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English uses the Latin alphabet, however, unlike most European languages, the pronunciation of letters has a number of features. For example, the letter "A" in English is called the letter "hey" and is pronounced in some cases as "hey", in others as a cross between "a" and "e". For convenience, we will designate sounds with capital Russian letters in square quotation marks - for example. [Hey]. In addition, some letters should be read for a long time, we will denote them with a sound with a colon, for example. [bi:]
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Remember their names.
|
Letter |
Name |
Pronunciation |
Letter |
Name |
Pronunciation |
|
A a |
Hey |
[hey] [æ] |
N n |
en |
[n] |
|
B b |
bi: |
[b] |
O o |
OU |
[oh] [oh] |
|
c c |
si: |
[c] before e; i; y; [k] in other cases |
Pp |
pi: |
[P] |
|
D d |
di: |
[e] |
Q q |
cue |
[kv] |
|
e e |
And: |
[i:] [e] |
R r |
but |
[p] [a] |
|
F f |
ef |
[f] |
S s |
es |
[from] |
|
G g |
ji: |
[j] [g] |
T t |
ti: |
[T] |
|
H h |
h |
[X] |
U u |
Yu |
[yu] [a] [y] |
|
I i |
ah |
[ay] [and] |
Vv |
in and: |
[in] |
|
Jj |
jay |
[J] |
W w |
double u |
[w] sound between y and v |
|
K k |
Kay |
[to] |
X x |
the ex |
[ks] [gz] |
|
l l |
|
[l] |
Y y |
wye |
[th] |
|
M m |
Em |
[m] |
Zz |
zed |
[h] |
Pronunciation of the letter A.
The letter A in a closed syllable.
In a closed syllable, the letter A is pronounced as a cross between the Russian sounds "a" and "e". There is no such sound in Russian. It must be pronounced , lowering the lower jaw, the tip of the tongue rests on the lower teeth. The tongue is slightly curved. We will denote this sound with the symbol [æ].
Read aloud, following the instructions:
man [mæn], hand [hænd], lamp [læmp], flag [flag], bad [bæd], mar [mæp], plan [plæn].
Letter A in an open syllable.
The letter A in an open syllable is pronounced as it is called in the alphabet , i.e. [hey]. lay [lay], pIay [play], say [say].
A conditionally open syllable is a syllable with an unpronounceable final "e". Words like take, late graphically consist of two syllables, and the letter A is pronounced like [hey]. Read the following words aloud.
lake [lake], make [make], safe [safe], plate [plate].
Pronunciation of the letter E.
Pronunciation of the letter E in a closed syllable.
The letter E in a closed syllable is pronounced as a cross between the Russian sounds "e" and "e".
Read aloud:
bed [trouble], tent [tent], red [ed], tell [tel], egg [eg], help [help], rest [rest].
Pronunciation of the letter E e in an open syllable.
The letter E in an open syllable is pronounced like a long Russian and, that is, the way it is called. We will denote the length of the vowel sound with a colon - [and: a: o:], etc., but remember that these vowel sounds must be pronounced together.
Read aloud:
be [bi:], he [hee:]; me [mi:].
The combination of two vowels E.
The double vowel "e" - it is also pronounced as a long sound [and:].
For example: see [si:], free [free:], meet [mi: t], tree [three:], beef [bi: f], keer [ki: p].
At the end of a word, the letter E is usually not pronounced, except for a small number of words , mainly of French origin, for example, the word cafe (kefei - cafe). An unpronounceable "e" at the end of a word is called a silent "e".
Read aloud:
pale [pale], apple [æpl], tale [tail], take [take], make [make].
