NOTES CHAPTER THREE: PRODUCING SHORT AND COHERENT ORAL MESSAGES

wazaelimu

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2026
633
0
16
PRONUNCIATION

Pronunciation refers to a way how a word or language is spoken or articulated. In order to pronounce English words, a person have to understand the concept of Phonology.
According to Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, phonology is the study of the pattern of speech sounds used in a particular language.

Phonemes

➢Phoneme is a smallest distinctive sound unit.
➢Phonemes are sounds used to differentiate meaning of words. Hence, disorganized sounds produced are called phones.
➢When they are arranged according to the rules of a particular language are called phonemes.
➢ Phonemes are tested by using a minimal pair

Minimal pairs are pairs of words that vary in meaning by only one sound (phoneme) while sharing pronunciation in other sounds.

For example,
✓ rice – lice
These words differ only in the first consonant
sounds. That is /r/ and /l/.
✓ ship – sheep
These words differ only in vowel sounds length.
That is /ɪ/ and /i:/

pit – pin
These words differ only in the final consonant sounds. That is /t/ and /n/. top – chop
These words differ only in the first consonant sounds. That is /t/ and /ʧ/.