Basic Concepts: Syllables, Basic Concepts: Syllables, Stress & RhythmStress & Rhythm

Unit 1

Phonetics & PhonologyPhonetics & Phonology

Phonetics

the study of production of speech sounds of any language

Phonology

the study of the system and patterns of speech sounds in a language

Nasal Cavity (鼻腔 )

Oral Cavity (口腔 )

Pharynx ( 咽 )

Larynx: vocal folds in it ( 喉 )

the windpipe (气管 )

Lung: supply airstream (肺 )

Phoneme 音位；音素A phoneme is the smallest unit of

speech that can be used to make one word different from another word.E.g. ‘b’ & ‘p’ in ‘big’ & ‘pig’; ‘s’ & ‘z’

in ‘sip’ & ‘zip’

In English, there are 26 letters but 44 phonemes. Among them,20 are vowels and 24 are consonants.

Syllables 音节A vowel is the syllable nucleus.A syllable is part of a word and the

basic unit of English rhythm.Syllables are often considered the

phonological “building bricks” of words.

English words can have one, two, three, or, even more syllables. E.g. pronunciation?

如何划分音节？1.音节的构成：

英语中一个元音构成一个音节，一个元音加上一个或一个以上的辅音也构成一个音节。

2.音节的划分 : 元音是构成音节的主体，辅音是音节的分界线。一般情况下： a.两辅音字母之间不管有多少个元音字母，一般都是一个音节。如： seat ， beau·ty。

b.在两个音节的相邻处有两个辅音时，一个辅音字母属于前面的音节，一个属于后面的音节。例如：let·ter, mem·ber, chil·dren, daugh·ter；

c.在两个音节之间有一个辅音字母时，一般辅音字母归后一音节。例如： stu·dent

Open Syllable 开音节

1. With the vowel letter (including ‘y’) at the end, not followed (closed) by any other letter. E.g. me, no, tidy, baby

2. With the vowel letter followed by a mute (soundless) ‘e’ at the end. E.g. die, hoe, true

3. With the vowel letter followed by a single consonant letter (other than ‘r’) and then a mute ‘e’ at the end. E.g. late, rise, take, name, these, bike, home, excuse

Closed Syllable 闭音节

With the vowel letter followed by one or more consonants (other than ‘r’). 以一个或几个辅音字母（ r 除外）结尾而中间只有一个元音字母的音节称为闭音节。

A closed syllable is a syllable that ends in s consonant.

E.g. catch, miss, put, hot, mess, beg, egg, fish, cup

元音字母在开音节和闭音节单词中的发音对比：

Exercise

下列单词哪些是开音节，那些是闭音节 ?Coke, hi, catch, book, sky, ride,

train, okay

根据音标写出单词 : /sɪk/, /slaɪd/, /blɒk/, /∫ʌt/

Stress 重音、重读Stressed syllables are those that are

marked in the dictionary as stressed. E.g. ’photograph, pho’tographer, photo’graphic

Some syllables receive the primary stress, some the secondary stress, and some zero stress. E.g. better/'betə/ banana/bə'nanə/

If there is a pitch change, the pitch change often falls on the stressed syllables.

Word Stress

A word stress means a prominent syllable.

word pattern

tea.cher • .

beau.ti.ful • . .

un.der.stand . . •

con.ti.nue . • .

How to pronounce word stress?

When a syllable is stressed, it is pronounced

longer in duration higher in pitchlouder in volume

How do you say teacher?

Longer teeeeeeeeeeee cher

Highertea

cher

Louder TEA cher

All three combined

TEEEEEEEEEEE

cher

Word Stress Rules

Word type Where is the stress? Examples

Two syllables

Nouns on the first syllable

center object flower

Verbs on the last syllable

release admit

arrange

Compound

Nouns (N + N)

(Adj. + N)

on the first part

desktop pencil case bookshelf greenhouse

Adjectives (Adj. + P.P.)

on the last part (the verb part)

well-meant hard-headed old-fashioned

Verbs (prep. + verb)

understand overlook

outperform

Word type Where is the stress? Examples

Phrasal Verbs on the particleturn off

buckle up hand out

Word with added ending

-icthe syllable before the

ending

economic Geometricelectrical

-tion, -cian, -sionTechniciangraduation

cohesion

-phy, -gy, -try, -cy, -fy, -al

the third from the last syllable

Photographybiology

geometry

-meterParameter

Thermometerbarometer

Rhythm 节奏The rhythm of a language is

characterized by the timing pattern of successive syllables.

Stress is the heart of rhythmic pattern.Usually the key words receive the

stress in a sentence.E.g. soft and light, it’s soft and it’s light;

cold winter, it was cold in the winter.

Sentence Stress in English

Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or "beat". You remember that word stress is accented on one syllable within a word. Sentence stress is accented on certain words within a sentence.

Most sentences have two types of word:

content words structure words

Content words are the key words of a sentence. They are the important words that carry the meaning or sense. Structure words are not very important words. They are small, simple words that make the sentence correct grammatically.

If you remove the structure words from a sentence, you will probably still understand the sentence.

Rules for Sentence Stress in English

1. Content words are stressed; 2. Structure words are

unstressed; 3. The time between stressed

words is always the same.

Content words - stressed

Words carrying the meaning Example

main verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY

nouns CAR, MUSIC, MARY

adjectives RED, BIG, INTERESTING

adverbs QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER

negative auxiliaries DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T

Structure words - unstressed

Words for correct grammar Example

pronouns he, we, they

prepositions on, at, into

articles a, an, the

conjunctions and, but, because

auxiliary verbs do, be, have, can, must

Diphthong 双元音

Diphthongs are sounds which consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another.

In diphthongs, the first part is much longer and stronger than the second part.

Exercise Read the following tongue-twisters:

1.A proper copper coffee pot.

2.Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran.

3.She sells seashells by the seashore.

4.We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

5.Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled pepper. Did Peter Piper pick a pack of pickled pepper? If Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled pepper, where’s the pack of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?

Pronunciation in Communication

Greetings

Saying Hello & Goodbye

Making Introduction

Greetings

(Xiao Li and Mary work in the same office.)Xiao Li: Good morning, Mary. Mary: Good morning, Xiao Li . How are you

today?Xiao Li: Fine, thanks. And you? Mary: I am fine, too. I think it’s another

busy day.Xiao Li: You are right. Shall we start our

work?Mary: Ok. Let’s begin.

Making Introduction

(Tom is introducing his friend Wang Lin to Xiao Zhang. )

Tom: Good afternoon, Xiao Zhang.Xiao Zhang: Good afternoon, Tom. Tom: Xiao Zhang, this is Wang Lin, my

friend. He’s from Shanghai. Wang Lin, this is Xiao Zhang, my classmate.

Wang Lin: How do you do?Xiao Zhang: How do you do? Wang Lin: It’s very nice to meet you.Xiao Zhang: Pleased to meet you, too.

Saying Goodbye

(In the office)A: I came to say goodbye. B: When are you leaving? A: I'm flying home on Sunday

afternoon. B: Well, happy landing.

Goodbye. See you later.