8 mistakes in the pronunciation of English sounds, which makes the majority of Russian speakers

During the study of foreign languages, much attention is paid to the pronunciation of sounds and words. The correct pronunciation is put for a long time - in a few lessons it is almost impossible to catch the correct sound of the words.

The reason is very simple. Sounds and sound in different languages ​​is radically different.

In Japanese, there is no sound [l]. And in the early stages of learning English, they replace it with sound [r]. That's because in Japanese [r], the sound is percussive, not vibrational. During the pronunciation, the tongue touches the palate for only a split second, so the output is a cross between familiar [p] and [l]. That is why it is difficult to understand what the Japanese mean: "law" or "raw".
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Of course, with purposeful training, the Japanese begin to pronounce the sound [l], but an extremely small part of those who learn English train the pronunciation so deeply.

Absolutely the same situation with the English and Russian languages. In English, there are a number of sounds that are very difficult for Russian speakers. Just because they are not in Russian. And there are nuances between similar sounds that the Russian ear simply does not notice.

Often, such nuances completely change the meaning of the sentence.

And instead of “I like this beach” (“I like this beach”), the interlocutor will hear “I like this bitch” (“I like this girl with reduced social responsibility”).

In this article we will talk about 8 mistakes in pronunciation, which are often found in Russian speakers, as well as tell you tricks that will help you get rid of them. Go.

1. Incorrect pronunciation [æ]

If you love cats (cats), then you must learn to pronounce this sound correctly.

The sound [æ] is somewhat similar to Russian [e], which is why many do not even bother to pronounce it correctly.

However, in English there are two sounds, which in Russian are designated as [e]: [æ] and [ɛ].

To correctly pronounce the sound [æ], you need to open your mouth wide and press your tongue as low as possible. Imagine that you are looking at something disgusting and say “Bae-uh-uh”, but with a tight tongue. The sound seems to be born in the larynx.

In addition, the sound [æ] is pronounced with a falling intonation.

• Explanation for musicians: the chromatic sound moves down and ends 1.5-2 tones below the starting point.
• Explanation for all others: just gently lower the intonation of the sound. The beginning is the top point, the end is the bottom.

The sound [ɛ] almost completely corresponds to Russian [e]. Just like the words "these" or "tin".

To feel the difference, you need to practice on pairs of words.
Bad [bæd] - bed [bɛd]

"The fear of being bad in bed."
(Fear of screwing up in bed)

Or head [hɛd] - had [hæd]

"I had a hat, it was on my head."
(I had a hat, and she was on my head)

2. Incorrect stress

Very often, students incorrectly call the stress in words of three or more syllables.

For example, EN-gi-neer instead of the correct en-gi-NEER. Or CA-tas-trophe instead of the correct ca-TAS-tro-phe.

The most common cause is inattention. There are many words in English with an emphasis on the first syllable, and “feeling” may seem like everything is correct (in fact, not).

Check it out is easy - spelling dictionary. Here, for example, Cambridge Dictionary .

Note! The stress in English transcription is indicated by an apostrophe and is placed before a syllable. That is, "catastrophe" - [kəˈtæs.trə.fi].

3. Incorrect diphthong pronunciation [oʊ] and [ǝʊ]

Diphthong is a fusion of two sounds. Formally, diphthong [oʊ] can be designated as Russian [ou], but this is only formal.

If informally, then many Russian speakers generally omit this sound, replacing it with a neutral one [ɔ] (it looks like a long Russian [o] as in the word “zoo”).

Although learning how to speak this diphthong correctly is very simple. In it, one sound smoothly flows into another. The initial sound [o] should be pronounced with a slightly more open mouth than in Russian. And then gradually reduce the jaw and at the same time stretch the lips into a tube, transforming the sound into [ʊ] - long [y].

If it's even simpler, you seem to add W to O. For example, GOw, DOwN'T.

In this clip, ADAM “Go to Go” almost every line ends with a diphthong [oʊ]. For the idea of ​​the clip, by the way, a separate plus to the creators :)

4. Incorrect sound pronunciation [w]

Since we mentioned the sound [w] in the paragraph above, we need to say that it is not in Russian.

Russians often replace it with solid [v], but this is wrong. As a result, the English “Why?” Acquires an Armenian accent - “Wai?”

The sound [w] is a cross between [y] and [v]. As if [in] was not pronounced to the end.

Imagine that your friend is going to create some kind of game, and you stop him with the phrase “Wow-whoa, easy!”. In this exclamation, the sound [w] will be well heard.

The mechanics are simple - say the sound [in] without touching the upper teeth with your lower lip. In this case, the lips must be folded as if for a kiss. This will be the desired [w]. Quite easy, right?

But there is a downside. Often, those that have learned to speak sound [w] use it everywhere. Including in words where you need a solid [v].

So it turns out:
Wery instead of very
Ewen instead even

Native speakers who teach EnglishDom at an English school often say that one of the most difficult phrases in terms of pronunciation for Russians at the initial stage of learning a language is becoming the banal “very well”.

There is still an interesting point, because it’s not always necessary to say the sound [w] when you see the letter W. And vice versa - for example, the word Queen - there is a sound [w], but the letter W is not.

5. Wrong sound [h]

An extremely common problem, because in Russian and English, the formation of sound [h] differs dramatically.

In Russian, the root of the tongue is pressed tightly against the palate and as you exhale, you get the sound [x]. The British often compare it with the sound of sandpaper.

English [h] open. As if you were breathing loudly at a therapist’s appointment or as if you were breathing out hard after hard work. And for a Russian-speaking speaker, it is very difficult to adapt to this most open [h].

So it turns out that “Hello” is pronounced with the same sound as “Fridge”.

To practice sound [h], here's a patter for you. And if you speak the sound correctly, on the open output, then even for a netive it will seem rather complicated:

A housewife, who holds her house by herself,
Has a home help, who helps her.
If the housewife didn’t hold it
How could she have her help?

6. Insidious sound [l]

In Russian there are 2 sounds [l] - tvedry [l] and soft [l ']. As in the words "elk" and "leaves." In this case, they can occur in any part of the word - both at the beginning and at the end ("salt" and "count").

In English, the sound [l] is formally one. It is always solid, but it sounds a little not as tough as Russian.

It's all about the mechanics. Russian sound [l] is formed when the front of the tongue is pressed against the palate and upper teeth. In English, only the tip of the tongue is pressed, which makes the sound much softer. But not as soft as [l '].

Americans also often reduce the sound [l], if it stands at the end of a word - so that it is not audible. Mechanically, they sort of sound, but do not touch the palate with the tongue - an indefinite sound is obtained, something between a [l] and [s]. But in fact, this is unnecessary and students should not try to reproduce it. One sound [l] in English is enough.

7. Difference between [i] and [ɪ]

Pupils do not immediately comprehend the difference between tense [i] and relaxed [ɪ], replacing them with the usual Russian ear [and]. This is a common mistake, and getting rid of it is not easy.

If primitive, then the sound [i] is long, and [ɪ] - short. But they differ not only in length, but also in intonation. It is the intonation that Russian-speaking students often ignore.

The sound [i] is pronounced as if you are trying to pronounce the sound during the widest possible “Hollywood” smile. The tongue is tense and lifted to the palate, but does not touch it. Mimicry is an important part of sound formation; without strained buccal muscles, it is simply impossible to obtain the desired sound. Imagine that you add to the end of the sound [th] - this will give the necessary softness.

The sound [ɪ] is similar to Russian [and], but pronounced a little harder, a little closer to [s]. Tongue relaxed, lips a little stretched. It is important that the root of the language is also relaxed, otherwise the sound will turn into Russian [and].

Let's take an example right away.
Sheep - ship

If we speak in one intonation, the interlocutor does not understand where the sheep is and where the ship is.

Sheep [ʃip] - sound tense, high, long.
Ship [ʃɪp] - the sound is relaxed, short, as if chopped off.

Only one inaccurate sound, and you are already floating not on a ship, but on a sheep.

And yes, this is where the beach-bitch couple belongs.
If you want to go to the beach, speak through high [i].
If you want to call someone, a short [ɪ] will help you.

8. Incomprehensible th

There are no sounds [θ] and [ð] in Russian - there are no analogues either. Despite the fact that the pronunciation of this sound is put on the first classes, many have problems with it.

As it turns out, Russians often cannot get used to the fact that in order to form these sounds, you need to stick out the tip of the tongue. Because of this, they are replaced by the more familiar [s] and [s].

In this case, confusion arises. One of the classic: "think - sink". And it becomes unclear what a person does: thinks or drowns.

By the way, it is over this sound that dialects of English often mock everything. For example, in the Cockney dialect, the sound [θ] in a conversation almost always changes to [f], so they say [fɪŋk] instead of [θɪŋk].

Many students are psychologically uncomfortable to extract sounds with their tongues sticking out, so they unconsciously try to pronounce the sound in a more convenient way, though not quite correctly.

This can be solved only by training and self-control. So arm yourself with tongue twisters and go.

***

Proper pronunciation is as important a part of a language as grammar and vocabulary. But the attitude towards it is a little different, because only a small percentage of those people who study English in the world are trying to achieve a perfectly clean pronunciation of sounds. Most stops at the level of "once understood - it means it will do." But at the same time, working out the correct pronunciation is a great motivation to work on your English. And one of the best ways is to pay attention to learning with a teacher - a native speaker. That's really someone pronunciation, which sometimes want to envy :)

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