VIP Class Notes (Nick)

Check “L” and “R”
How do you connect “Where are you” as in “where are you going?”

These two words are only different because of “L” and “R.” Reread the explanations below and try to practice the sounds.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/load
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/road

Vocabulary

Vowel – a e i o u
Consonant – everything else

Long and short vowels – each vowel has two sounds, the “long” sound is the name, the “short” sound is the other one
a – game vs. apple
e – feet vs. register
i – time vs. in
o – home vs. on
u – beauty vs. mud

Pronunciation

“L” is putting your tongue up and behind your teeth, and using the top of your tongue, just behind the tip
— At the beginning of a word, you put your tongue there and pull it down
— At the end of word you put it there and leave it there
— The rest of your tongue should remain in the middle of your mouth
— Don’t move your lips!

“R” moves back on the tongue a little from “L” and doesn’t touch the top the mouth, also close your lips a little more (“R” often includes opening your lips with the sound)

Be careful at the end of a word to use your voice with “d”
e.g. Red vs. ret

Did you eat dinner? – dij ya
— “J” is in between “D” and “Y” on the tongue
What are you doing? – watcha doin?
— The “are” is removed and the “T” and “Y” come together

“EE” vs. “IH” (long “E” and short “I”)
— Long “E” is a very high tongue position
— Short “I” is a slightly lower position

In regular speech, anything that ends in “-ing” gets shortened to “-in”
— “N” is near the front of the tongue and the front of the mouth, but you make your tongue flat so that the sound has to go through your nose
— “NG” is the middle of your tongue and farther back in your mouth, but it also closes your mouth so that the sound has to go through your nose

These – long “E” and a “Z”