How to pronounce any word correctly

English phonetics: how to improve pronunciation and beat accent

Why is learning English pronunciation important? Because pronunciation is the first thing you notice in your English!

Learn to pronounce English words correctly as early as possible. English pronunciation is unpredictable! If you give up on practicing pronunciation, you will start making mistakes that will eventually become irreparable. The longer you ignore pronunciation problems, the more likely you will never get rid of them. So fight procrastination!

How to learn pronunciation: algorithm of actions

The sounds of the English language are different from the Russian ones. Want to speak good English? Then you have to learn how to recognize and pronounce them.

1. Learn sounds and their phonetic symbols. Learn to recognize each sound — then you can learn pronunciation by ear. To learn how to pronounce a word correctly, you need to know what sounds you hear. For example, / dɒk / and / dʌk / — do you hear the difference? Must learn to hear.
2. Learn phonetic transcription and word stress.
3. Choose your pronunciation model, American or British.

There are several recording systems for the transmission of the sounds of the English language. Russian-speaking students are more familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), but American dictionaries use an alternative system other than IPA (see Merriam-Webster Dictionary, New Oxford American Dictionary, American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Random House Dictionary of the English Language). So if in the transcription you see the symbols ā, ä, ī — do not be alarmed: this is an American transcription.

Dictionary, my kingdom for the dictionary !.

English pronunciation, as we said, is unpredictable, so guessing how to pronounce a word is a useless exercise and will also reinforce a bad habit.

This is why (and especially at the beginning of learning!) It is so important to carefully check how a particular word is pronounced. Think of each word as a potential trap — not just “difficult” words like “determine” or “process”. The simplest English words like “of”, “won’t”, “does” or “most” may surprise you.

If you are not 100% sure how to pronounce a particular word, do not guess — if possible, try to check the dictionary before saying the word out loud.

As you read, ask yourself, “Do I know how to pronounce this word? Can I make a phonetic transcription of it? » If you are not sure, check the dictionary. If you are a beginner, you should repeat this procedure as often as possible.

1. Make it a rule to check your pronunciation in a dictionary. If you are not 100% sure how to pronounce a particular word, do not guess — if possible, try to check the dictionary before saying the word out loud. As you read, ask yourself, “Do I know how to pronounce this word? Can I make a phonetic transcription of it? » If you are not sure, check the dictionary. If you are a beginner, you should repeat this procedure as often as possible.
2. Listen and remember. Any source of spoken language will work: TV, podcasts, movies, audiobooks When listening, pay attention to how words and sounds are pronounced. If the speaker is not a native speaker, mark their mistakes.
3. Practice! The practice can take many forms. You can work through the system (for example, 15 minutes with vocabulary or pronunciation exercises) or just repeat a few words while doing something else (watching a movie or taking a shower). It is important to do this regularly — then you will see progress.
4. Develop a pronunciation learning system for yourself. For example, find a list of the most commonly used English words and learn how they are pronounced.

Good English pronunciation — what is it?

There are three levels of English pronunciation:

Level 1. Often people around do not understand what you want to say. You mispronounce English words.

Level 2. Others can understand you, but for this they need to make an effort.

Level 3. You are easily understood. Your pronunciation is clear and pleasant to the ear.

More about level 3

There are only two standards for English pronunciation:

If you speak with a GenAm or RP accent, you will be understood all over the world — both native speakers and non-native speakers of English. GenAm and RP sound on TV, in films, in English classes with a native speaker — that’s why they are familiar to everyone.

Note that not all native English speakers have a GenAm or RP pronunciation and not all speak at level 3. If you were born and raised in Scotland, any Scot will understand you — and most likely any British, American — not necessarily, but the one for whom English is not native — most likely not. With this pronunciation, you are likely to experience a number of difficulties in communicating with English speakers in Houston, Berlin, or Seoul.

English pronunciation: complete chaos

Still, learning English pronunciation is not easy. At the beginning of the last century, the Dutch linguist Gerard Nolst Trenité (how his name is pronounced is a topic for a separate study) in his hearts he wrote a whole poem on this topic. And it is called (you will not be surprised): «Chaos».

If you can read every word in this wonderful poem correctly, you speak English better than 90% of the world’s native English speakers. One Frenchman, after trying, declared that he would prefer six months of hard labor to reading six lines aloud.

8 pronunciation mistakes that helped shape modern English

If, while listening to the previous poem, you did not make a single discovery for yourself — congratulations! You have mastered all the intricacies of English pronunciation and reached a level that many native speakers will envy. For the rest, let’s note: your mistakes in pronunciation can do a good job of the English language!

Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/fonetika-anglijskogo-yazyka-kak-uluchshit-proiznoshenie-i-pobedit-aktsent

English alphabet

At the end of the lesson, an exercise awaits you, but for now interesting facts:

• There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, and as many as 33 in the Russian alphabet.
• Usually one consonant letter corresponds to one sound, but the letter X corresponds to two sounds — KS.
• British and American pronunciations differ slightly. This applies to the letter Z — the British version is [zɛd] “zed”, the American version is [zi:] “zi”.
• The most common letters are E and T (the most common word is the), and the rarest letters are Z and Q. This knowledge allowed Sherlock Holmes to decipher the letter, where each letter was replaced with an icon.

How to pronounce the alphabet correctly? Here are all the letters with English and Russian transcription. Russian transcription is given only for the very beginners, but in general it is necessary to learn English transcription — nowhere without it, it is used in all dictionaries.
The letters are voiced!
You can click on the letters — you will hear the pronunciation (if suddenly the sound does not work here — there are other options below).

Aa [ei] [hey]	Nn [en] [en]
Bb [bi:] [bi]	Oo [ou] [oh]
Cc [si:] [si]	Pp [pi:] [pi]
Dd [di:] [di]	Qq [kju:] [kyu]
Ee [i:] [and]	Rr [a:] [a :, ar]
Ff [ef] [eff]	Ss [es] [es]
Gg [dʒi:] [ji]	Tt [ti:] [ty]
Hh [eitʃ] [hh]	Uu [ju:] [yu]
Ii [ai] [ah]	Vv [vi:] [vi]
Jj [dʒei] [jay]	Ww [`dʌbl` ju:] [double]
Kk [kei] [kei]	Xx [eks] [ex]
Ll [el] [email]	Yy [wai] [wai]
Mm [em] [uh]	Zz [zed / ziː] [zed / zi]

How to write English letters? The first picture, taken from a school textbook, shows a handwritten alphabet. But on English-language sites, there are usually slightly different spellings of letters (to enlarge the two pictures on the right, click on them).

English alphabet from textbook

Writing letters of the English alphabet

Another copy of the English alphabet

Hear the correct pronunciation of the English alphabet. Do you think this is American or British pronunciation?

Songs (on a separate page)

To make it easier for children to remember the alphabet, special songs… If you sing it a couple of times, the melody will “stick” to you for a long time. At the same time, guess who is singing it: the British or the Americans?

Sounded alphabet

It is convenient for children to learn the alphabet in pictures in the form of an alphabet.
Click on the pictures to hear the pronunciation of words from the alphabet, or listen to all the words at once using the player: /audio/abc.mp3 Download mp3

A — apple [‘æpl] — apple
B — bird [bə: d] — bird
C — car [kɑ:] — car
D — dog [dɒg] — dog
E — ear [ıə] — ear
F — fish [fıʃ] — fish
G — girl [gɜ: l] — girl
H — hair [heə] — hair
I — ice cream [ˌaɪs’kriːm] — ice cream
J — juice [dʒu: s] — juice
K — kettle [ketl] — kettle
L — laugh [lɑ: f] — laugh
M — milk [mılk] — milk
N — neck [nek] — neck
O — orange [‘ɔrɪnʤ] — orange
P — pillow [‘pɪləu] — pillow
Q — queen [kwi: n] — queen
R — rain [reın] — rain
S — sun [sʌn] — sun
T — towel [‘tauəl] — towel
U — umbrella [ʌm’brelə] — umbrella
V — vegetable [‘veʤ (ə) təbl] — vegetables
W — watermelon [‘wɔːtəˌmelən] — watermelon (water — water, melon — melon)
X — X-ray [‘eksreɪ] — X-ray
Y — year [jıə] — year
Z — zebra [‘zebrə] — zebra

Exercises

Many students write in the comments “I know the alphabet!” Well, let’s check it out. Listen to the recording below and fill in the blanks.

Each letter is read twice to give you more time and the opportunity to check if you heard it correctly, you only need to write it once, one letter in one box.

Source: https://englishtexts.ru/english-grammar/abc

How do you actually read R in English? Simple rules for reading the letter R

I am often asked the question — how to read R correctly in English. Sometimes in the same word, some R are read and some are not. In this tutorial, we will break down simple and working rules to help you understand how to read the English letter R.

With the English letter R, everything is really difficult, because

British not Always read R Americans always read R

The case when R is always readable regardless of accent

If R is not part of a special bundle (syllable with R), then R will be read (sounds like a soft R, as in the word bring). Usually, this is a situation where R comes before a vowel. In this case, the R is usually preceded by a consonant. Also R can start a new syllable. Examples of words:

ready, road, practice, craft, supreme, parable

Cases where vowel + R form a special syllable

This is not uncommon in the English language. The vowel + R refers to the same syllable and together they give a rather unusual sound for Russian speakers.

Interestingly, in vowel + R bundles, Americans will pronounce R, and it will be heard.

The British do not say R, they will instead stretch out a vowel. For the British, R in this case works like an «extension» for the previous vowel. This is the main difference between British and American accents. Listen to 2 ways the word sounds cardhttp://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/card

R at the end of a word in combinations or and er

Americans in this case will say R, they will pronounce it weakly, but you can hear it. The British won’t say R. But if the next word begins with a vowel, then even the British will say r. Hear mother and mother-in-law pronounced: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mother http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mother-in-law

Syllable «vowel + R» in the middle of a word

There are a number of special combinations with r that give an unusual sound. / ɜː /. These are the bundles ir, ur, er and sometimes or. As in the word girl. Americans say r, British don’t. Http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/girl More examples: bird, turn, shirt, world, murder, Berlin Some syllables may have 2 vowels before R. Pronunciation, again, depends on the accent. We look at the picture.

To avoid misunderstandings, you need to decide with what accent the interlocutor speaks. The British version is still considered the reference, but almost the whole world uses the American one. You will gradually learn to hear the difference as you practice and listen to English. In the meantime, I recommend that you watch a video lesson with the rules for reading vowels in American English.

The last block deals with the reading of R in different types of syllables.

Useful articles on the topic:

Russian accent in English: 5 mistakes that give you Russian
All the secrets of English pronunciation
How do you actually read R in English? Simple rules for reading the letter R.

Source: https://ok-english.ru/pronunciation-r/

How to pronounce the sound th, or The devil is not so terrible as he is painted

Readers of our constant phonetic column have repeatedly asked in the comments to make out the interdental sound th. This is not at all surprising: th is one of the most common sounds in the English language, while in Russian (and in many others) this sound simply does not exist.

How to pronounce it? How to fix common mistakes? How to “train your mouth” to pronounce correctly? Today we will answer these questions with videos, exercises, tongue twisters, words and examples from songs.

What sound do the letters th

Let’s just make a reservation right away that th is not a sound. This is a combination of letters that can be read as two sounds: voiceless / θ /, as in a word thanks, and voiced / ð /, as in the word that. It is with these signs that the interdental “th sounds” are denoted in transcription. But in the article I will sometimes write “th sound” for convenience.

Both sounds, both ringing and deaf, articulated the same (lips and tongue are in the same position). Therefore, we will build the work as follows:

1. First, let’s learn the correct position of the mouth for both sounds;
2. Then we will analyze possible mistakes and find out how to fix them;
3. Then we will work out each sound separately on tongue twisters and words.

How to pronounce th in english

Yes, we do not have these sounds. But we have the concept of lisping. Do you remember the sloth Sid from the Ice Age: “No, I фwhetherфwho is young фto die! ”. In the English explanatory dictionary, the word «lisp» (to lisp) is interpreted as «a speech defect in which s and z sound like th in think and this, respectively.»

This video is just talking about the lisp. I recommend for viewing: simple and humorous.

That is, it turns out that we need to pronounce Russian / s / lisp for a deaf / θ / and Russian / z / — for a voiced / ð /. How is it «lisping»? Say the word «composition» right now. When pronouncing the sound / c /, your tongue is behind your teeth. Now put your tongue between teeth (th sound — interdental) and say “composition” again. You will get a semblance of a voiceless th, as in the word thick.

Now do the same, but with the word «gap». As a result, you will get a semblance of a voiced th, as in the word then.

Why do I say «likeness»? Because the Russians / s — z / are not identical to the English ones / s — z /, which means that their lisp will be slightly different. Therefore, let’s still dwell in more detail on the position of the articulatory apparatus.

How to pronounce th sound in english

Language sprawled and tense, and its tip is between the upper and lower teeth, forming a narrow flat gap between incisal edge of upper teeth and the surface of the anterior edge of the tongue.

To learn the ideal setting of the articulation apparatus, I suggest you watch the video. It shows three life hacks:

2:08 — how to put the articulation apparatus in the ideal position: open your mouth, put your tongue on top of your lower teeth so that the tip is directly behind your lower lip and slowly lower your upper teeth onto your tongue — try to pronounce the voiceless variant th, as in think.

2:52 — how to feel the necessary tension of the tongue: we take a straw and put it between the tongue and upper teeth — this way you will feel how strong the tension should be on the tongue.

3:36 — how far to stick your tongue forward: put your finger perpendicular to your lips (as when we ask you to be quieter) and stick your tongue out. The tongue should lightly touch the finger — this is the limit.

And do not forget to repeat the sentences and words after the leader! This sound takes practice and more practice.

Interdental sound pronunciation th: video.

How to pronounce th sound in russian

Now that you have figured out what position the articulation apparatus should be in, let’s laugh together at the typical mistakes of Russian speakers in order to avoid them in practice (which, by the way, will go right after this point).

Possible mistakes:	How to fix:
Replacing the voiceless / θ / with / s / (think we pronounce “sync”); Replacing the voiced / ð / with / z / (then we pronounce it like “zen”).	Do not bend the front back of your tongue up. + The tip of the tongue should be between the teeth, and not at the base of the lower front teeth (and not at the alveoli, as for English sz) .Consider exercises for the contrast of words, for example: mouth / maʊθ / — mouse / maʊs /, thing / θɪŋ / — sing / sɪŋ /, with / wɪð / — whizz / wɪz /.
Replacing the voiceless / θ / with / f / (pronounce three like “fri”); Replacing the voiced / ð / with / in / (pronounce breathe like “brive”).	Expose your teeth, especially the lower ones, as when brushing them, so that the lower lip does not come into contact with the upper teeth and does not come close to them. /.
Replacing the voiceless / θ / with the sound / t / (pronounced thick as “tick”); Replacing the voiced / ð / with / d / (pronounce this as “diz”).	Do not press the front of the tongue against the upper teeth: it is lowered down, and the tip is between the teeth. Read the exercises for the contrast of words, for example: thick / θɪk / — tick / tɪk /.
Stunning the voiced variant of th / ð / ⇒ replacement with the voiceless variant / θ / at the end of a word. It can happen out of habit, because in Russian, voiced consonants at the end of a word are pronounced dull.	Remember that in English, voiced sounds at the end of a word are not stunned! Rebuke exercises for contrast of words, for example: teeth / tiːθ / — teethe / tiːð /.

See, it’s not all that difficult.

Source: https://corp.lingualeo.com/ru/2017/02/02/kak-proiznositsya-zvuk-th/

How to learn to read in English and pronounce words correctly

Learning any language starts with reading. Of course, the first steps are always difficult and very responsible. Each of us strives to learn words faster in order to make sentences out of them. How to learn to read in English? This is not an easy task. Nevertheless, let’s sort it out in order.

How to quickly learn to read English

Studying a foreign language, you master not only its grammar and vocabulary, but you will definitely get acquainted with the culture and the originality of the mentality of this nation. The best way to learn about both is to read the literature in the original.

How to quickly learn to read English? Is there an easy way to do this? If during your school years in foreign language lessons you studied English, then you already have an idea of ​​the alphabet, transcription and basic reading rules.

If before that you studied French or German, or your knowledge is much more modest than desired, and now you have decided to master English, it is better to start with the elementary basics. Let’s take a look at a few basic techniques for mastering reading rules.

Read the material on the topic: English on Skype: saving time and money

English alphabet

You probably know that English is fundamentally different from German and Russian, where words, as a rule, are read in the same way as they are written. In this case, everything is more complicated. First of all, you need to learn the alphabet.

The English alphabet contains 26 letters, of which 5 are vowels and 21 are consonants. Their correct pronunciation will provide you with correct reading in the future.

English alphabet and transcription of the pronunciation of letters:

The easiest way to visually and phonetically memorize letters is a song. As you watch the videos, always hum until you have mastered the entire alphabet.

Reading rules in English

So, now you should move on to memorizing letter combinations and reading simple words. In the English language there is a certain set of rules that you need to know and be able to apply in order to read correctly.

Some letters can be pronounced differently, taking into account the neighboring letters or the type of syllables (open, closed).

Most consonants are read in the same way as Russians (for example, b, f, l, m, n, z). For example, in these words: boy, finger, lemon, mom, zebra.

Letters t и d also sound similar, but they are pronounced with aspirated… For example, in the words dad, dirty, table, teacher.

The letter «c « can be read in two ways. Front i, e, y it is pronounced like [s] — cyber, city, face. Before other vowels and consonants — like [k] — cake, cat, factory.

Similar rules with the same vowels apply to the letter gwhich is pronounced in front of them as [dʒ] — giant, George, gym. Before the rest — how [g] — game, garden.

Letter q usually occurs in letter combinations qu and pronounced like [kW] — square, queen, quick.

Letter  j always sounds like [dʒ]— jam, jacket, joy.

English words can end with an open or closed syllable, which alters the pronunciation. So, at the end of the words cat, sit, pot there is a closed syllable, so their vowels a, i, o sound like [a, i, o].

In words like home, five, name with an open syllable at the end, the last letter e not pronounced. However, due to it, the vowels inside the word are read in the same way as in the alphabet, namely: name is pronounced [neɪm].

There are also some combinations of letters that are read according to traditional rules, despite the fact that English is a language of exceptions, and the transcription of complex words must be checked against a dictionary. The following table shows English vowel combinations with examples, ways of reading and sounding them.

Combination of English vowels:

Of course, each of the rules has exceptions. However, do not worry that it will be difficult for you to remember everything. You just need to train actively.

In English, there are sounds that are quite difficult to pronounce — diphthongs. In particular, problems with them arise when the language is not learned at an early age, but much later.

Read the material on the topic: Methodology for learning English: which one to choose

How to learn to read words in English

Often English words are read and written differently.The point is that there arethe basic principles behind the spelling system of any language. There are three of them:

• phoneticwhen the spelling completely reproduces the sound composition of the word, that is, we both pronounce and write (Latin);
• morphological, in which the letter displays only a part of the sound composition of the word (Russian);
• historical, where the spelling of words is associated with traditions and rarely coincides with the sound composition (English).

About 400-500 years ago, the British spoke exactly «according to the written». For example, the word knight [nait] then sounded like [kniht], that is, the letters k and gh were read. However, over time, the phonetics of the English language has changed dramatically. Along with that, the spelling has remained practically unchanged.

This explains the great number of rules and patternsyou need to know to learn how to read words in English. The same letters in each case are pronounced differently, taking into account the type of syllable or adjacent letters.

However, if you understand all the laws of English, it is not difficult to understand its nuances.

Now you understand why in English, words are read completely differently than they are written? DLet’s figure out how to read English correctly.

Often, when mastering English, they use textbooks where foreign words are written using the Russian alphabet. But such an approach entails a Russian-language pronunciation. It’s awful to listen to English speech with Russian sounds! What are the guides of the authors of such manuals? After all, a person who initially DOES NOT master the correct articulation will not be able to convey information to a foreigner and understand what he says in response.

With the historical and morphological principles of spelling, one letter can express several different sounds. Let’s look at an example from the Russian language. In the word «gol» the letter «g» is pronounced unchanged — [g], in the word «it» is heard [in], in the word «easily» it is pronounced [x], «boot» sounds like [sapoK]. However, such small discrepancies are rare.

But with English, everything is much more complicated. There are only 6 vowels here — A, O, E, I, U, Y — and each of them is pronounced in four ways, taking into account the type of syllable. Further, each vowel is combined with the rest of the vowels, forming diphthongs (of which there are and triphthongs (of which there are 2).

Agree, learning to read in English is quite difficult. What about those who study independently without consulting a teacher? In this case, it will help transcription. 

Read related material: Best Ways to Learn English

How to learn to read transcription in English

Transcription is the recording of the sound meaning of a word by means of special symbols taken from the Greek alphabet and the Latin alphabet. This system was created in 1889. scientist from France Paul Passy.

Transcription is taken in square brackets. The longitude of a sound is indicated by a subsequent colon. In this way, the sound of any word is accurately conveyed, regardless of its spelling. Transcription is a kind of international code that allows you to recreate sound images of words from any languages ​​of the world.

If you decide to learn not only the spelling of words, but also their transcription — that’s great! If not, you can work with online dictionaries where all the words are pronounced by the robot. The best of them today are “Multitran” and “Lingvo”.

It is important to use dictionaries, not translators!

Examples of small words with transcription and translation:

We are fortunate to be living in the age of the Internet and enjoying many benefits. We can, sitting at a computer, get various knowledge online.

Read related material: 17 reasons why it is important to know English

How to learn to pronounce words correctly in English

So, let’s start with the main thing — What makes English pronunciation different from Russian? That’s right, this is the setting of the language + the power of articulation.

1. The position of the tongue.This is very noticeable if we are silent. Try to test yourself. Now you are silent, but how is your tongue positioned? Let’s guess! In Russian-speaking people, the tongue most often lies on a hill, tightly pressing against the teeth with the front tip (it seems that it is cramped in the mouth), and the tip itself is bent down and lies at the level of the lower teeth. This is the dorsal position.

   In the British, at rest, the tongue is pulled back, lies flat, and the tip is bent up, reaching for the alveoli. Alveoli are the protuberances above the upper teeth.

2. The power of articulation.The British pronounce the words, exhaling air intensively and at the same time contracting the muscles of the mouth. We Russians do not strain and move our lips slightly, we pronounce sounds easily, drowning out the consonants at the end of words.

Therefore, to learn how to pronounce words correctly in English, practice even silently. Bend your tongue in your mouth, pressing the tip against the alveoli.

No matter how strange it may seem, in English-speaking countries it is easy to identify a person who speaks Russian from birth. And the whole point is not in the stereotypes familiar to all.

In Russian, the emotional background is less pronounced than in English.

Undoubtedly, we show emotions in intonations. But for Russian-speaking people, these decreases and increases in intonation in conversation are not so pronounced. Therefore, for us the formulation of speech and intonation of a native speaker seems a little unusual.

English speakers raise and lower their tone of speech to make it more emotional. The Russian style of conversation assumes a measured calm pronunciation, which sometimes makes you think about the lack of interest in communication.

For the British, not only the tempo and intonation of pronunciation are important. Accents and logical pauses play a special role.

For example, consider the Word «Indeed?», Which means «Really?», «Really?» Using stress, you can express distrust, surprise, interest, or demonstrate to the interlocutor that you are listening to him.

In some cases, with the help of increasing intonation, sentences are singled out in the form of requests, questions with short answers, lists, and appeals to a specific person.

It is recommended to lower the tone by uttering orders (orders), questions for detailed answers, as well as statements.

Read the material on the topic: How to learn English text quickly and for a long time

Some more tips on how to learn to read well in English

We will devote this section to the practical experience gained in teaching students at different levels. All of these tips have been proven to be effective and useful in language acquisition.

Tongue twisters, most often aimed at practicing a specific sound, will help you. Here are some examples that you can use.

English tongue twister

Russian translation

Source: https://www.englishpatient.org/articles/kak-nauchitsya-chitat-na-anglijskom-yazyke

How to read words in English correctly?

Now you have already passed the first stage of learning English — you have learned the alphabet. You already know what the letters are called, you know how to write them. But this does not mean at all that you can read any word in English correctly. In addition, you need to deliver pronunciation with the help of a professional teacher or tutor, so as not to make mistakes at first.

Unlike many other foreign languages ​​(Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian), where words are read the same way as they are written, you just have to learn how to pronounce the letters. In English, everything is much more complicated and confusing. But remembering the simple laws of reading words in English. You will soon realize that things are much simpler.

• Why is it difficult to read in English?

Why is it difficult to read in English?

The thing is that in the English language the number of sounds prevails over the letters, and in order to convey them in writing, it is necessary to combine several letters in a certain order. And this is done in various ways. And the pronunciation and recording of some sounds depends on which letters surround them. And all this must be remembered!

To make it easier to remember the combination of letters, English linguists have developed a number of rules for reading words in English. Even if you know the language well enough, it is still advisable to double-check an unfamiliar word in the dictionary, make sure it is translated and remember the transcription, that is, how it is pronounced.

At school, most teachers only briefly mention how to reproduce words in English or do not talk about them at all. They refer students to dictionaries with transcriptions, arguing that «there are many exceptions to the reading rules.» Protect your children from such teachers!

Yes it is. Indeed, there are many exceptions to the rules for reading words in English. But this does not mean at all that one should keep silent about them. Rather, on the contrary, you first need to talk about them. Yet most words obey the rules.

Knowing the basic rule of how words are read correctly, it will be much more interesting and easier for you to learn the language itself. And exceptions can be remembered as they become available during training, repeating the rules that these words do not so stubbornly refuse to obey.

Word reading rule

I think you are anxious to learn about these simple rules of reading in English. Well, let’s get started.

The most common letter combinations are ch and sh, which they denote the sounds «soft h» and «soft sh» (ch and sh). In international transcription, they are denoted with a special sign [ʃi:] and [tʃ].

To memorize the sound of the letter combination sh transcription icon, look closely at the icon and you will see that it looks like a snake standing on its tail and hissing. Or rather hissing. sh = shе = [shь].

And if you connect imaginative creative thinking and take a closer look at the sign that in dictionaries denotes the sound of the letter combination ch, then it slightly looks like the Russian letter «h». Only here “ch” should be pronounced very softly — like in Russian “hours” — [chyasy]. сh = chain = [chi].

Here is an example of words with such combinations: sh and ch: she [shyii] — she

chain [ch’ane] — chain

Source: https://englishfull.ru/uroki/chitat-anglijskie-slova.html

The Top Dozen Reading Mistakes

«How many times have they told the world» that you need to check the pronunciation of English words with transcription. For arbitrary reading rules. The shock is even stronger when, after several months, or even years, the use of a word, it turns out that it is pronounced in a completely different way. Admit it, has this happened to you?

Source: http://lingorado.com/top-12-reading-errors/

English pronunciation and transcription

Transcription is a set of symbols that convey all the variety of sounds in a language. The transcription turned out to be very useful, because at any moment, upon meeting a new word, in the dictionary you can find the exact indication of how to pronounce it. For a language like English, in which there are many exceptions and sometimes there is no logical connection between the spelling of a word and its pronunciation, the use of special symbols to denote sounds, that is, transcriptions, is an excellent solution.

Of course, to start using transcriptions, you need to learn all these special characters, but when you learn to read them, most of your pronunciation problems will disappear.

So, all the sounds of the English language can be divided into four groups: consonants, complex consonants, short vowels, long vowels.

Consonants:

Complex consonants:

Short vowels:

And finally, long vowels:  

Schwa sound

This phonetic sign takes its name Schwa, and is very common in English, and for a very strange reason. Usually this sign denotes a neutral vowel, which is heard in unstressed syllables. To pronounce it, you just need to open your mouth, tighten your ligaments and exhale. For example, we will meet it in these words:

about  /əˈbaʊt/

mother /ˈMʌðə /

businessman / ˈbɪznəsmən /

Two “TH” designations

As you can see in the examples above, there are two phonetic designations for the combination of letters “t + h”. In transcription, they are transmitted in two characters:

/ θ / and / ð /

The only difference between these signs and the sounds they denote is that the first one is deaf (the sound is pronounced without using a voice), and the other is voiced (produced using a voice). Try to pronounce the words in pairs with your finger on your neck; you will feel the difference between when you use your voice and when you don’t.

/ θ /	/ ð /
thing	this
thought	That
three	These
think	Those
thanks	there

Where to put the emphasis?

Transcription has another very important function — it shows where the stress is in the word and which syllable it falls on. Each word has one or more syllables, one of which stands out more in the voice than the others. Such a syllable in transcription is marked with the apostrophe ‘, which is placed in front. As in the word «get ready»:

prepare / prɪˈPeə/

The stress in prepare falls on the second syllable. Some words can even change their meaning depending on the position of the stress. For example:

to record / rɪˈkɔːd / (record sounds or information)

a record / ˈrekɔːd / (recording in audio or written format)

As a verb, the word «record» is stressed on the second syllable, while the noun is on the first.

Letter R

As you study transcriptions, you will notice that the letter ‘r’ in English is rarely pronounced in the middle or at the end of a word. The only position this sound is heard is when it is followed by a vowel. For example.

right / raɪt /

rabbit / ˈræbɪt /

rather / ˈrɑːðə /

And in these cases, the ‘r’ is not pronounced:

fork / fɔːk /

cooker / ˈkʊkə /

hard / hɑːd /

As a learner, it will probably be wrong for you NOT to pronounce letters like the ‘r’ you see in a word, but if you can get over yourself and stop saying the ‘r’ in the middle and at the end of words, your pronunciation will get closer. to the pronunciation of a native speaker.

Below are some examples of sentences with transcription:

• We had a party at school yesterday to celebrate Halloween.
• wi: həd ə ˈpɑːti ət skuːl jestədei tə ˈseləbreɪt hæləʊˈiːn

• Did you have fun?
• dɪd jʊ həv fʌn?

• Yes, it was great. I met some very nice people.
• jes, ɪt wəz ɡreɪt. aɪ met səm ˈveri naɪs ˈpiːpəl

• Was there anything to eat?
• wəz ðeə ˈeniθɪŋ tə iːt?

• Yes. There were lots of things to eat and drink too.
• jes. ðeə wə lɒts əv θɪŋs tə iːt ənd drɪŋk tuː

Transcription, as we have tried to show in this article, is worth studying, as it helps us to consciously pronounce words and sounds. From now on, writing down a new word, find its dictionary and write down its transcription. As soon as you start using transcriptions, you will notice that you have already begun to memorize special transcriptional characters.

Source: https://www.wallstreetenglish.ru/blog/english-pronuciation/

In this article, we will finally figure out how to pronounce «th» correctly. The pronunciation of this combination in English is recognized as one of the most difficult for non-English speakers around the world. Is it really that complicated?

Not really. Here is a simple and easy-to-understand video that provides a detailed visual explanation. However, this video is in English, so if you have any difficulties in understanding, below you can just read the article below.

How to pronounce voiced th

The first thing you need to know about the sound «th» is that it has two pronunciation options — voiced and voiceless. The difference is that when pronouncing a voiced one, a vibrating sound is obtained. In order to make such a sound, you need to place your tongue between your teeth. If you touch your throat while saying «th», you will certainly feel how it vibrates.

For example, the voiced «th» can be heard in the words: the, these, that, them.

This sound also occurs in the middle of a word: although another.

A predominantly voiced sound is pronounced when «th» is located between two vowels — mother, father, brother and so on.

How to pronounce voiceless th

The best example of a voiceless “th” is the English word “three”. This sound is less audible than the previous one.

It’s funny, but many people pronounce the word «three» as «tree», and Russians especially like to simplify (for some reason) to «free», although these are completely different words in English.

To pronounce a deaf sound, you need to be guided by the same principle as for a voiced one: place your tongue between your teeth, but just silently push the air out of your mouth — there should be no vibration.

Examples of words — three, thirty, thanks, and also with the sound «th» at the end — mouth, both, worth, month and so on.

That’s all the information about the «hardest» sound for non-English speakers, «th». Is it really difficult for you now? Practice your pronunciation after reading this article. If the video turns out to be difficult to understand by ear, do not rush to turn it off: listen to how a native English speaker pronounces the voiceless and voiced “th” clearly and demonstrates the difference in sounds.

Source: https://english-bird.ru/th-sound/

English pronunciation: 10 steps to excellence

Perfect British pronunciation is a dream and pain for all English learners. How to turn a dream into reality painlessly and without titanic efforts — we tell and show.

Perfect British pronunciation is a dream and pain for all English learners. How to turn a dream into reality painlessly and without titanic efforts — we tell and show. 

Top mistakes 

There are a lot of unpredictable, incomprehensible pronunciation rules in English. You may have dreamed of correct English pronunciation from the cradle, but achieving this ideal is not so easy. This is because for this you need to immerse yourself not only in English phonetics, but also in anatomy. You will be surprised what organs are involved in the formation of the sounds of our speech. Moreover, you might not even have suspected the presence of some of them. 

English sounds are formed differently. Quite different parts of the speech apparatus are used, so correct English pronunciation is formed due to the fact that you learn to use other parts of the speech apparatus to form the sounds of English, in contrast to Russian. 

Very often we make the main mistake: we do not try to understand how words or sounds in English are pronounced, but we replace English sounds with Russian ones.

You’ve heard more than once how “the” is sounded like “ze”? Anyone who reproduces sounds in this way does not think at all about how to learn English pronunciation. The problem is that learning English pronunciation is a long and difficult process.

Much depends on your personal interest and motivation. In order to get the perfect pronunciation of English words — the program is minimum: you need to practice every day. 

The issue of self-determination

Before you load yourself up with daily pronunciation practice, it’s worth deciding. what kind of English pronunciation is the limit of your dreams.

The classics of the genre are British English, but there is also American, Canadian, Australian and even Scottish. Which one is right for you depends on the purpose for which you are learning the language.

The pronunciation rules in each of the variants of English are different. We have chosen the British version as the main goal of our efforts. 

There are several guidelines to help you shape your English pronunciation. We call them “10 Steps to Excellence”. 

Step 1. Feel the Difference

Do you know what an alveolar ridge is? It is a small bump just behind the upper teeth. Feel it with your tongue, try to pronounce the sounds «n, t, d, l», touching the tip of your tongue to this tubercle. Now pronounce the sounds of the Russian language [n], [t], [d], [l], touching the tip of your tongue to your teeth. Feel the difference? Just imagine how foreigners feel when you pronounce English sounds without the participation of the alveolar tubercle in this process. 

Step 2. Bite your tongue  

Look at yourself in the mirror, stick out the tip of your tongue and bite down gently. Now try to pronounce the sounds [ð] and [θ]. They differ only in that one is voiced, the other is voiceless (always written as «th»). Do not replace these sounds with Russians [z], [s], [v], [f], learn to pronounce. 

Step 3. Breathe out through your nose

Remember the rule: in English not a single word has an “ing” ending, there is only [iŋ] with a nasal [ŋ]. Forget the [g] sound in this ending. Press the back of your tongue towards the palate and exhale through your nose while pronouncing nasal [ŋ]. Practice the word «something», any pronunciation exercises in English are helpful. 

Step 4. Open your mouth wider

The English sound [æ] is pronounced when the letter «a» is written between two consonants. And this is not at all the Russian sound [a]. In order to pronounce [æ], you have to open your mouth sooo wide. Practice pronouncing the phrase «In fact, the Titanic sank in the Atlantic».

Step 5. Growl in English

To correctly pronounce the English sound [r], you need to remember about the alveolar tubercle again. When we pronounce the Russian sound, we touch this tubercle with our tongue. In order to pronounce this sound like a real British, try to reach with the tip of your tongue towards the middle of the upper palate. We train: «Every Friday at three we rush to the bakery for fresh rye bread for breakfast».

Step 6. Bite your lip

This is necessary in order to pronounce the English sound [v], biting, of course, should be the lower lip. Control yourself with a mirror and practice correctly pronouncing the sound in the words «vase» (vase), «vet» (wind).

Step 7. Breathe easily

The English sound [h] is pronounced very easily, as if you are breathing on a feather or a mirror. Remember lightness when pronouncing the phrase «How happy Harry was having seen Henry’s house!» Developing a complete program for the pronunciation of English words is very difficult: there are too many rules, no fewer exceptions. But you can train daily. 

Step 8: speak aspirated

Consonant English sounds [p, b, t, d, k, g] should be pronounced languidly, with a breath. Breathe out as much air as possible as you make these sounds. To check if you are exhaling enough air, you need to bring your hand to your mouth and feel the jet being blown out. Don’t you feel? Practice on the phrase: «Paul and Peter are putting on a party in their apartment».

Step 9: learn transcription

There is nothing more peculiar than English reading rules. Even experts in language issues have to check the pronunciation of some words in the dictionary, what can we say about ordinary mortals who are not native speakers of English? 

Step 10. Remember the rules silent letters

There are a lot of examples of words in English, some letters in which are not pronounced. Remembering all the rules is almost impossible, especially for beginners. But there are a few guidelines that can guide you on the right path: 

• firstly, practice. The more often you come across words with unpronounceable letters, the more you remember examples of such words. Read more, pronounce and write down these words — you will quickly memorize the most common ones. 
• Secondly, etymological excavations. True, this method is not suitable for everyone. But if you are a fan of this kind of pastime, it will noticeably improve your success in setting English pronunciation. In addition, you will learn a lot of new and interesting things. For example, in the English word «island» there is an unpronounceable «s». English teachers to your question «why unpronounceable?» most likely the answer is “because”. But if you are lucky with the teacher, you will hear a more reasoned answer: up to the fifteenth century. there was only the English word aeland, which was pronounced [ˈaɪlənd]. Then the English language borrowed a lot of words from French, including the spelling of the word «island», which now looks like the French «isle» (island). But the pronunciation has been preserved.

Unpronounceable letters very often help distinguish one word from another. For example, the unpronounceable letters at the end of words affect how long the vowel sound in the previous syllable will be. And by the length of the vowel sound, we can determine the meaning of the word. Agree to sin (commit sin) and to sihg (sign) are completely different things. Although, they can also act as contextual synonyms — it depends on what kind of contract you are signing  

Silent letters 

• do not pronounce at the end of a word: thumb [θʌm], limb [lɪm]
• do not pronounce before the t at the end of a word: doubt [daʊt]
• do not pronounce e at the end of a word and this affects the previous vowel sound: drive [draɪv]
• often do not say g before n: foreign [ˈfɒrɪn]
• do not pronounce gn if they come before a vowel: through [θruː], but this does not apply to words that consist of two roots doghouse [ˈdɒɡˌhaʊs]
• do not pronounce h if it comes after w: what [wɒt] 
• do not pronounce h at the beginning of a word, use the article an: an hour [ˈaʊə (r)] 
• do not pronounce k if the letter is at the beginning of a word before n: know [nəʊ]
• do not pronounce l if it comes after the vowels a, o, u: could [kʊd] 

Source: https://enguide.ru/magazine/angliyskoe-proiznoshenie-9-shagov-k-sovershenstvu

7 simple strategies to improve your pronunciation

If you want to improve your pronunciation in English, then you need to find the most appropriate way. The ultimate goal can be reached in different ways. We have selected 7 strategies for you to help you with this.

 1. Find out how you want to sound

There is a wide variety of sounds in the English language. Pronunciation can vary greatly from region to region. For example, the UK is small in size, but there are 17 different accents here that can be confusing.

Therefore, first of all, figure out where you are going and how long you plan to be there. Try to understand how local people speak. Practice. This will help you blend in with the local flavor and understand what is being said to you.

If you don’t know anyone who speaks with the right accent, then watch the video and learn to hear and understand native speakers.

 2. Focus on the words that get you in trouble

Are you confused by the sheer number of letters? Sometimes you forget how to pronounce certain words correctly?

As soon as you feel that you are hitting a blank wall and do not know how to pronounce a strange word, just stop, rest and pay attention to the peculiarities of this word. Features include spelling, number of syllables, and meaning.

All you have to do is take a long, complex word and break it down into several parts. And then collect it back.

For example, the most common mispronunciation of February is Feb-yu-airy. But if you read it carefully, we will see that r is in the middle, and when broken down into syllables, we get Feb-ru-airy. However, in the American version, English r does not sound at all. For fun, you can listen to how February is pronounced differently in the UK and the US.

However, using this method will give you an understanding of how to pronounce the words.

Do not forget that words in English are not always pronounced the way they are spelled. Practice, keep doing exercises to improve your pronunciation, and keep a dictionary nearby just in case. If you find it difficult to break words into syllables, then follow this rule.

 3. Read texts aloud and take voice recordings

To see progress in any business, you need to monitor the improvement. If you practice pronunciation, train yourself to take notes of how you read or speak loudly and clearly. Try this online service. You can record yourself, share a link to the recording, or download the file in mp3 or other format.

Once you get used to the sound of your voice (we all hate the way we sound), you suddenly find yourself moving. If you record a month or a year later, you will really hear the changes.

 4. Listen to the music of words

We memorize and understand songs by listening attentively to the lyrics. The same method will help to master the pronunciation of complex words, listening to their rhythm and the sound of individual syllables.

Words change with emotion. Listening to how the words are pronounced will tell you a lot more than just their meaning.

Intonation affects the meaning of a word. The same word can be a noun or a verb. It depends on which syllable the stress falls on or where the word is in the sentence.

Understanding this will help you achieve a clearer pronunciation of words. For example, the words refuse and refuse. If you hear this word as REH-fyuz, then we are talking about garbage and this noun, but if you hear it as reh-FYUZ, then it means “to say“ no ”or“ to refuse something, ”that is, it is a verb.

The key here is to listen and pay attention to how words are used. Practice until you can confidently use the words in your speech.

 5. Chat with native speakers

If you want to sound like native speakers, look for a way to get in touch with them. If you do not have English-speaking acquaintances, then this is not a reason to give up. Moreover, on the Internet you can find various forums or specialized sites where foreign language learners meet and help each other. For example, the Language Exchange resource.

6. Watch the news

Even if you don’t like watching news, try using it as a good pronunciation tool. Announcers speak more slowly and clearly to convey information to viewers. When you watch the news, you hear English words placed in their familiar context. This allows you to hear them in real life. In addition, the news uses photographic and video footage to reinforce the message, making it easier to understand.

If you are interested in British English, then turn on the BBC news, if American, then CNN.

7. Make dictionaries your friends

When you are completely confused about how to pronounce a word, refer to the help of a dictionary. Download The Merriam-Webster dictionary app to your smartphone to quickly find the desired word and listen to how it is pronounced. Or use the Macmilan Online Dictionary (With British And American pronunciations).

Pronunciation is a tricky topic for anyone learning a foreign language. Try different ways to help you improve your pronunciation. Something will work better for you, some you won’t even want to try. This is fine! Don’t say it’s impossible. Practice and you will succeed!

Source: https://englishteacup.org/my_hobby/7-strategij-dlja-uluchsheniya-proiznosheniya

How to quickly learn to read English from scratch on your own. Tips for English learners

When you study a foreign language, you learn not only a set of vocabulary and grammar, you in any case come across the culture and peculiarities of the mentality of the people who speak this language. The best way to learn language and culture is reading in original … And in order to read in a foreign language, you must first learn to read in that language.

You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. You can just get people to stop reading them.

~ Ray Bradbury

Does it exist an easy way to learn to read English ? If you studied English at school, you should have gotten an idea of ​​how English letters are read, you know what transcription is and how basic letter combinations are read. If your level is not beginner, but for example intermediate, then you will be interested in the article «Books in English for intermediate level»

But, if at school or university you studied German or French, or your school base turned out to be smaller than you would like, and now you have decided to learn English, then let’s start with the very primary and basic and learn a few methods of where to start in order to master reading rules.

Rules for reading English consonants

Many consonants read similarly to Russian consonants, such as letters m, n, l, b, f, z … You can see it in words like mom, lemon, finger, boy, zebra.

Letters such as t и d sound similar, but pronounced with aspirated… For example, the words table, teacher, dad, dirty.

Letter c has two reading options. Before letters i, e, y it reads like [s]— city, face, cyber. And before the rest of the vowels it reads like [k]— cat, cake, factory.

The vowel rule i, e, y works with the letter g… In front of them, it reads like [dʒ]— gym, George, giant. Before other consonants, the letter is read as [g].

Letter q always occurs in a combination of letters qu and reads like [kW]— quick, queen, square.

Letter j always reads like [dʒ]— jacket, jam, joy.

Table of the ratio of consonants and sounds in English.

How vowels are read in English

In English, a word can end in an open or closed syllable, which affects pronunciation. For example, the words cat, pot, sit end in a closed syllable and have vowels a, o, i give sounds [a, o, i].

Words such as name, home, five end with an open syllable, since there is a letter at the end of the word ewhich is not readable. But, thanks to her, the vowels in the middle of the word are read in the same way as they are pronounced in the alphabet, that is, the word name is read [neɪm].

Types of English vowel reading in stressed syllables.

Reading vowel combinations in English

There are certain combinations of letters that have well-established rules for reading, although English is the language of exceptions, and when reading more complex words, you should refer to the dictionary. The table below shows English vowel combinations with examples how they are read and how they sound.

Table of combinations of vowels in English.

And of course, there are exceptions to all the rules. However, do not worry and think that you will never be able to learn it. Everything can be understood, you just have to try a little and practice.

English diphthongs with transcription

When you learn the basic rules of reading, you will see that there are diphthong sounds that are quite difficult to reproduce in English, especially if you start learning the language not from childhood, but in adulthood.

Table of English diphthongs with transcription.

Transcription of sounds in English

Practice shows that when children learn a language, they must necessarily learn transcription, while adults do not want to learn it and it can be difficult for them.

If you still want to learn how to write and read the transcription, then great! And if not, then you can use online dictionaries where the word will be pronounced for you. One of the best dictionaries today is Multitran and the Lingvo online dictionary.

Remember to use dictionaries, not translators!

Here’s an example of reading short words with transcription:

English vowel table and transcription.

There are some advantages to being in the internet age. Sitting at home, you can learn a variety of knowledge online. For your attention video tutorial, which explains the basic principles of reading. Nevertheless, even having received knowledge through an online lesson, they need to be consolidated in order to form a skill.

In this section, we want to share with you the experience that was gained in practice, teaching students of different levels. These tips have proven their effectiveness and usefulness in language learning. They can be used for beginner to advanced levels. Use)

Learn English tongue twisters

Here tongue twisters, which are often aimed at practicing one sound, can help you. Here are some examples you can use.

English translation

Source: https://ienglish.ru/blog/interesno-ob-angliiskom/kak-viuchit-angliiskiy-bistro-samomu/kak-bistro-nauchitsia-chitat-po-angliiski

20 English words that are sometimes mispronounced even by native speakers

Translation: short-term.

The pronunciation of this word is surprising even to native speakers. Many dictionaries indicate the transcription [ʹtrænzıənt]. However, transient has two syllables, so it is actually pronounced [ʹtrænʃənt].

2. Status

Translation: status, position.

The correct pronunciation is not [ʹstætəs], but [ʹsteıtəs].

3. Prelude

Translation: introduction.

The pronunciation of [ʹpreɪljuːd] is wrong. One should say [ʹpreljuːd].

4 Valet

Translation: chamberlain.

This is not a French word, so you cannot pronounce the last syllable as [eɪ]. Valet is pronounced [ʹvælit].

5. Strong

Translation: advantage.

If this word means someone’s strong side, then it is pronounced as [fɔːt]. If you mean a musical term, say [ʹfɔːteɪ].

6. Err

Translation: be wrong.

It does not rhyme with hair, as many people think, but with her. The transcription of a word looks like this: [ɜː].

7. Gala

Translation: festive.

The dictionaries say that one should read the word gala as [ʹgaːlə]. But it is pronounced like [geɪlɑ].

8 Applicable

Translation: suitable.

The stress should fall not on the second, but on the first syllable: [ʹæplɪkəbl].

9. Spherical

Translation: spherical.

Many people pronounce this word as [ʹsfiːrɪkl], but one should say [ʹsferɪkl].

10.Decrease

Translation: decrease, decrease.

In the noun, the stress falls on the first syllable: [ʹdiːkriːs], and in the verb, on the second: [diːʹkriːs].

11. Caramel

Translation: caramel.

The word is traditionally pronounced as [ʹkærəmel]. But the midwestern regional variant of pronunciation is also acceptable: [ʹkaːmel].

12. Mauve

Translation: purple.

The correct pronunciation is not [məʊv], but [mɔːv].

13.Regime

Translation: mode.

The correct transcription of the word looks like this: [reɪʹʒiːm].

14. Joust

Translation: Knight Tournament.

In the XNUMXth century, this word was pronounced as the word just: [dʒʌst].

15.Either

Translation: one of.

Are you used to saying [ʹaɪðə]? However, it is more correct to pronounce [ʹiːðə].

16. Almost

Translation: supposedly.

Today, the most commonly spoken word is [ʹkwɑːsɪ], but it would be more correct to pronounce [ʹkweɪsɪ].

17. Long lived

Translation: long-term.

Unlike the modern pronunciation of [ˌlɔːŋʹlɪvd], until the XNUMXth century, the word was pronounced as [ˌlɔːŋʹlaɪvd].

18. Comptroller

Translation: financial inspector.

The name of this position is pronounced [kənʹtrəʊlə].

19. Gyro

Translation: gyros.

This is a Greek dish that looks like shawarma well known to us. Therefore, it should be pronounced in Greek: [ʹjiːrɔ].

20. Victuals

Translation: provisions.

This English word is pronounced [ʹvɪtəlz].

Source: https://lifehacker.ru/20-mispronounced-words/