| With English as second language, proper pronunciation | | | | a guide whenever you're practicing your vocabulary |
| in the vernacular can be more difficult than usual. | | | | skills, either in front of a language learning software or |
| These few tips should help you get a good grasp on it. | | | | just by yourself. |
| 1. Speak Slowly. The faster you speak, the more | | | | * The letter B is silent when it's at the end of the word |
| mistakes you're going to make. Unless you've already | | | | and is immediately preceded by the letter M (e.g. dumb, |
| mastered a language, a slower pace will be of | | | | comb). |
| tremendous benefit. The faster you speak, the more | | | | * The letter C is silent only in words ending in "scle" (e.g. |
| pronounced your accent is going to be. In the English | | | | muscle). |
| language, taking 2.5 seconds to utter a word is | | | | * The letter D is silent in only three words of the |
| perfectly normal for non-native speakers. | | | | language, namely sandwich, Wednesday and |
| 2. Pronounce All The Sounds. As someone who's | | | | hendkerchief. |
| more familiar with the nuances of a language other | | | | * The letter E is silent when used at the end of words |
| than English, it's tempting to ignore certain sounds if | | | | and is immediately preceded by a consonant (e.g. mine, |
| you're unused to doing them in your native tongue. | | | | drive). |
| Problem is, those utterances could be what separates | | | | * The letter G is silent when followed by N (e.g. foreign, |
| one phrase from another, so make it a point to | | | | sign). |
| enunciate everything completely. Use your language | | | | * The letters G and H are silent when used together |
| software or audio course to learn the proper way to | | | | and are followed by T (e.g. daughter, right). |
| pronounce each portion of the speech. | | | | * The letter H is silent when used after W (e.g. |
| 3. Record Your Speech. A great way to be alerted of | | | | whether, why) and, sometimes, when used in the |
| your weaknesses in pronunciation is to make a habit | | | | beginning of words, followed by a vowel (not always, |
| of speaking into a recorder and studying your speech. | | | | though, so it's tricky). |
| Recording lines that you hear from a movie, for | | | | * The letter K is silent when followed by the letter N at |
| instance, allows you to compare your speech to that | | | | the start of a word (e.g. knife, knowledge). |
| of a better speaker. With enough practice, you can | | | | * The letter L is silent when used before the following |
| train yourself to deliver words in the correct manner | | | | letters: D, F, K, L and M (e.g. talk, calm). |
| by mimicking the source. | | | | * The letter N is silent when followed by M at the end |
| 4. Speak Louder. Many folks speaking an unfamiliar | | | | of a word (e.g. hymn). |
| language tend to drown out their speech with their | | | | * The letter P is not pronounced at the beginning of |
| thoughts, basically speaking with too soft a voice due | | | | words when it is followed by N or S (e.g. psychiatrist, |
| to fear of saying the wrong things. Unfortunately, doing | | | | pneumatic). |
| so just reinforces any bad pronunciation as they are | | | | * The letter S is not pronounced only in the following |
| unable to hear themselves clearly, apart from making it | | | | words: island, isle. |
| harder for others to properly make out what they're | | | | * The letter U is not pronounced when used after G |
| saying. | | | | and before the following vowels: I, E (e.g. guitar, guest). |
| When practicing your English pronunciation, one of the | | | | * The letter W is not pronounced when used at the |
| tricky areas are those of silent letters. While the rules | | | | start of a word and followed by the letter R (e.g. |
| governing which sounds remain unpronounced can feel | | | | wrangler, wrong). It also isn't pronounced when used in |
| arbitrary, the English language actually follows strict | | | | the following pronouns: who, whose, whom. |
| guidelines when it comes to silent letters. Use this list as | | | | |