Pronunciation+Problems

= Pronunciation Problems =

Do you need help with pronunciation? All students do! Below is a list of some of the most common problems for language groups. This information is courtesy of //Making it Clear: A Guide to Teaching Pronunciation// by C. Beaubier

=Arabic =  o /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /t/ and /d/ respectively /( **bath** as **bat** and **this** as **dis**)  o /r/ is rolled  o /w/ sounds like /v/ (**will** as **vill**)  o /t ʃ / and /d ʒ / are pronounced as / ʃ / and / ʒ /respectively (**catch** as **cash** and **age** as **azh**)  o /ŋ/ is pronounced as /nk/ (**thing** as **think**)  o Often try to stress / ə /  o Have difficulty with movable stress patterns and the idea that changing the stress pattern can change the meaning like in noun verb pairs.(**pre**sent and pre**sent** and **pho**to**,** photo**graph** and pho**tog**raphy) = =

=Cantonese =  o /θ/ sounds like /f/ and /d/ respectively /( ** bath ** as ** baf ** and ** this ** as ** dis **)  o /r/ and /l/ confusions (**right** and **light**) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> o final consonant sounds dropped (**cat** as **ca**) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> o no linking with words that "go together" in phrases

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Dinka = o /f/ and /v/ are pronounced as /p/and b/ (**fun** as **pun**) o They don’t have the sounds /s/, /z/, / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ /,/ <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ /,/ t <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ /,/d <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ /, o They have ‘breathy’ vowels that are completely different from English vowels

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Farsi = o Farsi speakers often have difficulty with /θ/ and /ð/ sounding like /t/ and /d/ **(bath** as **bat** and **this** as **dis)** o /w/ sounds like /v/ (**what** as **vhat**) o /z/ is pronounced as /s/(**sipper** for **zipper**) o Sometimes roll /r/ too much o /t <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ / is pronounced as / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ / (**catch** as **cash**) o The /g/ is too strong in /ŋ/ (stro**ng** will have a heavy **g** sound) o Often try to stress / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">ə / o Difficulty with short vowels o Insertion of / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ə / in words that begin with the consonant clusters that start with an /s/ ex. /st-/, /sp-/, /sk-/ (**special** as **especial**) o Unlike English, stress patterns are highly predictable and usually fall on last syllable.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">French = o Have confusion between /r/ and /w/ (**ring** as **wing**) o Have problems with /h/ may delete it (**happy** as **appy**) o French Canadians often have difficulty with /θ/ and /ð/ sounding like /t/ and /d/( **bath** as **bat** and **this** as **dis**) o Other French speakers may replace /θ/ and /ð/ with /s/ and /z/(**bath** as **bas** or **this** as **zis**) o In French all words that are 2 syllables or longer stress the last syllable, whereas English stress patterns vary. This is even more confusing in words that are similar to English. o Unstressed syllables are not reduced in length.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Japanese =
 * /l/ and /r/ (**lounge** may be pronounced as **rounge**)
 * /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /s/ and /z/ respectively (**bath** as **bas** or **this** as **zis**)
 * final /n/ not pronounced accurately
 * /er/ sounds like /ar/ (**helper** as **helpar)**
 * Syllables are generally the same length
 * absence of /w/ before / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʊ / so that ‘would’ sounds like ‘ud’
 * /g/ may be pronounced as / ŋ/ between vowels (bi**gg**er as bi**ng**er)
 * Have difficulty with English consonant clusters
 * Does not manipulate intonation patterns based on new information.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Korean =
 * /l/ and /r/ ( <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">lounge may be pronounced as <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">rounge )
 * /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /s/ and /z/ respectively OR /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /t/ and /d/ (**bath** as **bas** or **bat** or **this** as **zis** or **dis**)
 * / <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">ə / is inserted at the end of words with voiced sounds (‘bridge’ sounds like ‘bridgy’)
 * /f/ and /p/ are interchanged especially in initial word/syllable positions (**apple** as **affle**)
 * /æ/ sounds like / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ɛ / (**sand** sounds like ‘**send**)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: auto;">no linking with words that "go together" in phrases
 * absence of /w/ before / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʊ / so that ‘would’ sounds like ‘ud’
 * Doesn’t use word or syllable stress at all. Due to this, Korean speakers often sound flat.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Mandarin = = =
 * /v/ sounds like /w/ or /f/ (**invite** as **inwite** or **infite**)
 * /l/ and /r/ confusion (**fried** pronounced as **flied**)
 * /l/ and /n/ confusion in speakers from southern China (**night** and **light**)
 * /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /s/ and /z/ respectively (**bath** as **bas** or **this** as **zis**)
 * No linking between words that "go together" in phrases
 * Reduced syllables are less common (don't pronounce **schwa**)
 * Sentence intonation doesn't really exsist; therefore English intonation patterns are difficult for Mandarin speakers
 * insertion of /ə/ when one consonant ends a syllable and the next syllable starts with a consonant (**cupcake** as **cup**ə**cake**)

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Punjabi = o /p/ is often used in place of /f/ (**fun** as **pun**) o /b/or /w/ in place of /v/ (**berry, wary** for **very**) o /w/ sounds like /v/ (**vent** for **went**) o /θ/ sounds like /t/, /ð/ sounds like /d/ ( **(bath** as **bat** and **this** as **dis)**    o /d <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ / is pronounced as /dz/ (**dzoy** for **joy**)    o Slightly rolled /r/    o Weak /r/ with vowels (**caw** for c**ar**)    o Difficulty with short vowels    o Syllable timed language (**English is stress timed**)    o Different stress patterns    o Different intonation pattern meanings (**For English speakers rising at the end of a statement indicates a question, whereas for Punjabi Speakers it expresses surprise)**  = =

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Russian = o /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /s/ and /z/ respectively **(bath** as **bas** or **this** as **zis**) o /w/ sounds like /v/ (**what** as **vhat**) o /r/ is rolled too much o / ŋ/ is pronounced as /nk/ (**thing** as **think**) o /z/ is often pronounced as /s/ (**buzz** as **bus**) o /θ/+/s/ or /ð/= /z/ are very difficult to pronounce (ex. Mon**ths** or clo**thes)** o Difficulty with short vowels o Tend to stress function words like **as, than, can** etc… o Instead of using **rising** intonation for yes/no questions Russian speakers tend to **fall** which may sound rude. o Falling intonations isn’t low enough.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Spanish = o /r/ is a rolled /r/ (like the /r/ in the Scottish dialect of English) and should not have this feature
 * /θ/ and /ð/ sound like /t/ and /d/ respectively (**this** as **dis** or **bath** as **bat**)
 * / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʌ / sounds like / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʊ / (**culture** sounds like **coolture**)
 * final /m/ = /n/ **(I am fine** as **I an fine**)
 * final /n/ = /ŋ/ (**happen** as **happeng**)
 * insertion of / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ə / in words that begin with /st-/, /sp-/, /sk-/ (**special** as **especial**)
 * difficulty between /iy/ and / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">ɪ / (‘**leave’** and ‘**live**’)
 * final consonant sound dropped(**hard** pronounced as **har or work** as **wor)**)
 * /h/, particularly in word-initial position is very harsh (speakers from Spain, not Latin America)

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Urdu = o /θ/ sounds like /f/, /ð/ sounds like /d/( **(bath** as **bat** and **this** as **dis)**    o /t <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ / is pronounced as / <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif';">ʃ / (**cheese** as **sheese**)    o /w/ sounds like /v/(**vent** for **went**)    o Slightly rolled /r/    o /d <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ / is pronounced as /dz/(**dzoy** for **joy**)    o Difficulty with vowels    o Syllable timed language (**English is stress timed**)    o Different stress patterns    o Different intonation pattern meanings (**For English speakers rising at the end of a statement indicates a question, whereas for Urdu Speakers it expresses surprise)**

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; margin: 24pt 0cm 0pt;">Vietnamese = o Vietnamese has fewer final consonants than English, Vietnamese speakers often drop the final consonant. o have difficulty with consonant clusters o /t/  and  /k/  are perceived as  /d/  and  /ɡ/  respectively (**Toe** as **doe** and **cow** as **gow**) o /θ/, which is confused with  /t/  or  /s/ (**bath** as **bas** or **bat**) o /ð/, which is confused with  /d/  or  /z/ (**this** as **dis** or **zis**) o /p/, which is confused with /b/ (**pat** as **bat**) o /d <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ /, which is confused with /z/ (**zoo** as **joo**) o / <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ /, which is confused with /z/ or /d <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʒ / (**measure** as **meazure** or **meajure**) o /s/, which is confused with / <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ʃ / (**wash** as **was**) o / <span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS','sans-serif';">ɪ /, which is confused with /i/( **bit** and **bite**) o Difficulty with short vowels o Vietnamese is a tonal language and often speakers try to replace English intonation with tones.

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