|
Many words in English begin with an “s-blend,” which is when the letter s is followed by another consonant. For example, the words state, space, school, and special all begin with s-blends. Some non-native speakers of English have difficulty with combining consonants because they don’t use this construction in their native language. In Spanish, words with these sounds begin with an “e,” such as especial, escuela, and estado. Consequently, a common accent pattern in English is to add an additional “e” sound before s-blend words. Listen to the following pairs of words. Note that the words are similar, but the Spanish word has and "es" and the English word has only "s."
To avoid this problem, start by practicing s-blend words alone. Then slowly add words before your s-blend word, being careful to start your target word with an “s,” not an “es.” It might help you to draw out the “s” sound a little longer. After saying s-blend words by themselves, slowly add more words to your phrase until you are able to say the s-blend word correctly in a sentences. For example, use the recording below to try this exercise:
special special service provide special service we will provide special service
0 Comments
Native Spanish speakers sometimes have difficulty with the pronouncing words that begin with the letters y and j. Specifically, they will switch these two consonant sounds. It is helpful to practice each sound on its own, then try contrasting words to make sure you are putting the correct sound on the correct word. To say the “y” sound, think of the Spanish y or ll. This sound is called a semivowel because the tongue has limited contact with the rest of the mouth. If you say the sound very slowly, you’ll notice it sounds like two vowel – vowel ee and vowel uh. It slides from ee to uh – “ee-uh.” Use the recordings to try the “y” sound by itself, in words, and in short phrases. To say the “j” sound, we press the front of our tongue up behind our top front teeth, then open the mouth quickly and release the tongue. The “ch” sound is made in the same way, without the voice. If you have trouble with this sound at the start of the word, try putting a “d” before the “j” sound. Use the recordings to try the “j” sound by itself, in words, and in short phrases.
|
Subscribe to this blog:
Categories
All
Archives
March 2021
Copyright 2020
Christine Dunbar Have Questions?
Get A Free Consultation We offer a free 30-minute phone consultation. Schedule yours now. |
RSS Feed
