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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] |
|
J j |
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].
