UNIT 1 Chapter 1 Lesson 4 /ə/

LESSON 4 /ə/

COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS  

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

a                                  about, allow, Africa

io +n                            nation, vision, mission

Source: (Mojsin, 2016)

HOW TO PRONOUNCE /ə/

1. Open your mouth a bit.
2. Mouth opening is slightly smaller than /ʌ/
3. Your tongue is relaxed.
4. This is a middle vowel.
5. Produce a very short sound. (アッ)

英語耳 p. 82

COMMON JAPANESE MISTAKE

Students usually pronounce this sound as /ɑ/.
Students usually misread this as /e/.

MINIMAL PAIRS /ə/ /ɑ/

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.
Read and listen to the differences between /ə/ and /ɑ/.
Test your listening skill by asking someone to RANDOMLY read a word and try to guess which word was read.

LET US PRACTICE /ə/

Practice pronouncing the /ə/ sound using the words below.

HOW TO PRACTICE

1. LISTEN to the audio file.
2. COPY how the words are pronounced.
3. SLOWLY read the words.
4. LOOK at your mouth and tongue movement using a MIRROR.
5. ALWAYS practice.

TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS /ə/

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

 INITIAL

1. adopt

/ədɑ́:pt /

2. adjust

/ədʒʌ́st/

3. adapt

/ədǽpt/

MEDIAL

1. carbon

/kɑ́:rbən/

2. migrant

/máigrənt/

3. tonight

/tənáit/

FINAL

1. yoga

/jóugə/

2. stigma   

 /stígmə/

2. China

/tʃáinə/

THREE-SYLLABLE WORDS /ə/

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

INITIAL

1. assuming

/əsú:miŋ/

2. admiring

/ədmáiəriŋ/

3. acidic

/əsídik/

MEDIAL

1. position

/pəzíʃn/

2. personal

/pɚ́:sənl/

3. national

/nǽʃnəl/

FINAL

1. cinema

/sínəmə/

2. umbrella

/ʌmbrélə/

3. Africa

/ǽfrikə/

LET US PHRASE IT

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

1. about Abbot

/əbáut ǽbət/

2. can contest

/kən kəntést/

3. at the police office

/ət ðə pəlí:s ɑ́:fis/

4. the personal assistant

/ðə pɚ́:sənl əsístənt/

TONGUE TWISTER

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

The personal assistant is at the police office.

/ðə pɚ́:sənl əsístənt iz ət ðə pəlí:s ɑ́fis/

Click here to download ALL the AUDIO FILES