Review questions and tasks. 1. What changes do the phonemes [t, d, n, l, s, z] undergo before [θ, ð]?
1. What changes do the phonemes [t, d, n, l, s, z] undergo before [θ, ð]?
2. What consonant in the sentence «Call the boy» is affected by regressive assimilation?
3. Say what consonant is assimilated in the words “train”, “trifle” and what degree of assimilation it is.
4. What mistakes are made in the pronunciation of the following words:
anecdote ['ænıgd∂ut] this book ['ðız 'buk]
birthday ['bз:ðdeı] let’s go ['letz 'g∂u]
obstinate [' pstınıt] like that ['laıg 'ðæt]
medicine ['metsın] this way ['ðız 'weı]?
Pronounce these words correctly. When does loss of plosion occur? Give your
own examples.
5. Define lateral and nasal plosions. Illustrate them with your own examples
(in English and in Russian).
UNIT 5
Section 1
Make a careful study of the text below and pick out the terms related to phonetics.
Accommodation
Accommodation is considered to be a special case of contact assimilation which occurs under the influence of a vowel on the adjacent consonant and vice versa. The accommodated sound does not change its main phonemic features and is pronounced as a variant of the same phoneme slightly modified under the influence of a neighbouring sound.
In modern English there are three main types of accommodation:
1) at the beginning of the word a consonant may become slightly labialized when followed by a rounded vowel phoneme:
e.g. too [tu:], noon [nu:n], ford [f :d], dog [d g]
2) a fully back variant of a vowel phoneme is replaced by its slightly advanced/fronted variant under the influence of the preceding medio-lingual [j]:
e.g. beauty ['bju:tı], music ['mju:zık]
3) a vowel becomes slightly more open before the dark [ł]:
cf. bell [bεł] – bed [bed]
tell [tεł] – ten [ten]
4) the spread lip position of consonants next to the front vowels [i:], [ı] may be traced: e.g. sit, leaf, tea.
5) slight nasalization is sometimes traced in vowels under the influence of the neighbouring sonorants [m], [n]: e.g. and, come in, men.
6) next to the backlingual consonants [k], [g], [ŋ] a retracted and raised variant of [∂] is heard (it slightly resembles the Russian [ы]):
e.g. canal [k∂'næl], to go [t∂ 'g∂u], long ago [l ŋ ∂'g∂u ]
Section 2
[ s ]
(constrictive fricative, forelingual, apical alveolar, strong, voiceless)
[ z ]
(сonstrictive fricative, forelingual, apical alveolar, weak, voiced)
I. Observe the position of the tongue for the sounds [ s ] and [ z ]. Read the words
in the columns. Observe correct pronunciation of combinations [sw], [zw], [sr],
[zr], [zθ], [zð].
see this sixth sweet miss Rachel
soon tense this thing sweater looks radiant
so miss looks thin swim Dick’s room
say pass Alice thinks swallow Jack’s rod
zebra is busy is thin is this is she is rich
zoo has music was thick was that does she was ready
zone was husband has thought has these has she does right
zenith says possess his thumb sees them was she his room
II. Read the sentences. Follow the tonetic marks.
1. Just fancy! Подумать только!
2. Precisely so. Совершенно верно.
3. It makes no sense. В этом нет смысла.
4. It’s beside the question. Это не по существу.
5. Let’s get to brass tacks. Перейдём к сути дела.
6. I’m absolutely certain of success. Я совершенно уверен в успехе.
7. As you please. Как вам угодно.
8. Easy does it. Тише едешь, дальше будешь.
9. His fingers are all thumbs. У него всё валится из рук.
10. Is it аs easy as that? Неужели это так легко?
III. Match the following English idioms, proverbs and sayings with their Russian
equivalents. Make up situations to illustrate their usage.
1. scratch the surface a. сохранять нейтралитет
2. a snake in the grass b. так сказать, как говорится
3. so to say/speak c. поверхностно изучать / излагать
4. sit on the fence d. теплое местечко
5. to be on a slippery slope e. тайный враг
6. beside oneself f. вне себя
7. a place in the sun g. Тише едешь – дальше будешь.
8. Slow and steady wins the race. h. стать на «скользкий» путь
9. Everybody’s business is nobody’s business. i. на горизонте
10. Speech is silver, but silence is gold. j. женская логика
11. woman’s reason k. Слово – серебро, молчание –
золото.
12.make smb’s hackles rise l. сложиться удачно
13. come up roses m. довести кого-либо до белого
каления
14. on the horizon n. У семи нянек дитя без глазу.
IV. Practise the pronunciation of the following rhyme and learn it by heart.
City
by Langston Hughs
In the morning the city In the evening the city
Spreads its wings Goes to bed
Making a song Hanging lights
In stone that sings. About its head.
V. Pronounce the tongue twisters in the quickest possible way. Observe the correct
articulation of [ sw ], [ s ] and [ z ].
1. Swan swam over the sea, Swan swam back again,
Swim, swan, swim! Well swum, swan!
2. Sue sees Cecily asleep with a glass of cyder and a nice sixpenny ice by her side.
3. A lazy zebra called Desmond is dozing at the zoo.
4. [ θ ] – [ i: ] – [ z ] – [ s ] Thieves seize skis.
Section 3
I. Listen to the dialogue and learn it by heart.