixes

When you add a prefix to a word, you don't usually need to change the stem of the word.

anti + septic = antiseptic (antiseptic)

auto + biography = autobiography (autobiography)

de + mobilize = demobilize (demobilize)

dis + approve = disapprove (disapprove)

im + possible = impossible (impossible)

inter + national = international (international)

mega + byte = megabyte (megabyte)

mis + fortune = misfortune (failure)

micro + chip = microchip (microchip)

re + used = reused (recycled)

un + available = unavailable (unavailable)

When you add a suffix to a word, it often changes the base of the word. Below are a few rules. As usual, there are exceptions, so if you're not sure how a word is spelled, check the dictionary.

Words that end in a consonant

If the suffix starts with a consonant, just add it to the stem, don't change anything.

Example: treat (treat; treat) + ment = treatment (treatment; attitude).

Doubling a consonant

For most short vowel words that end in a single consonant, that consonant is doubled when you add a vowel-starting suffix (ing, er, ed, est).

mop (wash) + ing = mopping (wash)

big (big) + est = biggest (biggest)

hot (hot) + er = hotter (hotter)

For words that end with an “l” after a vowel, that “l” is doubled.

model (model) + ing = modeling (modeling)

travel (to travel) + er = traveller (traveler)

Exceptions

For some words ending in “r”, “x”, “w”, “y”, the doubling rule does not apply.

fear (to be afraid) + ing \u003d fearing (fear, afraid, afraid)

box (box, not box!) + er = boxer (boxer)

know (to know) + ing = knowing (knowledge, knowing, knowing)

play (play) + ing = playing (game, playing, playing)

And if the word has two consonants at the end or more than one vowel, the consonant is also not doubled.

maintain (maintain) + ing (two vowels a + i) = maintaining (maintenance)

keep (keep) + er (two vowels e + e) ​​= keeper (keeper; owner)

hang (hang) + er (two consonants n + g) = hanger (hook)

Word endings

Words that end in "ce" and "ge"

When you add a suffix that starts with "a" or "o", the "e" remains.

manage (execute) + able = manageable (executable)

notice (notice) + able = noticeable (noticeable)

courage (courage) + ous = courageous (brave)

Exception: prestige (prestige) + ous = prestigious (prestigious)

words ending with "ie"

When you add "ing" to verbs ending in "ie", the "e" is dropped and the "i" is changed to "y".

die (to die) - dying (dying, dying, dying)

lie (lie) - lying (lying, lying, lying)

tie (tie) - tying (tying, tying, tying)

Words that end in "y" after a consonant

When you add suffixes such as “as”, “ed”, “es”, “er”, “eth”, “ly”, “ness”, “ful” and “ous” to a word ending in “y ” after a consonant, “y” changes to “i” before a suffix.

eighty (eighty) + eth = eightieth (eightieth)

duty (duty) + es = duties (duties)

lazy (lazy) + ness = laziness (laziness)

mystery (mystery) + ous = mysterious (mysterious)

beauty (beauty) + ful = beautiful (beautiful)

multiply (multiply) + ed = multiplied (multiplied)

cozy (cozy) + ly = cosily (cozy)

Words that end in "y" after a vowel

"y" is stored before suffixes such as "er", "ing" or "ed".

destroy (destroy) - destroying - destroyed

buy (buy) - buying - buyer

play (play) - playing - player

You may be confused by some discrepancies in the rules of spelling and reading, which are caused by . It's not that one option is better and that one is worse, you just need to settle on one, learn and stick with it. Try not to mix one with the other.

The rules of reading and writing are like a weather forecast: we can rely on them, but we cannot count on them to help us out every time. Therefore, it is very important to read more in English so that the sound of words and their style merge into a single image.

For this purpose, the following method is perfect: listening to English books while viewing the original text in parallel.

10 English Classics Voiced by Native English Speakers

Mother Goose by W. W. Denslow Denslow

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", Beatrix Potter

Alice "s Adventures in Wonderland Audiobook by Lewis Carrol - "Alice in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities", Charles Dickens

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde - The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", Arthur Conan Doyle

It happens that native English speakers apologize to those who study it ... For the fact that the pronunciation of English words and their spelling are so different. Well, let's accept their apologies. After all, anyone who has firmly decided to learn English can handle any difficulties!

And you are surprised English rules reading? Share with us in the comments :)

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