Saying it clearly! Pronunciation Practice

Speak Success: Mastering the IELTS Speaking Journey – Chapter 6

As we venture into Weeks 3-4 of our series, we turn our focus toward a cornerstone of effective communication: Pronunciation. In the world of IELTS Speaking, pronunciation could be considered as a “low-hanging fruit” of the speaking criterion. Excelling in pronunciation can dramatically improve your speaking score by making your speech clearer and more comprehensible and the only way to achieve this is through pronunciation practice! This lesson covers three key areas: intonation patterns, stress and rhythm exercises, and practicing individual sounds for clarity.

1. Working on Intonation Patterns

Intonation—the rise and fall of voice pitch across phrases and sentences—plays a crucial role in conveying meaning. English intonation patterns can express a wide range of emotions and functions, such as statements, questions, and emotions.

• Activity: Listen to recordings of native speakers. Pay close attention to how their pitch rises and falls. Practice by mimicking short phrases, focusing on matching the intonation. Here’s a YouTube video from the television series “Friends” to help get you started.

2. Stress and Rhythm Exercises

Stress refers to how some words or syllables are emphasized more than others, while rhythm is the pattern of stresses in a sentence. English is considered a stress-timed language, meaning the timing of a sentence is influenced by the stresses, not the number of syllables.

• Activity: Tap out the rhythm of sentences as you say them, emphasizing the stressed syllables. Practice with lists of words, noting which syllables are stressed, and then progress to sentences and paragraphs. See a sample paragraph below!
  

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. In every heart, there is a room, a sanctuary safe and strong. To heal the wounds from lovers’ past, until a new one comes along. Underneath the mango tree, I sat and dreamt of far away.

3. Practicing Individual Sounds for Clarity

Mastering the individual sounds of English, including vowels and consonants, especially those that don’t exist in your native language, can significantly enhance your pronunciation clarity.

• Activity: Use phonetic exercises to work on challenging sounds. Practice minimal pairs (words that differ by only one sound, e.g., “bat” and “pat”) to fine-tune your pronunciation. The lists below are targetted towards five different language groups which span across 50 different countries!

<table border="1">
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>Mandarin Speakers</strong><br>
      Rice /raɪs/ vs. Lice /laɪs/<br>
      Think /θɪŋk/ vs. Sink /sɪŋk/<br>
      Bat /bæt/ vs. Bath /bæθ/<br>
      Rope /roʊp/ vs. Lope /loʊp/<br>
      Caught /kɔːt/ vs. Cot /kɒt/<br>
      Red /rɛd/ vs. Led /lɛd/<br>
      Thick /θɪk/ vs. Sick /sɪk/<br>
      Mail /meɪl/ vs. Male /meɪl/<br>
      Rate /reɪt/ vs. Late /leɪt/<br>
      Fear /fɪər/ vs. Fir /fɜr/
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>Spanish Speakers</strong><br>
      Hat /hæt/ vs. At /æt/<br>
      Very /ˈvɛri/ vs. Berry /ˈbɛri/<br>
      Sheep /ʃiːp/ vs. Seep /siːp/<br>
      Jeep /dʒiːp/ vs. Cheap /tʃiːp/<br>
      Vest /vɛst/ vs. Best /bɛst/<br>
      Ship /ʃɪp/ vs. Hip /hɪp/<br>
      Have /hæv/ vs. Ave /æv/<br>
      Wish /wɪʃ/ vs. Vish /vɪʃ/<br>
      Jelly /ˈdʒɛli/ vs. Gel /dʒɛl/<br>
      Cheese /tʃiːz/ vs. Jeez /dʒiːz/
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>Japanese Speakers</strong><br>
      Rack /ræk/ vs. Lack /læk/<br>
      Light /laɪt/ vs. Right /raɪt/<br>
      Think /θɪŋk/ vs. Sink /sɪŋk/<br>
      Faith /feɪθ/ vs. Fate /feɪt/<br>
      Cool /kuːl/ vs. Coal /koʊl/<br>
      Roll /roʊl/ vs. Loll /lɒl/<br>
      Rip /rɪp/ vs. Lip /lɪp/<br>
      Rung /rʌŋ/ vs. Lung /lʌŋ/<br>
      Rat /ræt/ vs. Lat /læt/<br>
      Rush /rʌʃ/ vs. Lush /lʌʃ/
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>Russian Speakers</strong><br>
      Wine /waɪn/ vs. Vine /vaɪn/<br>
      Hill /hɪl/ vs. Ill /ɪl/<br>
      Light /laɪt/ vs. Lied /laɪd/<br>
      Wool /wʊl/ vs. Full /fʊl/<br>
      Heap /hiːp/ vs. Hip /hɪp/<br>
      Who /huː/ vs. Voodoo /ˈvuːduː/<br>
      Hear /hɪər/ vs. Ear /ɪər/<br>
      Whale /weɪl/ vs. Veil /veɪl/<br>
      Wet /wɛt/ vs. Vet /vɛt/<br>
      Hood /hʊd/ vs. Wood /wʊd/
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>Arabic Speakers</strong><br>
      Pin /pɪn/ vs. Bin /bɪn/<br>
      Vet /vɛt/ vs. Bet /bɛt/<br>
      Think /θɪŋk/ vs. Thank /θæŋk/<br>
      Path /pæθ/ vs. Bath /bæθ/<br>
      Cap /kæp/ vs. Cab /kæb/<br>
      Peat /piːt/ vs. Beat /biːt/<br>
      Vase /vɑːz/ vs. Base /beɪs/<br>
      Throne /θroʊn/ vs. Thrown /θroʊn/<br>
      Pit /pɪt/ vs. Bit /bɪt/<br>
      Vent /vɛnt/ vs. Bent /bɛnt/
    </td>
    <td></td>
  </tr>
</table>

Practice Tips:

• Listen to the pronunciation of each word by a native speaker or through a reliable online dictionary.
• Repeat the words, focusing on the challenging sounds.
• Record yourself and compare your pronunciation with that of native speakers.

By concentrating on the sounds that pose the greatest difficulty, learners can make significant progress in their pronunciation. Remember, consistent practice is key to improvement.

Vocabulary List

• Intonation (noun) [ˌɪn.təˈneɪ.ʃən]: The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
• Stress (noun) [strɛs]: The emphasis that falls on certain syllables and not others.
• Rhythm (noun) [ˈrɪð.əm]: A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
• Phonetic (adj) [fəˈnɛtɪk]: Relating to the sounds of spoken language.

Pronunciation is a critical component of the IELTS Speaking test. By focusing on intonation patterns, mastering stress and rhythm, and practicing individual sounds, you can make your speech more intelligible and expressive. Remember, regular practice and conscious effort are key to improvement. Stay tuned for more lessons, and let’s continue to build towards IELTS success together!