paochai01
Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- New Zealand
Hi, I'm helping a friend, English is his second language. He gets confused with pronunciation of a lot of words. Similar spelling, different pronunciation. I'm not a teacher and I couldn't explain it to him so well. I told him how inconsistent pronunciation can be and all and it's a matter of just learning to use the words and a matter of watching and listening and becoming familiar with them. Are there rules? I also gave him some pronunciation/spelling poems but I don't think it covers everything. He gets confused how some words with similar spelling/ending differ in pronunciation. I don't know if there are rules or books to master them.
Here are a few words he found with tricky pronunciation:
frown-blown (au-ou)
tow-vow
few-sew (oo-ow)
cough-dough-rough (a-ou-schwa)
draught-taught (ae-a)
dear-pear (short i-eh)
tear-tear (short i-eh)
bother-brother (a-schwa)
lose-rose (oo-ou)
sword-word (o-schwa)
beard-heard (short i-schwa)
dove-love (ou-schwa)
wind-wind (short i-ai)
mould-should (ou-short u)
boot-book (long u-short u)
tomb-bomb-comb
haunt-aunt
shoes-goes-does
singer-linger
lost-post
blood-food-good
rush-push
read-read
doll-toll
foul-soul
glove-cove
around-wound
Let me know if there are rules or books I could suggest him to buy to learn the pronunciation of words similar to these.
Here are a few words he found with tricky pronunciation:
frown-blown (au-ou)
tow-vow
few-sew (oo-ow)
cough-dough-rough (a-ou-schwa)
draught-taught (ae-a)
dear-pear (short i-eh)
tear-tear (short i-eh)
bother-brother (a-schwa)
lose-rose (oo-ou)
sword-word (o-schwa)
beard-heard (short i-schwa)
dove-love (ou-schwa)
wind-wind (short i-ai)
mould-should (ou-short u)
boot-book (long u-short u)
tomb-bomb-comb
haunt-aunt
shoes-goes-does
singer-linger
lost-post
blood-food-good
rush-push
read-read
doll-toll
foul-soul
glove-cove
around-wound
Let me know if there are rules or books I could suggest him to buy to learn the pronunciation of words similar to these.