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Study the whole book, but also pay special attention to the topics outlined below which are the common trouble areas for Filipino speakers of English.
Consonants
Confusing /p/ and /f/
People from the Philippines substitute a /p/ for an /f/ sound. This type of mistake is parallel to the also common /v/ and /b/ confusion, and it requires you to focus on using either two lips or just the lower lip. Be particularly careful with words that contain both a p and an f or when these two sounds are close together as in: perfect, perform, puffy, helpful, full page, and cup of coffee.
The /th/ Sound
Review Chapters Three and Four to learn the correct pronunciation of this sound. A common mistake for native Tagalog speakers is to substitute a /t/ or a /d/ for the th.
| typical mistake: |
should be: |
| “tank” |
“thank“ |
| “dose” |
“those“ |
| “mudder” |
“mother“ |
Confusing /b/ and /v/
Practice the exercises in Chapter Four. Remember, the /b/ sound requires the lips to be completely closed, with no air coming out, whereas the /v/ sound only involves the lower lip, which touches the upper teeth and creates a vibrating air flow. Be particularly careful with words that contain both a b and v or when these sounds are close together as in: Beverly, November, vibrate, available, I’ve been and very big.
Confusing /s/ and /z/
The s in many English words is frequently pronounced as a /z/ sound. Learn the rules for this pronunciation and refer to the list in Chapter Four, common /z/-sound words. Words pronounced with a /z/ sound include: husband, design, observe, always, and chose.
Words Pairs for Practice
Make sure you say these pairs of words differently:
| |
/s/ |
/z/ |
| 1. |
piece |
peas |
| 2. |
face |
phase |
| 3. |
bus |
buzz |
| 4. |
price |
prize |
Confusing sh and ch
Make sure you can pronounce chose and shoes differently. If you feel you need more practice, review these sounds in detail in Chapter Four.
Consonant Clusters
When a word contains two consonants next to each other, make sure that you pronounce both consonants. Review the last section of Chapter Four for further practice.
Words for Practice
Practice the following words with consonant clusters:
- just
- act
- lost
- hand
- paint
- project
- mixed
- paint
- sense
- desks
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