| Sample Audio Lessons from the Speak Standard, Too CDs |
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The two following Speak Standard, Too audio lessons - and their accompanying text lessons - will help you ....
1. To equate each of your dialect's rules with the equivalent standard English pronunciation/grammar rule.
2. To produce the new standard rule, and consciously contrast it with your primary dialect's equivalent rule.
3. To practice, practice, then practice some more until your production of the new pronunciation/grammatical feature is effortless and fluent - and you've mastered it!
4. To use the new standard rule in spontaneous and conversational situations - like class discussions and phone conversations - until you can consistently hear yourself using the new rule when you want or need to use it.
I've included the lessons from the Speak Standard, Too (SST) text, so that if you want to follow along visually, while the CD progresses through the lesson, that's fine - BUT ...
DON'T FORGET TO PRACTICE OUTLOUD!!
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| Sample Pronunciation Lesson #1 |
| How to say ASK - instead of - AXE / AX |
PLEASE CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO HEAR
THE CD LESSON ON PRONUNCIATION OF ASK / AX
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SPEAK STANDARD, TOO
(SE stands for Standard English.)
Ask - Axe Contrast
The most common difference in the pronunciation of ASK is to pronounce it as if it
were AXE. The letter "x" is not a sound; it is the (ks) consonant cluster. When
pronouncing AXE, the (k) comes before the (s); when pronouncing ASK in the SE
style, the (s) comes before the (k). Try the following drills, making sure that you
hear and feel the (s) before (k) at the appropriate times.
ssssk - ssssk - kssss - kssss - ssssk - ssssk
sk - sk - ks - ks - eesk - aaks - oosk - eeks
baSK - riSK - task - bacKS - tacKS - disk - maSK
ASS-K ASS-K ASS-KS ASS-KS ASS-KT ASS-KT
ASS-KING ASS-KING ASS-K ASS-KS ASS-KT ASS-KING
ask (ASS-K) axe (aks)
asks (ASS-KS) axes (aksiz)
asked (ASS-KT) axed (akst)
asking (ASS-KING) axing (aksing)
Practice sentences with capitalized and emboldened phonetic spellings.
1. I'll ASS-K my mother if I can go.
2. You ASS-K your mother, too.
3. He ASS-KS to go to the movies every Saturday.
4. Janie ASS-KS for a cookie.
5. Dan ASS-KT if he could watch TV.
6. Ami ASS-KT if she could stay in Boston.
7. Stop ASS-KING so many questions!
8. I always ASS-K if he sharpened his axe.
9. Paul ASS-KS me about our new axes.
10. Yesterday, I ASS-KT him if the logs were axed.
11. If the answer is "no," he's ASS-KING for an axing!
12. He ASS-KT me for my axe.
Practice Paragraphs for ASK.
The following two paragraphs spell the ASK words phonetically. Try
reading them out loud without thinking about the familiar spellings so
that you accustom yourself to the new SE pronunciation.
My mother ASS-KS my brothers the same questions that my father ASS-KS
them. Do you know what my parents ASS-K them? They ASS-K, "Did you
ASS-K permission to play with your sister's toys. And did you ASS-K for those
cookies?" Then, my mother ASS-KS, "Did you take a bath and wash with soap?"
I always ASS-K my mother to stop ASS-KING those questions, because after
she ASS-KS them about the bath, she remembers to ASS-K me the same
question, and I hate to wash with soap!
One of the students ASS-KT the teacher a question. I didn't hear, so I ASS-KT
the teacher to ASS-K the student to ASS-K the question again. The teacher said,
"When you are ASS-KING a question, please ASS-K loudly so everyone can
hear what you ASS-K." So, the student ASS-KT loudly enough for everyone to
hear, and I didn't have to ASS-K what he ASS-KT.
Now, using the SE pronunciation, read the same two paragraphs with the ASK words
spelled in the usual manner. Tape record your reading so that you can determine
which ASK words need more practice.
My mother asks my brothers the same questions that my father asks them. Do
you know what my parents ask them? They ask, "Did you ask our permission to
play with your sister's toys. And did you take a bath and wash with soap?" I
always ask my mother to stop asking those questions, because after she asks
them about the bath, she remembers to ask me the same questions, and I hate to
wash with soap!
One of the students asked the teacher a question. I didn't hear, so I asked the
teacher to ask the student to ask the question again. The teacher said, "When you
are asking a question, please ask loudly so everyone can hear what you ask."
So, the student asked loudly enough for everyone to hear, and I didn't have to
ask what he asked.
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| How to pronounce "ED" word-endings as (d), (t) or (id) for the Standard English Regular Past Tense |
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Please Note: The terms, "consonant cluster" and "consonant cluster-reduction,"
are used at the beginning of the next audio lesson. If you're not familiar with those terms,
please read the following brief explanation before you start the lesson.
A "consonant cluster" exists when two or more consonants are grouped together, like
the (st) in "best," and the (sps) in "clasps." In standard English, each consonant in the
cluster must be pronounced, except in rare instances, like the silent "gh" in "through"
or "height", and the silent "p" in "psychology." The most common dialectal pronunciation
difference occurs when the speaker reduces a consonant cluster by omitting one or
two of the consonants in the cluster, as in (lef) for (left) or (lis) for (lists).
Many nonstandard English-speakers omit the regular past tense "ed" word-endings
because those ed-endings are often part of a consonant cluster. The following lesson
shows you how to include the "ed" in the consonant cluster, so that you are using the
standard English regular past tense and its standard pronunciation.
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PLEASE CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW TO HEAR
THE CD LESSON ON "ED" WORD-ENDINGS.
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SPEAK STANDARD, TOO
"ed" Word-endings
If you tend to reduce consonant clusters and/or "ed" word-endings, make sure that
you hear either (t) or (d) at the ends of the words in the first two columns. The third
column lists words that end in "ed" but the endings are pronounced as (id), and are
not consonant clusters.
(d)
loved
lived
moved
mobbed
robbed
lobbed
stormed
named
steamed
rained
loaned
signed
amazed
raised
seized
changed
arranged
managed
remembered
stored
shared
rigged
mugged
lugged
mailed
sailed
nailed
bathed
enjoyed
cried
played
snowed
(t)
miffed
laughed
staffed
ripped
tapped
stopped
wished
rushed
cashed
matched
watched
munched
missed
raced
passed
faced
laced
based
typed
hoped
shaped
liked
baked
cooked
risked
asked
picked
walked
talked
fished
patched
mashed
(id)
included
graded
faded
stated
hated
mated
tasted
roasted
posted
wasted
quoted
supported
elected
dusted
rusted
appointed
printed
tinted
hinted
skated
braided
shaded
paraded
corroded
added
divided
united
initiated
intended
offended
defended
lasted
The following words contain additional consonant clusters that include the ed word-endings.
Make sure you feel and hear yourself producing the final (d) or (t).
(bd)
grabbed
stabbed
lobbed
nabbed
rehabbed
(gd)
lagged
flagged
flogged
rigged
hugged
(jd)
aged
caged
judged
charged
raged
(njd)
changed
arranged
deranged
(vd)
waved
raved
staved
halved
saved
paved
arrived
caved
survived
dived
waved
slaved
braved
shaved
jived
craved
(thd)
bathed
writhed
soothed
tithed
clothed
loathed
breathed
smoothed
(zd)
advised
raised
gazed
dazed
eased
amazed
glazed
(pst)
lapsed
collapsed
elapsed
(sht)
washed
brushed
hushed
cashed
lashed
(cht)
lunched
ditched
pitched
hatched
bleached
perched
touched
lurched
reached
hitched
latched
Practice Sentences with Capitalized "ED" Word-Endings
1. She dressED herself, then chargED what she purchasED.
2. She lovED the house in which her parents livED.
3. He lobbED the ball and robbED Ted of the point.
4. Pete was amazED that he had raisED enough money.
5. We watchED the game and munchED chips and popcorn.
6. He was impressED that she walkED ten miles.
7. We huggED and kissED our daughter when she arrivED.
8. Ami studiED hard, typED three papers and earnED an A.
9. Dan dribblED the ball, fakED the shot and passED.
10. He climbED the tree, then jumpED to the ground.
11. John hirED him, noticED he was lazy and firED him.
12. He hammerED and nailED and sawED until he finishED.
13. Mary lacED up her shoes, then racED to the finish.
14. He arrangED the flowers and placED them on a table.
15. I cookED the dinner and bakED dessert for the party.
16. They pickED him last but he playED the best.
17. We walkED and talkED and stoppED for ice cream.
18. He riskED all his savings and wagerED a bet.
19. Joe darnED his own socks and patchED his jeans.
20. She practicED and rehearsED and achievED perfection.
21. She askED if he had pickED the winner yet.
22. They thrillED her when they told her she had earnED the prize.
23. The bank loanED the money, then askED for it back.
24. The wolf huffED and puffED and demolishED the house.
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