Since all Chinese words consist of only one syllable, there is a tendency for speakers of Mandarin and Cantonese to reduce English words with longer syllables. Make sure you pronounce every syllable of longer words. Also, pronounce every consonant and don’t lose vocal energy toward the end of the word. Pay special attention to this if you tend to speak fast. Don’t take any short cuts! Below are some examples of English words typically cut short by native Chinese speakers.
|
|
typical mistake (missing syllable) |
should be pronounced: |
correct number of syllables |
1. |
particularly |
“par-ti-cu-ly” |
“par-tic-u-lar-ly” |
5 |
2. |
government |
“gov-ment” |
“gov-ern-ment” |
3 |
3. |
visual |
“vis-ul” |
“vi-su-al” |
3 |
4. |
usual |
“us-al” |
“u -su - al” |
3 |
5. |
experience |
“exper-ince” |
“ek-spe-ri-ence” |
4 |
6. |
immediately |
“im-me-di-ly” |
“im-me-di-at-ely” |
5 |
7. |
customer |
“cus-mer” |
“cus-tom-er” |
3 |
Practice Sentences
The correct number of syllables is indicated above each word. Count them as you read the words, then try to say them more quickly making sure you are not skipping any syllable.
- The scientist3 is enthusiastic5 about artificial4 intelligence4.
- I am confident3 that this advertisement4 will be meaningful3 to the customers3.
- It is unimaginable6 that the Europeans4 lost the championship4.
- The foreigner3 had a powerful3 vocabulary5 and communicated5 confidently4.
- The executive4 assistant3 primarily4 negotiated5 for the president3.
- We are investigating5 the developmental5 processes3 of our biggest2 competitors4.
- I primarily4 practice the pronunciation5 of the difficult3 sentences3.
- The entertainment4 industry3 is concentrated4 in Hollywood3.
- He is seriously4 investigating5 a career in technical3 consulting3.
- There is a spectacular4 exhibition4 at the museum3.
Word Ending Errors
The endings of words can sometimes cause problems for the native Chinese speaker. For example, since plural forms don’t exist in Chinese, there is a tendency to omit them when speaking English.
typical mistake: |
should be: |
“I have many American friend.” |
“I have many American friends.” |
Another difficulty sometimes arises with the third person singular. The form of the verb doesn’t change in Chinese so you may tend to omit the final s.
typical mistake: |
should be: |
“My friend say hello” |
“My friend says hello” |
Finally, many native speakers of Chinese, even those who are very proficient in English, tend to randomly interchange the present and past tenses. Since these tense differences don’t exist in Chinese it is understandably confusing.
typical mistake: |
should be: |
“I work yesterday.” |
“I worked yesterday.” |
“I usually forgot.” |
“I usually forget.” |
Linking
Chinese speakers of English tend to pronounce each word separately, which makes the section on linking in Chapter Eight one of the most important aids in helping you sound more American. You will definitely want to review that chapter, but to summarize: don’t release the final consonant if it’s “a stop.”
typical mistake: |
should be: |
“I had /ɘ/ lunch.” or “I hada lunch.” |
“I had lunch.” |
“I used /ɘ/ to...” or “I useda to...” |
“I used to...” |
“I made /ɘ/ that.” or “I made a that.” |
“I made that.” |
This mistake can be prevented by holding the final consonant and immediately saying the next word with no air created between pronouncing the two words. Study the section related to linking consonant + consonant in Chapter 8 for more practice.
|